Bringing my Losi back from the grave...

[James.S]

So I was paying a visit to my old man today and I thought that it was about time we dug out my old nitro car from its grave (the loft), where it's been sitting peacefully collecting dust for at least the last 10 years...

 

So we headed out to the garage on a mission to find my monster truck, the fast, loud, smelly bashing machine that I used to love ripping around my local track & jumps when I was around 13-15 years old. Luckily, it didn't take us long at all to find it. The loft space in my dads garage is pretty large, probably around 150 sq ft, but it only took us 5 or 10 minutes of moving boxes out of the way and lo & behold, there she was! My Losi LST2. Strangely enough it actually seems bigger than I remember it... For a 1/8th scale this RC has a really big presence!

 

So anyway I brought it back home with me, and into my garage. By then it was pitch black outside but I managed to get a couple of quick snaps with the flash on. 

 

(The lighter is there for size comparison)

 

 

I'm really thrilled to have my old Losi back again 😁 but still a bit unsure about what to do with it... 

I'm in two minds really. Part of me really wants to try and get it running again and relive some of my former glory annoying everyone down at my local park... the other part wants to sell it to someone who's still into their nitros and wants to take it on as a project. 

Though I don't think it will really need too much work, just the engine is the main thing ofcourse. I'm guessing after sitting for 10 years (probably more like 12-14) that the engine is most likely seized and will want rebuilding, + flushing out all the old fuel, get a new glow plug, battery etc. But everything else on it should be sound.

 

That's about it really. I guess there may be a few of you that also own of these, or maybe they're quite rare now? I'm not really sure, but i do know that it was a top of the range monster truck for its time, and it's possible that they could be quite sought-after now?

 

So, what do you reckon then? I'm interested to see what you all have to say 👍

 

[m4inbrain]

Try and get it running again, keep and enjoy it.

 

Trying to sell it will inevitably end in disappointment. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOSI-LST2-1-8th-SCALE-RADIO-CONTROLLED-NITRO-MONSTER-TRUCK-/143765226917?hash=item21791345a5%3Ag%3A8CsAAOSwt8NfdaVQ&nma=true&si=EmDao4wVdyK4Uw4lfINRtmNkgbw%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

They sell for around £100 to £150 on ebay. Good ones. Easy thing to do in these cases is to go to ebay, search for Losi LST2 (or whatever you'd like to check), and then click "sold listings" on the bottom left, gives you a ballpark estimate what the particular item goes for roughly.

 

I'm not into nitro (only had one and couldn't get on with the noise), but if you still are, i'd keep it and fix it. 

[James.S]

11 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

Try and get it running again, keep and enjoy it.

 

Trying to sell it will inevitably end in disappointment. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOSI-LST2-1-8th-SCALE-RADIO-CONTROLLED-NITRO-MONSTER-TRUCK-/143765226917?hash=item21791345a5%3Ag%3A8CsAAOSwt8NfdaVQ&nma=true&si=EmDao4wVdyK4Uw4lfINRtmNkgbw%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

They sell for around £100 to £150 on ebay. Good ones. Easy thing to do in these cases is to go to ebay, search for Losi LST2 (or whatever you'd like to check), and then click "sold listings" on the bottom left, gives you a ballpark estimate what the particular item goes for roughly.

 

I'm not into nitro (only had one and couldn't get on with the noise), but if you still are, i'd keep it and fix it. 

 

Yes, I think you're probably right. If I could only get £150 for it then it would indeed be a disappointing sale. It's certainly worth more to me than that. Until I do get it running again I won't know if it's just nostalgia that makes me want to hold on to it, or if it's an RC that I can still use & enjoy despite its age.

 

The LST on the Ebay listing that you linked there seems to be slightly different to mine. I know it has an aftermarket body but what I noticed is the engine block. I think they had made a couple versions of this truck and that one has the smaller motor. Mines a 427 if that helps. Its also missing a cover over the gearbox that mine has. And the wheels are different too but I guess that those on the listing are an aftermarket option. 

 

So yes, I think mine is a slightly better spec than that one and probably has had less use. I've seen them go for closer to £250-£300 before, which for me would almost make it worth selling. But I think for now I will keep it, try and get it running again, see how much I enjoy using it & then decide what to do from there.

