Most Power Wheels provide battery-powered ride-on fun for kids up to age seven, but what if you’re an adult and want to enjoy this sort of thrill yourself? Fortunately, Power Wheels-style builds are a thing on social media. And the one we’ve brought along for today shows you can take the fun up to around 60 mph while playing the sleeper card… but the police may still notice.
There are many ways of customizing a Power Wheels-like contraption and the easiest way to go about it is to keep the plastic body while using stuff like custom frames and go-kart wheels.
However, can you still call it a Power Wheels anymore after you do that? The YouTubers over at Grind Hard Plumbing Company may know the answer to that. The label is run by Edwin Olding and Ethan Schlussler, who are massively popular across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Over the past few years, these guys have accustomed us to all sorts of wacky builds, such as an RX-7 rotary drift trike and a 100 HP Micro Jet Boat, along with multiple 6×6 projects. However, their bread and butter used to involve Power Wheels-based contraptions.
For one, back in 2018, they fitted an S197 Mustang Power Wheels with a motorcycle engine and multiple go-kart parts, wheels included. The result? A whopping—and scary—72 mph run, accompanied by a 6s 0 to 60 mph run and a quarter-mile time of 16 seconds.
As impressive as the numbers above are for something that started life as a toy, the ICE and the wheels deviate from the basic PW principles. However, we can’t say the same about the latest contraption coming from the Northern Idaho-based duo.
The extreme Power Wheels build, step by step
Grind Hard Plumbing—the name is figurative—grabbed what they call the “largest Power Wheels-style” toy you can buy online. And, as tiny as the thing is, it can still fit two adults.
The machine comes with a metal chassis and while it packs plastic wheels, these have tires with air in them, which the guys kept in place. The build started with fitting a 72V, 32A battery from an unnamed hybrid car in the frunk.
The new hardware was linked to a custom controller and an electric motor delivering 18 kW (24 hp) and up to 90 lb-ft of torque—as the YouTubers note, the torque figure is double what a Honda CRF 450 engine offers.
They reinforced the metal chassis of the once-a-toy and fabricated a new rear axle whose bearings would actually work, as opposed to the factory ones, while adding a short chain to send the power to the stock toy wheels. Of course, the stopping power was also upgraded, so the thing got a hydraulic system with a rear disc.
As the boys admit, the tie rod steering that comes from the factory may be decent, but the vehicle could use superior hardware.
Now, all the said tech bits were wrapped inside the standard plastic body, which mixes a Porsche 718 Boxster front end with a 991-generation 911 posterior. So the other kids would never know what hit them, especially since this thing can hit about 60 mph.
What can you do with such a custom Power Wheels?
Once the project was completed, it was time for testing… on city roads (please don’t attempt this yourself). It didn’t take long before a Dodge Durango police vehicle pulled the YouTuber over, inviting them to get off the road.
As any practical enthusiasts would, the boys proceeded to… tow a 7,000+ lbs Humvee (not this slammed, crab-walking example) with their Power Wheels build, which tips the scales at below 200 lbs. Of course, burnouts came naturally and we’re surprised at the level of abuse the plastic wheels and standard tires could take. And while you can jump to the 41:30 point of the video below for these shenanigans, we once again feel obligated to mention they’re best left for professionals.
