Cost of running nitro buggies
02-09-2008, 09:39 AM
#1
Cost of running nitro buggies
Hi!
I'm thinking about returning to RC in the form of 1:8 nitro off-road buggy. Having only raced electric cars before, I don't know much about the costs
for running such cars (the amount of money required to get started seems to be quite similar in both cases).
Here are a couple of questions:
1) How long can you use an engine?
2) Tires are much more expensive than for 1:10 scale electric off-road. How many sets (I know this will vary a lot but just give me an idea) do you need per season, especially as heats are much longer than for electric cars?
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Thanks,
Martin
I'm thinking about returning to RC in the form of 1:8 nitro off-road buggy. Having only raced electric cars before, I don't know much about the costs
for running such cars (the amount of money required to get started seems to be quite similar in both cases).
Here are a couple of questions:
1) How long can you use an engine?
2) Tires are much more expensive than for 1:10 scale electric off-road. How many sets (I know this will vary a lot but just give me an idea) do you need per season, especially as heats are much longer than for electric cars?
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Thanks,
Martin
02-09-2008, 11:20 AM
#2
Tech Master
iTrader: (11)
Hi!
I'm thinking about returning to RC in the form of 1:8 nitro off-road buggy. Having only raced electric cars before, I don't know much about the costs
for running such cars (the amount of money required to get started seems to be quite similar in both cases).
Here are a couple of questions:
1) How long can you use an engine?
2) Tires are much more expensive than for 1:10 scale electric off-road. How many sets (I know this will vary a lot but just give me an idea) do you need per season, especially as heats are much longer than for electric cars?
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Thanks,
Martin
I'm thinking about returning to RC in the form of 1:8 nitro off-road buggy. Having only raced electric cars before, I don't know much about the costs
for running such cars (the amount of money required to get started seems to be quite similar in both cases).
Here are a couple of questions:
1) How long can you use an engine?
2) Tires are much more expensive than for 1:10 scale electric off-road. How many sets (I know this will vary a lot but just give me an idea) do you need per season, especially as heats are much longer than for electric cars?
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Thanks,
Martin
each company has different cost but.......
to get started just to mess around would be about $600
to race mabey around $8-900
to race and have top of the line gear $11-1300
then you have $22 fuel
entry fees
you cant predicted the life of and engine cause its all in how you break it in and how you run it
02-09-2008, 11:32 AM
#3
Welcome to the world of nitro. I got my first nitro car back in 2005 and I have been very happy with this hobby. There will be times when you will get frustrated (especially engine tuning) but once you learn, it will be a lot of fun.
Now to your questions,
1) How long can you use an engine?
This depends on how well you did the break-in procedure on your engine and how well you take care of you engine especially and after use is extremely important to the longevity of your engine.
I have seen engines last up to 8-9 gallons which care and maintenance. The average life of an engine is 3-5 gallons depending on manufacturer and reasons listed above.
2) How many sets of tires do you need per season?
This depends on how often you race, condition of the tack, and your driving style. I personally keep anywhere from 3-4 sets of tires for a race day.
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Cluthch shoes and springs, clutch bells, bearings, arms, glow plugs. Pretty much anything that will wear with normal use or break. You will need different weights of shock and diff oils to adjust the car to your liking for diffeent track conditions you will be driving on.
As far as parts, I keep an extra set of lower arms, shock towers front and rear, an extra set of shock parts such as shock bodies, shafts, pistons, o-rings etc, extra set of diffferential gears, several sets of clutch shoes and springs, clutch bells, extra air filters, and most importantly screws. You will lose screws during a race.
I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun.
Now to your questions,
1) How long can you use an engine?
This depends on how well you did the break-in procedure on your engine and how well you take care of you engine especially and after use is extremely important to the longevity of your engine.
I have seen engines last up to 8-9 gallons which care and maintenance. The average life of an engine is 3-5 gallons depending on manufacturer and reasons listed above.
2) How many sets of tires do you need per season?
This depends on how often you race, condition of the tack, and your driving style. I personally keep anywhere from 3-4 sets of tires for a race day.
3) Are there any expensive parts which need regular replacement apart from the engine/tires?
Cluthch shoes and springs, clutch bells, bearings, arms, glow plugs. Pretty much anything that will wear with normal use or break. You will need different weights of shock and diff oils to adjust the car to your liking for diffeent track conditions you will be driving on.
As far as parts, I keep an extra set of lower arms, shock towers front and rear, an extra set of shock parts such as shock bodies, shafts, pistons, o-rings etc, extra set of diffferential gears, several sets of clutch shoes and springs, clutch bells, extra air filters, and most importantly screws. You will lose screws during a race.
