It all started out with me wanting to buy two Yota- II axles for the Suzuki Samurai SJ80 build, and a good friend (Ivan RBC) sold me the whole kit for a good price. I just wanted the axles and was ready to trash the rest, but when I received it, I had a build itch and couldn't stop building. 

I kept it all. I've upgraded the RC where it matters and added a few scale features. The stock driveshafts, in my personal opinion, are rubbish. One run and it twisted from straight splines to a screw thread. I replaced the stock plastic drive shafts with MIP X-Duty drive shafts. MIP discontinued their shafts for this model but you can get the parts to build one.  With a 55T brushed motor and the well known and proven Hobbywing 1060 ESC, it drives like a charm at both low and high(ish) speed.

The first add-on was the lights. I get mine from eBay. Pre-wired 12v LEDs both 3mm and 5mm and all colours I need, and dirt cheap too. I don't use any light controllers, but I use a remote switch to switch on and off lights from my DX8. The lights are fed 3S direct. No problem with waterproofing. The body is a pain to remove just to plug in the lights, so this remote switch is a blessing, which is also why I drive with a 6000mah 3S lipo. It lasted from 8:30 am to about 5:30 pm during a ParkerFest in Sep 2018. Used 3 lipos over a period of 3 and a half days driving. The scale driver was also an early add-on. The extra weight did make a difference in handling the RC but nothing one cannot overcome.  Also added the steel rear bumpers and the scale steel hi-lift, which I installed in the rear bumper using some steel plats secures behind the rear steel bumper.

Next up came the body badges, 2 on the front grille, 1 on each front fender and 2 in the rear. The very well finished aluminium badges give the already well-detailed body some bling. Then the snorkel. It's made of soft rubber, so you have more chance of losing the top part rather than snapping it. Then came the winch. The RC4WD 1/10 Warn 9.5cti winch fits great on the front bumper. I first used a winch controller but after some issues, I installed a second Hobbywing 1060 ESC and now I have great control over my winch. Issues with the winch (not the controller) are that the Warn 9.5cti winch can't handle the weight of the Land Cruiser as stock, let alone with the add-ons so far and those yet to come, but…

Last but not least, I added the roof rack from RC4WD. The finish on the roof rack is beautiful but quality-wise it is an overpriced scale item. If you are thinking of getting one, get the one without the lights. To me, the lights fixtures are of bad quality. They hold on with these tiny screws that soon cut through the plastic and end up with loose lights while you drive. Get other lights. I used extra ones I had from my Wraith build (not in these pictures yet).  The wooden planks came loose and I lost many of the screws along the trail. The extra weight changes the handling of the RC, especially if you add many scale items on the roof rack. Get ready to roll.

This is the most scale RC I own (to date)… More as I make changes