How To: Prep Your SC Body for Racing

Beginner’s Guide to RC – Prep Your SC Body for Racing

In all forms of racing, aerodynamics play a huge role on how a vehicle performs. Since Short Course racing requires the bodies to keep their recognizable form, full-scale racers have streamlined the original body into a sleek, sexy package. While this rule also applies to RC, we need to take a few extra steps to keep our SC trucks from turning into high-flying wind sails!

Items Needed:
SC Body, preferably one that is already painted and ready to mount.
Curved Scissors for cutting the holes.
A File set or Dremel to clean them up.
Hobby knife for cutting stickers.

Step 1: Prep the Body

There are quite a few aftermarket companies (as well as the original manufacturers) that offer clear SC bodies. Once you’ve chosen the one you like, it is recommended that you mount the body before painting. This ensures that any mounting holes you drill will be perfect once the body is completed. Next, clean your body, mask it and paint it up. With curved Lexan scissors, cut along the trim lines to remove all the unused plastic. For this How To, we’ll assume you’ve completed that task.

Step 2: Attach the Body Panels

This may be an optional step depending on the body you’ve chosen. Some bodies, like Proline’s Ford Raptor used here, include additional panels that you can attach. While these won’t necessarily affect performance, they do give your Short Course Truck a realistic look as well as adding some additional real estate for stickers or custom paintwork.

Step 3: Cut Some No-Fly Holes

Here is the tricky part. Since SC trucks tend to act as giant parachutes when they leave the ground, it is possible to cut holes in the body to allow the air to flow out. This helps keep the truck flying straight and true when in the air. You may need to experiment a bit, but keep in mind that any flat surfaces on the back of the body can trap air under it. Two things to keep in mind; 1) don’t cut shapes that have sharp edges (like squares). Any unexpected tumbles can cause the body to tear in the corners. Keep to the circular shapes for best results. 2) Be careful how much material you remove; too much and you can weaken the back of the body. Remember, you are only trying to let the air out.

Step 4: Show Your Support

Whether you’re sponsored or not, it’s always a good idea to show your support for the manufacturers products you use. You chose that SC truck for a reason…why not let everyone know what truck is beating them on the track! In addition, you never know when a manufacturer’s team manager is around checking out the local talent.

There you have it. Tweaking the aerodynamics of your body could take a couple of attempts, but once you’ve found the right combination of holes and cutouts, it will definitely help put you in front of the pack.