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KC HiLites LGT Built Desert Buggy - Droppin' Bombs
KC's Stealth Four-Seater
November, 2008
By Jordan May
Photography by Jordan May
KC HiLites was founded in 1970 by Peter K. Brown and his wife, Carol, in their two-car garage in Saugus, California. Peter feverishly worked at all the off-road race events and could even be found racing at the Mexican 500 (now the SCORE Baja 500). In 1974, the company was moved to Williams, Arizona: a secluded mountain town just outside Flagstaff. In 1978, KC stayed within the town of Williams but moved to a larger 25,000-square-foot facility, now with some 35 employees. Fast-forward to 2004, when Michael DeHaas purchased KC from company founder Peter, who also happens to be his stepfather. Since taking over the reins, it has been clear to Michael that the company needed to get back to its roots of desert racing. Now KC can be found in full force at Best in the Desert (BITD) and SCORE races, as well as at the SNORE KC HiLites Midnight Special race, which has been running for 31 years.
Holding a firm grip on the off-road market, Michael wanted to start getting KC involved in the ever-growing sand market. To do this, he knew that in order to truly tackle the market, he needed to live the lifestyle. That meant he needed to build himself a vehicle that would not only showcase his products but also stand out among the sea of sandrails in the dunes.
While exhibiting at the Off-Road Expo, he began talking with Tyler Loertscher, the owner of Laughing Gas Technologies (LGT) based out of Ogden, Utah. Soon after, Michael sent Tyler a prototype of KC's new 70-watt carbon-fiber HID light and asked Tyler to build him a custom sandrail tough enough to race Baja and be truly one of a kind, just like the prototype light. What you see in these pages is what Michael and Tyler came up with - one beautiful piece of rolling art.
 Let's take a look at the unique...  Let's take a look at the unique body lines of the car. Looking to emulate the sleek design of the carbon-fiber light, LGT and KC came up with a design reminiscent of the stealth bomber aircraft. The entire chassis and cage work is created out of thick 2-inch 4130 chrome-moly tube. The black body panels are aluminum. Elite Customs out of Ogden, Utah, did all of the paintwork on the car. The panels are painted with PPG Soft Touch Black color. |  The front windshield is where...  The front windshield is where the bomber look really shines. The riveted bolts around the driver's and passenger's separate windows make this car unmistakable in the dunes. |  Continuing to the back of...  Continuing to the back of the car, the stealth look doesn't fade. LGT constructed rear wings to keep the design flowing throughout. Off The Back Fabrications is responsible for both the front and rear skidplate designs. Aside from the skidplates, the entire car was built by LGT. |  Let's dive into the front...  Let's dive into the front suspension. Following the design cue of the chassis, the suspension is also built completely out of 4130 chrome-moly tube and plate for superior strength. The center-mounted control-arm design provides the driver with 29 inches of sand-eating wheel travel. |  A bird's eye view of the front...  A bird's eye view of the front reveals the Bilstein 9100 Series 2.65-inch coilovers and bypass shocks. |  A look behind the front skidplate...  A look behind the front skidplate reveals the control-arm mounts and the Howe 2.5-inch steering system. LGT had to build a custom steering column to accommodate the car, as well as the steering shaft. |  No expense was spared throughout...  No expense was spared throughout the build, especially when it came to comfort. MasterCraft 3G extra-wide race seats are installed front and rear. Michael chose to run the model with additional lumbar support. MasterCraft five-point harnesses hold each passenger firmly in check. |  The dash of this stealth bomber...  The dash of this stealth bomber is just as beautiful as the exterior. Every switch, button, and component laid out perfectly within reach of the pilot and copilot. Taking center stage is a Lowrance Baja Edition GPS unit for all navigation duties. Speedhut designed all of the gauges to custom-match the theme of the car. The gauges display the tachometer, oil pressure, boost, water temp, fuel, and fuel pressure. A MOMO steering wheel sits in front of the pilot's seat. |  LGT designed some extremely...  LGT designed some extremely beefy rear arms in conjunction with massive Bilstein shocks. Twenty-seven inches of rear-wheel travel is achieved with a 4-inch Bilstein Black Hawk radial bypass shock and 9300 Series 2.65-inch coilover. Now that's a ton of plush beauty. |  Custom axles find their way...  Custom axles find their way into an Albins sequential transmission. |  Now come the big smiles -...  Now come the big smiles - what's under the hood, or in this case, what's out back. Michael called up the guys at Turn Key Engine Supply of Oceanside, California, and had a Chevy LS2 motor installed complete with Kenne Bell supercharger - the same motor you may find in an '06 Chevrolet Corvette. On regular gas, the motor will put out 680 hp, but if race gas can be had, it can achieve a whopping 720 hp. Estimated torque reaches 680 lb-ft. A few of the engine components include a stock crank, LS6 cam, forged JE Pistons 9.0:1 compression pistons, and forged Manley H-beam rods. The engine has been bored out to 101.6 by 92 millimeters. The supercharger model is the Kenne Bell 2.6L Twin Screw. Other modifications include Turn Key Engine Supply's 8-Rib Serpentine Accessory Drive. |  Known for their strength and...  Known for their strength and resistance to tearing, Porsche 934 CV boots were used at all four corners. |  Dual PWR 16-inch electric...  Dual PWR 16-inch electric fans keep everything cool in the hot Arizona sun. Also found circling the car are a custom-made Gibson exhaust, SFX high-flow fuel pump, 20-gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell, and three-disc hydraulic race clutch. |  When this car sees the dirt,...  When this car sees the dirt, 17-inch Walker Evans Racing wheels and 37x13.50 Toyo Open Country tires are its weapons of choice. When in the sand, Michael swaps them out for custom 17-inch DWT beadlock wheels and sand tires. |  Michael installed seven of...  Michael installed seven of KC's 70-watt carbon-fiber HID KC Pods to be sure he would never need more night vision. Looking at the sleek design of the light answers our question of why the stealth-bomber look was created. The lights are not only very powerful, but the craftsmanship of the housing is like no other light we have seen. |  | | |
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