I was able to pick up on eBay a vintage Futaba transmitter that isn't the exact type from Afterlife but pretty damn close. The only real visual difference is that the battery indicator at the top is a metallic blue instead of green/red and the thumb sliders next to the left stick are blocked off on the screen used version.
This is my progress so far. I removed the old internal circuit board and drilled new holes into the shell for the two red bulbs, two additional switches and the antenna. I also replaced the existing round toggle on the top left with one that has a flat edge. I then drilled a large hole in the centre for the big toggle and aircraft missile-type shield.
Still to be done is some 3d printed greeblies to better match the real thing so I'll cover up two of the sliders by the left stick as well as covering over the left screw-hole towards the bottom. I also need to add on the ribbon still, my colours won't be exactly the same but they'll be close.
At the moment it is entirely non-functional but in the future, I have scope to pop an Arduino inside with a 2.4ghz transceiver so remotely operate the doors or lighting on a trap, for example. Getting it to control a Traxxas Stampede is theoretically possible but I given how fast it can go and how hard it can be to drive anyway I'd rather use the supplied Transmitter for that.
Projects: 
- By THawke
- By zeta otaku
- By Fritz