Nitro XX Buggy

[JK Racing]

Yep - you read it right, a Nitro powered XX Buggy.

History - back when Nitro truck was popular, before the XXX-NT and GT2 era, it was GTX/NXT vs GT (mostly) but the e-trucks were XXT and killing it. I ran one myself in Mod Truck, a lovely 10 single wide open down that long Ranch Pit Shop rear straight was amazing and fun.

I longed for a Nitro truck, but did not want an LXT based one, and wasnt going anywhere near AE (then) - so I was a spectator. One night, I go to watch them run and I see a XXT body buzzing around with all the other trucks, and thought, how nice, a body swap...

As he pulls it off the track, I get a good view and WHAT - it was a Nitro converted XXT. Ron Bechard was the driver. I waited and waited, never see a conversion or a Losi Nitro XXT come to market. I had wondered what happened to it all those years ago.

A few years back, someone on Facebook posts a picture of a truck and asks - what is this? And amazingly - it was the same truck (albeit, unused). I contacted him and we chatted back and forth. Knowing Ron was the driver way back then, amazingly, I raced locally with Ron's son. I contacted him and he confirmed, it was a truck his dad had built. I connected the two together, as his son wanted the truck to remember his dad by. The sale never happened and I believe the truck ended up on eBay.

About the same time (a few years ago), I was surfing around Facebook marketplace and saw a buggy version of the truck. I contacted the seller a few times, never got a response and eventually the ad disappeared. I was super bummed out, as I wanted it. Fast forward to this past weekend (7/20/24) and I was scrolling for VW parts and of course RC always pops up, I browse those ads as well. I see the buggy again, somewhat local, posted 10 minutes before I viewed it. I contacted the seller, he responded within minutes, safe to say I was on the road less than a 1/2 hour later, determined to pick it up. Well, I wouldnt be creating this thread if I didn't get it - so here some some pics - the buggy as seen in the ad, and current state. As well as a couple shots of the truck that slipped threw the cracks.

For the record: The truck that I saw actually being raced is in the hands of the family, they are completely out of RC. A close family friend has given me more info, there were 2 truck prototypes and a buggy prototype for Earls (as a conversion kit). One truck was never run, just one buggy and one truck were tested.

If anyone has anything on the Earl's conversion kits, I'd love to hear/see more about them. My understanding are the prototypes used a canted forward engine mount, the Earl's kit did not.'

I have no time frame in mind for the clean up/rebuild. Things I've noticed already, Lunsford turnbuckles, Cirrus servos, OS motor, Rossi/Paris pipe, Shiny CVDs. I will refresh the hardware, fix the rod ends, add rear shocks and maybe a body. I may leave it with no body or clear - as I want to see it in its glory.

All from a guy who does NOT want shelfers. This is a shelfer, with some patina. I don't plan on a refresh back to 'new built' condition.

[Incredible_Serious]

Canted-forward engine is so Schumacher Nitro 10...

Following....

[RC10th]

Strange engine choice though....

[romulus22]

I was out of the hobby for a long time myself and since getting back in I have not seen/heard of the Earls kit yet. First time seeing a well made conversion for the XX. I agree with your choice of just cleaning it up and preserving it. Awesome grab, very jelly over here……

[Dual]

Very, very cool find. Thanks for sharing detailed photos of this buggy… love seeing these custom machines. Do you have any photos of the XXT truck?

Looking forward to seeing the ‘light’ restoration on this rare beast.

[MarkyDents]

Extremely cool piece

[romulus22]

Do you have any photos of the XXT truck?

The white background pictures in his post are pictures of the truck that was on eBay.

[RogueIV]

That's a super cool find!