Worlds first 8th scale E-Buggy Conversion Kit

[Mr. Constructor]

Hi People,

as i was working the past 5-6 months on them they´re finally ready, the first conversion kits for 8th scale buggys.
The Patent is done now, so i could begin to post some pics of the conv. kits.

As you might see in the first pics it is really a very and extreme small width car, but it stays within the rules for racing !!

Here are a few features :

- 6-12 cells sub c size
- full carbon upper and lower chassis
- special lower carbon chassis with patented construction out of several materials
- suitable motors: any 540/550 or similar sized motors (36 mm diameter and up to 60mm long, with 3,17; 4 or 5 mm Shaft) brushless or brushed style
- new patented battery holder system fully integrated
- constant shaft drive (slipper is available as an Option)
- totally rebuildable and very easy to wrench on, all parts are reachable without having anything "built away"
- extreme strenght and very lightweight (2,3 kg (and above) without batterys, but fully drive ready
- extremely small due to patented chassis design (much much smaller than any nitro 8th buggy)
- 3-4 (depends on conversion kit) main gears to choose from (1 in the kit, other as an option)
- 12-17T pinions in Steel modul 1 for the motor available (1 in the kit, others as an option, all available as3,17mm; 4 or even 5mm)
- available as a full car or conversion kit only
- Buggy style body with undertray soon available (as an option, the old bodies could be used either)
- sizes overall fit the International 8th scale rules
- for racing or bashing either
- available for several cars and in several lenghts
The Conversion kit is available for the following cars:

Hot Bodies:
Lightning 1 ( and RTR and Pro Version)
Lightning 2 (and RTR and Pro Version)
Lightning Stadium Truck (and Pro Version, long wheelbase for better stability and up to 14 cells and a longer motor (up to 70 mm can))
Lightning GT

Carson:
King of Dirt 1 4WD (also the Pro Version)
King of Dirt 2 4WD (also the Pro Version)
Rockwilder (longer chassis wheelbase)
Mud Master 2WD
SOON: for the new SUPERSCALE series !!

Ofna/Ho Bao/Jamara/Graupner and others:
Ultra MBX 4WD Chassis (RTR, Pro or pre-built version)
Ultra LX Chassis (RTR, Pro or pre-built version)
SOON: Megalith Truck Chassis (with 1 or 2 Motors !! maybe even with up to 24 cells!!)

GS Racing:

Storm 4WD (all Versions)
SUT (all Versions)

SOON: HPI Savage and Jamara/Trinity Macho/Spider 4WD Truck (should be with the 2 speed !! and maybe up to 18 cells)

SOON: AX 5 4WD Buggy, Stadium and Tuck Chassis (all Versions)- 6-12 cells sub c size

Several others will follow, the Production has begun (not that fast, but it started ;-) )
I still have too much to do and the time is always too less, i would feel very pleased to you if you could post any questions here and not mail them to me, as many questions might interest many people.


Hopefully this conversion might be a small goodie for you !!

(ah- before i forgot: the screws are fully 8.8 Niro steel and they´re very long lasting, much better than the normal used ones in most kits !!)
All parts are made out of finest materials, the slipper shown in the Prototype is available as an Option, a 3rd Diff wich fits into this small area is in the development either.

Feel free to email me if there are any special conversion questions (maybe: could you make type X that is not listed or so)

Now we start with pics:

[Mr. Constructor]

As you might have seen it has a very low CG, but it is very small too when it comes to width, thus giving it a good stability on the course.
The new Body will use the smaller shape better than shown here at the Prototype, but this Body wasn´t ready for showing.

[Mr. Constructor]

And here it is with the Body on, don´t think that the Pics are too low light, this was extra used.
The Body is extremely flat and the overall highest point on the body is around 20mm lower than on any Nitro, even with this not well suited body, there´s room for more !!

[Mr. Constructor]

and here you could see a little more of the inner parts, everything was constructed to reach every part without having something re-screwed
every setup function is reachable and as you see the packs are very good centered, only the shaft has to run through them.
The weight was good centered, normally the place between the Servo and the Undertray is used for weight if needed (same with the place under the Shaft) but normally the max. weight difference will be around 40 gr left to right, any nitro will have lots more and they drive perfectly even with that bigger amount !!

The car was tested on several pavements, it ran very fast depending on surface and electircs off course, but speeds (in race trim, not High speed trim) of up to 90 km/h are possible.

[rstnboy]

That looks awesome! Something like this is exaclty what I have been thinking about since my conversion weighed way to much for the stock suspension to handle. I suppose the question on everyone's mind is "How much and when will it be available?"

I don't see where the steering servo mounts. Maybe I just missed it but I don't see it.

[glassdoctor]

Very nice design MrC!

