A Crazy Idea

"I want to build a Warrior."

That simple sentence has consumed me for over half a year. Born and raised in China and a lifelong mechanical model enthusiast, this vehicle was just too tempting to resist. But time and energy kept pushing the project back—until early 2024, when I finally made up my mind: I'm going to build a real one.

 Why a Warrior?

I wanted something truly mine. A machine that runs, moves, and breathes with a real mechanical heart. The inspiration came from the Dongfeng Mengshi (Warrior), China’s high-mobility military off-road vehicle that first appeared in 2002. Over time, it evolved into a fully homegrown platform known for durability, off-road prowess, and versatility. It’s a key part of China’s land forces—used for tactical transport, border patrol, and special ops. To me, the Warrior is more than a vehicle: it’s a symbol of Chinese engineering, national pride, and manufacturing power.

Before picking up any tools, I’d spent months planning this 1/5 scale RC Warrior. I’d seen plenty of plastic kits before, but they always felt like toys—lacking that raw, mechanical soul. I didn’t want a display model; I wanted a real functioning machine that could climb and conquer terrain. At first, I thought I’d finish in a month. It ended up taking five.

 How I Handcrafted a 1/5 Scale Warrior RC Off-Roader

 Step 1: Building from the Ground Up

Every serious build starts with the chassis — the foundation and the most time-consuming part.

I designed the frame: upper and lower control arms, front and rear differentials, drive shafts, dampers, springs, steering links, servos, motors, tires — the full setup. I based it on the third-gen Warrior’s four-wheel independent suspension with dual A-arm design. This setup gives excellent grip and control on rough terrain.

For power, I scavenged an old broken electric drill. Its motor became a temporary power source—not ideal, but enough to get the chassis rolling.

 Step 2: Power Tuning and Structural Tweaks

The drill motor was too weak, unable to conquer even a 60% incline. A Warrior that can’t climb is no Warrior.

I upgraded to a bigger motor. The drill gear didn’t fit the new motor, so I custom cut and ground it to match. But even then, the chassis didn’t behave like a true off-roader—unstable posture, poor balance. I kept tweaking suspension, steering, and damping until it finally handled confidently.

One month in, I realized I’d massively underestimated the workload. But I wasn’t rushing. If not one month, then two. If not two, then three. I kept at it.

 Step 3: Metal-Built Exterior Details

With the chassis ready, I moved to the body. This wasn’t just a model; it had to be a mechanical work of art.

The Warrior’s grille is a trapezoidal beast with 12 vertical bars and 10 border lines, nine recessed. No stickers here — real metal only. I cut 36 slots, twisted 27 wires, spot welded 18 joints, polished everything, and finally bolted on nine screws.

The fenders weren’t easier. Each of the four had 6-7 dents, 26 grooves in total. Every detail was cut, welded, ground, and screwed by hand. People asked why no 3D printer was used. Truth is, I didn’t have one and didn’t want one—I craved that raw, handmade metal feel.

 Step 4: Doors and Hinges — The Most Time-Consuming Part

The Warrior has multiple doors. I crafted 12 pieces with exact thickness and hinge angles. No off-the-shelf hinges fit, so I made 24 custom hinges, each hand-cut, welded, and polished. Each hinge took nearly half a day. This part alone took two more weeks.

Three months had flown by. I wasn’t spending money, but I was spending a lot of time. Every piece was a tribute to the real Warrior.

 Step 5: The Rear Structure — Complex Yet Fun

The Warrior's rear is intricate:

 Rear window with tactical view
 Large spare tire on custom bracket
 Simulated fuel canister
 Tail lights, footboards, tow hook, power port, anti-air lights

I even built a miniature lift system to raise the spare tire — not necessary, but deeply satisfying.

 Step 6: Exhaust and Water Fording System

The Warrior vents exhaust vertically like a chimney. Someone joked, “To start a fire and stay warm in extreme cold.” (Obviously not true.)

The real reason? Deep water fording. Vertical exhaust keeps water from stalling the engine. I replicated this feature and loved how it turned out.

After five months, from first sketch to last screw, every piece was hand-built.

 Step 7: Discovering the Toyan V8 — A Whole New World Opens

On February 7, 2025, my first gas-powered engine arrived — the Toyan V8.

Opening the box, I felt something indescribable. This engine wasn’t just beautifully made; every detail, from structure to sound, screamed real mechanical life. Despite its small size, it had full intake and exhaust, water cooling, and a genuine idle growl.

Installing it was nerve-wracking. I inspected every part, especially crankshaft bearings, afraid any misstep would prevent startup. Aligning crankshaft and camshaft was tense — they had to sync perfectly. I turned it by hand repeatedly, checking valves and pistons meshed flawlessly.

I mixed gasoline with oil carefully, primed the lines, connected everything meticulously. Pressing start, it coughed, then roared to life, eight exhaust pipes puffing white smoke. The smell of burning fuel took me back to childhood off-road races.

I hit some bumps: over-tightened screws threatening to break parts, stubborn spark plug installs, choke needing full close before starting—lessons learned after failures. A slight crankshaft wobble made me nervous, but I learned it was normal.

This engine gave me a new respect for mechanics. I loved the Toyan V8 not just as a model engine, but a mechanical heart.