 

Thank you for your input mate, it's much appreciated 

[m4inbrain]

Engine nomenclature doesn't mean anything to me, i know the 4.6 in my old trophy truggy and that's about it

 

I don't think that a different nitro engine doubles the value though. I of course could be wrong, but from what i can tell by ebay listings, the ballpark i stated seems more realistic than £300. I've seen one on fb marketplace for £250, mint with spare engine - hasn't sold in two months. 

 

Honestly, if it was your first RC, i'd simply restore it to "new" and run it as a shelf queen. I'd not sell it either for that kind of money. Or, convert it and enjoy it as a "new" RC. 

[supersavage]

There's a good owners thread on here that might be worth a look through 👍

 

[James.S]

1 hour ago, supersavage said:

There's a good owners thread on here that might be worth a look through 👍

 

Ah awesome! Thank you mate 👍 I will have a look through that later on today.

 

2 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

Engine nomenclature doesn't mean anything to me, i know the 4.6 in my old trophy truggy and that's about it

 

I don't think that a different nitro engine doubles the value though. I of course could be wrong, but from what i can tell by ebay listings, the ballpark i stated seems more realistic than £300. I've seen one on fb marketplace for £250, mint with spare engine - hasn't sold in two months. 

 

Honestly, if it was your first RC, i'd simply restore it to "new" and run it as a shelf queen. I'd not sell it either for that kind of money. Or, convert it and enjoy it as a "new" RC. 

 

Me neither, haha. But I just looked up a guide on nitro engine sizes and I believe that the '.427' is the size of the engine in cubic inches, which is around 7cc. More cc's than I thought actually.  

 

Yes very true, I also don't think that just having a different engine will increase the price by that much. But I think there may be other differences apart from the ones I've listed. As you can probably tell im not too clued on these, but I feel like the LST I have is a later version of the model with some revised features/upgrades over the orginial '2.0'. Anyway, i'm sure that I can educate myself more and find out all this stuff on the thread linked by @supersavage.

 

It was my second ever RC, but thats close enough. It does hold a lot of sentimental value for me. I don't have my very first one anyway (HPI Rush Evo) as I sold it to a friend for a bit of money towards the Losi. So yeah, I agree with what you said. Restoring it & keeping it as a shelf queen is going to be my best option, so that's what I shall attempt to do. And hey, you never know, converting it to brushless might be something I consider at some point down the road...

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by James RC

[m4inbrain]

49 minutes ago, James RC said:

 

Ah awesome! Thank you mate 👍 I will have a look through that later on today.

 

 

Me neither, haha. But I just looked up a guide on nitro engine sizes and I believe that the '.427' is the size of the engine in cubic inches, which is around 7cc. More cc's than I thought actually.  

 

Yes very true, I also don't think that just having a different engine will increase the price by that much. But I think there may be other differences apart from the ones I've listed. As you can probably tell im not too clued on these, but I feel like the LST I have is a later version of the model with some revised features/upgrades over the orginial '2.0'. Anyway, i'm sure that I can educate myself more and find out all this stuff on the thread linked by @supersavage.

 

It was my second ever RC, but thats close enough. It does hold a lot of sentimental value for me. I don't have my very first one anyway (HPI Rush Evo) as I sold it to a friend for a bit of money towards the Losi. So yeah, I agree with what you said. Restoring it & keeping it as a shelf queen is going to be my best option, so that's what I shall attempt to do. And hey, you never know, converting it to brushless might be something I consider at some point down the road...

 

 

That's what i'd do, certainly. I mean, the shelf queen or converting it to brushless. I think there's even kits for that (or was). 

 

I do think you got something wrong there though lol. 427 cubic inches looks like this.

 

 

427 cubic inches = 7 liters. Wouldn't mind running an RC with that (around 550hp), doubt that'd be very practical though. 

[James.S]

19 minutes ago, m4inbrain said:

That's what i'd do, certainly. I mean, the shelf queen or converting it to brushless. I think there's even kits for that (or was). 

 

I do think you got something wrong there though lol. 427 cubic inches looks like this.

 

427 cubic inches = 7 liters. Wouldn't mind running an RC with that (around 550hp), doubt that'd be very practical though. 

 

If I can find a kit for it then going brushless will 100% be the future plan.

 

Nope, in this case I actually got something right. You just didn't see the decimal point 😉 heheh.

