Ever since Phat Bodies release the VW beetle-inspired "Funkenblitz" body we've seen the build start to trickle through. What has started out as an innocent upgrade to a unique body seems to have have grown in scope (something we encourage here at QuadifyRC).

​Patrick had not driven an RC car since he was a kid. He started looking online and decided to get the WLToys 124019 for himself and the HBX 16889 for my son. He only had the 124019 for a week or so before getting bitten by the modding bug and he started buying upgrades. He didn't think it would get this out of hand.

Where are you from?
Southern California
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
On the street in my neighborhood
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Aliexpress 
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
The body. I enjoyed figuring out the paint scheme and the end result. 
Future plans for the car?
Hobbywing ESC
Model
WLToys 124019
Motor
Surpass Rocket 2845 4370kv
ESC
Surpass Hobby 80A
Gearing
19T Pinion / Upgraded Metal Driveshaft Spur 44t
Servo
Surpass Hobby 17g S0017M
TX/RX
DumboRC X4
Battery Choices
Stock 2s 2200mah
Wheels/Tires
Redcat racing Volcano-16 RER13657
Body/Shell/Wing
Phat Body Funkenblitz
Other Mods/Upgrades
Purple aluminum shock tower, purple all aluminum shocks with modded piston, purple aluminum battery holder, purple aluminum servo mount, purple aluminum adjustable motor mount, purple aluminum swing arm set, purple aluminum servo arm, black heatsink/fan for motor, Upgraded Black Aluminum steering linkage, upgraded 1.2mm springs, upgraded black cvd's, LCracing body mount kit, All metal drivetrain (diffs, pinion, spur, driveshaft), Duratrax Orange / Black.

My fellow countryman Matt has chosen to share his modded WLToys 124019 Hillclimb special for the last COTM for 2022. As you can see it has a pretty striking Phat Bodies MKII Ford Escort Body with clever guard extenders. Learn more about his build below and of course join our Facebook Group if you want to be the first to know about these builds.

​I bought the car as my first RC at age 42 after having owned a Tamiya QD 1:14 Thundershot as a teen. I took it indoor off-road racing, and had a lot of fun, and quickly got hooked on racing. The club also had an onroad class which I was keen to run in, but I didnt have an onroad car, so I decided to convert my 124019 to get racing. We have a 'silver can' class at the club which allows a number of different chassis to race. These are limited to brushed silver can motors, and have gearing restrictions to keep the field even. Unfortunately with a 540 Tamiya silver-can motor, the 124019 was much too fast with it's high gearing, and was overheating the motor with the smaller can size. With extremely limited options to re-gear the car I was forced to buy a slower motor, hence the 25t 550 with variable timing. Even with this motor I had to dial the throttle dual-rate back to 60% to have it at the same speed as the other cars. This is also why it runs so much downforce. With it being a significantly shorter wheelbase than the rest of the field and such high downforce, the turn in and cornering are brutally fast, and the very low CG means it out performs anything in the turns. it gets called 'The Hybrid' by the other racers, probably because it looks a little 'Frankenstein's monster'!

Where are you from?
Wellington, New Zealand
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Our local race track, Capital Model Racers​ 
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Aliexpress 
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
Probably the wheel arches.​ 
Future plans for the car?
I'm likely to convert it back to a buggy at some point, as it's such a fun car in that format
Model
WLToys 124019 'Hillclimb Special'
Motor
Surpass Hobby 25t 550 brushed
ESC
Stock/Hobbywing Quicrun 1060
Gearing
Stock
Servo
Stock/Surpass Hobby 17g S0017M
TX/RX
Spektrum DX3c/SR3100
Battery Choices
Gens Ace 4000mah shorty LCG
Wheels/Tires
Sorex 28R touring car wheels/tires 
Body/Shell/Wing
Phat Bodies Mchassis Escort Mk2, 144001 rear wing, corrflute front splitter, 3D printed wheel arches 
Other Mods/Upgrades
Aliexpress uprated CVD all round, Tamiya on road springs, LC12b1 sway bars, diy carbon shock towers, LC Racing Rally bumper, AMB Transponder, droop screws all round, 3D printed battery clamps, diy carbon rear body mount