My first project was mounting it in a modified Mustang GT RC car. I recorded the whole build in a video titled:
"I Built a RC Car with a V8 Engine | Assembly and RUN a Miniature V8 Engine!"

Watching it run sparked a bold idea: What if I put this V8 into my Warrior?

 Step 8: Rebuilding the Warrior for the V8

Switching from electric to gas isn’t just swapping motors. The Toyan V8 is much bigger and heavier than the drill motor. The engine bay had to be redesigned.

 Key Challenges:

1. Space layout and transmission orientation

   The V8 engine is larger and heavier. I had to remove the ESC and battery, re-plan internal layout for secure mounting without weakening chassis.
   Plus, the V8 is designed for longitudinal (front-to-back) mounting, which suits rear-wheel drive and engine bay shape. But my Warrior had a transverse (sideways) motor layout.
   That meant rebuilding the entire transmission system — gears, clutch, driveshaft — perfectly aligned. Even slight misalignment would cause jamming or efficiency loss. This was one of the hardest and most rewarding challenges.

2. Fuel system and ignition wiring

   Where to put the fuel tank? How to route fuel lines safely and unobtrusively? Ignition wiring needed heat, oil, and vibration resistance. Small mistakes could cause start failure or cutouts.

3. Exhaust system design

   Eight exhaust pipes require careful routing for smooth flow. Misplaced exhaust risks melting plastic parts or unbalancing the vehicle.

4. Cooling system

   The V8 runs hot. Without water cooling, it’d overheat and stall in minutes. I designed a mini radiator, pump, and fan system, fitting them in tight space without ruining looks or layout. Bad cooling means no running.

5. Weight balance and handling

   The V8 and gearbox added a lot of metal weight up front, changing handling. I tuned suspension and tire grip to prevent understeer or instability.

6. Detail control and reliability

   Screws, mounts, wiring, fuel connections — every small detail had to be perfect. Too loose caused shaking, too tight caused breakage. Wiring had to avoid shorts, fuel lines mustn’t leak. Any slip could kill ignition or cause unstable running.

7. Transmission shaft direction

   The V8’s longitudinal design meant the original transverse drivetrain needed full modification — gears, clutch, shaft direction — to avoid binding and efficiency loss.

I stripped the Warrior’s front half, designed and drilled an aluminum engine mount, and bolted the V8 in place. Fuel lines were color-coded (clear and pink) for easy checks. I installed a Stirlingkit gearbox, greased all gears, and built custom connectors from clutch to transmission.

MG995 servos were mounted, wires tidied with zip ties away from moving parts. The small radiator was placed upfront, soft tubing bent and sealed tight, fan secured with heatsinks. Everything fit perfectly under the hood.

Then came the moment of truth.

I poured 100ml of 95-octane gas mixed with 2-stroke oil at 25:1 ratio. Watching the fuel flow through lines, I took a deep breath and pressed start.

It roared.

White smoke puffed from all eight pipes. The engine vibrated gently, humming with life. It wasn’t a buzzing toy anymore—it was a growling beast.

I jacked up the car, let the wheels spin smooth and steady. I grinned ear to ear. “Wow\... I actually built this.”

 First Road Test and Final Tweaks

On March 26, 2025, the V8 Warrior was complete. During the first outdoor test, the engine roared, but the car died after a few minutes. No response from the remote.

Back in the studio, I found a cracked weld on the wheel mount. Rewelded. Tried again—this time, the car died again. Found a loose coupler between the clutch and gearbox. Re-soldered it, and manually turned the shaft: smooth.

On the third test, I pushed it harder. It accelerated, cornered, and the cooling system held up. Pump whirring, fan spinning, temps stable.

I even DIYed automatic doors. Each door had its own motor, chip, and battery. One click on the remote — clack — open sesame.

Fueled up, doors locked, I launched it again. Straight runs, sharp turns, reverse — all handled with ease. As smoke drifted and the V8 purred, I couldn’t help but smile: "Now this is my Warrior."

What I Learned Along the Way

After countless hours of disassembly, adjustment, and fine-tuning, this project, while tough, taught me more than just mechanical and electronic skills.

The real challenge wasn’t always the technical details.

At first, I thought building something like this would be insanely hard — way beyond my reach. Honestly, just thinking about all the challenges ahead overwhelmed me.

But once I got started, I realized it wasn’t as impossible as I imagined. Yes, there were tough moments — frustrating glitches, parts that didn’t fit, and late nights wondering if I’d made a mistake. But those were all part of the journey.

The hardest part was the hesitation — the fear of failing or messing up. Once I pushed past that, everything else became manageable.

If you have a project you’re passionate about, don’t be scared to start. It might seem intimidating, but the only way to learn and grow is to dive in and figure things out as you go.

Yes, it was exhausting. Frustrations, broken parts, engine stalls. But when that V8-powered Warrior roared to life, it felt like I’d breathed life into a machine.

Every time I hear the Toyan V8’s low growl, chills run down my spine. It’s not just a toy — it’s alive.

If you have a Toyan V8 engine sitting around, don’t hesitate. Build boldly. The journey is tough, but when your creation roars, it’s all worth it.

Let’s push these machines to their limits and give our V8s the soul they deserve.

Thanks for reading my journey. I hope it inspires you to start your own mechanical adventure. Let’s build and create together!