Builder of the Month: Sam McGoogan (October 2026)

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Meet Sam McGoogan, Boom Racing’s October 2026 Builder of the Month, whose love of classic Land Rovers comes to life in his detailed scale builds. Based in Northamptonshire, UK, Sam runs the friendly Northamptonshire Scale Crawlers club and brings his passion for period-correct details, weathered finishes, and custom-made parts to every project. From his dream Series II 88" to his Aziza 3 replica, he shares the inspiration behind his builds and the friendships that make the hobby rewarding.

Boom Racing
Sam, welcome to Boom Racing’s Builder of the Month! Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re based, and how RC fits into your life.

Sam McGoogan
Hi, my name is Sam McGoogan, and I am from the Northamptonshire area in the UK. RC has become a fantastic hobby as it's given me the opportunity to own the vehicles I love, but in 1:10 scale! Especially the Series 2 Land Rover!

Boom Racing
Tell us about the area you call home. What makes it a good place to enjoy scale RC?

Sam McGoogan
I'm lucky to be in the area I am, as I am central to most of the UK events for RC crawling. Not far from me is an excellent woodland forest country park which has become popular in my club for amazing scale trails! It’s almost like they designed the forest for scale RC’s!

Boom Racing
What part of the hobby keeps you coming back: creating something at the workbench, seeing it come to life on the trail, or sharing the experience with other people?

Sam McGoogan
I love creating and painting all the small, intricate details that the kits provide and details that not many people pick up on. I quite literally stare at what I’ve created for hours most evenings, and then to see it out on the trails, looking how I imagined it to look, is such a rewarding feeling. Not only that, but also the people I’ve made friends with along the way due to these trucks, who support my work, and seeing people’s faces light up when they see an old Series Land Rover plodding along. I also love replicating real Land Rovers for the recognition online and at events.

Boom Racing
What first put Boom Racing on your radar, and what convinced you to give the brand a try?

Sam McGoogan
It started off going to my first ever rock crawler event with my old Traxxas TRX-4 in 2023 at UK Scaler Nationals. I didn’t know anyone or what I was expecting. After getting to know the crew on the Boom Racing stand and looking at all that was to offer, I knew this was the brand I had to buy from next! Having a soft spot for old Series Land Rovers and seeing Boom Racing offered a 109 or 88, I knew I had to save up the money and get my hands on a kit.

Boom Racing
What was the first Boom Racing product you bought, and how did that experience influence what you bought next?

Sam McGoogan
The first Boom Racing product I bought was the Series 3 109”, which I converted into a single cab Series 2 farm truck. I chose that at the time as I didn’t see many of that specific shape at any of the events; however, it was a close battle against the Series 2 88”. After I bought my first kit, it gave me realisation that this brand was for me and gave me what I wanted out of an RC crawler. Soon after building the 109, I had an itch to get the Series 2 88”, a car I could only dream of having in real life!

Boom Racing
Which Boom Racing rigs do you currently own? Can you tell us about each of them?

Sam McGoogan
The 109” has had a couple of bodyshells over the past couple of years, starting with my single cab farm truck, which was painted in Land Rover limestone beige with marine blue patina, full KUDU LED light kit, and a load of mud weathering!

A year after I then found photos of the famous Goodwood racecourse recovery truck which I just had to replicate! It was also a Series 2 single cab but featured a scale Harvey Frost crane in the rear bed, a flashing beacon on the roof and a custom 3D printed light box.

However, my 109 currently has another custom body, this time a Series 2 station wagon, as a replica of Aziza 3 once driven by Nino Cirani. Airbrushed graphics, custom 3d printed roof rack, and a custom replica of the first-ever camping roof tent! It’s bold, it’s heavy, but it looks absolutely in its element out on the trails!

My 88 was done to my vision of what my dream Series 2 88 would be. A single cab pickup painted in Land Rover bronze green with its aged patina. An awesome weathered engine bay, cloth-covered seats, sliding windows, and the old tow rope for fellow scale recoveries!

It has a charming character, and being a Series 2, it never looks out of place on any trail. It also features scale old man emu shocks, tow ball, recovery eyelets, LED light kit including the dash, and a drop-down tailgate. Not forgetting its beige canvas too.

Boom Racing
What’s a small design detail in a Boom Racing product that you think deserves more attention?

Sam McGoogan
Boom Racing really has nailed it on a lot of the series parts; however, it would be good to see a new rear bed design that doesn’t have the notches for the rear shock absorber towers. I think that’s the only thing that really looks out of place for a scale build. Other than that, I would love to see them bring out what I designed, which was removable door tops just like the real ones! It would also be great to see Boom bring out Series 2 door hinges; that would definitely complement a scale build.

Boom Racing
If you could put any body on a Boom Racing chassis and build it exactly your way, what would you create, and why?

