Radio controlled cars and trucks can provide endless fun. They come in all shapes and sizes (and price ranges), but a new YouTube video shows how you can make one at home in the tiniest of vehicles. The video shows a 1/150 scale Mitsubishi Fuso semi-truck Tomy Tec converted into a DIY RC car.
Construction begins with dismantling the truck. The cabin and interior were removed before the plastic axles were removed and replaced with metal axles. The plastic front tires were milled and replaced with rubber O-rings. The tiny truck cab houses the drive motor, battery and steering mechanism made of small aluminum plates.
Trailers are also getting improvements you can’t see. The enclosed cargo carrier houses the larger control board and battery. Thin, delicate cables criss-cross inside the rig, connecting the microcontroller to other electronic devices. Under the cab of the truck is a charging port and an indicator light that shows battery status, which is a nice feature.
Another modification made to the truck turned the artificial lights into real ones. Builders replaced stand-in units with working LEDs, including cab and trailer lights. Even the turn signals work, adding a bit of realism to the tiny build.
While Tommy Tec the truck is a tiny RC car, not the smallest ever produced. Based on Guinness Book of World Records, the smallest RC car ever measuring 25 millimeters (0.98 in) long. It was a 1/90 scale Smart car, featuring a battery with about 15 minutes of runtime from a full charge.
The video ends with a demonstration, the Mitsubishi driving forward and backward with ease, and the spin of a small electric motor sounds like the click of a diesel engine. It’s great to see the endless supply of creativity within the automotive community beyond the makes and models rolling off the assembly line. The enthusiasm for cars is everywhere.
