Return of Lunchbox..
 

Loved R/C when I was a kid.. (eh.. 20+ yrs ago?) and worked in a toy store so I built many kits (like 50+?) for the store (for free, in exchange for good deals, LOL!) Anyway, have not played w/ RC for like 17 years..

A couple of weeks ago, during a web surfing session, somehow randomly went into some R/C website, and decided to go back into this hobby (and now with more financial power to support the hobby, LOL!)

Anyway, got a Lunchbox (thought I'd start w/ something easy and fun.. not looking for a race car or anything..) and got a nice Futaba 3PM radio w/ high torque metal gear servo.. 2 1900mA batteries, a digital peak charger.. full ball bearing.. Tamiya oil shocks..

Anyway, I also ordered a Wild Willy 2 as well.. as well as full Hop-Up kit.. (alum oil damper, another metal gear servo, full ballbearing, ESC that handles 13T motor, etc.)

Guess I am back into R/C in a big way, LOL!

Anyway, here's some pictures..

Attachment 2239836

Yes, the rear oil shock will arrive this week...

Attachment 2239837

Pulling some wheelie indoor.. !

Attachment 2239838

Get some air too! :)

Attachment 2239839

Just for the heck of it, I built a carbon fiber strut tower / chassis brace with 4 aluminum rivits holding it.. (this ain't coming out.. !)

Anyway, with the stock Tamiya TEU-101 ESC, what's the most powerful motor that it can handle? Not looking to spend way too much $$$ or risk trashing the gearbox, but something that's better than the stock 540 motor.. would the Tamiya 540 Sport Tune even worth upgrading? (I know the ESC can handle that..) Will it handle the 20T motor that came stock with some of the truck out nowadays?

I will work on putting on a 3rd oil shock on the back.. need to fabricate some bracket to provide more degree of freedom.. hmm..

Fun fun fun!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

dude, where'd you get that vintage looking car, it looks prettty sweet to me.................

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Tamiya re-released the Lunchbox.. you can get it at Tower.. Look here:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXKSG2&P=0

Wasn't trying to go for speed or anything.. this is more for the sentimental value.. (initial release = 1987)

Modding it just to make it "my own".. not trying to make it to win race or anything.. (cause it won't!)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Awesome. Cool pics man. Definitely a classic truck.

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

I want one to mess around with. Seems really cool.

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Thanks! Yeah, it is not going to win any race, but it is a lot of fun..

Still, I want to put a hotter motor in it, though, ha ha ha!!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

They also have a ready to run saw it at LHS today http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXLLM6&P=RT

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Nice pictures there! That's one sharp looking truck. [sm=thumbup.gif] Everything I own is covered with "road rash":)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Thanks! I am sure it will be all scratched up after I play with it for awhile!! :)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Although I was not around when those classic Tamiyas first came out. The lunch box has a place right next to the grass hopper and hornet in my garage in my heart.[8D]

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Yeah, one of the classic for sure!

Any idea on what's the best economic motor to get that will still work with the Tamiya TEU-101 basic ESC?

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

it will only go down to a 23 turn motor I THINK

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Clods are also great classics!!!! I have 2 of them and they are some of my favorites!!!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Haha i love the lunchbox! so cool lookin

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Dude....the best motor that I can think of is the Tamiya Sport Tuned motor....TH sells em for about 20.00. What I like about em that they are faster than the stock 540 and you still don't have to change brushes!!!:D I've got my Grasshopper, Blackfoot, and Monster Beetle still...I remember wanting to buy the Midnight Pumpkin(same as Lunchbox but different body).....never did get one. I promised my 2 boys they'd get a couple surprises this coming X-Mas if they're good(and of course, they're always good) and that's what I'm planning on getting them. I know they'll be entertained for hours with those. Great post, man. Laters

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Thanks! No brush change is good in my book cause I am too old to care about the ultimate performance.. LOL.. now I just want something reliable but still fun to run around.. (re-live the childhood..)

I will look into the RS540 sport tune.. I had one before on my original Wild Willy... I am sure 20 yrs later, the motors have gotten more powerful....

Good luck with getting them for your boys.. they will love it, I am sure!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Snow / ice action pic.. (it can do donuts on ice..)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...e3-5-06005.jpg

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

My dad had a monster beetle! It's what I learned to drive with. I was careful with it but my little bro ruined it a couple years ago. He thought the sound of gears eating themselves was funny [:o] We should never have let him drive it without supervision! That was a fun RC

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

I should put that body on my mini lst.....

