Hello!
Now I'm not any expert on 1:8 brushless conversions, but everybody seems to recommend the new Mamba Monster ESC instead of the Novak combo. First of all the Mamba Monster is pretty cheap (only 170$ on
RC-Monster!!). For the moment there are only the ESC on the market but CC will soon release a ESC/motor combo for about 300$ with a NEU motor.
For the LiPos Orion are good, 4s is minimum in a 1:8 converted buggy or truggy. But if you want insane power
Unitedhobbies has some REALLY cheap Polyquest LiPos which are about the best LiPos on the market (same cells as in the Flightpower series)! For around 150$-250$ you get a 4500-6000mAh PQ LiPo.
Good luck with your project! 1:8 converted trucks and buggies are ACE!
Cheers!
Tobbe