Where are you from?
Born and raised on Valderøy, Norway.  Live in Rykkkin, near Oslo now.
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Love our backyard rally track!​
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
AliExpress, shop.LCRacing.net and ReservdelsRC.se
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
Motor mount and motor/ESC, with the 15T pinion.  High five to Marco Gentili! 
Future plans for the car?
LC steering rod.  Have it, just have not put it on yet.  Other than that, race it :) 
Model
WL Toys 124019
Motor
LC Racing 2850 4500KV
ESC
Hobbywing Ezrun MAX10 60A
Gearing
Stock spur, 15T pinion.
Servo
Surpass Hobby S0017M 17g Metal Gear 1.8KG
TX/RX
FLYSKY Noble NB4, FGR4
Battery Choices
Using mainly the original stock batteries and some of similar sized in 2600mAh and 3000mAh
Wheels/Tires
Remo Hobby P6973
Body/Shell/Wing
Stock 124017 body, LC EMB-TG wing, T-bone Racing TBR Mini Monster Front Bumper
Other Mods/Upgrades
EAC Engineering LC Racing EMB Custom Drag link.
LC Racing CVDs rear, LC Racing Aluminum Hubs/Carriers
LC Racing Shocks Front and Rear with LC Racing anti roll bars (see my article on these here )
Adjustable motor mount for 2850 motor; made by Marco Gentili (really good mount!)
Stock differentials

And the pics! 

Joe has been a regular contributor to the QuadifyRC Facebook group. Often providing insight and sharing his experiences from running his fleet of cars at the local track. He has also been very helpful to members with questions and sharing tips with his setups.

For the car of the month, August 2022, we will be featuring Joe's modded HBX 16889a pro. The 16889A Pro is a great platform for RC enthusiasts at all levels and is highly recommended as a solid and more durable alternative to the WLToys 1/14 cars in the same price range (QuadifyRC review of the 16889a pro is here). This month's Car of the Month is the first HBX (Haiboxing) feature and what makes this car unique is that Joe has taken what is normally a basher RC monster truck and tuned it to run at his local RC race track. He's taken the time to optimize it to handle better to take turns faster and to transition smoothly over jumps. It's not often you'll see a low cost 1/16 scale monster truck blasting around the track, but being able to push the limits of these little machines is what makes this hobby fun!  ​

Click on any of the pictures below to embiggen

Geoffrey Chan was one one of the first people to join and help me with the QuadifyRC Facebook group and has consistently offered patient and well thought out advice to the group, be it newcomer or experienced user. He's already written a number of articles for this site, including his most recent comparison between the WL Toys and LC Racing cars in extensive detail. For these reasons I'm proud to feature his car that I am most jealous of - a completely rebuilt LC Racing EMB-SC (Short Course Truck). The only reason one of his cars hasn't been featured earlier is because he helps organise all of the COTMs and I had to twist his arm to show off one of his!

​This LC Racing short course truck started life a white, pink and purple EMB Truggy. It has gone through several iterative changes over the past two years and is now fully upgraded in its final form as a converted EMB-SC. Custom applied vinyl with graphics (see here how to) inspired from the much larger 1/7 scale Arrma Mojave, this mini SCT isn't a slouch. It's at home on loose terrain with its ultra grippy tires and absolutely rips on 2S and is uncontrollable on 3S. My favorite RC in my fleet at the moment.

HRB 2200mAh 50C 2S Lipo / CNHL 2200mAh 30C 3S Lipo (when I'm feeling crazy)Where are you from?
Montreal, Canada 
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Local park down the street, backyard track in the winter, on the streets or empty parking lots for some friendly street racing
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Banggood, Aliexpress, shop.lcracing.net
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
The EMB-SC body conversion has really changed the driving dynamics of the car and given it a completely different personality. Digging the scale looks and how it shifts with the suspension movements. The tires have also made the car a lot of fun in low grip surfaces.
Future plans for the car?
May try a street setup on the car with a lowered suspension and more tarmac friendly tires​
Model
LC Racing EMB-TG converted to LC Racing EMB-SC
Motor
LC Racing 2850 4500KV Brushless
ESC
Hobbywing 120A EZRun MAX10 SCT
Gearing
18t/60t
Servo
Surpass Hobby S0017M
TX/RX
DumboRC X6, X6DCG (QuadifyRC review here)
Battery Choices
HRB 2200mAh 50C 2S Lipo / CNHL 2200mAh 30C 3S Lipo (when I'm feeling crazy)​
Wheels/Tires
QuadifyRC Off-Road Specials with Aliexpress "Austar" Steelie Rims (see review of tyres here)
Body/Shell/Wing
LC Racing EMB-SC Body
Other Mods/Upgrades
LC Racing Aluminum Hubs and Hub Carriers, LC Racing Hard-Arms, LC Racing Anti-Roll Bars, LC Racing Aluminum Wheel Hexes, LC Racing 1.2mm Springs Front and Rear, RJX Hobby Aluminum Servo Horn, 3D Printed Steering Link with Bearings, 7K Rront Diff Oil, 3K Rear Diff Oil, LC Racing EMB-SC Body Shell, Mounting Posts and Bumper Set

