144001/124018/124019 - Every one of my Upgrade guides And Review here plus parts I Would buy

I've now built up quite a library of articles for the WL Toys 144001 (and 124019 / 124018) and thought I would use this page to share them. As of 3 August 2021 I've finally done a bit of an overhaul to make sure all articles are included and have added some new categories plus reviews. Enjoy!

144001, 124018 and 124019 free and budget tuning for noobs

​124019 BUDGET SETUP AND TUNING GUIDE 2021: GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CAR
​The 124019 and 124018 had a number of improvements from the factory over the 144001 so tuning is a little more easy. This guide has been customised for these models

​WL TOYS 144001 SETUP: 3 THINGS YOU MUST DO BEFORE YOU EVEN TURN IT ON
Setup the shocks so the work properly, tie rods so the car runs straight, and grease the diffs so you get more traction and they don't explode. If you do nothing else on your 144001, make sure you do these.

​WL TOYS 144001: FREE OR BUDGET UPGRADES (PART 2)
Building on the first article you can make further free/cheap improvements here by fixing the rear toe in, install 'droop' screws in improve dampening in the shocks.

WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE: WHEELBASE EXTENSION FOR HIGH SPEED STABILITY
Extend the wheelbase on your 144001 for free with this 5-10 minute mod. 

WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE: THE CLEANEST ESC INSTALL AND COOLING IMPROVEMENT
​Quick and easy article here on the tidiest way to trim your bodyshell to fit a larger ESC

WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE: THE BEST MOTOR COOLING FOR LESS THAN $2

Use thermal paste to drastically improve motor cooling on your stock 144001.

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SOLDERING FOR RC CAR NOOBS
Soldering is such a crucial skill to learn. I've spent some time on an easy to understand guide and some good bang for buck tools to get you started on.

Low Cost Upgrade Parts for the 144001 / 124018 /124019

WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE: METAL PART UPGRADES AND REVIEW
There are many metal parts available for the 144001. Some improve performance, some don't make any difference and some make it a lot worse. Here are my thoughts on these.

​​WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE WHEELS: BEST FOR BASHING?
Stock wheels have poor traction outside of fine smooth dirt and carpet, I've found some wheels that are great for bashing on a lot more varied off-road surfaces.

HOW TO VINYL WRAP AN RC CAR (AND WHY)

The WL Toys RC Car bodies are only available pre-painted which makes it really hard to customise. Geoffrey has come up with a guide to wrap your car instead which is cheap and easily reversible

WL TOYS 124016 124017 TOP 5 MODS*
Here are my top 5 upgrades for the new brushless 124016 and 124016 where I focus on handling and durability (with a dash of power)

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WL TOYS 144001 BASHER UPGRADE - MAKE IT TOUGH!

I've taken my cheapest brushless upgrade 144001 here and made it into a tough basher with much better wheels and a full monster truck makeover.

WL TOYS 144001 124018 124019 CUSTOM DRIVESHAFT UPGRADE MOD
​A very technical mod prepared by Ron and Scott that shows you how to make a more durable floating driveshafts and all the parts needed to do so.

WHICH LC RACING PARTS FIT THE 144001 124018 124019? THE FULL COMPATIBILITY LIST
​Full list of which LC racing parts fit the WL TOys cars. These are superior parts and if you are looking to upgrade your car are a great place to start

Brushless Upgrade guides for the 144001 / 124018 / 124019

WL TOYS 124019 SPEED RUN BUILD AND TRICKS I'VE LEARNED ON THE WAY
​If you want to build a speed run car out of the WL Toys 124019 then I cover not only my motor/ESC setup but also lots of other tricks to help you go faster and be more stable.

144001 BRUSHLESS UPGRADE: THE CHEAPEST SETUP WORTH HAVING
As the title says I've put together the cheapest full brushless upgrade set into this car that is reliable, you can get all of the parts - motor, esc, radio and servo for as little as $50-$70 depending on sales etc. This is presently my favourite car because it is so light.

BRUSHLESS MOTOR THEORY: ADJUST ESC TIMING TO CONTROL POWER AND HEAT
If  your brushless setup runs too hot then reducing ESC timing (particularly on hobbywing ESCs) can yield you some reduction in heat.

RC CAR THEORY: 2S VS. 3S, HIGH KV VS. LOW KV
In this article I geek out on motor kV vs cell count and where you can get benefits in efficiency. I also outline why you shouldn't necessarily run 3s in a 2s car just because you can​

​DROP IN BRUSHLESS UPGRADE GUIDE FOR WL TOYS 144001, 124018 AND 124019
As of Feb 2021 this is my latest brushless upgrade and the one I tend to recommend because it is much easier to install. This requires no drilling or cutting and run faster but a little hotter than the 2838 with a better ESC. This setup achieved 109 km/h on 3s.