I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun.
Last edited by Tree; 02-10-2008 at 05:32 PM.
02-09-2008, 12:13 PM
#5
Thanks for these answers - just one more thing - how long (hours) do you run with a gallon (I remember about 10 min with one tank)?
02-09-2008, 01:53 PM
#8
I cant' remember the exact number, but I think it came out to about 33 tanks of fuel per gallon for a 1/8 buggy. Run time will range from 5 mins to upwards of 11 mins per tank depending on engine and driving characteristics.
02-09-2008, 03:05 PM
#9
I now race on a tight budget since we bought a house. I use to race electris off road but switch over to nitro.
I have found that the cost of running either class about the same if you consider all the pro and cons of maintaining them at a resonable level.
The cheapest class to run is nitro Stadium truck. Almost half of a 8 th scale.
My budget is $50 a week and that has to pay for everything and club , race fees. Up date motors , tires and everything else thats needed.
I can easy do it with the stadium but the 8th scale is a struggle. I dont buy the best of everything but seem to be just as competive with a buget 4x as much.
I was lucky as i had all the good gear before I had to start being on a tight budget.
Hope this helps...
I have found that the cost of running either class about the same if you consider all the pro and cons of maintaining them at a resonable level.
The cheapest class to run is nitro Stadium truck. Almost half of a 8 th scale.
My budget is $50 a week and that has to pay for everything and club , race fees. Up date motors , tires and everything else thats needed.
I can easy do it with the stadium but the 8th scale is a struggle. I dont buy the best of everything but seem to be just as competive with a buget 4x as much.
I was lucky as i had all the good gear before I had to start being on a tight budget.
Hope this helps...
02-09-2008, 06:57 PM
#10
Tech Elite
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Your biggest expenses (in order!) after you get all your gear are:
Tires- I usually find that I can run a set in the mains one week, and use them for heats the next. Some folks don't like to do that... they'll put a set on for the heats, and another set for the mains (meaning new sets)
Now, you don't HAVE to do that, and I often run old tires for club racing. (Well, I did... probably won't NOW since I just got the Team Cobra partial sponsorship for tires...) If they still have good tread, use 'em again!
Tire life will vary with the track surface, moisture of the surface, and driving style. If you are really aggressive and spin the tires a lot, obviously you will wear them out faster than someone with a lighter touch. (and the guy with the lighter touch will probably be faster!)
Engine- you will have to replace them more often than you think. Brand makes as difference, as does the fuel you run, tuning, and how you drive. Cheap engines are not always cheaper in the long run. A 3-port OS VG will run you around $140-150... and last 3-4 gallons in my experience, tops. A Werks B7 Pro like I run will cost a bit over $300... but last 8 or 9 gallons. Ok, the cost is a wash... but the Werks (or any comparable 7 port) makes a LOT more power, and (ok, this sounds wrong, but I've found it to be true) gets significantly better fuel economy. It is about efficiency...
Fuel- I'm fortunate that a local shop carries Sidewinder Worlds Blend for $19.95 a gallon. That is the cheapest I have found for any type anywhere. I get 9 minutes or so per tank under race conditions. Fuel can approach $30 per gallon depending on where you buy it. I would run Sidewinder, Werks, or Nitro Juice, if you can find one of those.
Clutch shoes, springs, and bearings- These items are things that need frequent attention on 1/8 scale buggies. I usually replace clutch bearings after 3 races, sometimes 4. I ALWAYS do new ones before the main in a big race... Shoes will last a little longer, but you should deburr them when they get "mushroomed." When the face of the shoe wears enough that the spring sits almost level with the top of the slot that it rides in, it's time for new ones. Replace springs when you replace shoes.
Glow plugs- Yes, you have to give them a tuneup every now and then. Glow plugs wear out. "Turbo" plugs seem to last quite a bit longer than the "standard" plugs, but they cost more... again, it's a wash on cost. Engines that run a turbo plug tend to be more powerful.
Hope this helps!
Tires- I usually find that I can run a set in the mains one week, and use them for heats the next. Some folks don't like to do that... they'll put a set on for the heats, and another set for the mains (meaning new sets)
Now, you don't HAVE to do that, and I often run old tires for club racing. (Well, I did... probably won't NOW since I just got the Team Cobra partial sponsorship for tires...) If they still have good tread, use 'em again!
Tire life will vary with the track surface, moisture of the surface, and driving style. If you are really aggressive and spin the tires a lot, obviously you will wear them out faster than someone with a lighter touch. (and the guy with the lighter touch will probably be faster!)