Sam is what you could call a diehard RC fan. He has a huge collection of cars from various brands and makes, but he is always willing to provide helpful advice to the LC Racing/WLToys community. This unique Car of the Month is Sam's special project car that he built for his son from what is now a barely recogonizable WLToys 144001. Sam was the lucky winner of one of the QuadifyRC Facebook Group giveaways which included the entire brushless electrics upgrade with the brushless motor, ESC, servo and transmitter/receiver combo. Using parts that are 100% from the QuadifyRC drop-in brushless guide, this little Mini Cooper will surprise the uninitiated. The Poke Ball color scheme certainly stands out when he takes it to his local track to hunt down larger 1/10 scale touring cars as a totally unexpected challenger. Thank you Sam for sharing your son's project car. This is a fine representation of what it means to have fun and building something that is one of a kind. 

Where are you from?
Just bought a house in Eastvale, California 
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Mainly on the street, chasing the cars as they pass by, but lately I've been hitting up revelation raceway in Montclair, California
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Preferred websites- www.rcparts.us and https://casterracingmi.com/ (Warren RC)
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
Phat Bodies Pokecar Mini Bonzai body with custom undertray (allows me to velcro the body on, no clips)
Future plans for the car?
install LC Racing EMB-TC arms (short arms) and tierods to make the car a little more narrow and scaled
Model
WLToys 144001
Motor
Racerstar 2445 5400KV
ESC
Hobbywing Quicrun 16BL30
Gearing
15t pinion
Servo
JX Servo PDI-1181MG 18g Metal Gear
TX/RX
DumboRC X6, X6DCG (QuadifyRC review here)
Battery Choices
3S, ovonic 2200mah 11.1V 50c. 2S, stock 2200mah 7.4V
Wheels/Tires
LC Racing EMB1 Buggy Tires, LC Racing EMB-WRC Tires
Body/Shell/Wing
LC Racing EMB-WRC Bumper, LED light kit, Custom Plexi side guards, LC racing hard arms, LC Racing spindle set w/ larger sealed bearings, lc racing cvds (front and rear), lc racing 12mm hexes with grub screw, lc racing 1.2mm springs (front and rear), 50k diff fluid (front and rear)
Other Mods/Upgrades
LC Racing Anti-Roll bars, Full LED Light Kit, Magnetic Mounts,  Motor Heatsink.

Firstly, prepping and painting the Phat bodies mini body:

Upgrading the power system to the QuadifyRC drop in brushless setup (congrats Sam for winning this one!)

Finished product. Which wheels do you like the best?

​Leo recently joined the QuadifyRC Facebook group, but he is no stranger to the 1/14 and 1/12 scale RC's. Having built many WLToys and LC Racing cars over the past few years, the attention to detail on his builds has been exceptional. We are excited to present our first LC Racing model for December's Car of the Month. Leo's LC Racing EMB-TC is a bit of a rare breed today given it has since been discontinued and replaced by the PTG2. However, it doesn't change how amazing this Killerbody equipped R34 Nissan Skyline GTR looks with its full detailed light kit. It's also got the performance to back it up as it will hit 55mph on 2S and will easily take 3S for few hot passes at 83mph. 

Where are you from?
Netherlands, Helden
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Woods nearby, Around the neighbourhood. industrial zones for speedruns
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Trade4Me, Banggood, Aliexpress. Some local RC shops
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
Killerbody shell. Love cutting and painting these. Amazing quality level of detail. (I don't think anybody would disagree!!)
Future plans for the car?
Maybe another Killerbody shell ;)
Model
LC Racing EMB-TC
Motor
Tenshock X1401 6850KV
ESC
Hobbywing Max10 120A
Gearing
Stock TC, 22t pinion
Servo
Stock Batan
TX/RX
DumboRC X6, X6DCG (QuadifyRC review here)
Battery Choices
3800mah 2S Graphene (QuadifyRC: This is the only one of that spec I could find)
Wheels/Tires
Matrix foams, Austar drift
Body/Shell/Wing
Killerbody Skyline GTR R34, Tamiya OS Paint. Wing from aliexpress​
Other Mods/Upgrades
LC Racing Anti-Roll bars, Full LED Light Kit, Magnetic Mounts,  Motor Heatsink.

