HPI Brings Us the Bandit

I am no country music fan, but there is one song that I know and love. This song is "Eastbound & Down" by Jerry Reed. That is the theme song from "Smokey and the Bandit" a movie that shaped my life. I still don't have a mustache but I have had more than my share of police chases (7-1 that one time I didn't know they were chasing me). I can tell you the police need to be within a certain distance to turn on their lights and call in a chase, never let them get that close. I have also had a few Firebirds. I still haven't got my hands on a Trans Am yet. HPI has now made it easier.

Team Atlas Beat Bodies 2

Last time I brought you the amazing Lancia bodies that Team Atlas makes. Today it's more awesomeness in the form of the legendary Autobianchi A112 Abarth and the cult classic the AE86 Corolla. Take a look.

Team Atlas Beat Bodies 1

Team Atlas has some nice bodies for their Beat chassis. Top Gear voted Lancia as the "Greatest Car Manufacturer In The World". I would agree. They make amazing little cars filled with awesome. Their brainstorming sessions went like this: 

Engineer 1: "We have to make a really fast rally car."
Engineer 2: "What do really fast cars have?"
Engineer 1: "Turbos, Superchargers, All Wheel Drive, Mid-engined..."
Engineer 2: "Great then that's what we'll do?
Engineer 1: "Which one?"
Engineer 2: "All of them."

I've included a video of that car, the Killer . I've nicknamed the Delta S4 killer because it has killed more than it's share of people. Take a look at these awesome bodies, the Lancia Stratos Turbo Group 5 and the Group 5 Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo, then enjoy the vid.

Spice Mitsubishi Starion Body Is AWESOME

I was digging for info for what will become tomorrow's article when I found this. OMG love, rainbows, unicorns, and ice cream! A Mitsubishi Starion Body. To put this in 80's nostalgia terms, this is the SDF-1; A giant alien space fortress that does everything awesome and a couple super awesome things. If you don't know what a Mitsubishi Starion is look at this then get all kinds of excited. Where can you get it? Japan. How much? Your first born. Seriously though, you are going to have to look for it until I can get my hands on some.

HPI AE86 Corolla Coupe

The Hatchi-Roku. That's Japanese for eight six. Eight six means AE86. AE86 is the chassis code for a certain 1983-1987 Toyota Corolla. Toyota made many different Corolla models back then but the most important one was the AE86. That little car was an economy car and didn't try to hide it. It also had the soul of a squirrel. Tough, quick, agile, and fun on top of fun with a little fun on the side. It came in hatchback or coupe version and two trim levels over here in the U.S.A., standard SR-5, and hopped up GT-S. The GT-S had better brakes, interior, engine, suspension, and other stuff. It was by far the better of the two but the SR-5 still had the undeniable charm that was built into the Hatchi's DNA.

Tamiya's Soupped Up Dune Buggy

Tamiya is doing a superb job at being Tamiya. What do I mean? Kyosho doesn't sell mechanically stunning RC models any more. Traxxas went from "American racing icon to challenge Associated and Losi" to RTR's at Pep Boys. Losi went from a family of racers to cheap RTR's. I can't continue, it's too depressing. You get the idea. So meanwhile Tamiya is still producing charming, good looking, durable, and fun kits. That's why when you see my Tahoe you know it's mine by the big Tamiya decal on it. For those of you that feel like I do about RC, kits, and Tamiya take a look at what they are giving us this summer. It even comes with a driver figure! With no official press release I had to dig up these old crappy, watermark-removed-with-mspaint images. While preparing for publication I noticed the screws in the shocks. I really hope these are CVA's and not yellow friction shocks. "Coil spring damped" means friction shocks in Tamiya =(.

HPI 1970 Dodge Challenger YES!

I like the new Dodge Challenger simply because of the lack of rear wheel drive manual transmission cars in today's market. I love the old Challenger because of how awesome they were and the movie Vanishing Point (that might be a link to watch it free online). There was also a girl that lived behind me growing up that had a pink one. Despite it's color I wanted that car. I will always regret not approaching her about selling it. It was obvious she didn't want it. HPI has done the car justice. VTA (Vintage Trans Am) racers will love it. RC drag racers will love it. The tiny RC hotrod community will also love it. I love and you will too. Look at it and drool.

The era of American muscle cars rumbles to life once again with the addition of the 1970 Dodge Challenger body to our line-up! The ’70 Challenger was a potent competitor on the racetrack with Sam Posey behind the wheel of his bright green Challenger in the legendary Trans Am series.

Get yourself the RC version of the 1970 Dodge Challenger, designed to fit all 1/10 scale touring cars. Included with the body is a pre-cut decal sheet that includes window lines, headlights, grills, tail lights, official logos and much more, providing you with a realistically finished product.

This body is clear so you can paint it in your favorite colors. It fits 200mm touring cars and can also be used on 190mm touring cars with the use of wide offset wheels. Overspray film is included, as well as vinyl window masks to make painting quick and simple. An instruction sheet is included for the decals, and the body has dimple marks for body post drill locations.

