OFNA Hyper 7 Pro

Radio Control Car Action, Oct 2001 by Hastings, Bob

Graphite, aluminum, purple-oh my!

Once considered an experienced-racers-only niche category, 1/8-scale buggies are becoming a fast-growing segment of mainstream RC. OFNA's role in the popularity of the big buggies can be traced back to the days of its original HODR. The Hyper 7 Pro is the first vehicle to follow OFNA's Ultra series of buggies and is designed to stand alongside its present vehicles as a two-pronged approach to 1/8-scale success. With its purple-anodized accents and extensive graphite treatment, this buggy unquestionably looks like a trench fighter. I was eager to get it dirty.

DATA CENTER

VEHICLE TYPE 1/8-scale nitropowered 4WD competition off-road buggy kit

BEST BUYER Intermediate off-road enthusiast who is looking for an 1/8-scale competition vehicle

KIT RATINGS (poor, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent)

Instructions Excellent

Parts fit and finish Very good

Durability Very good

Overall performance Good

SPECIFICATIONS

MANUFACTURER OFNA

MODEL Hyper 7 Pro

SCALE 1/8

STREET PRICE $450 (not including engine)

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase 12.48 in. (317mm)

Width 11.97 in. (304mm)

WEIGHT

Total, as tested 121.28 oz. (3,437g)

CHASSIS

Type Stamped plate with upper bracing

Material 7075 aluminum

DRIVE TRAIN

Type 4WD shaft-driven

Primary Clutch bell/spur gear

Drive shafts (F/R) CVA universals/dogbones

Differentials Bevel gear

Bearing type Rubber-sealed ball bearings

SUSPENSION

Type (F/R) Lower Warm with upper A-arm/lower Warm with camber link

Damping Aluminum fluid-damped coil-over shocks

WHEELS

Type OFNA one-piece 5-spoke

TIRES

Type OFNA multi-pin

ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES

(Engine not included)

Air-filter element OFNA

Fuel capacity 125cc

Manifold OFNA round port

Pipe OFNA Pirate EFRA 0511

LIKES

Full-color, CAD-illustrated instructions.

Plenty of purple-anodized components.

Smooth operating drive train.

DISLIKES

Flexible suspension arms.

Front upper arms should have turnbuckles.

Front tires can balloon and strike the body.

building & setup tips

The Hyper 7 Pro's instructions set a new benchmark for ease of reading. The colorful CAD illustrations go beyond the clearest photo or the most precise illustration or line drawing. As with all 1/8-scale buggies, it's important to be mindful of the details. Here are a few things to pay particular attention to.

Thread-lock. Don't be stingy here. Pick up a new tube of the blue hobby-grade stuff at the hobby shop, and get rid of your old thread-lock. Depending on the manufacturer, aging thread-lock can chemically separate and become useless.

Radio gear. Plan your new 'A buggy around a high-quality FM radio set with an upgraded steering servo. You're buying a fast, fun car, so get a radio that will keep you out of the boards and can handle the berms, too.

Tire mounting. I like the slotted bead rim that's used on 1/8-scale buggies. I find it easiest to use a good-quality tire glue and then wrap the entire tread lengthwise with masking tape and leave the tire upright until the glue dries. To prevent the glue from becoming brittle, don't use kicker.

After-run maintenance. Establish a regimen that covers cleaning, inspecting and maintaining the entire chassis, engine and drive train. You're in the big leagues now, so it should be second nature to check all of the fasteners, lube the rotational components and generally keep the buggy in like-new condition.

YOU'LL NEED

Transmitter and receiver

Steering and throttle serves

Receiver battery

.21 engine

PolyCarbonate-compatible paint

Fuel

Fuel bottle

Glow igniter

Thread-locking compound

Starter box

FACTORY OPTIONS

4mm chassis-part no. 87313

Torsen differential (F&R)-87325

Torsen differential (center)-87326

ALUMINUM PARTS:

Rear uprght-87308

Torque rods (F/R)-87309/87310

Rear stay and wing post-87311

4mm washer and screw set-87312

Rear arm turnbuckle-8314

Steering knuckle turnbuckle-87315

Bail mount for rear bottom arm-8?317

Battery cover-87324

KIT FEATURES

* Chassis. The Hyper 7 Pro is equipped with a 3.Smm channeled lower aluminum plate that provides plenty of rigidity. The front has been engineered with slight kick-up, and all of the hex-type screws are fully countersunk. The chassis has two large purple-anodized aluminum reinforcing braces; the front one runs just forward of the center diff to the upper steering/nose plate. In the rear, the chassis brace runs from behind the center diff back to a crossbar on the rear wing mount. Large dirt shields are fastened to the channeled side portions of the chassis so you'll leave as much dirt on the racetrack as you can. On the subject of shields, a large center fence alongside the fuel tank provides a handy fuel-filter location and protects the brakes and servos from being drenched by overzealous helpers during pit stops. A 2.Smm graphite and glass laminated radio tray supports an enclosed radio box/switch mount, transponder mount and separate battery box on the right side of the buggy. This configuration makes post-race cleanup a snap because you'll only have to take off the servo-output arms and seven chassis hex-screws to remove all the electronics from the car.