FairRC FCX18 II F-100 Brushless Mods Compared — Sunnyside Up vs Wheel-Spinnin’ Black & Silver
The FCX18 II Ford F-100 has already developed into a serious custom platform, but FairRC's latest brushless Mod RTR builds take a different approach from buying a stock truck and upgrading it one component at a time. The Sunnyside Up Highboy and Wheel-Spinnin' Black and Silver builds arrive with their visual direction, raised stance and larger wheel-and-tyre package already defined.
That creates a much narrower buying decision than choosing between brushed and brushless power or deciding which BATRAZZI part to install first. All three options begin with the FCX18 II F-100 brushless platform. The important question is which finished custom identity best matches the kind of truck you actually want.
Editorial Note: This is an editorial buyer comparison based on current FairRC product information and official FMS FCX18 II specifications. It is not a hands-on review.
Quick Answer — Which FairRC FCX18 II F-100 Mod Should You Choose?
Choose the Sunnyside Up Highboy if you want the strongest traditional Highboy identity, a bright yellow-and-off-white period look and a truck whose visual character immediately revolves around the lifted classic-pickup theme.
Choose the Wheel-Spinnin' Black if you prefer the same raised 1.2-inch wheel-and-tyre concept but want a darker late-1970s custom-truck aesthetic with the five-colour side stripe standing out against glossy black.
Choose the Wheel-Spinnin' Silver if you like the retro stripe and Highboy stance but want the lighter, cleaner silver body to carry more of the visual emphasis.
The important point is that this is primarily a style and finished-build decision, not three completely different mechanical platforms.
FairRC Sunnyside Up vs Wheel-Spinnin' — Main Differences
| Build | Visual Identity | Wheel & Tyre Direction | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside Up Highboy | Yellow and off-white two-tone Highboy | Raised 1.2-inch setup with Revolver beadlocks and Outrider ZR M/T tyres | Classic lifted pickup / bright period custom |
| Wheel-Spinnin' Black | Glossy black with five-colour retro stripe and black bumpers | 1.2-inch 8-Lug Revolver beadlocks, 64 × 24 mm Outrider ZR M/T tyres and brass wheel weights | Dark late-1970s custom-truck look |
| Wheel-Spinnin' Silver | Glossy silver with five-colour retro stripe and black bumpers | 1.2-inch 8-Lug Revolver beadlocks, 64 × 24 mm Outrider ZR M/T tyres and brass wheel weights | Brighter retro custom with stronger contrast |
Black and Silver are colour variants of the same Wheel-Spinnin' Mod rather than separate mechanical builds. That simplifies the decision considerably: first decide between Sunnyside Up and the Wheel-Spinnin' concept, then choose Black or Silver if the Wheel-Spinnin' direction wins.
What All Three Builds Have in Common
The new Mods make sense because they start from an already capable brushless version of the second-generation FCX18 platform rather than using cosmetic changes to disguise an older chassis.
The FCX18 II F-100 brushless platform combines a low-centre-of-gravity chassis, straight axles, two-speed transmission and dedicated brushless electronics with the licensed Ford hard body. That foundation is examined in much more detail in our FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless Guide.
For these FairRC builds, the important additional change is the move away from the stock 58 × 19 mm BFGoodrich KO3 tyre package towards a taller 1.2-inch custom-truck setup built around 64 × 24 mm Outrider ZR M/T tyres.
The 1.2-Inch Wheel and Tyre Setup Changes More Than Appearance
FairRC uses a raised 1.2-inch wheel-and-tyre configuration for the new Mod direction. On the Sunnyside Up Highboy, the company specifies 64 × 24 mm Outrider ZR M/T tyres together with aluminium 1.2-inch 8-Lug Revolver beadlock wheels.
The larger tyre diameter increases the effective ride height and provides more clearance beneath the truck. FairRC also uses lowered shock mounting to develop the taller stance.
This is important because the change is not simply visual. A larger tyre changes clearance, effective gearing and the amount of rotating mass the drivetrain has to manage. Its effect on grip and contact patch also depends on tyre compound, carcass, load and terrain.
The result moves the F-100 away from its relatively restrained stock proportions and further towards an aggressive trail-oriented Highboy build.
Brass Wheel Weight — Useful Because It Is Low
FairRC also fits brass wheel weights to the Sunnyside Up and Wheel-Spinnin' builds, placing additional mass close to the ground and near the wheel ends.
That is generally a more purposeful location for added crawler weight than placing heavy components high in the body. The intention is to help the truck remain planted during climbing and uneven terrain while the larger tyres increase the overall stance.
It does not mean that more brass is automatically better. Our Best BATRAZZI Upgrades for the FCX18 II F-100 guide explains why weight should be added to solve a specific handling problem rather than simply because metal upgrades exist.
Sunnyside Up Highboy — The Most Obvious Highboy Statement
The FairRC FCX18 II Sunnyside Up Highboy Mod RTR makes its intention obvious immediately.