Engine- you will have to replace them more often than you think. Brand makes as difference, as does the fuel you run, tuning, and how you drive. Cheap engines are not always cheaper in the long run. A 3-port OS VG will run you around $140-150... and last 3-4 gallons in my experience, tops. A Werks B7 Pro like I run will cost a bit over $300... but last 8 or 9 gallons. Ok, the cost is a wash... but the Werks (or any comparable 7 port) makes a LOT more power, and (ok, this sounds wrong, but I've found it to be true) gets significantly better fuel economy. It is about efficiency...
Fuel- I'm fortunate that a local shop carries Sidewinder Worlds Blend for $19.95 a gallon. That is the cheapest I have found for any type anywhere. I get 9 minutes or so per tank under race conditions. Fuel can approach $30 per gallon depending on where you buy it. I would run Sidewinder, Werks, or Nitro Juice, if you can find one of those.
Clutch shoes, springs, and bearings- These items are things that need frequent attention on 1/8 scale buggies. I usually replace clutch bearings after 3 races, sometimes 4. I ALWAYS do new ones before the main in a big race... Shoes will last a little longer, but you should deburr them when they get "mushroomed." When the face of the shoe wears enough that the spring sits almost level with the top of the slot that it rides in, it's time for new ones. Replace springs when you replace shoes.
Glow plugs- Yes, you have to give them a tuneup every now and then. Glow plugs wear out. "Turbo" plugs seem to last quite a bit longer than the "standard" plugs, but they cost more... again, it's a wash on cost. Engines that run a turbo plug tend to be more powerful.
Hope this helps!
02-10-2008, 05:04 PM
#11
the cost depends on what you want
1) a motor usually runs for about a couple of gallons until you either replace the motor it self or replace the worn out parts in it
2) when ever you run out of tires then get a new set
3) part prices depend on what you break. could be cheap, could be expensive
1) a motor usually runs for about a couple of gallons until you either replace the motor it self or replace the worn out parts in it
2) when ever you run out of tires then get a new set
3) part prices depend on what you break. could be cheap, could be expensive
02-10-2008, 09:35 PM
#13
I have seen a V-Spec fail on 1 1/2 gal. and others come in at 7 or 8 gal.s. The price to run elec. and nitro are close to each other when you add in all the support gear for each. The biggest difference I have found is that 1/8th buggies and truggies require more attention for maintance. You can let it go for a while between cleanings, but could end up costing you more in parts to keep it maintained. I think its a personal pref. thing, either you like to run one or the other or you don't. I do like the gas and go with nitro, but with the brushless/ LiPo set up elec. are getting alot longer run times.
02-10-2008, 11:30 PM
#14
Tech Master
iTrader: (11)
sorry for a little of topic
02-11-2008, 12:36 AM
#15
I think the key word was "returning" to racing. Just an opinion but as far as racing goes 1/8th is on par with most forms of RC racing..depends on how expensive you want it to get..
..I would recommend a basic RTR buggy to start out with..no need to get any top of the line buggy at first..Contrary to what most think RTR's do great in the hands of most new drivers. Race it for a season and then get the double throw down Pro buggy. On motors..my recommendation would be one of the mid priced OS motors, Good power, easy to tune, good fuel economy..No need to get something that has to much power. Maintenance..just an opinion but a clean buggy works better..
..Keep an eye on your clutch bearings, make sure you have your clutch shimmed correctly, Keep an eye on the bearings in your hubs, if you use CVD's on your buggy make sure you inspect them often and check on all the screws to make sure everything is still tight. Diff oil and shock oil should be changed often (diffs about 2 to 3 race days..club races). To me it's just preventative maintenance that seems to work best..watch a race and see how many guys drop out due to "things" that could have been prevented..Most of the times these are the same guys that think that a dirty buggy is "hard core" and tend to bag on guys that keep their buggies clean....
..I would recommend a basic RTR buggy to start out with..no need to get any top of the line buggy at first..Contrary to what most think RTR's do great in the hands of most new drivers. Race it for a season and then get the double throw down Pro buggy. On motors..my recommendation would be one of the mid priced OS motors, Good power, easy to tune, good fuel economy..No need to get something that has to much power. Maintenance..just an opinion but a clean buggy works better....Keep an eye on your clutch bearings, make sure you have your clutch shimmed correctly, Keep an eye on the bearings in your hubs, if you use CVD's on your buggy make sure you inspect them often and check on all the screws to make sure everything is still tight. Diff oil and shock oil should be changed often (diffs about 2 to 3 race days..club races). To me it's just preventative maintenance that seems to work best..watch a race and see how many guys drop out due to "things" that could have been prevented..Most of the times these are the same guys that think that a dirty buggy is "hard core" and tend to bag on guys that keep their buggies clean....