grave digging duo!

TEST DRIVE
WORLD EXCLUSIVE!
GRAVE DIGGING DUO!
TRAXXAS SON-UVA DIGGER AND
GRAVE DIGGER 30TH ANNIVERSARY
KIT | ELECTRIC | OFF-ROAD
WORDS ERICH REICHERT PHOTOS HOPE McCALL
FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, Traxxas has been releasing licensed replicas of
the Monster Jam monster trucks. While they’re essentially the same underneath their scale bodies, monster truck fans swarm
to each new release to keep their field of mini
monsters complete. The newest editions to
the fleet are the Grave Digger 30th Anniversary and Son-Uva Digger trucks
driven by father and son duo Dennis
and Ryan Anderson. So, what
makes this pair of separately sold
monsters of mayhem so special?
Are they just a set of new stickers and colored accents? Well,
if I’m honest, yes. But that’s
exactly what makes them so
exciting. When you buy one of
these trucks, you’re buying it
for what has always been at the
root of this hobby in its purest
form—the fantasy. It’s that and the
notion that this is as close to driving
the real Grave Digger as most of us
will ever get. But fear not, my upgradehungry little car crushers—Along with the
release of the Son-Uva Digger truck complete
with new body and blue accent parts, Traxxas
has made the 30th Anniversary Digger into what would
be considered a “special edition” trim. Now is a better time than ever to
imagine yourself behind the wheel, doing donuts, and putting on a killer
freestyle show—so let’s do this!
PERFORMANCE
Both the Son-Uva Digger and Grave Digger are based on
the wildly popular and successful Traxxas Stampede platform, as are the rest of the Monster Jam lineup. In other words, I had a good idea of what the
trucks were going to drive like before I even hit the ground running. As expected, the trucks
were a ton of fun to drive and were very stable considering they’re taller in stature compared
to most RC trucks. The Stampede platform is a time-proven combination of steady handling
that’s easy to drive and exhibits just enough speed to keep things interesting. I happened to
have brought them home with me, so when the punchy black and green paint scheme caught
my son’s eye, it was on. He took the Grave Digger and I grabbed the Son-Uva Digger and we
proceeded to have a great time blasting up and down the road. To make things a little more
exciting, I brought out a few of my other cars and lined them up in front of a ramp jump I keep
handy. Before we knew it, we had our own Monster Jam show going on with kids from the
nearby park watching as we thrashed over the other vehicles and nearly missed a few mid-air
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SPECS
SON-UVA DIGGER
Price: $230
Wheelbase: 10.6 in. (270mm)
Length: 16.3 in. (413mm)
Weight as tested: 65 oz. (1900g)
30TH ANNIVERSARY
GRAVE DIGGER
Price: $260
Wheelbase: 10.6 in. (270mm)
Length: 16.3 in. (413mm)
Weight as tested: 65 oz. (1900g)
BEST FOR
Beginners to experts to car-crushing
hooligans
at times. I’ve always maintained this but I feel it needs to be pointed
out once again that the coolest part of these, or any of the Monster
Jam trucks for that matter, is that whether you’re accelerating or hard
on the brakes, the body rolls over in much of the same fashion that the
truck’s full-sized counterparts do. Back on my workbench, I couldn’t
help but admire the graphics on each of the trucks. I found myself
visualizing them in an arena with the crowd roaring and flashbulbs
going off. While the Grave Digger 30th Anniversary version comes
with them installed, I highly recommend getting the optional Son-Uva
Digger body with the light kit. Although they’re just for the headlights
on the truck, they really do add an extra flair to an already scale-looking vehicle and give it even more attitude—if that’s even possible.
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TRAXXAS SON-UVA
DIGGER
It goes without saying that Dennis Anderson’s Grave Digger is
the most monumental monster
truck ever. Dennis has fielded
25 different Grave Digger trucks
and through his sons Adam and
Ryan, their team looks to the
future with the Grave Digger
Legend and Son-Uva Digger
trucks.
4 UNDER $20
Whether you want to make
your vehicle go faster,
handle better, or just
look cooler, Traxxas
has a truckload of
options available for
each through its
Stampede accessory list. Here are
a handful of ways
you can make your
Son-Uva Digger and
Grave Digger trucks even
more exciting for mostly
under 20 bucks.
