1989 Hammer
Motorworks R/C MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System)

Being an MLRS Crewmember in the US Army, I felt obligated to purchase a radio controlled one at Wal-Mart. About a year later, I was bored with it. I also had a broken Hammer just begging to be customized. I combined the two into a working machine in about an hour.

The rest of my four day weekend was spent "perfecting" the R/C winches. The front winch was made using a small electric motor from a battery operated 4x4 rock buggy I had, and connecting it to the power that originally turned on the lights of the launcher when you pressed the "fire" button. The rear winch (which resides in the trunk) was made from the motor that turned the launcher on the back of the MLRS, then wiring it with the original wires. The only problem with the radio controlled winches is you can't reverse them once you reel in the tow cable. So, I simply spliced in two wires on each one that run to the outside of the body. Then I can touch them to a battery (reverse polarity) and reel them back out. It works better than taking the whole thing apart and manually unwinding it. Grr.

I then painted the vehicle using Krylon camoflauge flat paint (OD green and Black) with a splatter pattern.

All in all this custom is great fun. I had a blast making it, and now my friend is gathering Hammers so we can make more. If you decide to build one, let me know how it turns out.