The Great Buggy Caper
Back in 1980 we bought a Radio Shack (Made by Nikko) RC Buggy for our 10 year old daughter to use as Barbie transportation:
Brand new – first test! Yes, it was modified for Barbie, eventually. It was a tight fit.
It was great fun back then but, in the 21st century, it looks a bit dated:
It eventually suffered an electrical malady and was relegated to the “someday” closet.
‘Someday’ came 35 years later when the next generation was 10 years old. Tinkering with the old chassis in time for Christmas proved to be a lost cause, so a new chassis was bought to get the buggy running. It is a chassis from a Helion Verdikt Short Course Ready-To-Run Truck:
It even included the latest in Lithium Polymer battery technology and an explosion mitigation bag for use during charging! Hmmmm……..
With the roll cage and driver removed and some new mounts added, the Helion Verdict chassis was an excellent fit under the Radio Shack buggy:
A doll smaller than Barbie for a better fit and few custom touches – ready to go!
Above: After some Christmas morning runs around the house, the buggy disappeared into the bedroom and reappeared with a smartphone taped on. Our granddaughter was still in the bedroom guiding the buggy by facetiming on her iPad!
The 21st century kid didn’t want the doll but did think headlights would be a good idea for running after dark. So I mounted them on a separate battery directly to the body so she didn’t have to mess with an extra wire to disconnect. The headlights were okay, the taillights were great!
