XRAY 808 Customer Review

James A. from Gilbert, AZ bought an XRAY 808 from us several weeks ago. He later sent us photos of his 808 and we posted those to this blog and on RC XRAY. James has sent us his personal review of the 808 and we think it is worth sharing.

"I started out in Nitro RC 8 years ago with a ready-to-run 1/8 scale buggy, mostly because I wanted a Remote control toy that goes really fast. I had no clue what I was doing or what I was getting into. 2 years ago, here in the Phoenix area of Arizona, The Nitro Pit was born. It is one of the largest off-road RC race tracks in the country and when I finally got the chance to drive my outdated 1/8 scale buggy on that track for the first time, I realized that to truly enjoy this off-road raceway I would need a better suited vehicle. 8 years and 9 vehicles after my first ever Nitro RC, I had the pleasure of buying and building my first real racing machine.

After a year of practice and research I decided to go with the XRAY 808 buggy. With all my years in the hobby, the 808 was only the third kit I have ever built. All my other vehicles were all ready-to run, as I still take much more pleasure in the actual driving than anything else.

When my kit arrived, I could see it was worthy of my hard earned money. The manual was exact and precise with detailed information, great illustrations, and tips and tricks to assure that my build was just as meticulous as an expert model builder. The box was full of machined aluminum, top quality graphite, and HUDY Spring Steel. I was very impressed with the step by step process. The bags of parts were all clearly labeled to coordinate with the building instructions and once I got started, the entire build took less than 8 hours.

Throughout the build, the two things that repeatedly fought their way to the foreground were the two very same reasons I decided to choose XRAY to begin with: the quality of the parts and their fit and finish. The composite pieces came off the trees in most occasions with no sanding or filing needed. It was as if XRAY had a secret formula to make the parts jump off the trees as you needed them. Part A slid onto part B time and time again with no sanding, no filing, no forcing, and best of all, no slop. Usually when parts go together this well, there is an area of dead space which in turn makes the parts fit better.


XRAY found a way to make it all fit as snug as possible while still maintaining the ease of fitting. I was also very pleased with the way parts of different materials fit together. It is truly an art to get different composites to fit as precise as these do. Once my build was complete, I was so pleased with the finished project; it took me awhile to get it dirty. I spent almost a full month just enjoying the sight of this awesome piece of machinery. My other buggy got abused and then neglected while the 808 shined on my shelf waiting to come alive.


Once I finally did decide to take her to the track, all the things I was expecting and hoping for were not only realized, but far exceeded my expectations. My very first lap around The Nitro Pit with my new 808 was a full 4 seconds faster than any of my other vehicles. The faster I got the more I pushed it and the more I pushed it, the more it showed me how it can take a beating and come back for more. I am dumbfounded that after numerous crashes and cartwheels, I have not broken 1 part of this amazing machine.

With all the positive aspects of the XRAY 808 buggy, there are also a few things that I think can be improved upon. The chassis is very narrow to keep the weight evenly distributed along the driveline. This makes the spacing of components very tight and difficult to work on. The differentials are not easy to access, as you almost need to take apart the entire front or rear of the car to get to them. In order to attach the front or rear end, you need small pliers to position the CVD’s to line up with the center diff. Unless you have 3 hands this process is extremely difficult. It’s actually easier to remove the center differential with the front or rear end, so re-assembly is less difficult. I am also not fond of the receiver box. The battery sits right next to the engine with all that heat looking for something to burn. I also find the battery housing a little tight and very difficult to open and close.


The last area of disappointment is anti-squat adjustment, meaning there is none. I was forced to purchase optional, aluminum, expensive, hinge-pin holders in order to adjust the buggies anti-squat, front and rear. These optional parts also require extensive rebuild. You have to take apart the entire front/rear end in order to install them.


None of the aforementioned setbacks will ever separate me from my XRAY. This buggy, drives, handles, and jumps, better than anything I have ever seen or driven. The minor nuisances are slight when compared with the performance, quality, and value that comes with every 808 off the production line. This is just another example that there is no such thing as the perfect buggy. If there was, we wouldn’t have to buy new ones every so often. But the XRAY 808 comes as close as I have found."

James Allara
Gilbert, Arizona