• Photorealistic die-cut premium vinyl decals include window frames, headlights, tail lights and more, plus official logos!
• T/A and R/T stripes
• Shiny chrome vinyl decals for the ultimate in realism
• Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks make painting fast and simple
• A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement
• The body has dimple marks for body post drill locations
• Molded from clear polycarbonate plastic for durability and long life
• This is an officially licensed replica.
• Clear body (finished example shown)

HPI 1979 Ford F-150 Supercab

Here's the winner, this is the body for my scaler project. Look at it. It screams country. I may be a city boy but I can trace my roots straight back to the family farm in North Carolina. This truck would look right at home there. It going to look even better on my rig. I don't like calling them "redneck" trucks because that is an insult and I don't believe in re-purposing insults. Back to the body. It is soo gnarly, it should come with a scale case in the bed.

Go retro with this 1979 Ford F-150 Supercab body for your Savage XL! This classic ’79 Ford pick-up is the longer Supercab version so it fits the Savage XL truck perfectly. It will also fit Savage Flux trucks using the XL Wheelbase Conversion Set (#102404). And, it can be used on any standard Savage or Maxx-size truck, but will require alternate body post hole positions.

This body is made from crystal clear polycarbonate material for those that prefer to add a personal touch with their own paint and graphics scheme. The convenient pre-cut vinyl decal sheet includes: photorealistic headlights, grill, tail lights, official logos, window frames, door handles and more… all die-cut to make applying the decals quick and easy. Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks are included with each body. A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement, and the body has dimple marks for body post drill locations.

• Photorealistic die-cut premium vinyl decals include window frames, headlight, grill, tail lights and more, plus official logos!
• Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks make painting fast and simple
• A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement
• The body has dimple marks for Savage XL body post drill locations
• Molded from 0.040″ clear polycarbonate plastic for durability and long life
• Clear body (finished example shown)
• This is an officially licensed replica

HPI Drops an Old School Ford Truck On Us

The 1979 ford f150. Beautiful truck. This thing has a body style similar to the 1974 f250 they used for the original Bigfoot. It is about durn time they made some nice old school Ford bodies. I was planning to get this one for a mud truck project but then I read about the supercab version...

Go retro with this 1979 Ford F-150 body for your Savage! This classic ’79 Ford pick-up fits the Savage line of trucks perfectly. And, it can be used on any standard Savage-size truck or Maxx-size truck. Savage XL owners, a long version of this body is available for your trucks. Look for the F-150 Supercab version, part #105132.

This body is made from crystal clear polycarbonate material for those that prefer to add a personal touch with their own paint and graphics scheme. The convenient pre-cut vinyl decal sheet includes: photorealistic headlights, grill, tail lights, official logos, window frames, door handles and more… all die-cut to make applying the decals quick and easy. Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks are included with each body. A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement, and the body has dimple marks for body post drill locations.

• Photorealistic die-cut premium vinyl decals include window frames, headlight, grill, tail lights and more, plus official logos!
• Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks make painting fast and simple
• A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement
• The body has dimple marks for Savage body post drill locations
• Molded from 0.040″ clear polycarbonate plastic for durability and long life
• Clear body (finished example shown)
• This is an officially licensed replica

2011 Ford F-250 Super-Duty body

I drive a Chevy truck but I love Fords. I have sampled many many different flavors of Ford's F-series trucks. The new ones are pretty awesome but large. I like the size of the 67-04 trucks. These newer ones are just massive. For some reason there are very few new Chevy truck bodies. I'd love a mini Tahoe but these bodies will do for now.

Illuzion – Stampede 4×4 – 2011 Ford F-250 Super-Duty body Part # – 0214)

Stampede owners can breathe a sigh of relief, the big and tough, Ford F-250 Super Duty has arrived. Officially licensed by Ford, JConcepts introduces the 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty body as a drop-on replacement body for the Stampede 2wd and 4×4 vehicles.

Built Ford Tough, JConcepts has brought an essence of the 2011 Ford F-250 truck together with the latest offerings in realistic styled bodies. The F-250 is as detailed as they come, starting with a grill / headlight and hood combination that stands-out as toughness just like its full-scale counterpart. The cab design features the Super Crew design, recessed windows, sun roof outline and full running boards. Spot-on wheel well size and fender flares with rocker panel blend to form the unmistakable Super Duty look. The bed area includes a recessed area that features ridged detail, tailgate and rear bumper with scale touches, finish off this unmatched design.

Like all JConcepts bodies, performance is always a top priority and the 2011 F-250 does not stop short in performance. The F-250 stance has been optimized utilizing dimensional aspects of the other popular JConcepts bodies including the Raptor SVT. If you want to get tough, look mean and attack with a fearless abandon, than jump into the Super Duty with JConcepts.