​WL TOYS 144001 BRUSHLESS 2838 UPGRADE EASY NO CUT OPTION
This is about the most simple install for the 2838 brushless motor as possible but still requires a reboring of the pinion out to 3.2mm. If you are not afraid to do this then this is a great setup.

​WL TOYS 144001: ULTIMATE BRUSHLESS UPGRADE GUIDE
If you don't mind slotting the motor mount and drilling out the pinion, this is actually my favourite brushless motor size and gearing. This is a very full guide that will take you through the modding and install process.

WL TOYS 144001 UPGRADE: BRUSHLESS SPEED RUN BUILD AND SETUP FULL GUIDE
Here it is guys my speed build. My objective here was to retain stock body and chassis with no machining or fabricating so as to keep it simple and inexpensive. Lots of detail on parts used and how to set up for maximum speed and reliability.

HOW TO CUSTOMISE YOUR BUDGET ESC SETTINGS FOR <$10
The Racerstar ESC Programming card is a simple but fantastic tool that allows you to customise the settings on the budget Racerstar, Surpass Hobby and similar ESCs (brushed and brushless). In this guide I cover what the settings mean and what might work best for you.

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BUDGET BRUSHLESS UPGRADE - SURPASS HOBBIES 3650 3900KV + 60A ESC COMBO (UPDATED WITH 3S!)

Personally I think this setup is better suited for a larger 1/10 scale car but if you are looking for something big, fast and cheap then this will also fit in a 144001, 124018 or 124019. Mine has been very reliable even on 2s

Radio Gear and Battery Reviews and Education

A quick word from our sponsors: Banggood is currently having a spring sale and there are some deals on many of the cars and parts listed here, especially on this custom spreadsheet ​http://bit.ly/QRCspringsale

FLYSKY FS-GT5 TRANSMITTER REVIEW AND SETUP 
This is the Radio gear I used for my 144001 and couldn't be happier with it. Good build quality, intuitive menu, 20 model memory and fully adjustable gyro. I've also recommended some lower price radios if you're willing to spend $60-80 on this one.

DUMBORC TRANSMITTER / RECEIVER REVIEW AND SETUP
This is my favourite radio gear if you are not looking to run multiple models. In this in-depth review I'll look at all the features and de-mystify the differences between the similar - looking models.

​UNDERSTANDING LIPO "C" RATINGS FOR RC CARS (PLUS VOLTAGE AND CAPACITY)
Lipo battery technology can be confusing, I break down what is important and what is not in simple terms with examples for the 144001

​A BETTER CHARGER FOR YOUR RC CAR BATTERIES
The charger for the 144001 will at best shorten your battery life and at worst cause a fire. Here a look at the most cost effective hobby-grade chargers that will help you get the most out of you battery.

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RC Car Reviews​

WL TOYS 124016 124017 PREVIEW: FIRST FACTORY BRUSHLESS WL TOYS RC CARS
First look at the brushless version of the 124019 and 124018 and what we can expect from these performance-wise

WL TOYS 124018 REVIEW - WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT TO THE 124019 BUGGY 
The WL TOys 124018 shares over 90% of its parts with the hugely successful 124019 (and 144001) buggies but there are several key differences. In this article I dig in to the differences and why they add up to more that just the look of the car.

WL TOYS 124019 REVIEW - ALL OF 144001 IMPROVEMENTS THAT NO ONE HAS MENTIONED
This is a full review of the 124019 and I get really technical about the improvements made since the 144001 that it is based on.

SG 1601, SG1602 BRUSHLESS RC TRUCK LONG TERM USE UPDATE
Long term review and follow up for the good and bad things about the SG 1601 / SG 1602 / HXB 16889

SG 1603 / SG 1604 REVIEW AND THE SIMPLE FIXES THAT ARE CRITICAL
The SG 1603 and SG 1604 are surprisingly fun little cars that are well equipped with a nice body and a fully working gyro. Out of the factory they do need some tweaks to make them run properly and I go into that detail here.

SG 1602/1601 AND HBX 16889 REVIEW - AN EXCELLENT BUDGET BRUSHLESS 1/16 TRUCK
First part of my review of the little brushless 4WD SG 1602 truggy.

THE BEST SMALL SCALE BUDGET RC CAR BASHERS FOR 2020
I rate my favourite smalle scale RC car bashers for 2020 Including the 144001, the 124019, the EMB-MT, the K989 and the HBX 16889. The winner is probably not what you'd think.

