The Tamiya Lunchbox: An unboxing, build review and first run. 

Thanks, I was torn on which one to get. The black edition looks real cool but I had to go with the classic version. I remember drooling over the pictures of them in catalogs and in the shops when I was young!! Have fun with the build and don't drive too long, your face will start to hurt from all the smiling!!!

I actually did a tribute build to Rollin Thunder - studio.ru-vid.comOF3QP1gQN98/edit I did not know it was based off of a real truck until the RC Elf told me the story of it. It kind of sucks the original has disappeared but it is very cool that it will live on as million of Lunchies across the world!

It is definitely one of the more iconic vehicles from Tamiya! It is also one of the most fun to drive around, just instant smiles. I got about ten more years on me and the lunch box has aged a lot better than I have for sure!!!!

This thing love to hang the front tires up in the air. You can't stop smiling while driving it!

I will probably put some on my yellow one very soon to see the difference. I have kind of avoided it so far because I know if I do it to one I will want to do it to the rest of them and I have 4 now so that won't be cheap!! I really only drive the yellow one, the others are all all custom one and those stay on the shelf unless I really want to see one out running around! Those are saved for when I am have a really crappy day and need a big pick-me-up!! Which shocks are you running on yours??

@@AddamsPlayground I am the same as you and find the Lunchbox a really good pick me up, I went with the Tamiya oil shocks as I find the quality is really good

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!!

It is a terrific platform and a ton of fun! There are quit a lot of neat hop ups for it out there and the stock wheelie bar does leave a lot to be desired but serves it purpose. I love these things and it is my go-to truck to put a smile on my face!

Yeah this was one of the early things on the channel. I have gotten fairly good at putting them together!! The little pin in the diff really keeps it from destroying the gears in there. It will be fine for a while but after a while the twisting and flex in the diff will really start to degrade them and cause lots of noise and early failure and the more power the faster it will happen. I have gotten in on the challenge as well and other than not being able to get some parts in time I am excited for it. I am just hopeful I can get my brushless system in there without issue. My main concern is that goofy pinion gear may give me grief. I am waiting on stuff to show up for it but will start soon on that project! Good luck with yours!!!

@@AddamsPlayground Addam, I think I managed to hack that goofy pinion gear problem without even knowing it! Only pinion I could find was an old 17 tooth from a DT-03, so I stuck it on the motor and fitted it, to my surprise the mesh seemed alright. Only a bit later, I realised the motor was supposed to be mounted on the kit's motor mount. So what I did was I screwed the motor straight onto the gearbox. I haven't had it powered up yet so I can't promise it's fine. But if it's okay, I'm guessing it'll also eliminate the worst wheelie action, let's see how it goes... I'm traveling this week so can't even work on it right now. I'll try do a video in the weekend, I'm really excited about this now. 🤪

@@madsrcbuggy yeah, I am gonna have to sit down with a pile of parts to figure it out but if I have to break out the lathe and do some machining I will to make it work!!

If you don't have one you should get one, way too much fun to drive!!

@@AddamsPlayground you converted me! I will save money for having one! He's not expensive at all! One other channel I have watched one other lunchy with "scoubydoo" paint... So fun! The wheels are painted with a flower like in the animated movie.

@@nedb4419 One day I want to do a couple different versions. The Mystery Machine (Scooby Doo Van) and I want to do the A-Team van and then the final one would be the Mutts Cuts van from the movie Dumb and Dumber!! I would love to have all of those in my collection eventually... one day! If you get it and do not smile right away when you drive it for the first time you can come back here and yell at me! I am not worried because I know you will have a big smile the whole time!

@@AddamsPlayground so funny! The dumb and dumber van! Not shame at all! So crazy! A bearded man with a mutts cuts van! Wow! Do it!

LOL, sorry. I did not mean to make you heart skip. I don't keep the boxes, just the front panels for the artwork. I just don't have the space for them all!

@@AddamsPlayground You know you can fold the Tamiya (and most) boxes flat, right?😅

@@justindurand9110 I have a lot of them pinned up on the wall of my garage. Re-living my youth with RC box art instead of rock bands and girly posters!

Yes the little round gear is an extra bit that is not needed. There are usually a handful of random extras between hardware, parts trees and occasionally things like those gears. I am not sure I have ever used that gear in any other kit but it shows up from time to time in other kits as well. I am sure there is a kit it goes to! Tamiya is big on sharing parts bags and parts trees between various kits so this type of thing occurs commonly. In most cases you look at the parts.listing in the back and the parts not used are greyed out in the display of the parts trees. It may not help with the hardware bags but it can help with the others as I still see an important looking part on a tree and have to flip to the back of the manual to make sure I did not miss a step!!

The Lunch Box is a wonderfully fun kit. I love how much fun a simple design can be and it is instant smiles when those front wheels go up in the air!! I think I have 7 of them now and another waiting to be built so be careful, they can get out of hand LOL!!!

@@AddamsPlayground just like he whole RC hobby then 🤣

LOL! That is an odd one to come along with a Blizzard! It worked out in the end great so it must have been fate!

It is just stock and running on a nimh pack. I have not put LEDs in it since it is just the front lights. If it had rear light buckets I might but I'm now a fan of just poking the led through a hole in the body for brake lights. I hope.you check out the two other lunch box builds I've done if you haven't already. They are more fun!

The XSA version is pre-painted, pre-stickered and pre-assembled. All you have to do is install the radio gear and servo and start driving. The kit version needs to be assembled, painted, stickered and the radio gear and servo installed. I really love the building part so the XSA is not one I would buy but for a first RC or just for convenice and everything is pretty and perfect it is a great option. I know a lot of people get them as they live in apartments where painting is not easy or they don't feel comfortable painting or assembling the kit. The only drawback to the XSA really is it is fully built with the plastic bushings and to replace them with bearings you have to disassemble parts of it. For this one it is mainly the rear gearbox.

@@AddamsPlayground thank you so much, this is my first time having an RC, besides that I have no idea how to paint.

@@QuanLeKelly Then these are perfect. Installing the radio gear is not difficult and this will get you up and running quickly. As for the bearings, just run it as it comes and eventually either something is going to break or you will want to upgrade something and then when you need to work on you can tear it apart and replace the bushings. The will last for a good long time before you get noticeable slop in things but I have taken apart 30 year old cars and the bushings are in good shape. I replace them in mine as I am building them so it makes it very quick and easy to replace them. Feel free to reach out any time either here or through email if you have questions about getting it setup!