RT Perf. - I agree, Blast and the 1125 are two very different creatures. I wouldn't dare buy an XB and then gut it like I did my blast. The XB's are pretty close to their overall potential as far as HP and handling etc (they were designed for performance) but the blast is not. Meager gains can be had by modifying an XB, but theres no way that you could potentially (nearly) double the HP like you could on a blast with some work and creativity.
The fun for me is chasing the potential (on the blast) - and keeping it from exploding int he meantime! I also like fabricating, and it being so basic in form, its easy to dress up so to speak.