FS: Ofna Ultra 1/8 Brushless Conversion

[kkant]

I'm selling my pride and joy, a custom brushless conversion of an Ofna Ultra MBX/R2 1/8 buggy. This is a roller chassis that includes the steering and brake servos as shown in the pictures. The car was designed to accommodate a hugely powerful Neu 1527 motor, and includes motor mounts for any of the Neu 15-series motors. I was able to drive this car to 160 MPH indicated at the wheels (verified by an Eagletree logger). The car does not currently have the aerodynamics to actually reach 160, but even with a standard buggy body it will reach 110+ MPH actual. It is extremely fun to drive. The powertrain used to achieve this was a Neu 1527/1.5D motor, Castle Hydra240HV ESC (with heatsinks attached for air-cooling), and a pair of Thunderpower Pro Power 30C 4S 5000 mah lipos hooked in series for a total of 8S.

Some more about the car. The centerpiece of the conversion is a relocated mechanical front brake. The mech brake setup has dual metal discs, floating calipers for symmetrical disc loading, sprung linkage for progressive braking, thick aluminum brace to the chassis, and a drive cup to accommodate 4WD if so desired. The brake pads are standard Ofna parts, so they can be easily replaced when worn. The brakes are strong and linear. Steering and brake servos are included: Airtronics 94357 on brakes and Airtronics 94358 on steering. Behind the servos are two rugged plastic battery trays from rc-monster; these will fit the Thunder Power Pro Power 5000 mah lipo packs, or of course any similar-sized lipos. The trays have velcro straps for securing the packs. The motor mounts are positioned longitudinally in the middle of the chassis on the centerline and allow the motor to directly drive the diff(s) via the ring pinion(s). No intervening power-robbing geartrains are used or needed. I used a standard single-ended 1527 motor for a 2WD setup; A double-ended 1521 motor could be used to make it 4WD. The rear crankcase/chassis is reinforced with a thick brace. The rear diff/pinion was upgraded to a hardened steel unit from the Hot Bodies Lightning; the stock diff was torn to shreds by the 1527 motor. If you want to run in 4WD, I would recommend replacing the front diff with the hardened unit as well (rc-monster and other vendors sell these units separately). The anti-roll bar was moved from the rear to the front to provide better traction on the rear end and much more balanced handling characteristics. Finally, the tires are Red Dot Ofna foams on the front, and Green Dots on the rear.

Here are the original prices for the major parts:
Ofna Ultra MBX/R2 chassis: $200
Airtronics servos: $200
Hot Bodies Lightning Hardened Diff/Pinion: $65
Neu 15-series motor mounts: $30
Battery trays: $70
Ofna tires: $50

I put a huge amount of time and effort designing and building this car, so I hate to sell it. But I am not using it anymore, and it's a shame to let it sit unused. Hoping it will find a new home where it will be appreciated. Price is $500 shipped.