starter buggy?
 

So, im looking to get into RC again, and more specifically, the nitro scene.

Ive never ran a nitro car before, always done electrics, and on-road, so this is a big change :)

I was looking at a Losi 8 2.0 RTR buggy, but im not sure if that will be a good starter car.

theres at least 1 other driver here w/ a losi, but his is modded for a brushless motor.

as far as spare parts go, we have 2 hobby shops in the area, and both carry a reasonably wide variety of parts, and of course, will order anything they dont have.

any recommendations? should i even try a 1/8th buggy as a nitro starter car?

The Losi 8 2.0 RTR is a hell of a deal and probaley the BEST beginer car and deal out there today.

But with any RTR, servos will need to be replaced sooner than later, and there is a bunch of different servos - read some post on here.

It comes with a 2.4 radio and starter box - by far the best deal out.:nod:

x2

8t 2.0 is a lot of car to start with but more than perfect

losi 8ight 2.0 rtr is the best starter package available. It comes with a 21 engine, bump box, and a good dsm radio. Like was mentioned already you will have to upgrade servos or you can move the one on steering to throttle and just buy a better steering servo for now. Hitech, Jr, Futaba are all great selections as far as servos. I wouldnt buy any other rtr even if I had to wait a little longer to save the money.

2.0 rtr would be a good choice. the servos are a little slow , but it gives you everything you need to start

any recommendation on a good servo to order with the car? might as well get it changed out before it breaks

hahahahahahahah

I would say the 9100T both are about $130

Others will say Hitec 7955 again $130

Other will say ACE/AE 1015 about $89

These will be for steering

Jr z9100t for steering, if you are gonna replace both get the z9100s for throttle also. You can get away with replacing steering for now though and move the one on it to throttle.

I would also suggest changing the plastic shock caps to the alum ones, the plastic will not hold up, and maybe the shock towers, these are the only 2 items besides for the servos that i've changed on my son's 2.0, these things are a tank, i'd highly suggest this buggy to anyone starting out with all the features it comes with and the durablility of the buggy....lets just say he's a 9 year old with a heavy throttle finger......:nod:

Aside from all the Losi love (deservedly so, it's a hell of a starter package) I've seen two schools of thought:

* Buy what your local hobby shop and racers you respect drive. You'll have good parts support and help in setup. It also can't be underestimated that more than likely someone will have a spare part in case you break something

* Buy what you have your heart set on. I read a bunch of online reviews and came to the conclusion that I was in love with the Z01-B. Everyone at my local track runs either the Losi or Mugen. However, the good guys drive a lot cleaner than I do and can use the "twitchiness" to their advantage where it causes me grief (inherent instability ~= more nimble, IMO).

I went with the second approach and have not regretted my decision. I don't have a local hobby shop that supports 1/8th scale, so I would have had to buy online regardless. A number of people have been impressed with the build quality and I can still get help with setup problems (the best drivers can tune a bathtub on wheels).

The Losi 8ight 2.0 rtr is absolutely the way to go IMO. I am not a fan of rtr cars traditionally but when I saw the package you get with the 2.0 rtr I had to change my mind.

The DX3S is a full featured radio you could use for years and it comes with a starter box that also seems to be excellent quality. There was a guy at the race I was at this weekend running an out the box rtr and he finished all his qualifiers and most likely the main. It looked pretty good on the track for an rtr and the engine sounded like it was purring.

I think having a starter box is going to make anyones first nitro experience a lot easier. Nothing is less fun then yanking a pull start engine that doesnt wanna run.

"Aside from all the Losi love" :lol:

I'm not a "Losi Fanboi" but... there is the Losi RTR which truly does mean "ready to race" (Yes, there are still a couple areas that would benefit from upgrades- shock caps and steering servo, as already mentioned) and then there is every other RTR out there, which comply to the industry standard of "ready to replace."

If you are going to go with a RTR package, the Losi is the only decent option.

If you are going with a "pro kit" (buy the chassis, motor, pipe, electronics all separately) you're going to spend a little more, but then there is a whole world of worthwhile options.

The Losi is a bit on the edgy/twitch side... probably absolutely perfect for someone who raced electric onroad. For an absolute beginner, it might be a bit too much to handle.

Ditto on the LOSI 2.o RTR. Incredible.

I love my losi and the 2.0 RTR is quite a package. You get everything you need even a starter box and a DSM radio. I highly recommend the losi. As for that servo, I ran JR 9100s/t all last year and now I have a hitec 7955. Get the hitec its much smoother. Both are great servos but I still prefer the hitec.

i dont mind a kit car, i was looking to keep the bulk of my purchase around $1000.

going off some of the advice here, i *think* if i went with the rtr losi 8, a new steering servo, shock towers, and some random other workbench accessories, the total was about 850$, leaving me some room for things like fuel and anything else i might need to pick up.

as far as a kit car goes, im fine building one and getting it allset up, my only concern was making the right choices for the power :)