The 6 Baddest Custom Machines From Camp RZR West

Eli Madero
by Eli Madero
All show and plenty of go


When large gatherings of enthusiasts congregate in one location, there’s likely going to be a few that want to stand out from the rest. Whether it’s that one guy that is determined to have the fastest point A-to-B machine or one that wants to create their dream car, you’ll almost always be amazed by what creations you’ll see. Camp RZR West was no different and as I walked around the event at the different merchant booths and the Show N Shine event, I was completely amazed by what some creative minds were able to come up with.


The Classic Car Enthusiasts


When I think of iconic cars, one of the first to pop into my head is a Ford Shelby Cobra GT 500 with that classic white and blue paint scheme. Well, I’m obviously not the only person that thinks this way and one RZR owner took their love of off-road powersports and muscle cars to a whole new level with this beautiful build.

RZR Cobra

Obviously it started with some help from SDR Motorsports, who build some of the nicest sand cars in the business. Their custom touches are prevalent from the cage and suspension to the custom work around the body and dash. You can even see the details on all four corners since the owner had custom color matching powder coating done to the OMF Performance 3-piece beadlock wheels.

RZR Cobra 3

A custom sound system controlled by a Kicker PXiBT50.2 amplified controller keeps the party going in the dunes. The fine touches weren’t limited to the external of this unique sand car as you can see the plethora of aftermarket gauges that keep the driver informed for all critical engine information while they’re secured in place with the beautiful color matched leather/suede seats.

RZR Cobra 4

Makin ponies and letting them run was obviously on this owners mind as well. You can see that the OEM primary and secondary clutches were replaced for these power hungry billet units that can handle pretty much anything you can throw at them. The remote oil filter doesn’t add any power but it does add convenience to maintenance when your trip is over and servicing needs to get done.


The One-Off Owner


Walking around the event itself, I had the opportunity to check out the various vendors and one of my favorites was Rockford Fosgate. I’ve always been a fan of its products and the sounds it had coming out of this RZR was insane and required a closer look. As I got closer it wasn’t the sound that ended up being my favorite feature. It was the Turbo Subaru engine that was stuffed into the chassis to replace the standard ProStar powerplant that stole the show.

RZR Subaru 1

This 4-seat RZR dubbed “HELLRAZR” was the collaboration of TMW Motorsports and XTC Power Products. TMW is known for building some amazing sand cars as well, but this one takes the cake.

RZR Subaru 2

That’s not your normal Polaris powerplant. The Subaru engine mated up to the Mendeola transaxle gets the power to the ground in this dune cruiser. Based off the size of that turbo, it doesn’t take much for this car to go anywhere the driver points it and do it with ease.

RZR Subaru 4

While this looks like more of a setup that you’d find in an off-road race car, this is the norm for dune enthusiasts. Obviously no expense was spared since that custom dash was made out of carbon fiber to house the massive Lowrance GPS unit, Rugged Radios intercom/car-to-car radio and of course the ground pounding Rockford Fosgate sound system.


The Is “That Still A RZR” Owner


I told you from the beginning that there were some custom RZRs at this event, but this one from Sandcraft RZR Motorsports really took it to the extremes. The only Polaris parts left in this miniature trophy truck are the front differential, engine and transmission. Other than that, this whole off-road package is a complete custom work of art.

RZR Raptor 1

It that a RZR? For all intents and purposes yes, but it’s wrapped in a Rhys Millen custom Ford Raptor body specifically designed for this kit. Heretic Studios lighting ensures that the driver and passenger can see and be seen at night.

RZR Raptor 3

Travel for days! Since the chassis of this unit is custom fabricated the sky is the limit when it comes to travel. This masterpiece has 24” of travel all the way around that is handled through KING Off-Road coilover and bypass shocks. The front suspension design is almost exactly what you’d find on any trophy-truck racing down the Baja Peninsula so we’re pretty confident a ride in this machine is like a ride in a Lexus down a freshly paved highway.

RZR Raptor 4

Don’t worry folks… not much to see here. Or is there? This car isn’t designed for carrying the cooler to the hotspots around Glamis or any other riding area. The intent is to go fast and be seen, so this minimalist rear end design is perfect for what they want to do. Hidden under that aluminum shroud is the Polaris Turbo motor that has been upgraded with an HCT big turbo kit that cranks out about 200 HP!