As well as RC Cars Leo seems to know his photography - click on any to enlarge

​Chu got back into the RC hobby after a 6 year break. After seeing the fun and value the WLToys 144001 offered, he jumped back down the rabbit hole of fully modifying it into the short course truck incarnation that is November's Car of the Month. The upgrades he's made to this car target handling and giving the 144001 more realistic SCT looks and driving dynamics. This is great example of how versatile the WLToys platform can be with reasonably priced mods that are fully drop-in to replace the original brushed setup. Chu's 144001 has since found a new home and I'm sure the new owner is enjoying it fully. Chu has since replaced the 144001 with an LC Racing EMB-SCT that may be another perfect subject to feature in the future. 

Where are you from?
Edgewater, NJ
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Playgrounds, parking lots, dirt patches
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Aliexpress
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
Metal hex and sway bars
Future plans for the car?
Unfortunately I sold it, and have replaced it with an LC Racing EMB-SC
Model
WLToys 144001
Motor
Generic 2838 / 3800kv orange can motor
ESC
Tacon 35a ESC (I can't find this model, the newer one is the Hobbywing 16bl30)
Gearing
15t 2.3mm pinion with stock spur
Servo
JX 1181mg 
TX/RX
Tacon RX/TX
Battery Choices
Ovonic 2s 1500mah
Wheels/Tires
Remo SCT wheels, LC Racing SCT Wheels, LC Racing SCT body mounts, LC Racing SCT bumpers, LC Racing shocks and springs (Rear and Front), LC Racing Sway bar
Body/Shell/Wing
Remo 1/16 SCT
Other Mods/Upgrades
Hardened Steel CVD, LC Racing Metal hex


Click any image to embiggen.

Lennie has been an active member of the QuadifyRC Facebook group sharing his journey with the WLToys 124019 that has seen many a transformation. One of his most interesting incarnations was converting the rear motor mounted buggy into a mid-motor layout, which really caught the eyes of enthusiasts for this platform. What we have for October's Car of the Month is the 124019 in its latest setup dressed in the beautifully molded Phat Bodies Zero. Lennie being an early adopter is one of the first to prep and run the Volkswagen Polo WRC inspired bodyshell as a tarmac focused drift basher. 

Where are you from?
Small town called Storvik in Sweden
Favourite place to race/brash/drive?
Local racing tracks, mainly astroturf
Preferred places/websites to source parts?
Mostly swedish sites like nettorc.com, kullagergrossisten.se, rckungen.se
Favourite mod/upgrade on the car?
LC racing shocks and the gyro. Shocks are a the best improvement for the car and the gyro ads a lot of fun for tarmac bashing.
Future plans for the car?
I think this will be the final iteration, phase one was the mid engine test, second was to improve handling on turf, third was making it a truggy and now its a tarmac basher made for drifting outside our house when we don't have time to go to the local racing tracks.
Model
Wltoys 124019
Motor
Hobbywing v10 G2 6.5t
ESC
Hobbywing Quicrun 10BL120
Gearing
Stock
Servo
Surpass 17g
TX/RX
Futaba 3pv/R203GF
Battery Choices
Stock and Vapex 2600 mAh
Wheels/Tires
Hudy touring wheels for asphalt
Body/Shell/Wing
Phat Bodies Zero
Other Mods/Upgrades
LC racing shocks, Lc racing sway bars (See guide here), SkyRC Gyro GC401

Click any image to embiggen.

Michael Koebbe's name is probably the first you'll see whenever it comes to getting REAL speed out of the versatile WL Toys range of cars. After much evolution we are seeing him pull ahead in holding the fastest speed records for these cars with some well thought out and precisely executed builds. Further than that he is a top bloke and willing to help people at all levels of the games on the various Facebook Groups including the QuadifyRC WL toys group. More recently he has starting selling his hand made parts ranging from purpose built spoilers like he kindly supplied for my own 124019 speed run build plus hardened driveshafts, GPS holders, custom mod 1 spools and more. Enough gushing from me, let take a look at his record breaking 124019 in a little more detail, a car that as of writing has been up as fast as 118mph

Yes that is right - 118mph (189km/h)