Tamiya Midnight Pumpkin 2WD Electric Monster Truck Kit (Metallic Edition)

Not sure what Gregory expects, but this is a re-release of a very "old", very awesome vehicle from the golden age of R/C. If they updated the kit with hex screws, new suspension, and different chassis dynamics, it would no longer be a Midnight Pumpkin, AND it would cost at least double what it costs now at $140. This kit is a refreshing throwback to the golden age of R/C when vehicles were simply FUN to drive, durable, and enjoyable. I don't need to set lap records with a Chrome Midnight Pumpkin---I need to toss a 2S LiPo in it, do wheelies until the sun goes down, and enjoy the experience. For that purpose, this kit hits all the right marks. Buy and enjoy!

Gourd…geous! Ha ha, well it is a gorgeous example of exactly what it is, a beautiful rerelease and a perfect first RC for any dad who wants to inspire a child to be into RC forever. This kit is easy to build, fun as a hoot to drive and the metallic body means absolutely no painting. Add a torque tuned motor to get the most out of it but remember this is NOT a modern RC and it was never meant to be one. This is Tamiya, made perfect with exquisite detail and quality and the perfect runner for a baseball diamond or short cut grass area. Build , learn, inspire and most of all have fun.

The Pumpkin and Lunchbox were childhood favorites, I bought this for my wife as her first RC kit. I thought the chrome finish was novel and was intrigued. It is an easy build, so she didn't get frustrated and enjoyed seeing it come to life. What I didn't expect is what happens with you put a LiPo battery in one: It is quite bonkers and entertaining! She gets quite a laugh when driving it and really enjoys it. It is by no means a serious racing machine, but perfectly represents the experience in the golden age of RC: Tooling around backyards with a bunch of friends. Highly recommended for anyone new to the hobby; easy to build and a blast to drive.

Kit is essentially obsolete, for all intents it was far short of other kits available when it was introduced. I always wanted a Midnight Pumpkins because of the Ford F-100 Detailed plastic body rather than polycarbonate body of typical RC trucks. The body is nice, but both the body and chassis are from the 1980s with cutouts for mechanic speed controls and a cutout for the resisters for a mechanical speed control. The body only reason to buy a Pumpkin or a Lunchbox. After being around for over thirty years Tamiya should have updated these kits. If you want a shelf model you can build it as is. If you want decent performance you need to purchase other parts (I knew this), parts needed: bearings, shock absorbers are mandatory, a gearbox support brace (or fifth shock), if you want different wheels, 12mm hex conversion is necessary. Transmission design limits the pinion to the 10 tooth pinion in the kit. Tamiya still uses Phillips screws and bolts rather than hex. Instructions are minimal. I have built numerous RC models, Somewhat disappointed Tamiya has not improved the Pumpkin or the Lunchbox since they were introduced in the 1980s, even then Kyosho and Associated have superior RC equipment. Bottom line, nice looking model, but it only if you like the body, do not expect a performance vehicle. Falls far short in the bang for your buck category. A main Hobbies is still the BEST place to get your hobby supplies.

This is the toughest rc car that was designed in 1987. I stayed away from building on because it seemed dated. It’s super easy to build and other then bearing it doesn’t need anything else. This is the perfect car if your into modeling since it a super nice hardbody. It’s also great for a first kit or if your bored of everything else on the market. It’s poor handling and bouncy suspension is what this so charming about this truck. It’s pure fun and looks really go while driving. You can check out me sending mine off a big dirt jump @philsrcgarge on Instagram.