XLF F16 1/14 4WD BUGGY REVIEW: THIS OR THE 144001?
When the XLF F16 was released it looked like an upgraded version of the 144001 with metal arms and other parts. Full review is here.

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HS10422 REVIEW: THE BEST VALUE BIG RC TRUCK FOR BEGINNERS?
Big 2wd truck for cheap (although it has since gone up in price). See if this is a good option for you or the kids.

WPL C24 1/16 REVIEW: A CHEAP MINI CRAWLER TO GET YOU HOOKED
​This cheap little 1/16 scale crawler is a surprisingly capable crawler and very life like. Great option for kids at this lower speed.

Project WLC Racing 124018

Here are Geoffrey Chan's Comprehensive guides on modifying a 124018 to get a excellent balance of looks, durability, handling and power

PROJECT WLC RACING 124018 STAGE 2: BRUSHLESS POWER
​In this final stage of Project WLC Racing 124018, Geoffrey looks at the brushless ESC and motor he will go ahead with and makes a decision on tyres/wheels

PROJECT WLCRACING 124018 STAGE 1: SUSPENSION AND STEERING UPGRADES
A lot of detail here about the length Geoffrey has gone to in order strengthen this car and make it handle better before he rushes in with a power upgrade

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PROJECT WLCRACING 124018 STAGE 0: IMPROVING THE LOOKS

First in the series where a carbon fibre wrap is completed and wheels are decided on

Parts I like for the WL Toys 144001, 124018 and 124019

Now that I've had experience with quite a few upgrades and replacements, here are the parts I can actually recommend:

ISDT 608AC AC 60W DC 200W 8A BattGo Smart Battery Charger
The USB charger included with WL toys cars is. This ISDT charger represents the best bang for buck at present. Full review here.

Wltoys 7.4V 2200mAh 20C 2S T Plug Lipo Battery for 124018 124019 144001 
The stock battery on the 124019 is very underrated and is the battery I recommend for extras on both the 124018/9 and 144001

Remo P6973 Rubber RC Car Tires
Quite simply the best offroad tyres for the 144001, 124019 and 124018. As well as excellent grip, these crucially have the same diameter as stock. More in the above article.

Spare Diff (front and rear)
Probably the easiest way to replace a damaged diff. Don't forget to grease them!

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Hobbywing QuicRun WP-16BL30 Brushless Waterproof 30A ESC
Now my go to ESC for small motors. Happy with 2 or 3s, smooth and reliable.

Racerstar 2445 Motor Senseless Brushless Waterproof 5400/3600/3000KV
The easiest to install small (but fast) motor out there. The 5400kv variant will hit 109km/h on 3s

Surpass-Hobby 17g Metal Tooth Digital Steering Gear Servo
My favourite bolt in servo for the 144001. Fast and reliable. If this is unavailable get the PDI 1181-MG here

0.7m 15t pinion with 2.3mm bore.
​The only pinion available in this size. The magical piece that allows you to run the 2445 or 2838 motor without having to slot the motor mount

Hobbywing Quicrun 10BL120 Sensored 120A 2-3S Lipo Speed Brushless ESC
My favourite large ESC if you want something with more hair on it's chest. Not waterproof but it is light and has support for sensored motors

FlySky FS-GT5 2.4G 6CH Remote Controller Transmitter with FS-BS6 Receiver
​This radio is a little more expensive but offers a lot more features, especially if you want to use it to control multiple cars. Review is here

DumboRC X6 2.4G 6CH Transmitter with X6FG Receiver
If you don't need the level of fine control or to control multiple models, this is the best value for money surface radio out there.

144001 / 124019 / 124018 Motor mount
The least exciting item here but always always get the motor mount if upgrading because if you can get the motor screws out, the pinion will always sink you.

Wltoys 144001 1/14 2.4G 4WD High Speed Racing RC Car Vehicle Models 60km/h

Wltoys 124019 RTR 1/12 2.4G 4WD 60km/h Metal Chassis RC Car 

​Wltoys 124018 RTR 1/12 2.4G 4WD 60km/h Metal Chassis RC Car

​HBX 16889 Brushed 1/16 2.4G 4WD RC Car with LED Light Electric Off-Road Truck RTR Model

​Thanks for reading, if you found this article useful please feel free to like or share, the facebook links below directly link/like this article. Links are affiliated and help me buy the bits I need to produce this type of content. If you are looking for RC ​cars, quads or parts check out my coupons and discounts page which I keep updated with only the RC cars, parts and quads I like at a proper discount