Special Project: Hoon Worthy
Fresh Squeezed RC’S Full-custom Kyosho Fazer Mk2 Hoonigan Shartkart
Hoonigan… it’s one word that captures the spirit of so many things. If it’s motorsports related, chances are the term is recognizable throughout and includes the world of RC. Knowing this is what brought me to building replicas of some of Hoonigan’s coolest shredders.
I’ve spent my whole life in motorsports. From motocross to quads, to super sport bikes and drag racing and everything in between, if its got a motor, I’m with it. Hoonigan for me encompass that same passion for all things rad! So after building a scale replica of their Donut Garage and Ken Block’s Hoonitruck, the next build was clear to me. That build had to be their beloved Shartkart, even though I had no real idea how I was going to accomplish that.
Not being one to back down from a challenge, I got to work. I’ve always felt like if I didn’t do it, there was someone already putting a plan in place for their own build or had a build underway already. This definitely seems to be the case when I roll one out, so that keeps me pushing to build the best cars I can build, even if it means diving in head first with not much more than a loose plan and an end goal in mind.
THE BUILD THE RULES
For this build I had only a couple of hard rules I set for myself. Those rules were that the scale Shartkart had to have its cage built entirely from real metal and that it had to be the best work I had ever done to that point. (It may still be the best work I have ever accomplished.)
The platform I would build off of would be a Kyosho Fazer MK2 touring car chassis. I knew this was the way forward for a couple of reasons. The first reason being that the platform is extremely versatile and well designed, and that the chassis would be tough enough to withstand the potential overall weight of the finished product. I knew with the car having a metal cage and partial tub, there was no dedicated RWD drift platform that would be up to the challenge. With that, the real work could begin.
I’m fortunate enough that my fulltime gig allows me access to a well-equipped shop space, at least on my lunch break anyway! That’s right, every last bit of metal fab was done on my lunch break. 30 minutes at a time, 30 minutes a day. So with a plethora of pictures, I began cutting, grinding and TIG welding. Every day for about 2 months, that was my routine. Before I knew it, the build was really starting to take shape and my motivation to get it done was growing with it.
FULL METAL
The entire tub sides, cage and every gusset is built from stainless steel.
Why stainless steel? Isn’t there a better option? Yes, absolutely aluminum would have been the better choice, but with all the scrap stainless I could get my hands on the choice was easy. The tub sides, dash, firewall and rear deck are all constructed from sheet stainless and the cage would be made up of 3/16’’ and 1/8’’ solid stainless rod.
After the metal work was finished up, I needed to figure out what components I would use to make this rig more than a static display, and into a car I could properly HOON! With the weight of just the rolling chassis (more on that later) I’d need a robust power plant. To get the tires spinning I chose a Hobbywing Max10 system with a 4000kv motor that I would run on 3s Gens Ace power. I also added the factory Kyosho aluminum center shaft to further beef up the drivetrain.
For steering duties I needed something small, fast and strong. The natural choice for me was the 299lp servo from Reefs RC. Beyond that, the chassis upgrades are very minimal. The aluminum wheels I chose were amazon specials, as were the drift tires I wrapped them in.
THE DETAILS
At this point the bones of the build were there, now I had to make it all come together. As we all know, with a scale rig of any kind, the devil is in the details. With the shartkart having literally everything exposed, there was major work to be done. I got with the guys over at Pushrod3d for some help with the engine compartment. They are responsible for the intercooler, radiator, air filter and valve cover. Which was a huge help, definitely beyond my printerless capabilities.
The engine block and intake I created from styrene, with other engine details like the supercharger, belt, and hoses being created with modified parts I had laying around. Imagination goes a long way! The exhaust header was constructed from the same 3/16’’ stainless rod I used for the cage. Out back, I used a lightly modified off-the-shelf wing and a Lego gas cap. Look closely, yep, that’s a Lego.
Moving to the interior I attached a steering wheel from a toy grade rc that I found at Target, yes I did in fact purchase the whole car to get that steering wheel! Sacrifices must be made. The handbrake handle is actually a body post and I would be lying if I said I knew what I made the shifter from, those parts are installed on a transmission tunnel made from styrene. Did I mention that this was the first time I had ever worked with styrene? For the seat I made my own, I bent up some aluminum scrap and painted it rattle can red for racecar realness. As far as the rest of the paint, it’s all just spray bombed with various finishes of Rustoleum. Nothing fancy there!
KEEPING A SECRET
It was at this point that the build was complete, but there was a catch. That catch was that my contact at the Hoonigans wanted it to be kept secret, until I could get to California and unveil it at the real Hoonigan headquarters, the Donut Garage. Looking back on it that may have been one of the hardest parts, keeping it a secret. With an opportunity like that, you do anything you have to do. So I booked my flight and kept my mouth shut, even though the excitement was killing me!
Once I arrived in Long Beach, California, I could barely contain myself. To think I was going to go to the epicenter of so much radness, with my scale Shartkart and Hoonitruck in tow was almost overwhelming. Let me tell you I was not let down. It’s everything a gearhead can dream of. Killer builds throughout, and absolutely killer folks that we have all watched on Youtube.
If you want to check out more on that experience, I highly suggest you search “Hoonigan RC Takeover” and give it a watch. I do believe that you won’t be disappointed. That video probably describes the day better than I can; I was flying by the seat of my pants and loving every second of it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In closing, I just want to add a couple of things. If you want something, go get it. In the end it’s up to you to make things happen. Of course you will need help along the way, take it, cultivate it, DO WORK. For me, this experience as a whole is beyond where I ever imagined rc would take me. I want to thank RC Car Action for giving me the opportunity to curate this article, and thank all the great companies I work with and my friends and family for every last bit of support I’ve received. Even the smallest things can become larger than life, even 10thscale RC cars. Dreams do come true.
Stay RAD my friends, Fresh Squeezed RC