This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

This Reader’s Ride originally appeared on BOOST. For more amazing builds like this, join BOOST now!

The wicked Outlaw rail Matt Topas, of Kapolei, Hawaii, built has the look of a classic top-fueler from the last of the front-engine era, right around 1970–71. The sleek shape uses the front section from an RJ Speed rail body joined to a custom-made rear body to convert to a front engine.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

The custom chassis underneath is aluminum and uses a Tamiya straight axle up front. The back is a Traxxas gearbox with the driveshafts shortened to give it the proper narrowed profile.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

Power comes from a Castle 3500Kv system through Mod 1 gears, but the motor that dominates the dragster is the scale blown Hemi V-8 with a set of ceramic-coated zoomies.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

The front wheels are from Walbern RC, and the rears are Traxxas slicks. But the coolest feature may be the functional drag chute on the tail that is operated by an extra channel on Matt’s radio!

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

The gold paint is spot-on for a vintage dragster look.

RC Car Action - RC Cars & Trucks | This Vintage Rail Brings Blown-Hemi Heat

This angle really shows off the Traxxas slicks as well as that functional drag chute.

 

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Updated: May 21, 2019 — 5:05 PM
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