Is there a center support for the long front shaft?
Where is the servo to mount?
Is that your own custom body set?

[Simen123]

That looks great!
Do you have a price estimate?
thanks,
Simen

[sugs]

Looks good Mr. C. Hopefully Starluck will import some of these.

[Mr. Constructor]

The Servo is mounted under the receiver in these pics hard to see, the linkage rod will be out of 8.8 niro steel, that wouldn´t flex or bend or beeing damaged in any way.

The Shaft is ball beared in the center bulkhead of the original cars center diff holder (it needs to be trimmed very little and i will state the correct measurements in my manual)

the prices vary with the lenght of the car: the short versions (all buggys generally) is 240 Euro, the longer Truck versions (wich are up to 370 mm in Wheelbase compared to the 330mm on the Buggys) will be 260 Euro, and there will be Superscale 6ths Versions either with up to 415 mm Wheelbase, these ones are for street use, but they might be even used for offroad.
These Versions will be 300Euro, but will take up to 18 cells then and thus resulting in a fully ready to drive weight of under 4,8 kg !!!

Availability will be soon, as my Production starts these days.
The Kits might be first purchased directly, but i do have already spoken with Jamie about getting the Kits to the USA !!!

I´ll soon Postnew Pics of the Drivetrain and more Detailed things.

[Rtsbasic]

Very impressive. I would be interested in a kit for a GS Racing Storm in a few weeks if they're avilable at that point.

[WheelNut]

Very, very nice. When you think about the price it is actually quite good! If you pick up something like a HB lightening 2 rtr you can basically sell off everything except the suspensions which would most likely give you about 180-200euros. So if you start with a new kit it wouldnt really be all that expensive! (In theory at least )

I'm wondering are you working on one of these chassis that will fit on a Hong Nor 9.5? If not mabye I will just buy a HB lightening 2. One more thing, how thick is the carbon fiber?

[Mr. Constructor]

@b3racer:

shouldn´t be a Problem, feel free to email me whenever you have a Question on it !!
(i do have very vew pics of the GS Storm ready, but i will show a few tomorrow !! (including some other details all the kits have ))

@WheelNut:

yes that is the way of thinking, the most parts aren´t needed any more you´re absolutely right, maybe someone needs some spare parts , hey we´re driving electric !! ;-)

j/k over now, the conversion kit totally replaces the entire middle section in these cars, the upper plate is 2 mm but that was a planned thing: the lower plate is 2-4 mm depending on wich part you´re looking, as i told it is a patented chassis design wich really is new thing !!
so the main thickness is 4mm, the battery holders are almost the same height (around 4.5 mm due to the strap velcro used here)

and yes i do have planneda 9.5 conversion, but i still haven´t had the time to do it really, the patent and the production a.so. really eats up almost all time now (hmm, OK little is reserved for sleeping and my Wife !!) ;-)

feel free to email me any time you like, i will try to solve any question on these systems !!

[Rtsbasic]

Looking forward to any pics you have of a GS Storm with the conversion fitted I've been seriously thinking of getting one this year as my local hobby shop stocks a lot of parts for them which means less waiting If I could get one, sell off the unnecessary parts (ebay is the way of the future), and buy one of your conversion kits, I'd be sorted Not a bad price at all once you think about what you can make back on the parts it replaces. Wonder if my new Mtroniks brushless kit would be up to the job of shifting it without thermalling. How much approx do you think a 1:8 buggy like the storm would weigh with your kit fitted but with no electronics fitted (rolling chassis)?

[paperclipracer]

um your not the first one to do this but its ok

[ElectricThunder]

To make conversion kits for 1/8th buggies? I think he's the first to produce them as a buildable "kit", but certainly not the first to convert them from nitro to electric.

Very nice BTW Mr. C!

[Combatcm]

When you patent the chassis, what exactly do you safeguard your design from. Does this mean other companies can't make their own?

[ElectricThunder]

Originally Posted by Combatcm

When you patent the chassis, what exactly do you safeguard your design from. Does this mean other companies can't make their own?

I'm guessing he's patenting the design of the chassis, I.E.- the CF main piece and the plastic battery holders? Looks like a larger 1/10 scale ST chassis to me (reminds me of the T3 or rusty).

[TimisTim]

Originally Posted by paperclipracer

um your not the first one to do this but its ok

I have not seen anything like this before. You may be talking about the SUT, but I have never seen a carbon fiber chassis electric conversion. There may have been a couple but they were never of this quality.

Looks dang good Mr.C. My internet goes down for a few days and I come back to this! It is awesome, I swear my heart skipped a beat. I cant wait for a class for these.

