jazzpaintball

I am thinking about starting to race 1/8 .21 buggy. I currently have a redcat hurricane with a .28, but reading and playing with it, i realized that is it perfect for playing and jumping but not for potential racing. I have been kicking around the idea for a while, but the biggest thing is cost to get into the sport. I am no stranger to expensive sports (i ski and paintball every year) but that doesnt mean i cant reserch and get what i need instead of the best of the best. so i am going to kick around some ideas i had for three potential start ups, one really cheap, one a little more expensive and the other about as high as i would go. Keep in mind i am not going to buy anything real soon since i am in Iraq (Washington State Army) and will not even be home for my 2 week leave for a couple more months. So thank goodness for Iraqi internet and your help here is some of my ideas:

redcat racing hurricane pro
swap the engine out with a .21, have multiple parts i can switch out with my other hurricane
cheapest at about 450 with engine


OFNA hyper 8.5 pro
It is used from a buddy who just upgraded to a hyper 9 pro, has a OS .21 VG, and a Spektrum dx3. only about 1.5 - 2 gallons through it and can use new tires (tread was ran upon cement)
can get it from him for about 550, but it is used and may need parts sooner than expected and still undecided about selling it to me or another racing buddy


Hot Bodies D8
brand new kit, thinking about putting a OS .21 VG in it (still debating pull start for now and is up for debate, but i was looking at a combo between price, power, and able to run ROAR) Thinking about Spektrum DX2/3, but i havent done a lot of reserch on them compared to other brands, Spektrum servos, and a more basic tuned pipe
most expensive option at about 700-750

Any help would be appreciated, just let me know what system would be the "best bang for buck." any changes to a system would also be nice to know.

nissan300ztt

Hyper 7 TQ they are update with update shocks and nice set up. comes with dish rims. and pretty decent dirt tires. And has a decent amount of aluminum parts. And its a reasonable price too... 275.00 from towere plus free shipping.

jonnymac

Check over the 8.5 pro, its a great buggy. If it is in good condition then get that. The OS VG engine isn't anything to get excited about and i would look at other options before that. If you get the 8.5 pro then use it till its broke and look elsewhere. if you get the HB D8 then just don't get that engine.
The HB D8 being new is not a bad idea. I think it has some weak points and wouldn't be as outright tough as the 8.5 pro. It did however win the worlds so it can't be THAT bad
The DX3 radio is a good setup and should suit you needs very well indeed without breaking the bank.
Factor in a decent steering servo and receiver pack too, whichever package you go for.

jazzpaintball

Alright, these are good to know. I personally like the hyper 8.5 pro myself, but dont know if anyone has had good/bad experiences with them. I found a possible set up that i am interested in. how does this one sound?

OFNA Hyper 8.5 pro
OS .21 VZ-B, Hitec 525 for throtle, 645 mg for steering, Nomadio React controller
this is also used, but in good condition with a half gal through the motor, comes with some spare parts
about 750


this one seamed good, but i dont know too much about the contoller. I have heard the name, but have not seen one at the track personally. Read about it, and it sounds good. Anyone personally know about this controller?

anyway, for this price, would this be a better bet? It would drain my funds, but will it give me the best opportunity for the price?

jonnymac

I'm sure (as a general rule at least) you will only find good things said about the 8.5.
The O.S. VZ-B is a very good racing engine. I would be a little cautious with it being second hand, as you don't know exactly what has been done with it. If you can't afford to get a new piston/liner and bearings then you could be in trouble. Obviously if its in good condition you won't need to worry, but there is no way of knowing.The Nomadio react radio are pretty good and should be more than you would need.
The hitec 645 mg isn't the greatest of servo's but it is better than RTR rubbish. Ideally you wnat to look at an ACE DS1015 or a Sanwa ERG-VZ or similar. This can be swapped out later though.
So assuming the buggy is in good condition, the engine has been looked after its quite a nice combination. I'd try and knock him down a little though.
As a general rule add up what it would cost new and half it.

youwish16

d8 d8 d8


how much are they asking for that 8.5? i'd suggest not getting a 2nd hand motor, you never know what its really been though

K_B

The OS .21 VG is no good for racing. They don't last more than a season. The Nomadio React radio isn't bad, but if you want to run more than one car with it, the receivers are expensive and can be hard to find.

You also want to take into account parts availability. Can you get 8.5 parts locally?

jazzpaintball

lol, not at the moment since i am in Iraq. Although I have many hobby shops within a decent distance from where i live. If one doesnt, i am sure another one does. This is a very large part why i dont want to keep going with redcat racing for parts are hard to come by unless you order them ,then it is a 1-2 week wait until oyu can even repair damage.

the 8.5 with the **** motor for 400 (thinking about getting it and just spending the other 300 on a new engine)
the 8.5 with the decent set up for 700 (comes with more spare parts than the prievious and only has been to the track once past heat cycle break in)

K_B

oh man... well, stay safe!

jazzpaintball

i will, lol. Right now i just like to keep my mind on things like the best buggy set up for the money How much does it usually take to get a good racing system up from scratch?