Sam McGoogan
If it wasn’t to be another Land Rover series, I think it would be the legendary Land Cruiser LC80 with all the overland gear! OEM paint colour, full roof rack, with awning, snorkel, a big winch bumper and brush bars. The Aussie 4x4s inspire a lot of my keen eye for detail and the love of doing things modified OEM! Land Cruiser LC80s are known to be legendary around the world, and one of the most reliable 4x4s you can buy.

Boom Racing
When you start a new build, what comes first: a real vehicle you want to recreate, a body you like, or an idea you want to try?

Sam McGoogan
It definitely has to be a real vehicle I want to replicate. I focus on trying to build real-life vehicles, as I have done with the Goodwood recovery truck and Aziza 3. However, for me it’s all about the small details in a bodyshell. The engine bay, the sliding windows, the paint colour, etc. I’m quite fussy when it comes down to building a bodyshell; I like things being right for that specific vehicle I’m building and period-correct to that era. There's nothing I don’t like more when I see a classic car with the incorrect period styling or decals. Just like my first Series I built, I had custom 60s decals for the windows like a tax disc, Massey Ferguson logos. On my current 88 Series 2, I got custom Land Rover Series 2 owners club decals along with a period-correct AA recovery badge, and a real replica of the Series 2, 21st rally plaque.

Boom Racing
When a part you need isn’t available off the shelf, how do you approach making or adapting something yourself?

Sam McGoogan
If something isn’t available to buy for what I’m building, I try to design it myself, either using styrene or other materials. However, I have acquired a 3D printer this year, so I have been learning to design and create my own parts if no one else has already designed or made them. But fortunately for me, Boom Racing has already produced a lot of the parts I would want for the Series Land Rovers, which is awesome. I also reach out to friends in the model-making world and ask for their input and knowledge, which has become really handy!

Boom Racing
Which build (BRX or non-BRX) best represents you as a builder, and what would you want someone to notice about it?

Sam McGoogan
I think it must definitely be my BRX02 Series 2 88” Land Rover. It has all the right features as to what a series should have, and it’s also my most detailed build I’ve created. The body has almost every upgrade option available from the Boom Racing website, but most importantly, it reflects my obsession with the small details. Something I’d love for someone to notice about it would be the passion and mindset I have when it comes to creating this truck. For a lot of people, it’s an old Land Rover, but to me it replicates who I am and exactly what I would want on a real Land Rover. Saying that, with the trucks I have built, it’s nice to see and hear people recognise them at different events and online for who built them and it’s a great feeling and is very rewarding. The Series 2 88” is also the truck which inspired me to create my page on Facebook - Scale Rover Works. Dedicated to what I build and show off what I believe are some of the best example trucks out there.

Boom Racing
Have any of your other interests influenced the vehicles you choose to build or the details you add?

Sam McGoogan
I’ve always had an interest in off-roading and Land Rovers from a young age thanks to my dad. Growing up driving and working on Defenders for most of my younger years, I also worked for a Land Rover company selling parts and accessories. There's no real escaping them, really!! I also get a lot of influence from other truck builders, as they may have made or designed something I would like to have or try on my builds. I also get a lot of my ideas from companies online that build and maintain Series Land Rovers, as they’re good at showing the small details you don’t necessarily find or see on scale trucks.

Boom Racing
What does a great day out with your RC look like? Where are you driving, who’s with you, and which truck are you taking?

Sam McGoogan
It has to be somewhere wooded or somewhere with a shallow water crossing, I think. A place where Land Rovers were designed to be! I’d love to try some trails up at the Peak District in the UK. The scenery looks incredible and a great opportunity to get realistic scale photos! It will have to be with a great bunch of friends in the club I run for my area, starting from early morning and finishing in the evening. I do quite like a nighttime trail with all the headlights shining. It looks brilliant when we’re all in convoy! It’s hard to bring just one truck, so I usually bring both my green 88” or my red Aziza 3 Landy.

Boom Racing
If we joined you for a day of trailing, where would you take us first, and why?

Sam McGoogan
If you joined me for a day of trailing, that would be amazing! But the place of choice, I think, would have to be Bradgate Park in Leicester. It has everything to offer for RC: rock trails, steep inclines and descents along with water crossings, winch points, and a great little scale area we all call the “Quarry”. But it also has acres of land and is nice to also catch a glimpse of the herds of deer that roam around.

Boom Racing
What’s one thing you hope never changes about the RC community, even as it grows?

Sam McGoogan
The passion and friendship that it brings at any event. Everyone is so friendly and always happy to lend a helping hand if needed, even if you don’t know anyone. It’s also great to see others help out and encourage others to join the hobby.

Thank you, Sam, for sharing your story! Explore his builds and connect with his club below:

SCALETV: https://www.youtube.com/@ScaleTV4x4

Scale Rover Works: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61595076565333

Northamptonshire Scale Crawlers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/857761986116442

Author:Beth Liang

Published Date:01 Nov 2026