The Fast Guy


The name says it all. KONG is the creation that owner Bart Chielens designed to do one thing… go FAST! Another custom creation that has essentially gone the opposite of any other we’ve seen by eliminating any extra weight possible. Honestly when I first saw it, I could have sworn that he just stuffed a big motor into a RZR 170 chassis until I saw them SxS (no pun intended) and realized that it wasn’t possible.

RZR Kong 1

It’s small but it sure packs a punch. KONG has been stripped down to the bare minimum to eliminate as much weight as possible. That’s what drag racing is all about, right? Light cars and strong engines. This single seat drag machine is propelled by a Queen Racing modified Arctic Cat Turbo Z1 engine that roughly puts out 465 HP at 25psi of boost! Soaking up what bumps are encountered is handled by Marvin Shaw shocks. We can tell you all about it, but honestly watching this video will let KONG speak for itself.

The Lowrider


There’s always one. They’re not the owner with the fastest car or the one that can launch the highest or farthest off a dune, but their RZR will still stand out from the rest. That is where this RZR takes its spot on our top rides list. It’s not often you’ll find a bagged 4-seat RZR where you can play with switches to set the ride height.

RZR Lowrider 1

It’s supposed to look like that…. That’s what I was told when I couldn’t figure out at first what happened to the car because I’d only seen it from the front. After closer inspection, I could see that there were air shocks on all four corners of this four-seat RZR, which allowed the owner to “slam” this ride whenever he was stopped or whenever the time felt right. It’s this feature, along with the unique design of the HCR Racing Elite Long Travel suspension kit, that really makes the front end of it stand out.

RZR Lowrider 4

Got air? No, we’re not talking about between the tires and the ground. Instead of having fluid reservoirs mounted to the cage, this RZR has high-flow air compressors with a mirror finish to get this ride “pumped up.” If you’re questioning how well this kind of setup might work in the desert or the dunes, be sure to look up Funco Sand Cars, as they’ve been doing it with success for years.

RZR Lowrider 5

In keeping with the style, HCR Elite trailing arms replace the OEM units and do the Assault Industries sway-bar links. HCR is known for building some of the best suspension in the SxS industry, so we don’t doubt that this car can hold its own in the dunes.

RZR Lowrider 6

The interior of this RZR is clean and classy. There’s no need for a ton of bells and whistles. The dash was replaced by a Glazzkraft carbon fiber dash that swapped out the stock speedometer/information center with a clean digital unit from Racepak. Driver and passengers stay connected via the Rugged Radios intercom system while they’re all strapped into custom made PRP seats with PRP four-point harnesses. The custom body art from Proline Wraps really add a great touch.


The Kiddie Rides


The grownups can’t have all the fun, right? The RZR 170 platform has taken off like a firestorm since it was introduced into the RZR family. At Camp RZR, there was no way that these micro-machines would go un-noticed. There were two on display that couldn’t be more different from one another, but still stood out in their own way to the masses.

Custom RZR 170 1

Did you know they even made full body kits for the 170? I sure didn’t until this little guy rolled into the Shown N Shine party a little late. I had to give him props, though. As soon as he and his passenger climbed out, he went right to work wiping all the dust and some mud that flung up on the body while he was driving there. Parenting done right!!! He had pride in his ride and rightfully so because it is one of the coolest RZR 170s I’ve ever seen.

Custom RZR 170 3

“Do you actually race or do you want your RZR to look like dad’s race car? “ Don’t ask that question unless you want to get an amazingly awkward look from an angry kid. This car looks like this because he races and he’s serious about it. Many times parents have given up their racing careers so they can focus on the up-and-comers of the sport. As serious as this car looks and the driver seemed, we’ll be hearing more about him in the years to come.

This was just a handful of custom creations from the 2016 Polaris Camp RZR West. From simple bolt-ons to custom builds that started from scratch, we saw it all and look forward to seeing what will come in the future. Was there a ride that caught your attention we might have missed? Be sure to share it with us in the comments section of this post.

Eli Madero
Eli Madero

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