1/8 scale rookie
 

Hello, my buddy was wanting to get into 1/8 scale nitro buggy and I know nothing about them, I run electric. Which one is a reliable, competitive buggy thats not too bad on the checkbook?? I guess kinda the middle of the road car....If there is one, :sneaky::confused:

Hot Bodies D8, good all around including price.

i would say the hb d8b i race a losi eight and i dont really reccomend the eight for a rookie just the way it drives

Mugen mbx6
 

I drive an xray 808, but the mugen mbx6 is around 450. Perfect for getting into buggy racing. It's super stable, light, and durable, oh yeah, it's fast too. If he gets the novarossi .21bf limited engine for 150 it will last a long time, and put an ace 1313 servo in the steering, and a 35 40 dollar futaba in the throttle he could save some cash, or just get two ace. The ofna starter box that's silver on top and has two motors is nice at around 80 bucks and get two 3600 stick packs to put in it for fairly cheap. 25 a piece. Then the radio is 100 bucks the airtronics mx-3 is my favorite, and to finish it off with a dynamite 9853 copy of the nova pipe would be fast. Some city block soft tires pre mounted around 65 bucks, and they last forever. But the first big win, priceless........Hehe That's about 1000 bucks for a race ready buggy that can be driven by a novice too. It will grow with him, and stay in one piece......too.....

While this is a good option to do, it is definitely not the only option. If your budget can afford it, then go with the MBX6. I personally run it and love it. The D8 is really a great buggy for the price and for a beginner. It is agile and very durable to boot. I have one that I ran for a little while just to try and never broke anything on it until I was running in the winter and my buddy crashed into me and there went the rear arm.

But really jumping into 1/8th scale, the best bang for the buck is the Losi 8 2.0. You will pretty much get everything you need for around $700. The 8 2.0 is a really good buggy too. That is how I started. Bought the Losi 8T RTR and went from there. You get a good radio, platform, and starter box. From there, what I did was just bought the roller parts whenever I broke something and kept upgrading whenever I could. Eventually you will have a roller. You can get most of the roller parts off of fleabay for pretty cheap.

Most platforms are great, but be careful with buying some of the RTRs out there. Associated and Losi are the only two RTRs I would reccomend. Just remember that you will need to buy some smaller items like fuel, glow plugs and some tools. These add up fast, but it really depends on what you want to spend. YOU DO GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR. Just keep that in mind.

Just tell him to buy a good kit up front, there is no point in saving $150 bucks and buying an inferior product.

If he's just getting started the Losi 2.0 RTR would be the best bet. It is a really good RTR.

Yes the Losi 2.0 RTR is the best bet, as I stated before, there is no inferior product out there. I gets kind of old to hear everyone say that this car is better than this one. Every car out now is a great vehicle. A lot of it has to do with driving style. Not every vehicle drives the same, but with proper setup, they are all really close. Everyone knocks the D8 because it is cheap, but it is a great buggy. I see people run it all the time here in Japan. And believe me, you wouldn't be calling it inferior. I am not trying to get a manufacturer war going here, but I had the luxury of driving several different vehicles before I made a decision. So please don't bash a manufacturer because you personally don't like them.

My .02.

if you want to race i would go for the hotbodies D8 but if you want to just bash and drive around i would get a hyper7 or a Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR as these are both great cars and the losi has the option or being raced with no problems at all. all of these car are great but it depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend

hope this helps
dane

Go with the Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR or a HB D8. Good vehicle easily capable of winning at a bargain price. The 8ight 2.0 RTR for the price is the best setup you can get. Comes with awesome radio, starter box and almost everything needed to get winning races.

Very happy with my 8ight 2.0 RTR. Took my first win last weekend :)

Thanks for all the responses guys, I'll pass on the info.:nod:

First of all, I wasn't even talking about the D8.

I'm talking about people going out there and buying a Raze or LX Ultra. The D8 is a good buggy, why on earth would you assume i was talking about it? His buddy is new to the hobby, so a RTR is probably going to suit his needs, especially considering the checkbook remark. Last I checked the D8 wasn't available as a RTR.

Losi 8ight RTR.... CANNOT go wrong:nod::nod::nod::nod:

Get a d8.It does every thing the losi does but its cheaper.If you get the losi you will have to fix whats ever wrong from the factory plus install better electronics later on.D8 is a real kit you can enjoy building your self.

Ummmmm... I'm really confused here: "if you want to just bash and drive around i would get a hyper7 or a Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR" :weird: Losi just bash????? :weird::eek: Put down the crack pipe!

Look, I'll admit I'm not the world's biggest Losi fan... and I have to say, bang for the buck, there is NO RTR that even comes close. :nod: There's nothing else that is essentially "raceworthy" out of the box. The Losi has a few minor areas that are not AS good on the RTR, and it truly does need a better steering servo... but it is much better than any other RTR and in fact better than some so-called "pro" kits.

For an inexpensive car, in "pro kit" form, the Hotbodies D8 gets the nod... or the Caster ZX-1.5 is a reasonable choice... for a little more though, you can't beat the Mugen MBX-6.

If I were going to race buggy (I'm not) and wanted a kit instead of an RTR (that's what I'd do- but I already have almost everything but the car kit...) I'd get the MBX-6 unless I just HAD to save that extra $150... and if $150 is a big concern for you, Nitro 1/8 scale is probably NOT the class for you. Buying the car intially is just the tip of the iceberg.

If your buddy has nothing at all to start out with... no radio, nothing... get the Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR. There is no cheaper way in that is raceworthy.

Folks are talking about the Hotbodies D8 being the cheap way in, so let's compare: (Gonna use the D8 because it IS a decent car for a bargain price!)

Hotbodies D8 Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR
Car $289.99
Engine $150.00 +
Pipe $50.00 +
Radio $99.99 +
Throttle servo $45.00 +
Steering servo $100.00 +
Tires $40.00 +
Starter box $70.00 +
Receiver batt $15.00 +
Paint for body $5.00 rattle can to ????

TOTAL $864.98

Losi 8ight 2.0 RTR

Car $699.99 ***
Engine Included
Pipe Included
Radio Included
Throttle servo *move steering servo to throttle
Steering servo $100.00 +
Tires Included (1 set)
Starter box Included
Receiver batt Included
Paint for body Nice pre painted

TOTAL $799.99 ***

So the Losi is actually $64.99 cheaper AT LEAST.

NOTE: *** = "Join Team Terribles." We have a team store that can beat that price by quite a bit. :) Discounts on other stuff too...



(Note that you need other stuff for this... charger for batteries, batteries for transmitter, batteries for starter box, tools, glow igniter, fuel, fuel bottle, etc.)

Support: Almost any hobby shop that you go to where they carry 1/8 scale nitro stuff is going to have Losi parts. That isn't the case unfortunately on the D8.

Which is the better car? I'm not sure. BOTH of those have significant parts wear compared to, for example, XRAY or Mugen. Both are competitive- I think the Losi may be a bit more agile, and the D8 a bit more forgiving to drive, although setup makes a huge difference on any car of course. I'd be happy to drive either, both are "plenty good."