Nitro conversion, Nitro or electric?

[PedeBasher8507]

I am in the process of converting a Mantis to electric. I plan to take it down to Leisure Hours but I want to know if Leisure Hours has a 1/8th elctric class or if I could run with the nitro guys. And can I practice with the nitros and electrics on their practice days?

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

OPEN Practice is open, to any vehicle...they all run at once.

In racing I believe (correct me if I am wrong) they have been adding electric truggies in with nitro, unless there are enough truck to make a class.

[Thirdgen89GTA]

I can't imagine that Nitro will stay as popular as it is considering its pretty much doubled in price. And with the advances in batteries, controllers, and motors electric is quickly outstripping any advantages nitro has over electric. Most tracks will begin to accept electric 1/8th cars into the nitro races until electric classes establish themselves.

[Czech-it-Out Graphics]

Ya electric is great an all, I love the sound of the body clunking off the side guards...sounds so realistic and racey!

[Thirdgen89GTA]

Ya electric is great an all, I love the sound of the body clunking off the side guards...sounds so realistic and racey!

Before the cost of building a nitro vs electric was roughly the same, the electric required more initial investment, but the nitro's upkeep costs (fuel, glow plugs, etc) eventually makes nitro cost more. Plus brushless motors last a LONG time. Now that nitro has doubled it really makes the case to convert to electric.

I will miss the noise ofa screaming 2 stroke engine, but other than that there isn't much about nitro i'll miss.

[jhautz]

Ive been racing electric 1/8 buggy and truggy up there occationally. They have been letting me just run w/ the nitros with no issues. I'm finding that most tracks are pretty decent about it.

Of course you will run into the occational haters, but thats to be expected. Most people are pretty cool about it and many are very curious. I'm sure it will grow over the next year or so and be able to split of into its own class.

[PedeBasher8507]

Cool. Im excited to get this bad boy up. Its coming along but probably wont be done till spring. Thanks for the info though.

[Evil3]

Really there is 2 differnt driving styles needed for racing nitro or electric and each has it's fun points. But with what Thirdgen89GTA said, I can see nitro slowing down, and with the way the econ. is going it might also cause the electric cars to grow (with BL motors and li-po, it really is plug and play now, and the motors and batteries will last a long time). Also the electric cars are faster on the track then the nitro cars. And no Mike you really don't hear the body slap the chassis unless it is a slash, but sometimes when driving you might think your car is off. lol

Ive been racing electric 1/8 buggy and truggy up there occationally. They have been letting me just run w/ the nitros with no issues. I'm finding that most tracks are pretty decent about it.

Of course you will run into the occational haters, but thats to be expected. Most people are pretty cool about it and many are very curious. I'm sure it will grow over the next year or so and be able to split of into its own class.

There is also some tracks that have a electric 8th scale class already, and they get a good sized turn out

[AddictedtoNITRO]

I was just at leisure's store the other day and they told me that byrons is going to $48.00 a gallon. So I sad bye bye nitro's. I'm all electric now. It's nice to clean up. unless you have a leaking shock clean up is done with an air hose lol. No more after run oil tuning etc. I might have to change my screen name lol

[DAVEC-NITRO-RS4]

$48/gallon...that UK pricing there. wow.

[jhautz]

Really there is 2 differnt driving styles needed for racing nitro or electric and each has it's fun points. But with what Thirdgen89GTA said, I can see nitro slowing down, and with the way the econ. is going it might also cause the electric cars to grow (with BL motors and li-po, it really is plug and play now, and the motors and batteries will last a long time). Also the electric cars are faster on the track then the nitro cars. And no Mike you really don't hear the body slap the chassis unless it is a slash, but sometimes when driving you might think your car is off. lol



There is also some tracks that have a electric 8th scale class already, and they get a good sized turn out

In all honesty I dont really think that the electric is really faster, it just has a little more punch on the low end and requires a bit less run up on the jumps and stuff. Faster really boils down to the driver IMO. Like you said the electrics and nitros require a very different driving style. I have been driving electric for so long I cant get a nitro around the track worth as $h!t at all. Of course you could probably argue that I cant get my electric around worth a $h!t either. lol

Fast laps are more a function of driver skill and car setup IMO. Heck most of the truggy drivers run a .21 instead of a .28 becasue they can turn faster more consistent laps with the smaller motor.


