Questions questions...

[Skye]

These questions, or ones very similar have probably been asked before so I apologise in advance but I was just hoping to get some advice and opinions that are all in one place and current.

If I go back to the beginning, about 4 or 5 years ago I bought a second hand Xray XB8 and loved it, but to be honest I was ignorant to what was required. I had never owned a nitro before, and with it coming as a rolling chassis I didn't have a clue how it went together. The shop I bought it from also fitted a second hand engine, pipe and radio gear for me so it was effectively a ready to run by the time I got my hands on it.

This was great as someone who just wanted to pick it up and play, but I never considered the maintenance or preparation side of things at all. When I wanted a play, I filled her up and ragged it around the field/car park/garden and when it was done I put it back in the box until next time. Knowing what I know now from my experience with Electric 1/10 buggies I know this was shameful behaviour, but I didn't know any better at the time.

I have been enjoying my racing of the 1/10 buggies for the last 9 months since I took up racing properly, but I still feel like there is unfinished business with 1/8 nitro and almost like I need to make amends for my shocking lack of respect to my XB8 which was a fantastic car and deserved better.

So, enough of the waffle…. What I need to know is whether I can A, afford it and B, do I have enough knowledge to maintain the car.

Relating to the cost, how much typically does it cost to buy a kit from new and then buy everything necessary to have it up and running. I sold the XB8 last year and (perhaps foolishly) just offloaded everything. So the starter box, glow plug, radio gear, everything went which means I now would have to start from scratch. I know the cost is what you make it to a degree, but I would want kit good enough first time rather than buying cheap and then needing/wanting to upgrade everything a few weeks or months down the line. What car do people suggest, and also what options on everything else that is needed to run it.

The second element to the cost is the maintenance and general spend required to keep it running. Currently I only spend (with the exception of big one off spends like new ESC or luxuries like hop ups which are obviously optional) my monthly running costs for 1/10 electric are little more a couple of sets of tires/inserts/wheels per month so we are talking about £100 per month tops.

What would I need to spend per month on maintaining a 1/8 to race standard. How often are new tires required and how much does it cost to replace a set of tires/wheels/inserts? How long does an engine last before it needs replacing, are the any other parts that are subjected to a lot of wear that need regular replacements purchasing? If so, what are they and what do they typically cost?

This moves us on nicely to the second element of my questioning, the maintenance. When I started racing 1/10 electric last summer I knew zero about set up, maintenance and repair of my car. I now know a little, but it is only a little. Fortunately with brushless motors and LiPo power I don't need to know much about general maintenance. The car is kept clean and free running with strip downs, cleaning, lubrication and things like diff and shock rebuilds. That is probably as far as my car maintenance extends currently.

Is there a lot more maintenance required for nitro, and what sort of thing is it? Is it something that a complete novice can carry out for themselves, or will I be left swearing and cursing as I pull my hair out trying to work out what the hell I should doing? How long (again typically) do you need to spend per week on maintenance and preparation. Assuming nothing is broken, just general wear and tear, how much time do you spend on your cars?

I did very nearly buy a HPI trophy RTR at the weekend, but thought better of it as if I get a nitro again I want it to be more than just for bashing. With that in mind, what cars would people recommend? I don't know much at all about the merits of the various cars on offer. Obviously I am aware of the XRay cars (not sure on the appearance of the XB9) as well as the Losi 8 and the JQ car, but I don't know many of the other options and also don't know how good or bad the ones I mentioned are.

I appreciate that this is a lot of questions and that it has probably all been asked before, but I am just trying get all the information together in one place so I can make a decision on whether to dip my toe back into the waters of 1/8 nitro or whether to stick with my 1/10 electric only.

Thanks in advance!