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

gunnut.....cool thing is that the Frog has been re-released...and it uses the same gear box.....now, parts are available again. In fact, they are even better than before....dogbones, and interchangable spurs!!!! I am so happy that they re-introduced the Grasshopper....I've been needing a body for so long. I'm also gonna get my gearbox updated......too bad it needs a body, too. Laters

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Nice Lunch Box, I got one my self, mine is still the 1987 original. I had to fix it up. Its a classic!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

With the re-release, you got all the spare parts available for you to fix it up now.. time to do it! Tamiya also got a few hop up parts for it too... !

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

How did it do on the snow?

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Yeah, i've got an original too, and i'm loving the fact that parts are available again. (i am seriously running out of tie rod ends, and i really need a new body, 20 years or use is hard on the painted plastic.) Out of all of the RC i've collected over the years, i must admit that my Lunchbox is still one of the most fun, bar none.

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

[/quote]
Anyway, with the stock Tamiya TEU-101 ESC, what's the most powerful motor that it can handle? Not looking to spend way too much $$$ or risk trashing the gearbox, but something that's better than the stock 540 motor.. would the Tamiya 540 Sport Tune even worth upgrading? (I know the ESC can handle that..) Will it handle the 20T motor that came stock with some of the truck out nowadays?

I will work on putting on a 3rd oil shock on the back.. need to fabricate some bracket to provide more degree of freedom.. hmm..

Fun fun fun!
[/quote]

Don't worry about trashing the gearbox. I had a Pumpkin with a 10t motor and the gearbox never flinched.
You might want to try fabbing up a sway bar for the front. I always wished I had one.

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

You said it perfectly, fuga!!! Cause without FUN.....nobody would stay in this hobby!!!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

It is not the best handler in snow.. (RWD only, with open diff..) But it was a lot of fun on hard packed snow like in the pic.. u can do power slide and donuts..

It is all about fun.. not about all out speed.. (for that, I'd choose a better platform to begin with.. something w/ 4WD and independent suspension..)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

That's good to know.. because I might change out the ESC and put in a hotter motor just to see what it will be like!

Sway bar.. hmm.. now that's an interesting idea!! I might just do that.. Thanks for the idea!

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Now with Tamiya hop-up oil shocks on the back as well.. (still need to order a short one for the 3rd shock conversion..)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...oxBuild017.jpg

With its new playmate, Wild Willy 2... WW2 is equipped w/ ESC that can handle down to 13T motor, while the Lunchbox has the stock TEU-101.. time to get another radio too...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...W2Build014.jpg

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Hey....now there's one I've never seen in real life before....WW2. It that a Re-introduced kit as well? Let us know how it runs/compares to the Lunchbox. Did you put bearings in those? Do they come with the kit? You're making me jealous dude!!!! Laters

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Yeah, it is the re-issue.. although, it is a completely different truck compare to the original.. just the exterior is similar..

Yes, both trucks have full ballbearings.. no, they are extra.. they don't come with those..

It is hard to compare.. the WW2 is much more advanced (double wishbone front and rear) but it also has a shorter wheelbase for the wheelie.. (this thing can drive with 2 wheels for a pretty long distance..! And this is w/ stock motor!) But I would have to say the WW2 handles better..

Neither are race quality, of course.. but it would be fun to race them against each other or with other similar trucks...

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

are those clod tires on the ww2?

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

The tires on WW2 are the same tires on the Lunchbox.. they are 115mm diameter.. so I think they are smaller than the Clod tires.. (I am not familiar with Clod, though, so I don't know, but I think it is a much bigger machine, no?)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

no the clod tires are like almost 2 times as big they look close to the same from far away...

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Ha ha, okay, thanks for clarifying that.. I might get a TXT-1 in the near future, and that one uses the same tires as the Clod, I believe..

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

If you do....let me know...I've been contemplating one of those(TXT-1) or the Kyosho Twin Force.....Haven't heard anything about the TXT-1 or seen any video.....anybody know where I can find that???? Laters

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

did the lunchbox come with the wheelie bar

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

Yup. Both Lunchbox and WW2 come with wheelie bars.. !! (Or they will simply flip over!)

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

I guess I am just old school Tamiya guy, so I am partial to TXT-1..

Here's some good TXT-1 info:

[link]http://home.att.net/~dgelowitz/txt_faq/[/link]

[link]http://www.rccaraction.com/articles/tamiya_tx1.asp[/link]

[link]http://www.rc411.com/pages/reviews.php?review=32&page=5[/link]

Sounds like a bulletproof car to play with.. do some obstacle climbing..

RE: Return of Lunchbox..
 

flip over. man it must have some tourque