Yea there are a few tracks that are running 1/8 electric classes already. I went to a track in Michigan earlier this summer that runs a 1/8 buggy electric class and they had more electric 1/8 than nitro 1/8 buggies. Unfortunatly this isnt the case in most places yet, but the class will grow and hopefully it wont be to long before we can get a regular enough turn out that we can run our own class. Although, I dont mind running with the Nitros for now. I like watching the fastest guys and seeing what they do to get around the track. I learn alot from racing with them. I know there are some of the nitro guys that it just pisses off, but I'm not really sure why. Its not like I'm out there winning anything from them or hurting their lap times or anything. Whatever... At this point I just like to race but dont want to deal with the cleanup and tuning of the nitros so electric works for me.

[MX_KEVIN]

$48 a gallon? Is that the price now? Holly cow ive been away too long. I can see that taking the fun out of the hobby for alot of people...I thought those big lipos were pricey but if a gal. is $48 those battery prices arnt so bad.

[victor v]

imho. i think electric 1/8 scale is just weird and wrong. Leave these cars the way they are. Whats wrong with electric 1/10 scale like some mod buggy or truck.

[Czech-it-Out Graphics]

the price went up because of the olympics in china, it should come back down. I agree leave 1/8th scale buggy and truggy nitro like it was meant to be

[AddictedtoNITRO]

Yea thats what scott at lh told me. I'm definatly sticking with electric for now

[jhautz]

imho. i think electric 1/8 scale is just weird and wrong. Leave these cars the way they are. Whats wrong with electric 1/10 scale like some mod buggy or truck.

the price went up because of the olympics in china, it should come back down. I agree leave 1/8th scale buggy and truggy nitro like it was meant to be

People were saying the same thing in the 80's when people were converting electric cars to nitro with conversion kits to kick off the nitro boom.

[Czech-it-Out Graphics]

so why revert back to the old times? lol hey more power to you guys for being innovative, mad props for all the homemade conversions etc. That is exactly how the truggy class got started. But I still would rather be kicked in the balls several times than watch a half hour main of buggy or truggy and not hear a single motor rev

[PedeBasher8507]

Alright I wana run electric leave me be. You like nitro and I dont have a problem. And running 1/10th truck or buggy would be too expensive according to what I added up. Between the cost of starting with a bare roller, new electronics, another Spekky reciever and batteries on top of a charger would be pushing $450-$500. The nitro conversion would be cheaper because I can get a nice truck for a 5th its price new. It seemed like a cheaper and fun-er route to go. Alright, Im only 12 and wana do something cool. Nitro just isnt my thing.

[Evil3]

Mike, the electric 8th scale cars really arn't quite like you think, as they run metal spurs, and pinions (they take the place the clutch set-up), and when the motor rev's up it just sonunds cool. I would rather run the 8th scales in nitro only, but I have drove a few of the electric cars, and they are a blast to drive.


jhautz, yes there are a few tracks that run them, but very few as of now. Also the track you were thinking of is embassy raceway (also I am sure you seen me out there (I think I was pitting near you guy's). I was running my T4 (the truck in my avatar that is in front of the other one)). BTW some of the guys who have them are planing on going over to LHR in about a month or 2 once the indoor electric starts to go strong.

[jhautz]

so why revert back to the old times? lol hey more power to you guys for being innovative, mad props for all the homemade conversions etc. That is exactly how the truggy class got started. But I still would rather be kicked in the balls several times than watch a half hour main of buggy or truggy and not hear a single motor rev

Its not reverting.... Its evolving.


And a half hour is to long. 15-20 minutes is about the limit for runtime on 1/8 electric right now. Nobody is pushing you to run electric and nitro it's not going anywhere. At this point I am just looking for a place to race my electric 1/8 until it grows into it's own class. It'll happen sooner or later but for now I'm just glad that LH and other tracks are cool enough to let us participate until that happens. Plus seeing them run helps get people interested in them to help the class grow.

[Czech-it-Out Graphics]

Mike I have seen it before, Ive seen a bunch of electric buggys on the track and I know what the sound like Ive even driven one, just doesnt have the cool factor for me.

Hey if its what u guys want to run go for it, I just hope it doesnt take over is all im saying. I have no problem whooping up on a car that goes whizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz with some BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP

[jhautz]

I don't think you have to worry about nitro going anywhere anytime soon.

[Evil3]

I would agree, nitro will stay around, but it might slow down for a few years, but I am sure it will begoing strong later again.


I hear ya MC Hammer, that is why there is electric and nitro cars, and even gas cars, as everyone likes somthing differnt. As for me I like all of them, but fundings limit me to the electric cars.