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Product Test: FTW "Diamondback" shortcourse body

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Mike Garrison

0 Dec. 6, 2012, 9:08 a.m.

Main Photo: Product Test: FTW "Diamondback" shortcourse body

12/7/2012

By Mike Garrison

LiveRC.com

This past October we made a little roadtrip south for the Shortcourse Showdown Nationwide Tour Finals hosted by Mike's Hobby Shop in Carrollton, Texas. Upon arriving at the event we were greeted with elaborate display booths, new products, and so much more. While making our journey through the pits we ran into the brothers and sister team of the Riewe family.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Riewe's, they are amongst the most friendly, welcoming, and enjoyable racing families you will find at the track.

Did I mention that they (Josh, John, and Rachel) are also the founders and driving force behind quickly growing FTW R/C company?

(Spying on the FTW camp...caught by the camera - Photo courtesy of FTW)

While hanging out and chatting with FTW for a bit, we spotted something hiding beneath the pit table. It was none other than the all-new FTW "Diamondback" shortcourse body. Upon first sight we were quite intrigued by the new body, and courtesy of the Riewe's and FTW we were able to get our hands on our very own "Diamondback".

(The Riewe brothers in action at the Shortcourse Showdown Nationwide Tour - Photos courtesy of FTW)

First Impressions

Similar to the FTW Losi 8ight bodies that we product tested some time back, we fully expected to have hours of painting, cutting, sanding, and modifying the "Diamondback" before we could even think of putting it on our car. Once again the FTW crew sent us two bodies...one clear and un-cut, and one fully painted, cut out, and accessorized 100% by John Riewe himself!

(The crew at FTW won't admit their paint skills are among some of the best in the industry, but we aren't afraid to say it.)

The body features sleek stylish lines, easy to cut vent holes and locations, and is made up of thick and durable (yet surprisingly not heavy) lexan material. The FTW design and manufacturing clearly understands the durability necessary for shortcourse racing, while also providing a unique look. Included with the body is an easy to follow instruction sheet for mounting on various trucks as well as window masks, grill, headlight, and tail light decals.

Setup & Build

For the "Setup & Build" we decided to cut out the clear body and mount it ourselves to get an idea of the process using the "Diamondback". After cutting along the lines provided, making body mount holes using the instructions provided, and bolting on our trick number plates using hardware provided we were set to go in less than 30 minutes. No special modifying necessary as it dropped right onto our truck. We painted the body a solid color, as our paint skills are slightly less than that of a Mr. Riewe.

(Easy to cut vent locations and number plates included)

The Test

For testing purposes we decided it best to equip or truck with the solid color body for starting out. After over an hour of non-stop bashing...and I mean bashing it was time for inspection. When testing a body our number one goal is testing the durability, especially in shortcourse. Multiple flips, crashes, and tumbles on asphalt, dirt, gravel, and our backyard track resulted in a scratched and missing paint spotted body, HOWEVER, the FTW "Diamondback" itself showed no signs of cracks, breaks, or major damage.

The thicker FTW lexan kept the body from getting twisted and "bent" out of shape like some, most often seen on the front and rear ends. While the outside of the body was severely scratched (as any body would be) from our asphalt disasters, the overall integrity of the body was unharmed. The thicker lexan also proved to withstand the flex of the truck, and pleasantly surprised us by not wallowing out or breaking the holes we reamed for the body posts.

(The Diamondback includes FTW signature headlight, grill, and taillight stickers)

The "Diamondback" provided the steering/response we were looking for on the track. With the vent locations cut-out it also eliminated much of the parachute effect which dooms shortcourse racers everywhere. In the performance department it closely rivals the other SC bodies on the market today, and is clearly race ready.

To further the test we took a small survey asking fellow racers their opinion of the overall body appearance (not the paintjob) compared to others on the market. 93% of those asked said that this body looks as good and/or better than those currently available from other manufacturers.

Conclusion

In conclusion to the FTW "Diamondback" body product test we rate the new body a 5 out 5 on the Beacon Rating. With any body on the market, different styles suit different racers. While the "Diamondback" may not suit everyone's style, the overall design, durability, and performance was quite impressive to us. Shortcourse racing is taking the R/C industry by storm and the "Diamondback" is ready to strike at any race thrown its way!