The yellow-and-off-white body gives the truck a warm period-custom appearance, while the raised wheels and tyres make the Highboy concept much more dominant than on the standard FCX18 II F-100.
This is probably the most coherent choice if the reason for buying the Mod is specifically the Highboy identity rather than simply wanting a pre-upgraded FCX18 II.
The wheels, tyres and stance all support the same visual theme.
That matters with scale RC. A build can contain expensive parts and still look confused if every modification seems to come from a different project. The Sunnyside Up truck feels deliberately themed.
Wheel-Spinnin' Black — The Dark Retro Custom
The Wheel-Spinnin' Black takes the same basic raised custom-truck idea in a noticeably different visual direction.
The glossy black body makes the five-colour stripe one of the strongest visual features of the truck. Black bumpers continue the darker theme while the larger wheels preserve the Highboy-style stance.
If Sunnyside Up resembles a bright period show-and-trail truck, Black feels closer to a darker late-1970s street-and-trail custom.
Mechanically, that distinction should not be exaggerated. The reason to choose Black is primarily that you prefer its body treatment.
Wheel-Spinnin' Silver — Same Concept, Different Balance
The Wheel-Spinnin' Silver uses the same Wheel-Spinnin' concept but changes how the stripe and dark trim interact with the body.
Against silver, the five-colour graphic still stands out, but the whole truck looks lighter and visually cleaner.
Silver also places more emphasis on the contrast between the body, black bumpers, tyres and wheel hardware.
There is no need to invent a performance difference between Black and Silver. Choose between them exactly as you would choose the colour of a full-size classic pickup: whichever one you would rather keep looking at.
Stock FCX18 II or FairRC Mod RTR?
This is where the buying decision becomes more interesting.
A stock FCX18 II gives you the opportunity to experience the chassis in its original configuration and modify it gradually. That is particularly valuable if understanding each change is part of the hobby for you.
A FairRC Mod RTR starts much further along the project.
The larger wheels, tyres, stance and body direction are already chosen. You are effectively buying into a completed concept rather than beginning with a blank platform.
Our broader FMS FCX18 Buying Guide — Stock RTR, FairRC Mod RTR or BATRAZZI Upgrade Build? explains that distinction in detail.
| Buying Route | Best For | Main Advantage | Main Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock FCX18 II | Drivers who want to learn the platform first | Every later modification is your own decision | Recreating a finished custom build takes more parts and work |
| Sunnyside Up Highboy | Buyers who already want the classic lifted Highboy identity | Coherent finished theme from day one | Less opportunity to discover the stock configuration first |
| Wheel-Spinnin' | Buyers who want a period custom-truck look in Black or Silver | Distinctive styling plus raised trail stance | Colour and style become a larger part of the purchase decision |
Do These Mods Still Need Upgrades?
Not immediately.
That is probably the wrong way to approach them.
If you buy a Mod RTR specifically because FairRC has already assembled the stance, tyres, wheels and visual identity you want, replacing those components immediately defeats much of the point.
Drive the truck first.
If steering precision later becomes the weak point, look at steering components. If the centre of the chassis repeatedly hangs up, evaluate the skid. If suspension geometry needs more adjustment, consider the dedicated shock tower options.
For that second stage, the existing FCX18 II BATRAZZI upgrade guide remains the better reference.
Which One Would I Choose?
If the objective were to own the most visually distinctive Highboy of the three, I would lean towards Sunnyside Up.
The yellow-and-off-white scheme works naturally with the raised stance and gives the truck an identity that is difficult to confuse with a stock F-100.
If I wanted something darker and more obviously inspired by late-1970s custom pickup culture, I would choose Wheel-Spinnin' Black.
If I liked the same theme but wanted the body and graphics to feel lighter and cleaner, Silver would be the choice.
That is an aesthetic preference rather than a claim that one colour performs better.
Final Thoughts
The most interesting thing about these new FairRC Mods is that they show how quickly the FCX18 II F-100 ecosystem is developing.
The standard truck already works as a stock scale crawler, the brushless version provides a more modular electronics foundation, BATRAZZI supplies individual tuning parts, and FairRC is now building complete custom directions around the same platform.
The Sunnyside Up Highboy is the strongest choice if the lifted classic-pickup identity is the main attraction.
The Wheel-Spinnin' Black and Silver variants make more sense if the five-colour retro custom theme is what draws you to the build.
None of them removes the possibility of modifying the truck later. They simply give you a much more developed starting point.
Browse the Catalogue
Browse BATRAZZI FCX18 II Upgrades at FairRC
Further Reading
- Best BATRAZZI Upgrades for the FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 — What to Change First
- FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless Guide — What Changes, Who It Suits & Best Upgrade Path
- FMS 1:18 FCX18 II Ford F-100 RTR Brushed — New Chassis, Scale Detail & Smart Upgrade Path
- FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 vs FCX18 K10 — New Chassis, BATRAZZI Upgrades & Build Guide
- FMS FCX18 Buying Guide — Stock RTR, FairRC Mod RTR or BATRAZZI Upgrade Build?
Image Credit: FairRC / FMS Hobby.
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