Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Santa gets a new ride from JKRC!

By Kevin Jowett


I’ve had this idea in my head since I watched the Blizzards on the slopes a few winters back. So this holiday season keep the kids in after dark….Santa’s running a new whip!

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

For this build I used several of my favourite Xmas decorations from the Mcfarlin “Twisted Xmas” series especially Mr Claws and the team of elves.

A few pics from delivery day…
Santa gets it unwrapped and gets out a jug of the “go juice”. I had no doubt Mrs Claws was hovering outside the JKRC shop shaking her head and wondering how much this is going to cost!

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
I was busy in the office today, Claws and the elves must have been working away in the Olde Workshoppe. I could smell paint but thought it was just a spray booth flashback….I head outside to check it out and this is what was in the shop. The elves did a great job on the finish considering the primitive tools (good thing for lexan). The shell has 6 coats of Clear red backed with gold. Normally the final coats inside the body are black but the gold interior sells the Xmas theme nicely.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

So I run inside to get to get the camera and return in time to catch someone test fitting the cab.

The elves did a quick mock up for us to show the projects direction. The color’s sweet and I was loving the material for the exhaust stacks…old Saint Nick holds the partially polished brass. He mentioned having to trim the body slightly for all of these modifications and before we knew it his auto body team showed up.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!


Day 2

The dog and I walked out to the shop today and happy hour was pretty productive, Rudolf did a crap load of yelling though….he’s very passionate about his craft. Both he and the Claws showed off the progress on the build and some pretty cool parts were on now in from the North Pole. Most of the window mouldings were now on and the rails and diamond plate are installed on the rear deck.

The Claws fashioned this killer hood ornament out of some deer antlers (they had a small road kill accident last season while passing through town)

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

I asked Rudolf if we really needed 38 lights on the “Slay” this year. Well, as you can see by the look on his face he’s pretty serious….we just going to get those installed without further question.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Six – 5mm Red LEDs + Stainless pods mounted in the belly pan, the first of what should be a nice glow…

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Frosty and the team make a few cuts to make room for the speed controller, the water resistant Traxxas XL5 was a great solution around snow.

While distracting Santa with a few cookies thrown on the floor Jack Frost clubs him unconscious…Santa’s but weighs about 3 lbs, too much for the Blizzard so they needed to clone him then make some modifications!

While the real Santa had a nice nap in the tire pile everyone got busy on “Santa Clone”.
A little barbaric I know but necessary! (Kids I promise no festive elves were hurt in this build)
When Mr’s Claws gets home from the “Office” there may be some confusion.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Electronics are in and just laying out the wiring for the lights

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Mr’s Claws arrived home and was surprised to see the elves handy work!
Yes she brought home a candy cane for everyone!

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

The roof rack was made from brass stock soldered together with the mini torch and polished on the buffing wheel

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Stacks are in place along with the emergency light polls. Up top there are 5 Bright white LEDs for spotlights and 2 flashing red in each emergency light dome.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Got the big fella mounted on the styrene base. He needed a huge raunchy Rat Fink style shifter and levers! Even after trimming his right arm stuck out just a little too far so a sliding window was opened to give that little extra bit of clearance.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

St. Nick has some levers to control the rig, various sizes and lengths of brass tube and some heat shrink on the handles to look like rubber grips.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!


The wooden crate, a styrene shell wrapped with popsicle sticks covers and protects the speed control. The bag of toys is a Styrofoam mass is covered with paper towel and a white glue solution, both are painted and detailed to look like the real thing but are extremely lightweight.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
After a bit of final assembly and touch ups the Xmas Slay was ready for decals. All of the Blizzard’s body accessories were sprayed gold to match.
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

Paint masks were cut for the meat packers crate at the same time as all of the gold vinyl

Claws is ready to rock….just add snow!

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!
RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | Ultimate Project: Slay Bells Ring!

No reindeer were harmed during the build

RC Car Action, Crawl Canada and Jowett’s Kustom RC would like to wish you a safe and Happy Holiday.

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Updated: January 12, 2011 — 11:22 AM
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