My new E-maxx

My new e-maxx just arrived and I ran it for the first time yesterday. I wish I would have gotten one long ago. It was a blast. I think it is fast as is, I can't imagine what all of yours are like. Since I am just going to bash with it and not race, anything I should adjust, etc in stock form? I can only imagine the speed with 14 cells but with the stock chassis, you need a weird configuration for the battery pack. Is it worth a new chassis just for the ease of batteries?

Is it bad to start out in second gear?

What did all of you guys do first when beginning to modify your trucks. BL setup is in the future.

Thanks,
Chris