Features:

• Fits Stampede 2wd and 4×4
• Officially licensed by Ford to JConcepts
• 2011 Ford F-250 scale inspired body, cab, bed and window design
• 1:1 headlight and grill treatment with pronounced bumpers and running boards
• Front and rear fender flares for maximum realism
• Super Crew cab with recessed windows
• Clear heavy-duty polycarbonate with protective film
• Window masks and detailed 2011 Ford F-250 decal sheet

BMW Won The GT2 Class At Sebring

The 12 hours of Sebring two weeks ago was an amazing race. I literally watched it from bell to bell. GT2 was pretty good. The Ferrari 458gt's looked the best by far. The corvettes were pretty sweet too. The BMW's running E85 were dominating. They literally pulled everything down the straights. No gt2 car could touch them in a straight line. Immense speed and good reliability allowed BMW to take the checkered flag for the GT2 class. Now you can build a duplicate of that winning car. Check it out.

This HPI body is an official replica of the race-winning BMW M3 GT2 campaigned by the Rahal Letterman Racing in the American Le Mans Series. Bold styling and an aggressive racing stance make this the ultimate version of the BMW M3. We include two giant sheets of decals that allow you create an exact replica of the BMW Motorsport #90 car driven by R/C enthusiast Joey Hand and Bill Auberlen.
This 200mm body fits wide 1/10 scale sedans and features the usual HPI attention to detail. Included with the body are two large pre-cut decal sheets that include window lines, headlights, grills, tail lights, stripes, official logos and much more, providing your touring car with a realistically finished product.

This body is clear so you can make an exact replica of the #90 race car or paint it in your favorite colors. It fits 200mm touring cars and can also be used on 190mm touring cars with the use of wide offset wheels. Overspray film is included, as well as vinyl window masks to make painting quick and simple. An instruction sheet is included for the decals, and the body has dimple marks for body post drill locations.

• Photorealistic die-cut premium vinyl decals include window frames, headlights, tail lights and more, plus official logos!
• Front and rear light buckets
• Molded nylon rear wing
• Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks make painting fast and simple
• A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement
• The body has dimple marks for body post drill locations
• Molded from clear polycarbonate plastic for durability and long life
• This is an officially licensed replica
• Clear body (finished example shown)

Proline Raptor Body for Stampede

I saw a Ford Raptor the other day. It is massive. It looks like you can easily fit four people across the front seat. I was driving my Tahoe so I had a decent sized vehicle for comparison. I wanted a Raptor, until now. It's wide like a Hummer, too wide for me. Proline now makes a sweet looking version for the Stampede. Look at it and enjoy.

This is a Pro-Line Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor Clear Body for the Stampede® and Stampede® 4X4. The full-size Ford® Raptor SVT was designed for serious off-road abuse and now you can give your truck the same look! The Raptor has a bold grill that tells everyone to get out of your way and hood fins that prove it is a serious racing truck. Every detail of this modern icon was re-created to give your truck the ultimate in off-road styling. When you see your Raptor SVT mounted on your monster truck, you will realize that this is exactly what you have been waiting for. Buckle-up and hold on for Pro-Line’s Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor Clear Body for the Stampede® and Stampede® 4X4!

Don’t forget to submit your finished Pro-Line Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor truck to Reader’s Rides when you are done. Who knows, you could get your ride posted on the blog and you could even win a prize!

Features:

• Made with Genuine GE .060 Lexan®
• Perfect fit and proportions for the Stampede® and Stampede® 4X4
• Bold Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor styling – Stand out among the crowd
• Exceptional detail – From far away or close up, you and your friends will be able to see the detail
• Paint then peel overspray film, sticker sheet, and window masks included
• Four step to Race Ready:

1.) Clean Body and apply included window mask
2.) Paint then peel the over-spray film off
3.) Sticker your body (decal sheet included)
4.) Mount your new Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor onto your Stampede® and Stampede® 4X4

HPI 1970 Mustang, Surprised?

HPI loves the Ford Mustang. Now they make my second favorite mustang of all time (80's child will always love the 5.0), The 1970 fastback. Parma tried to make one but they either make a good replica or a garbage one. Guess how their mustang turned out? This one is gorgeous. HPI has a way to make one justify owning 80 RC cars. One chassis and 80 bodies is weak. 80 awesome looking cars on the shelf will get you the ladies. Count on it.

This 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 body from HPI Racing brings one of the most legendary muscle cars to the RC Vintage category. The BOSS 302 is one of the most famous American street cars ever produced, as well as a dominant force in the Trans-Am series from the early 70's. For many, the BOSS 302 symbolizes everything that made the muscle car era so famous... massive horsepower, aggressive looks, and a rich history of racetrack performance.

Our true-to-life 1/10th scale replica captures all of the details that make the 1970 Mustang Boss 302 a fan favorite. This HPI-factory body is designed to fit perfectly on 200mm touring cars. Add your own paint job and you're ready to race, cruise or sit in the garage ready for concours.

• Photorealistic die-cut premium vinyl decals include window frames, headlight, grille, taillights and more, plus logos!
• Shiny chrome vinyl decals for the ultimate in realism
• Overspray film and pre-cut vinyl window masks make painting fast and simple
• A decal instruction sheet is included for decal placement
• The body has dimple marks for body post drill locations
• Molded from strong clear polycarbonate plastic for durability and long life.