ORIGINAL: youwish16
so you guys are saying it would be better to buy a $400 rtr now, break it a few times, then buy all new high dollar stuff? sounds expensive, why not just buy a good buggy to begin with and fix it when you break it or something...sounds cheaper this way
i did what you guys stated by buying a cheaper buggy at first then buying an 8ight to tell you the truth, i wish i woulda bought the 8ight to buggy with...i wasted hundreds of dollars. my cheaper buggy was nothing but problems and frustrations that made me want to quit. my 8ight has been like a rock, hardly broke a thing in over 6 months(a rod end and a shock standoff)
That would be my recommendation, I have owned a fair number of vehicles, and currently have 9. 7 of which are running... always seems there will be repairs, bt alot of it also depends on how you drive your vehicle... I just recently joined the buggy world myself and got an OFNA Ultra MBX Comp for 150 bucks that had everything... I ran it a couple of times, and it was sturdy, but a hassle to work on, so aqfter minimal research I found out that alot of 1/8 OFNA buggys are based on similar chassis and suspension/drivetrain setups, so I started tweekin, and built a hybrid OFNA that is parts of 3 different buggys, but combined are better than any one as it comes stock... all together, I have about $200 total invested and have built up a really solid buggy that can be raced, or bashed. I did of course upgrade the steering servo to a HiTec, and am going to get a different engine...
The stock OFNA is a beeeyatch to get tuned, and I have heard pretty good things about Axial engines, which is one of the only engines besides OFNA that is a .32 big block which is what I am currently running...
My point is this I guess, buggies are VERY addictive, and can get expensive quick... alot of guys have alot of great advice here, but don't be afraid to look at something used that is in good condition... when you get it tear it apart completely, and rebuild it so you know it insiide and out! then figure out what is compatible with it, and what you can do to make it better for minimal $$$... I have had more fun building my frankenOFNA that any other vehicle so far, and can't wait to get a good motor into it...