john01374

I was browsing Ebay last week and stumbled across what appeared to be a nice used MRC Desert Thunder. The bidding was slow and I managed to win the auction. To make matters better it turns out the seller was local to me and I was able to meet him about 5 mins from my work.. Now that’s convenient.

I have had a soft spot for the MRC worldscale cars and trucks since the early 90s when I first saw them at IHOBBY. At the time the worldscale stuff was way out of my price range but as soon as I could afford one I picked up a very nice used Thunder King and began restoring. Over the years I have owned a number of thunder kings and a couple of the Baja Kings but this is only my second Desert thunder. The first is an all original never run example that was also purchased locally.

This buggy shows signs of use. The main chassis shows minor scrapes and scratches as expected, the chassis is dirty but overall it's in excellent condition. This also appears to be 100% stock as it still has the mechanical speed controller and stock 540 sized motors. The hubs and wheels still have the plastic bushings installed in there is very little wear. I don't believe this buggy was run all that much.

Now the reason for my post. Over the next couple of months I'm going to be doing a basic restoration and modification as I plan to run this buggy. First on my list will be a complete dis assembly and a rebuild of the gearbox, front and rear suspension, upgrade all plastic bushings to bearings, an electronic speed controller and of course find some type of body that will fit.

Because parts are somewhat hard to find and my supply of used worldscale parts is running thin, I don't plan to add huge power to this car. In my experience with other worldscale trucks the twin 540 motors provide plenty of power to get this buggy moving.

Right now I'm looking for an ESC that is capable of running both of the stock motors on a single battery. I'm thinking of trying the Trraxxas XL5 ESC as it has proven to handle single motors much lower than its 15 turn rating. I figure if it can run a single 15 turn then it should be capable of handling a pair of 27 turn without overheating.

Now for the question. Does anyone know of a source for desert thunder bodies? I am considering contacting blue groove racing in Canada but I believe they will need a body to build a mold from.

artist2c

My Feedback: (50)

Hello,

I had the Desert Thunder last year complete with body but sold it on Ebay. Where i find alot of the rare rc stuff sometimes is the flee markets. I try to go 3 weekends out of a month. Ive had 3 Baha Kings, 1 Desert Thunder, and 1 Thunder King.

I will keep a lookout for ya. I'm looking for a body for my Baha King right now. XMT Racing makes a stadium truck body that fits the Baha King almost perfect.....maybe that have something in buggy bodies too.

superchamp78

My Feedback: (15)

I WANT ONE SEEN ADS WHEN I WAS A KID I STILL WANT ONE IN MY COLLECTION WILL TRADE SOMETHING OUT OF MY COLLECTION CHECK OUT MY GARAGE

artist2c

My Feedback: (50)

I'm still looking for another Desert Thunder myself. I just recently put a Losi xxl body on my Baja King truck. I think it looks great amd its very durable too. Will post pics soon. If you run across anymore World scale stuff let me know as well. Thanks!

john01374

I have a pair of them and they are rare. I'm not willing to part with them at this time

Jeckler

My Feedback: (2)

Just throwing this out there...

Why not try to get something like a Novak Super Rooster or the ESC that came in the early E-Maxx's, to keep it period correct.
Or, ditch the twins and run a single BL and 2S (or 3S if you're feeling brave) LiPO.

i8tweety

My Feedback: (11)

Personally, I would keep the twin motor setup. It really helps to keep the spur gear from stripping as the load is distributed to two locations as opposed to one.

artist2c

My Feedback: (50)

I completely understand! It was kinda hard for me to sell mine last year....had to pay bills! This is why I'm not selling my Baja King! This is the third Baja Ive had and the other two got sold! You can see the Desert Thunder that I had .....its my profile photo here on RCU.