This Tiny V-8-Powered RC Monster Truck Sounds Incredible

The 44 cc liquid-cooled engine is right at home in this 1:10 scale square body Chevy pickup.

Photo by: YouTube

By: Christopher Smith

Mar 22, 2025 at 4:00pm ET

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This isn't the first time we've seen a tiny, fully functional V-8 engine. It's not even the first V-8 we've seen in a radio-controlled car. But this is hands down the best-looking and best-sounding setup of them all. And it's dialed in to near perfection.

This project comes to us from JohnnyQ90 on YouTube. This time around, the engine is a 44cc Cison V-8 that runs on good ol' gasoline. It's a classic pushrod cam-in-block design with a simple distributor, crowned with a single four-barrel carburetor and capped with a 3D-printed air scoop. Big exhaust headers stick out the sides not unlike a classic something you'd see from NASCAR, which explains the epic sound this thing makes.

In very real car fashion, this is a liquid-cooled engine that also has electric start. New spark plug connectors are fabricated for better electrical connections, and a custom air filter housing is milled from aluminum. Perhaps the most important bit of fabrication comes at the beginning of the video, with a custom clutch. A previous setup wasn't aggressive enough for the power and the truck's full-time four-wheel drive. This one, however, snaps to attention with gusto. Pulling wheelies isn't a problem. Just as it should be with a radio-controlled monster truck.

With everything assembled, the overall size and wheelbase equate to a 1:10 scale truck, though technically the engine is considered 1:6 scale. The body is a classic square body Chevy Stepside, wired up with functional lights front and rear. A small alternator on the engine provides some power to the onboard electrical systems, though batteries are still required.

In action, this thing is just flat-out cool. The engine has that distinct V-8 rumble, but at higher revs it also has that characteristic NASCAR racing howl. We don't know how much horsepower it generates, but it looks plenty quick during this parking lot test drive. The only real problem is gearing. The truck is severely redline-limited, so don't be surprised to see a future video with a better transmission in place.

The engine alone sells for around $2,000, never mind the cost of the servos, wheels, chassis components, and the radio. And then there's all the custom-fabricated parts made from aluminum that you can't put a price on. But after watching the video and hearing the big noise from this small truck, we'd say it's worth every penny.

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