Let’s face it, we’re just humans cruising around in a comic world. Ever since Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon turning every comic into a movie, the popularity of comic superheroes and villains have definitely hit an all-time high. But before this cultural boom took over with X-men and Deadpool cronies gate crashing comic cons…… there was Kal-El (aka Superman).
The big S was first introduced to the world back in 1938 and the Superman story became a TV series from 1952-1958. Moving on up the popularity ladder, Supes moved onto the big screen in his self-titled movies in 1978, 1980, and 1983 and in that span of time Superman became one of the most iconic superheroes the world has ever known.
In 2005, the Superman Monster Truck was born and was driven by Chad Fortunes. When Feld Entertainment’s DC Comics contract was renewed in 2017, Superman made its long-awaited return to the Monster Jam show.
Having seen the Superman Monster truck at a real monster truck show in 2005 (pic above is from the actually show in 2005), Matt Stoltz saw the perfect opportunity to use the new JConcepts 2008 Ford F-150 Supercab and recreate this cultural icon in full glory. The main attraction to the Superman monster truck is that signature body and flashy cape. The first step was to paint up the 08 Ford F-150 Supercab in a nice two-tone style of blue body and black cab.
Once the body was painted, Matt carefully applied the custom decals the resembling the looks of the real truck driven by Chad Fortunes.
One of the special pieces of the puzzle is definitely the Superman cape. On the real MT, the cape is more of a fixed unit, but Matt’s RC Superman’s cape is different in the coolest way possible. It moves in the wind! Made from a red felt material hand-picked from Joann Fabrics, the cape was carefully fitted and attached using simple screws and coincidently moves when the truck is up to speed giving it a life of its own and we love it.
Remove the body and we get down to the core. This burly, custom goliath is built from the highly sought after, Team Juice Cube V2 chassis conversion. Matt’s friend, Morris, is actually the designer of the high-quality chassis conversion and luckily for Matt, had an inside line on getting his hands on the Cube MT.
Renown for it’s world-class handling and superior durability to excel in the high demands of Monster cross racing, the Cube V2 chassis project was started back in 2012 and at the time, introduced radical chassis designs that were quite unique to the Cube. Some of the cool features were the battery location, sway bar design, tech servo mount and Cipher steering link. As of now, there might be a total of 40 of these impressive chassis cruising in the wild and if you want one, you have to get on The List.
As a team driver for JConcepts, Matt has access to some of the coolest accessories and upgrades in the RC industry. You can see a fine option piece being used to hold the shocks in place, the JConcepts Fin Titanium Shock ‘Long” Standoffs. These standoffs are originally designed for the Team Associated B6 platform, but since Matt is rocking the AE front truck shocks on his Superman, the JConcepts Fin standoffs work like a charm and look good doing so.
The go-to tire of choice for most enthusiasts seeking that aggressive cut tread look is the JConcepts Renegade tires. With a lower profile and cut back tread design focused on weight reduction and race track performance, these monster truck tires embody the pinnacle of bracket racing glory. These tires are designed to fit 2.6 x 3.6″ MT wheels like the JConcepts Tribute Wheels.
The JConcepts Tribute wheels definitely fly under the radar. Molded with tough aesthetics and rugged looks, these MT specific wheels are formed from a durable material designed to last and take a beating. The silver lining is that the Tribute wheels are accompanied by optional hex adapters to adjust offset from an 11mm width that resembles a stock Clod Buster look or retro type Monster Truck width at 18mm for increased stability on standard wheelbase trucks. Finally, a super wide 25mm offset hex adapter is provided for the ultimate in footing for long wheelbase race trucks.
New for the Tribute wheels is the new JConcepts Mock Beadlock rings in various colors to best color match your ride. Soon to be available in blue, black, white, pink, green, orange, red, and silver!
Don’t forget the included but optional planetary cap allowing you to change up the look of your ride in no time. On Matt’s ride here, he’s running 2 of the planetary cap crews to hold the cap in place, but keep it factory fast when wheel/tire changes are needed. Trick!
Gazing upon the underside of the Cube V2 chassis, you get to see why this chassis is so desirable. Arguably, the best handling chassis around, the thick clump of brass stuck to the lowest part of the truck definitely gives it that solid, secure driving feel unlike most monster trucks out there.
The V2 edition Cube chassis has the lower aluminum side plates anodized in gold for that ultra trick look.
Matt is using a Reedy RT1508 HV Hi-Torque Digital Servo but the rear has the steering lockout that comes with the Cube V2 conversion kit. With .10 seconds of speed and 187.4 oz of torque at 6V, the RT1508 is definitely up for the challenge. Matt also used the Reedy Zapper 5800 SG 2s shorty pack to supply the power to Superman and after months of use, there are zero issues on the electronic side of things.
