Blue WPL C54 80 Series Land Cruiser

[Vitamin_J]

Everyone is getting in on one of these new C54s it seems like. My wife got my one for Christmas I've been driving it as a C14 but now I am starting my C54 conversion/build.

This truck is really cool. I got the KM version, highly recommend spending the coin and getting it if on the fence. The plastic gear parts will certainly break immediately whereas the metal axles are really tough. I can also recommend the v3 radio kit if you are like me and just want something cheap and simple and don't care to have custom electronics.

The C54 kit comes with different springs for the shocks and I swapped to those early and much prefer them.

I gotta credit this truck for getting me into the hobby after a 15 year hiatus haha!







Here is a little video I made completely stock out of the box:

https://youtu.be/zSn070vXyyE

Now I have started on the 80 body by painting it. I chose a Toyota blue 8R3 but it ended up being much darker than I expected. I think it still looks great and am going to push forward with it anyway. I have a 100 series 1:1 and it is dark grey, in some light this looks just like it.



Also like my 1:1 I added some texture and toughness to my bull bar and other body armor parts using truck bed liner. Just a light coat.



I used this color-matched paint: https://amzn.to/3942Gre
Seymor truck bed liner: https://amzn.to/39XmL1F

I am really loving this WPL but it's apparent that the tires are holding it back. What are people's favorite upgraded tire for this chassis? I'd like to keep these same WPL wheels and a similar scale looking tire but just a better compound.

[Brake Weight]

Nice start. Pics of said 1:1? Love some Yoders.

[CD02]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

Everyone is getting in on one of these new C54s it seems like. My wife got my one for Christmas I've been driving it as a C14 but now I am starting my C54 conversion/build.



This truck is really cool. I got the KM version, highly recommend spending the coin and getting it if on the fence. The plastic gear parts will certainly break immediately whereas the metal axles are really tough. I can also recommend the v3 radio kit if you are like me and just want something cheap and simple and don't care to have custom electronics.



The C54 kit comes with different springs for the shocks and I swapped to those early and much prefer them.



I gotta credit this truck for getting me into the hobby after a 15 year hiatus haha!















Here is a little video I made completely stock out of the box:



https://youtu.be/zSn070vXyyE



Now I have started on the 80 body by painting it. I chose a Toyota blue 8R3 but it ended up being much darker than I expected. I think it still looks great and am going to push forward with it anyway. I have a 100 series 1:1 and it is dark grey, in some light this looks just like it.







Also like my 1:1 I added some texture and toughness to my bull bar and other body armor parts using truck bed liner. Just a light coat.







I used this color-matched paint: https://amzn.to/3942Gre

Seymor truck bed liner: https://amzn.to/39XmL1F



I am really loving this WPL but it's apparent that the tires are holding it back. What are people's favorite upgraded tire for this chassis? I'd like to keep these same WPL wheels and a similar scale looking tire but just a better compound.

RC4WD 1.2" tires are a direct fit on the stock wheels. You can stretch the 1.0" Scramblers on it, but those are the only 1"s that fit from my knowledge

Sent from my U693CL using Tapatalk

[Vitamin_J]

Sweet! Thanks for the tip I didn't realize RC4WD was selling 1.2" tires!

Here is my 1:1 LX470 and 80 series in the same photo haha. Also a video going up Hell's Gate in Moab.

https://youtu.be/991SZc8mQy4

[ARC]

Which 80 series body is that? And what is the wheelbase?

[Brake Weight]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

Sweet! Thanks for the tip I didn't realize RC4WD was selling 1.2" tires!

Here is my 1:1 LX470 and 80 series in the same photo haha. Also a video going up Hell's Gate in Moab.

https://youtu.be/991SZc8mQy4

You got that 470. We have a 460 but only mildly lifted and running ATs.

Edit: ever get that turboed Miata on the rollers?

[Vitamin_J]

Originally Posted by ARC

Which 80 series body is that? And what is the wheelbase?

WPL C54: https://www.wpl-rc.com/?ref=J1000 The wheel base is 186mm.

Originally Posted by Brake Weight

You got that 470. We have a 460 but only mildly lifted and running ATs.

Edit: ever get that turboed Miata on the rollers?

460s are nice too, I considered the GX460 and GX470 before deciding I wanted the full size 100. Been very happy with my decision but they are all great. Trying to get my wife to get a GX now

My Miata makes 326whp but that's getting a little off track haha! I'm starting to assemble my C54 body today. Ordered those RC4WD 1.2" Dirt Grabber tires also that I'll use on the C54 wheels when I decide what color.

Also yes use the wheel weights if anyone is wondering, they improve the WPL performance a bunch.

[ARC]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

WPL C54: https://www.wpl-rc.com/?ref=J1000 The wheel base is 186mm.

That's awesome, is that the same body used on the Katana and Patrion? Horizon is carrying the Katana now and I decided to order one. Was going to go SCX24 but the 80 series body was just too tempting. I'm not very familiar with the non mainstream RC stuff but am getting back into the hobby with my kids.

[Brake Weight]

Originally Posted by Vitamin_J

460s are nice too, I considered the GX460 and GX470 before deciding I wanted the full size 100. Been very happy with my decision but they are all great. Trying to get my wife to get a GX now

My Miata makes 326whp but that's getting a little off track haha!

[Vitamin_J]

I got my C54 assembled and took it out to the rocks for the first time.

[Shape_Shifter]

That's awesome!

[ARC]

Looks great.

[Undead Jeeper]

That metallic paint was a perfect choice---looks good and is selling me on that body

[deephis46]

Nice color!...IMHO, I prefer Tamiya Spray metallic one though, as it has smaller metallic particles. It can make look more scale.

[CD02]

Super cool!

[Vitamin_J]

Thanks guys and thanks for the tips on the paint. I took some videos of it crawling around I hope to get it put together soon. It is definitely not as capable as with the C14 body as it sits considerably higher and weighs more. Also the C54 tires are a few mm bigger than the C14 tires I didn't notice that before. Also the tires have foam inserts I used those trimmed a little bit to also fit the WPL wheel weights. Being able to put the battery and all electronics up front under the hood is pretty awesome and helps with front weight bias.

[Vitamin_J]

Video from the first time I took it out on the rocks!

[Vitamin_J]

I got my RC4WD tires and some cheap alloy beadlocks and tossed them on. I like the wheels but I think I'm going to try and track down some silver hardware to go with it. It showed silver screws in the photo but it came with black ones, oh well. They were cheap.

I got these wheels: https://amzn.to/2N8kY2m
And these tires: https://amzn.to/3bnOLwf

The tires are great, but they appear to be the C14/C24 size which is just a hair smaller than the tires the C54 kit comes with. They are the same tread pattern style, but noticeably softer and grippier. I wrapped the wheels with solder to bring them up to the weight of the WPL wheels with WPL wheel weights.





It was RC4WDs 20th anniversary and they sent the most infuriating micro-puzzle with my tires. Seriously, it was so aggravating because the pieces are so small and the picture is just a big reddish colored smattering. Didn't stop me from finishing it though lol! They sent along some cool decals too.

[CruisinE2W]

Paint came out great!

I don't hate the black hardware on the wheels but agree that silver will probably look cleaner if you can find it.

[Vitamin_J]

I finally got in some wheels from Banggood I ordered forever ago and like them a lot better. Also got a photo of all of the solder that I put in. I put in about 45g worth for a total of 90g for each wheel/tire package. The solder is held in place by aluminum tape.





I also got a free roof rack for my 1:1 80 so it's already starting to look like my WPL!