Lunchbox chassis siblings?

[perlhaqr]

So, I recently acquired a re-release Lunchbox, and while putting it together, I noticed that it has spaces up front to mount the suspension arms directly to the tub. (As opposed to in the battery tray / bumper mount stand-offs where they go when you build the model correctly.) This leads me to wonder if there's another model, with a significantly reduced ground clearance, that uses the same chassis tub as the Lunchbox. Does anyone happen to know? I read the instruction manuals for the Hornet and Grasshopper, and while they are very similar, the chassis are clearly not identical.

[crazyhare]

So, I recently acquired a re-release Lunchbox, and while putting it together, I noticed that it has spaces up front to mount the suspension arms directly to the tub. (As opposed to in the battery tray / bumper mount stand-offs where they go when you build the model correctly.) This leads me to wonder if there's another model, with a significantly reduced ground clearance, that uses the same chassis tub as the Lunchbox. Does anyone happen to know? I read the instruction manuals for the Hornet and Grasshopper, and while they are very similar, the chassis are clearly not identical.

Yeah, the Mitsubishi Pajero used the same chassis, with shorter dampers and without the 'riser' parts of the LB, that's why there's a 'hump pack' shaped tray behind the rear shock mounts too.

[perlhaqr]

Yeah, the Mitsubishi Pajero used the same chassis, with shorter dampers and without the 'riser' parts of the LB, that's why there's a 'hump pack' shaped tray behind the rear shock mounts too.

Ah hah! I hadn't even put the rear shock tower tray space together in my head yet, just saw the front control arm mounts. Excellent. Thanks!

[mr crispy]

Just found this on youtube

Showcases its handling "charateristics" rather well. Looks like a lot of fun though.

[mr crispy]

If you're interested these parts were left over from a Lunchbox restoration some years ago and I've been toying with putting a Pajero together since I found out about it . Quick mock up with some spare shocks to show you the chassis layout.

For reasons best known to himself the previous owner had decided to cut off that rear "battery tray" while it was still a Lunchbox and had the rear springs fitted through holes in the remaining chassis. No wonder he'd completely knackered the van body.

It wouldnt take a lot to get one running. The Lunchbox tub is slightly different from the original Pajero, mainly where the front shocks mount but it does allow you to fit modern dampers. You could also upgrade the rear end to use the Hornet style rear suspension, that should help with the handling a little.

The main difference from the LB would be the lower height and shorter wheel base. This is only 190mm from front to rear axle which I guess coupled with the high COG is why it has a tendancy to roll easily.

Whats stopped me going ahead is the Pajero bodies seem to be pretty hard to find at a reasonable price. They are also usually badly wreaked due to its hard life of tumbling around car parks.

Im still tempted with the short wheelbase + big wheels combo though, maybe topped with a Mini Cooper body shell?

[perlhaqr]

If you're interested these parts were left over from a Lunchbox restoration some years ago and I've been toying with putting a Pajero together since I found out about it . Quick mock up with some spare shocks to show you the chassis layout.

It wouldnt take a lot to get one running. The Lunchbox tub is slightly different from the original Pajero, mainly where the front shocks mount but it does allow you to fit modern dampers. You could also upgrade the rear end to use the Hornet style rear suspension, that should help with the handling a little.

Im still tempted with the short wheelbase + big wheels combo though, maybe topped with a Mini Cooper body shell?

I took my LB apart and hung the suspension arms there myself to see what it'd look like. I also had thoughts of using the lower CG to help the roll problem, but it looked like the tires would pretty frequently bind on the chassis. So I wasn't sure what to do about that, short of, well, making longer arms. (And then it's a real big project. )

I like those spiky LB tires.

What's the advantage of the hornet gearbox? Just the slight roll allowed by the funky wire spring arrangement?

[mr crispy]

Slight roll? You'll get almost 2 inches of extra articulation that the original set up doesnt have.

So now that bump you hit that would've rolled the car can be absorbed by the suspension

I thought the Monster Beetle wheels would foul the body but on my mock up they seemed ok. Really tempted to do this now and see how it handles.

[MadInventor]

Go for it, it looks like it will be a really fun car.

[perlhaqr]

Slight roll? You'll get almost 2 inches of extra articulation that the original set up doesnt have.

Well, I'll be darned.

I haven't actually run mine yet, and hadn't realised what level of articulation one got out of that setup. Impressive. Ok, I stand (well, sit.) corrected.

Keep us informed how your low CG short wheelbase monster beetle goes.

[mr crispy]

If you''re still interested there's a proper Pajero chassis on ebay ATM, search for "Tamiya Chassis for Pajero NEW 58044".

Looking at the original chassis it its very similar to the mods I made to my old VLB tub to fit the steering servo in backwards into the front area. I've been test fitting parts on mine and I've been able to centralise the servo hub just by fixing it through the floor and used two of the VLB short steering arms to reach the knuckles. So it now has the same steering geometry when steering left or right, which is better than my standard VLB!

The Monster beetle tyres were a little OTT and didnt look or work well when I test drove it so I swapped them for my VLB tyres and it looks and handles a lot better IMO, thats something to add to my shopping list . It now has a very similar wheel base to a WW2, just apx 5-10mm longer between the front and rear axles and it handles quite nicely. Its a lot more stable that the VBL I guess mainly due to the lower COG.

The tub around the front shocks needs a little trimming as it does rub the wheels on the bumps. I've used old VLB shafts and trimmed down springs on the front as i dont have any shocks that were the right size. Im pretty happy with it, more than I expected to be. Just need to find a suitable body to top it off... i was wondering about a Kamtec Coupe or Ford Pop