How to Soup up RC Cars

If you're an RC car enthusiast looking to soup up your car for a race competition or just to blow your buddies away, there are many things you can do to improve your car's performance. From adding wheelie bars to supercharging your engine, the ways to soup up RC (radio-controlled) cars are limited only by your imagination.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• RC car
• Tools (these will vary according to the specific modifications you're attempting, but will generally involve screwdrivers, pliers and adhesives, and perhaps other specialized tools depending on the job to be done)
• Modification accessories (these will also vary greatly, depending on how you're choosing to soup up your car, but may include wheelie bars, turbocharging units and their constituent parts)

Get Better Performance From Your RC Car

1. Know the purpose for which you want to soup up your RC car. If it's for a race, check to see if there are regulations prohibiting certain types of car modifications, such as turbochargers. If it's for casual use, define what you're trying to accomplish. Do you want your car to accelerate faster? Become more aerodynamic? Have better handling? The specific reason you're souping up your car defines exactly how you will soup it up.
2. Connect with other enthusiasts in the world of RC cars. RC Tech (see Resources below) offers a chat forum where hobbyists can get advice on virtually every imaginable aspect of RC driving.
3. Head to your local RC hobby shop or go online to search for the parts needed to make your modifications, and to get advice on better ways to install them. Bear in mind that costs can add up very quickly as you gather all the necessary parts to soup up your RC car.
4. Read absolutely all instructions that come with the components you procure to make your modifications. Understand them fully and completely before attempting any assembly.
5. Test out your modifications before completely re-assembling the body of your RC car, if it was necessary to take it apart to install the new components. This can save you a considerable time in the event you need to tinker further to get things right.

Tips & Warnings

• If you race RC cars competitively, be aware that race organizers sometimes prohibit speed-enhancing modifications. You will be responsible for ensuring that your car meets the specified standards of the race or you may face disqualification.