I had a custom chassis-mount light kit built for me by Alpat Tugay via eBay. The whole rig is designed as a self-contained modular layer that fits onto the chassis without any tools or parts modifications. I wanted to be able to easily install the kit for occasional night runs, but leave it off and out of the way for daytime running.

One more area to address in the pursuit of saving center drives. There's a gaping point of access for rocks and things lurking under the motor. One would think there's too little room here to do much, but turns out there's plenty of space.

As my skills improve and car speeds increase, the little Traxxas Rally's instability at speed is becoming an issue. The chassis handles so much better without the bodywork on that I believe it's probably more than just a weight consideration.

My Rally has ground to a halt each time it's been run in decomposed granite or soft dirt. Opening up the underside reveals little rocks and other pulverized stuff getting in through various openings in the underbelly skid and under the motor.

The internet has a lot of tales about how the Rally can't rally. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Amongst the R/C boards, there's a lot of desire for stability at speed. These little cars can be juiced upwards of 70mph or more, and their short wheelbase and high center of gravity pretty much guarantee they go cartwheeling at the slightest twitch of steering. More often than not, the advice turns to adding weight to achieve stability.

Complete tear-down and rebuild of a Traxxas 1/16 Rally with a little tribute to the old Tamiya catalog end pages.

An anxious moment in model design is the first time seeing the work on the desk, in actual three dimensions. Are the proportions right? Do the panels fit well and lend themselves to a precise build? Does the overall presentation "feel" right?

Working on a legend. The ubiquitous, enduring, and highly successful Porsche 962 is probably one of the most scrutinized prototype subjects around. It's also my favorite racer and has been at the heart of this Prototyp project since its inception.