[Mr. Constructor]

@b3racer:

here is a Pic of the Strom Prototype, several small internal changes over the Lightning Proto showed above.
I will also attach a Pic with the Lightning Proto showing the weight !!
(the Others are similar, maybe a few gramms here or there difference.)
I weighted it, the weight less any electrics was slightly under 2000 gramm (1960 exactly)
The Mtroniks combo is only able to pull out up to 10 cells, these will easily fit in the car, but the small (short) motorcan and the 1/8 shaft will be the weak parts, these small shafts tend to break under heavy load, a 5mm is recommended for 8th scale use.

@paperclipracer:
I am not the first one in building vonversion kits, and severl people built their own, but these are the first kits available for everybody and for converting the 8th scale buggys.

@Combatcm; ElectricThunder:

The Chassis itself (the alignment of the electrical Components) and several construction details are patented, the Battery holder system too.
(not the use of the Velcro tape, that isn´t the new thing at all, the holder itself is intergrated into the chassis for example.)

There are other details patented too.
Like the overall new chassisplate design as the plate is constructed out of more than only carbon, there are other materials used too.

So as i do have several other pics to show more details, here they are.

[Mr. Constructor]

Here´s the Drivetrain showed in more Detailed Form, here are one of the Patented things used.
Overall you could see that the whole system is very small and the place was used mostly.

in the Production kits the room behind the Servo (under the Receiver) is used to stuck weight here for the left right balance if whised, there is also a front rear weight balance possible: room for weight was left under the shaft so you could dial in front or rear weight too.

There are 2 ways to mount the transponder: the personal one goes in front of the middle diff holder (right under the beginning of the back shaft end) or the normal transponder will go into a holder that will be mounted on the topdeck plate (not shown, the Storm already has it)

[Mr. Constructor]

Sorry for the low pic quality, the limit of the server is the smallest part here.
but the next one shows a fully equipped Proto, only the Batterys are missing, to be fair: this is the all equipped Proto, the Production Units will be little more weight (200 gr or around more) i did use titan, delrin, carbon and other materials on all possible places to get a lightweight car, some of these parts will be available soon as an Option Part.

[Mr. Constructor]

The converted Ultra MBX or LX Chassis from Ofna looks this way now:
(as you could see there is the same basic design found, but the cars specific parts where used to create it.
That´s the reasonh why i am in the making of other kits for different more cars, they all have their own specific parts and need several specific solutions in some areas. this takes time and the testing and building a Proto is a major point, as i only will sell these kits if they´re tested once !!

[Key]

MrConstructor those prototypes look very nice, but they look like they are built specifically for use with nimh cells. Will you carry option parts or maybe additional kits that are Lithium Polymer friendly?

Also, in my opinion the original "center" transmission design on the buggies I think is a better choice when useing lithium packs as they are usually seated on one side. Another point is power distribution from the center.

I don't mean to sound negative, this is a huge leap for rc - I just tend to favor the LithiumP. and Brushless combination for many many reasons.

[rstnboy]

The Ofna MBX R2 rolling chassis and body are available brand new from a couple of different places for $180. You could keep the front and rear suspension assemblies and sell off the chassis, center diff, and miscellaneous parts it comes with for around $70 - $80 on ebay. Then combine your new suspension assemblies with this kit at 240 euro/$303 (today's exchange rate) and have a really nice setup. Based on the full chassis weight listed above (2450 grams/86 oz) and 12 GP3300s (roughly 850 grams/30 oz), the total would be 3300 grams/115 oz or just a tad over 7 pounds. This is actually a good weight for an electric and shouldn't tax/destroy the suspension components on the big jumps too much. You might even be able to use one of the 400 size brushless motors with it without too much trouble.

Or, just pure conjecture here, how about 10 GP2200 cells (roughly 566 grams/20 oz) and a Feigao 400 series 8S (4934 kv/volt) for a total weight of 3016 grams/96 oz or 6 pounds (or maybe slightly less because the 400 motor weighs less than the 540). Now the question is, can a 400 move a 6 pound car with any kind of authority? Someone a while back used one on an E-Maxx and it seemed to work, although obviously not as well as a 540 size. I hate it when I have time to think about this stuff...my bank account always lets out a tormented groan

As Key stated, you could even go lipo to save even more weight.

[ronin8451]

One major question: Is the stock front chassis kick-up intact? This makes a MAJOR difference in handling on a 1/8 scale buggy, especially on rough tracks. With no chassis kick-up, the front of the car will want to "dig" into the faces of jumps and catch ruts and whoops and generally will not handle any rough section good at all.

I love the look of your layout, but if I read this correct you have no center diff., which will also make the car understeer coming out of corners when applying power. You might look into using a center diff. for racing, but the bashers will like it.
Good luck and looking forward to seeing one of these in the USA !