Furadi

I would say about a grand. You have to factor in things like, a starter box, extra tires, charger for the receiver pack, glow ignitor, servos...

That being said, The D8 is supposed to be decent.. But with it being so new I personally have no experience with it. The 8.5 is decent, but not quite on par with other racing buggys. It is however pretty capable in the hands of a very good driver.
You should also consider the Losi 8ight (1.0) as it has come down in price. For racing you can't go wrong with the Losi.

As far as engines, look no further than the Go-Tech 3 port sport. At $125.00 it simply cannot be beat. I don't care what people on message boards say, there is no better engine for the money. This is because it is tuned to run against higher cost budget engines like the RB s3, Nova n21, and or the werks b3. But it does it better than any of those engines.

Servos, don't skimp on these, but you don't need 400oz of torque either. As a rule I would say set aside $100.00 for servo's focusing on the steering.

nissan300ztt

Yes you definitely want high torque and fast response. .16 or so thats in seconds.

Lethal19

It all comes down to what you like if you have drove your friend 8.5 and like it I say get it. I had 1 and sold it and am not getting rid of all my extra parts this year because I am rock an 8ight 2.0 but I will say the hyper was a tank would take alot of beatings and still wanted more.

Chris_RC

With your budget you really have to look for some ebay deals. I got a great deal that got me started in 1/8:

8ight RTR roller-$75
futaba S9351 steering and an ACE DS1313 throttle servo-$75
mach 427 with new pinch-$50
JP-3 Pipe-$30
Body that has a $40 wrap on it-$20
Panther KD or gators tires, proline steip pins, losi step pins, and soem basher tires-FREE
=$250

Shipping was $20 and since I had a radio/receiver I got started in racing for about $350 paired with some fuel and glow plugs. (with the spin start for the Mach 427 instead of starter box) But these deals are hard to come by.

gokartingbob455

lol how did you get an 8ight for $75 and how was it a rtr roller. lol

good luck in iraq dude.

jazzpaintball

thanks,

To be honest, the reason i am asking for help is because i do not have the experience with some of the high up models. There are a LOT of MP777 fans over here and i have drove one of those, but I personally didn't care for it. I dont know if it was the 777 or if it was the set up the guy was using, but it seemed... odd way to say this... blocky. it was fast, but with a slow accelleration (heavy maybe) out of the turns. also it didnt seem to bite the ground properly (could have been the tires or the shock arrangement), but in either case i did not care for it. thats the main reason i am looking into the D8, hyper8.5, and possibly the 8ight. I dont have much (if any for d8) experience around them and none driving them.

The plight of the buggy buyer: buying the right one, at the right time, at the right price, and then not going: "damn, i should have gotten that one...."

nissan300ztt

Dude im serious then look at the hyper 7 RTR from towerhobbies. $275 with their coupon. And its got a nice hyper .21 and a devent steering set up. I have a few mods to mine and i can beat some of the hyper 8 and 8.5 at my local track.

jazzpaintball

hmm, might be an idea, but i was planning on trying to stay away from the RTR's for they do have so much junk in them it seams

nissan300ztt

I dont think so dude this buggy is def RTR and it can move. Heres a picture of the "guts"

Furadi

Bro, I'm sure you love your Hyper. But it doesn't compare to a modern race buggy.

nissan300ztt

Ive owned LOSI 8ights. With my other hyper 7. And id own yours. Hands down LOSI = OVERPRICED & OVERRATED. Its all about the driver plain and simple.

INTEGRA

[sm=lol.gif] Too funny.






I thought you've owned an 8ight. [sm=lol.gif]

Chris_RC

it was the RTR version of the 8ight. Since the kit rollers and going for $200 I thought it was a good deal. But it is definitly better than the RTR with the great servos, pipe, tires, and nice body.

Furadi

Novice races don't count brosef. Lighten up though.. I wasn't attacking you.

Tell you what, How bout we both race in the Man cup next year.. see who does better?

jazzpaintball

well as you guys said, as long as i get a decent set up and parts to spare for my mess ups, the thing that amounts the most is the driver. I am not trying to get a argument about what the nest buggy is, for this (and any engine, controller, servos, etc) will always be debated. I am just trying to find a decent set up where i dont have to constantly upgrade to get to where i need to be.

So at the moment, I will look into a 8ight, D8, or a hyper (7 or 8.5)
Although this is just the start, what is a good engine for the price out there and a good controller set up (servos too) that are out there for the price?