Are Traxxas Bodies Interchangeable?

The term “RC car body” simply refers to the outer covering or shell of an RC car, which gives the car its general appearance. Many RC car bodies are interchangeable, and if you need to make a change to the body of your RC car, there are lots of options available to you. All you need to do is visit your local hobby shop, and you can get an excellent option.

But are Traxxas’ bodies the same? Are they interchangeable? 

Traxxas bodies for the most part are interchangeable as well as long as you are looking at the same type of vehicle and the same sizes. If you have a ⅛ scale RC body then it won’t fit well on to a 1/16 scale vehicle. The same is true with the type of car. If you have a Traxxas truck the body won’t fit on the chassis from a Traxxas car. 

Assuming that you have similar sizes and style of vehicle then the body should be interchangeable. Sometimes you will need a different body mount kit but those can be purchased for just a few dollars online or at your local hobby shop. 

If you have a Traxxas car whose body you would love to change, you can do that without too much difficulty. You can even replace the bodies of other RC cars with a Traxxas body! As long as the body can perfectly fit the car you want to use it on, you’re good. And, even when it isn’t all a perfect fit, a few modifications to either the body or the mounting plate will allow you to change out the bodies as you like. 

The Major Classifications of RC Car Bodies 

RC car bodies are basically divided into two major classifications depending on how they are when you get them. 

Pre-built

This kind of RC car body normally comes with pre-assembled cars. This style of body has a similar look to a company built body. Most of the time, people buy this kind of RC car body as a way of showcasing the craftsmanship. So many pre-built bodies of RC cars are based on real cars. What this means is that no matter the kind of car you want, you can probably buy an RC car that looks like that. 

Most of the RC cars that you will buy fall into the prebuilt body category no matter which company you buy your vehicle from. 

Customized

 Some people don’t like the uniform look of pre-built RC car bodies or are looking to make something entirely unique (think Elon Musk and his Cybertruck).  These people would rather add their own touches to the already existing look of the body or even build a body entirely from scratch.  

RC car bodies that are customized are mostly used by enthusiasts who are advanced in RC car racing and may want to achieve one, two, or both of the following goals:

• Aesthetical enhancement: Some people want to make their RC cars look better and different from conventional styles. As a result, they customize the bodies of their RC cars. While a lot of people actually succeed in getting just the look they want for their RC car bodies, others still end up buying new pre-built RC car bodies.
  
• Enhancement of performance: Some users design the bodies of their RC cars in order to enhance the performance of the car. A lot of people would want to enhance their car’s aerodynamics so as to increase the speed of the RC car and reduce the wind resistance in the process. 

Of course these aren’t the only reasons to customize but they are the most common. Some people just like customizing things so that they can spend time building a special body with a friend or family member. Others just want their car to be entirely unique and for everyone to know it is their car just by looking at it. 

There is nothing wrong with any of those or the myriad of other possible reasons to go the custom route but it is important to note that when you customize an RC car’s body it will require a lot of additional time and effort and won’t improve much in terms of performance of the vehicle.

Types of RC Car Bodies

If you are looking to change out one RC car body for another you won’t be able to interchange bodies from different types of vehicles. It is important to know the RC body type that you currently have to make sure that your new body will fit it properly. 

Some of the most common types of RC car bodies are: 

Truck

This type of RC car body is specially made for bashing. Most of the time, people who use this type of RC car body mostly use their RC cars to leap ramps, go on off-road races, and other generally fun activities that you can do with an RC car. The truck RC car body is usually a very durable one that can survive difficult maneuvers even on the most rugged of terrains. Because of its ability to withstand harsh terrains, this RC car body is about the very best that there is.

Realistic

This type of RC car body gets its name from the fact that it is designed after real cars. Most of the time, this type of RC car body is modeled after the winner of a competition like the World Rally Championships or it could be modeled after really popular cars or trucks such as the Hummer, Mustang, Silverado, etc. 

This type of RC car body typically gets very high marks for the craftsmanship and they will often look exactly like the larger vehicle. It is also often evaluated based on how closely it resembles the original car. 

This type of RC car body is often used for on-road races seeing as the potential for damage is really low. There are some realistic style models that are also used for rock crawling and other obstacle type maneuvers. 

Racing buggy

These ones are specially made for racing at a high speed. Whether you’re racing off-road or on-road, this RC car body is perfect and will serve you well when you are trying to go as fast as possible.

This body style has a rugged nature that can deal with any terrain, no matter how harsh. Its unique triangular shape is designed to make sure that this RC car body is aerodynamic and can conquer every race.

There are of course a variety of other RC car bodies that are slightly different than the ones mentioned above but most RC cars will fall under these three types. 

How to Clean and Polish An RC Car Body

No matter which type of RC car body that you have you will need to do regular cleaning of your body to ensure that it stays in as good of condition as possible. 

No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to race your RC car without getting any dirt on its body. You will always end up with some dust or dirt on it even if you are driving in the cleanest possible conditions. 

This means that you need to make a habit of cleaning and maintaining your RC car every time you take it out, to keep it in the best possible shape.  Leaving your RC car without cleaning for a long time can lead to lasting damages especially if you drive your car in mud, sand, or water regularly. 

Developing a cleaning routine is  a good way to make the entire process a lot faster and easier. No matter how small the traces of dirt are, it is important that you wipe them off so that they do not accumulate and damage your car.

Cleaning your RC car body isn’t a very time consuming process especially when you do it often.  

Simply rinsing off the body with some water will get rid of a lot of the dirt. Remove the bigger pieces of dirt and then go on to use dish soap or other special cleaning solution as needed. If you are using a dish soap then be sure and use one with degreasing power such as Dawn or something similar. 

This will help to get rid of fuel, grease, and any dirt that may be left on the body. Then you can rinse it off and allow it to dry.

In addition to cleaning the body of your RC car to get rid of dirt and grease, you might also want to polish it from time to time to keep it looking shiny and bright as new. Using a regular glass cleaner and a soft napkin or a piece of cloth will work great to polish the body of your RC car and keep it looking like new. If you have a painted ABS body shell, only make use of special car polish which has been designed for acrylic paints.

If you want some more specific tips on the best way to clean your RC car’s body then check out the video below. 

Conclusion

Most RC car bodies are interchangeable and that includes the ones made by Traxxas. Of course to make sure the body fits your vehicle you will need to make sure that it is the same scale size as well as the same or similar body type. 

Sometimes you might have to purchase a new mounting plate to get the new body to fit properly but those are inexpensive and shouldn’t be a reason to not change the bodies.