4mm aluminum flanged
serrated wheel nuts: At just
under 7 bucks, these blue
locknuts can throw just
a little bit of accent color
inside the wheels of your
Son-Uva Digger. They’re
lightweight and hold tight
due to the serrated back
that digs into the wheel to
hold on tighter. (Part no.
1747R)
Anodized aluminum parts:
Traxxas offers a bunch of
parts for the Stampede
in blue or green anodized
aluminum. Everything from
shock caps and steering
knuckles to caster to rear
blocks are all neat to have
and priced under $20.
(Part no. 3767A)
Dyeable wheels: These
wheels make up for what
they lack in scale looks
compared to the stock
chrome wheels with the
fact that they can be dyed
whatever color you want.
You can dip them in blue
dye and pump up the color
on your Son-Uva Digger
for less than 4 bucks a pair,
making them the least
expensive upgrade of this
list. (Part no. 3675)
Wheelie Bar: When you’re
ready to bolt in more power,
you’ll be standing on the
tailgate for sure. Traxxas’
Stampede Wheelie Bar will
keep things moving forward
and those slick bodies
scratch free. If you’re putting it on the Grave Digger,
they even offer it in green!
Can’t go wrong for $15.
(Part no. 3678)
Velineon Brushless system: Ok, so it’s nowhere
near $20, but even at $160,
you can’t deny the insane
amount of power you’ll be
bolting into your monster
truck. The Traxxas Velineon
system comes standard in
the Stampede Brushless
truck, so slugging it into
your Grave Digger will be
a snap. Just get ready to
hang on to this baby! (Part
no. 3350X)
HOT FEATURES
1
2
REALISTIC ROLLERS
As with all of the Traxxas Monster
Jam lineup, Son-Uva Digger comes
with some pretty sweet silver
wheels wrapped in set of monster
truck-style tires complete with
custom cuts like the big boys do.
When paired together, this combo
gives the truck a super realistic
look while just sitting on your
workbench.
1
BLUE SUNDAY SUNDAY
SUNDAY!
To match the black and blue
scheme of Son-Uva Digger, the RC
version included blue plastic accents for the bumpers, skidplates,
and lower supports. The parts are
made out of the same high-quality
plastic as all Traxxas Monster Jam
trucks, but the blue parts give it a
totally trick look.
2
3
WATERPROOF SPEED
CONTROL
As good looking as this
truck is, it most likely
won’t stay clean for
long. Whether you’re
performing some highflying, car-crushing action
or splashing down for a mini
mud bog, the included XL-5
speed control has you covered. Its
waterproof case and technology
will keep you running no matter
what you throw at it.
3
30TH ANNIVERSARY
Lights!
One of the coolest details of the 30th Anniversary
Grave Digger is the factory-installed light set. Red
headlights up front, as well as lights for the eyes of
the reaper on the side of the 1950s Chevy Panel
truck body, give this Digger a little something extra
that goes a long way.
4
NEW LIFTED LID
Son-Uva Digger
features a 1980 Willys
body like the one that
is run on the real truck. The
RTR comes with a fully decaled
body, but Traxxas offers an
optional body with lights installed
(pictured). A little-known fact, the
1980 Willys body that is used for
Son-Uva Digger was originally
used as a mud bogger version of
Grave Digger.
4
these
VERDICT Driving
trucks is
2.4GHz TQi
Along with the usual Grave
Digger green goodies (say
that 10 times fast!), the
30th Anniversary truck also
comes with a Traxxas TQi
radio. This landmark radio
has been making waves
with its built-in telemetry
and iPod/iPhone docking
base. So, including it with
the truck takes this Digger
to a whole new level.
always a pleasure, as they continually
remind you that RC doesn’t have to
be ballistically fast or dominating on
the track to have a blast—all it has to
be is … well, fun. The option parts that
come with the 30th Anniversary Grave
Digger put it over the top compared
to the rest of the Monster Jam lineup,
while the slick new looks of Son-Uva
Digger give you an entirely new truck
to add to your collection. With keen
great looks and the mystique of a
legendary monster, as well as being
a newcomer to the scene, these two
trucks have what it takes to put you at
the top of your very own Monster Jam
World Finals.
SOURCES
Traxxas traxxas.com
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