Photos and article by Ken Stone.

In 1987 I built an interceptor body shell for my 1/8th scale radio controlled gas powered buggy. The body was made from shim copper and brass tubing, and as such is prone to damage, especially when attached to something that moves as quickly as this buggy. Initially it was painted silver, then was rebuilt and painted black. The crash damage that is apparent in these photos is real.

Initially this was powered by a 4.9cc rotary engine, which I intended to supercharge. The supercharger was to be of the rotary vane type, based on the core out of an air-drill motor. This isn't as far fetched as is might sound, because at the time I worked at a factory that made rotary vane compressors. The engine proved too powerful as it was, and the supercharger was never completed. The silver cylinder sticking up in the back is the starter motor. It's connected to the engine via a toothed belt, very much like a supercharger would be.

When the damage became too great, the body was straightened out again, and this time repainted in an MFP style paint job, even though the wrong colors were used. At this point, the buggy's original 2 stroke engine was put back in the car.

This is fairly typical of the damage to the vehicle after a run. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of work to straighten it out again.

This car featured on page 9 of Fast Fours & Rotaries magazine Sep/Oct 1993.

For more pictures and information on Ken Stone's models, including a selection of Road Warrior custom models, check out his web page.