Ivan Topete on a Roll: From Remote-Controlled Cars to Midnight Pumpkin

When Ivan Topete was 10, he got a present from his parents that changed his life—a remote controlled gas-powered car. It was just a couple of years later that he started building his own.

“Ever since I was young, I was always into electronics,” said Topete, who works at the newly opened Cricket Wireless store in Grossmont Center. “It’s just that it’s an expensive hobby. The first one that I got was $600.”

Now 26, he says it’s a matter of finding the time and having the money to build the different nitro-fueled vehicles. All told, he’s put together about five.

The first one was a street car designed for speed racing, but Topete got a little bored with it because of its limited capabilities. So he and brother Ruben built a monster truck called Midnight Pumpkin able to handle some rough terrain.

“Unfortunately, I took it on a trip to visit family friends and their little kid got a hold of it and pretty much broke it,” said Topete, who lives in Chula Vista. “Yeah, that’s what happens.”

He’s not working on anything right now, but says Ruben is waiting on a chassis for a Rock Crawler.

“The one he’s decided to do is regular electric,” he said, “but there are nitro ones, too.”