Midnight Pumpkin Re-build

[Sammo]

Hi everyone.

I found my brothers old midnight pumpkin in a pile of stuff the other day so I claimed it as mine. Its in a bit of a sorry state so I thought I would bring it back to life.

I'm going to need a couple of bits for it which I have managed to source. I do however need a new bodyshell as this one has well and truly had it. I have seen you can get a Parma one but I dont like it. I want the original Tamiya one. Anyone know where I can get one?

Also I was wondering if you can get any hop-ups for it as I cant seem to find anyone that does them. I would love to see this thing wheelying round the living room again. Also what would be a good motor to put in it? I assume a nice torquey one would be best to get it up on that wheelie bar as often as possible.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Sammo

P.S heres some pics.

[DudeWalker]

Body Parts are available from Tamiya or Tower Hobbies in the States.

[terry.sc]

The Pumpkin is still in production so parts are available from any Tamiya stockist, such as Time Tunnel

A full list of parts needed to replace the body is here

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45537

For hop ups look for Lunchbox modifications as it's the same chassis. The 3rd shock mod is the biggest improvement, search the showrooms for 3rd shock to find plenty of examples.

[HereBeMonsters]

That shell looks fine!

[Sammo]

That shell looks fine!

Yeh that side is fine. The other side has a huge crack in the shell.

[Sammo]

Ok well ive bought a new shell and decal set. Just gotta find out what Hop-ups are available now.

[Sammo]

Ok well the new shell and decal set arrived today. I'm going to spray it this afternoon and sticker it up tonight.

If anyone does know of any hop-ups for this please let me know.

Cheers

Sammo

[HereBeMonsters]

Ok well the new shell and decal set arrived today. I'm going to spray it this afternoon and sticker it up tonight.

You're doing what now? Put at least 3 coats on there, with 24 hours between each coat. Then 24 more hours, lacquer, another 24 hours then stickers...

[Sammo]

Hehe I work at a bodyshop so it will just get chucked in the oven inbetween each coat. Will have it ready for stickers in a couple of hours.

[HereBeMonsters]

Don't put it on too high!!

[Sammo]

Hehe you say that in jest but I did once manage to melt a bodyshell. Saturday morning with a big hangover and decided to paint a new Touring car shell. Sprayed it all up and chucked it in the oven and stuck it on regular car heat. Didnt go back untill the buzzer went off and there was just a splodge of plastic and paint on the bench.

[skip665]

Loads of cool mods you can do to it - check out these in the showrooms...

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...1&sid=21533

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...88&sid=2088

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...1&sid=19691

Hehe you say that in jest but I did once manage to melt a bodyshell. Saturday morning with a big hangover and decided to paint a new Touring car shell. Sprayed it all up and chucked it in the oven and stuck it on regular car heat. Didnt go back untill the buzzer went off and there was just a splodge of plastic and paint on the bench.

*chuckle*

[Sammo]

Well I popped down to my local model shop today and picked up a set of Ansmann Racing 85mm Oil Filled Dampers for the Pumpkin. I have also ordered the mounting point metal thingys that would of come in the original kit so they should be with me tomorrow.

Cheers

Sammo

[Sammo]

Well I didnt get to spray the shell in the end the other day as I managed to dislocate my shoulder (old injury) so I am in a sling for the next week as it has a tendency to pop back out again if not rested properly. So as soon as I have a proper two armed update I will get some pics up.

Cheers

Sammo

[Jack_Truck]

Well I didnt get to spray the shell in the end the other day as I managed to dislocate my shoulder (old injury) so I am in a sling for the next week as it has a tendency to pop back out again if not rested properly. So as soon as I have a proper two armed update I will get some pics up.

Cheers

Sammo

Sounds like you are putting together a real 'monster'. On another note my shoulder used to keep coming out had to have an operation in the end to put it right. All is good now, but I feel a little like I am part machine for some reason?

[Sammo]

Yeh I tore alot of muscle tissue around my shoulder a few years ago while working on a car and when it repaired itself nothing quite grew back correctly so my shoulder comes out the socket with great ease. painful when it happens. Yeh the pumpkin should be a goodun when its done.

[trucknut]

Thats too bad about your shoulder hope you get back to your pumpkin soon. You may want to look into a tamiya esc for faster response and maybe a 20t motor. I also heard there is a stainless steel hex head screw set for the lunchbox/pumpkin, you also can't go wrong with a light kit. I'm getting my chrome edition pumpkin in the mail tomarrow and going retro with a futaba attack radio.

[Sammo]

Well the shoulder is on the mend. I have managed to tear the muscle again which is gonna take a while to heal again. I am going to very kindly ask my boss to spray the shell for me tomorrow so I can get on with it.

With regards to the ESC and motor, I have got an M-Troniks Viper RV-12 and an LRP V10 14x2 motor. Should have it popping wheelies with some ease lol. I was considering putting a light kit on it but where can I get one from?

Cheers

Sammo

[trucknut]

You can get the tamiya light kit on www.towerhobbies.com however I got a set of leds on www.tcscrawlers.com for my 4wd pajero and wired them up with a radio switch to a radio battery box, they just plug in to each other no soddering. For my clod buster I used some bright lights and wired them up to a switch and battery box that all came out of a small toy car.

[Sammo]

Ok I had a day off today and most of the parts I needed turned up so I managed to make some decent progress.

First of all I have now fitted the Ansmann Racing dampers. I think I may have to space the backs out slightly but I had nothing to hand to do that today.

I have also put on the chrome edition wheels. I think they look a badword of a lot better then the standard yellow ones!

And finally I have fitted the electrics. I decided not to put the M-troniks and LRP stuff in. Instead there is an Ansmann Racing Sirius 12 ESC with a Fireball 15T motor.

Just gotta wait for the shell to be painted and its ready to roll!

Cheers

Sammo

[trucknut]

Looks like that pumpkin is coming along. I just got my pumpkin metalic chrome edition and it is a lot of fun. Awesome job on the restoration.

Git r' done

[Sammo]

Ok the shell got painted today. When I got it home I was intending on stickering it up, until I realised the stickers I had bought were for the RE. Pumpkin. So I have ordered a set of the original ones which should be here in a few days. Hopefully the original FORD tailgate will have arrived by then aswell.

I decided that a good black to have it painted in would be a Ford black. So the shell is painted in 3 layers of Ford Panther Black with 2 layers of 2 pac laquer on top for good measure. I have also fitted a chrome rollbar to go with the other bits of chrome.

So after god knows how many years sitting unloved, this original Midnight Pumpkin is almost back to its former glory!

Oh and while I was bored last night I decided to buy myself a Vanessa's Lunchbox aswell. So I will get some pics up of that once I have started on it.

Cheers

Sammo

[HereBeMonsters]

This pic looks like you have one massive steering arm, and one short one!

[Sammo]

Yeh I thought it looked a little strange myself after I had taken the pic.

[trucknut]

Lookn' good, I love my pumpkin its a fun little truck. you'll have fun with yours too.