Hey revracer...come by and check out the SoCal Team Hobao table this weekend. I'm sure one of us would be willing to let you give the Hyper 8.5 a test drive. Mine is modded to the hilt and we have one that I will be putting back together that doesn't have any mods on it. I think the Hyper 8.5 is a pretty good choice for durability and cost. I've been running mine since December and racing since April and haven't had to replace much of anything. Maintenance is simple on it as well. If you have a motor and electronics, you are more than welcome to give them a test drive.
Hope to see you out there soon!