 

A 7 litre V8 engine in an RC does sound very cool though... maybe it'll become an actual thing once Arrma & Traxxas start making 1/3 or 1/2 scale models 😂

[m4inbrain]

3 minutes ago, James RC said:

A 7 litre V8 engine in an RC does sound very cool though... maybe it'll become an actual thing once Arrma & Traxxas start making 1/3 or 1/2 scale models 😂

 

That thing doesn't fit in most 1/1 scale cars. so.. yeah.

 

And damn, you're right. Fail. I blame age and 1440p screen.

Edited November 20, 2020 by m4inbrain

[James.S]

Went back to my dads house again this evening to search for the rest of the bits. Managed to find a few key items (see below) and a bag full of odds & sods, which didn't really warrant a photo.

 

Fuel filler bottle. Still 2/3 full... reckon that tornado 25% is past it's best now though 😂

 

A 'new' unused shell that I must've bought as a replacement, still in its plastic wrapping.

 

Oops, guess it's not new anymore... had to see it on the truck though. The thing is it's so shiny that now I have to clean the rest of it. Gives me an excuse to be out in the man shed this evening though 🥳

 

& lastly the original transmitter

 

The length of the aerials on these oldschool transmitters is hilarious 😂

[Redback]

The LST used a big block mach .26 engine if i recall right, looks like its in good running order, It probably still runs fine, mine was unrun for 8 years, warm up the motor head to loosen it up before starting.
If you go brushless, keep us posted on how the conversion goes, looking at doing similar with my LST.

[James.S]

1 hour ago, Redback said:

The LST used a big block mach .26 engine if i recall right, looks like its in good running order, It probably still runs fine, mine was unrun for 8 years, warm up the motor head to loosen it up before starting.
If you go brushless, keep us posted on how the conversion goes, looking at doing similar with my LST.

 

Just checked again and mine for sure says Mach 427 (so mach .27), but i'm sure that's what you meant, it's probably just been a while for you too 'ey? 

So now I just need to clarify that my previous post about the engine size being 0.427 cubic inches,  or 7cc, was incorrect. It's actually 0.27 cubic inches which is more like 4.4cc. That sounds more like it 

 

That's good news to hear that you got yours running again after 8 years, I might be in with a chance then! During this next week i'm going to buy some fuel, a new glow starter & glow plugs. I've got a decent cordless drill &  a half-decent heat gun already so should be set. We'll see what happens! 🤞

I'll be sure to document the brushless conversion process, if I do manage to find a decent kit. But that won't be til spring/summer next year anyway.

 

[Redback]

Ah, mine was .26 as it was the first version, i think the 2nd revision had bigger blocks. https://www.rc-trucks.org/team-losi-lst.htm
Sadly the engine roto start plate wore out so ran a spare hyper .21 engine in it for a while just no power and ran really rough, so its in the garage waiting for some love, I will also be converting mine to brushless, I've got the mount and max 8 motor to go into it so will let you know how that goes.
Hope you get yours running again, I second the resale value is under valued for the amount of truck you get imo.
@James RC I ruined my roto start by using a cordless drill, maybe ran it to fast or something but the plate that the rotostart uses to turn the crank was worn out to the point it failed, will try to find the part for a photo, just something to be wary of

Edited November 20, 2020 by Redback

[James.S]

11 hours ago, Redback said:

Ah, mine was .26 as it was the first version, i think the 2nd revision had bigger blocks. https://www.rc-trucks.org/team-losi-lst.htm
Sadly the engine roto start plate wore out so ran a spare hyper .21 engine in it for a while just no power and ran really rough, so its in the garage waiting for some love, I will also be converting mine to brushless, I've got the mount and max 8 motor to go into it so will let you know how that goes.
Hope you get yours running again, I second the resale value is under valued for the amount of truck you get imo.
@James RC I ruined my roto start by using a cordless drill, maybe ran it to fast or something but the plate that the rotostart uses to turn the crank was worn out to the point it failed, will try to find the part for a photo, just something to be wary of

 

Ahh okay, that makes sense. Cheers for the link mate, there's some useful information on that page. This segment in particular for me ↓ as now I know the differences between the 2.0 and the 1.0.

 

'Team Losi has made some updates to LST and rebadged it as the LST2.  Now equipped with stronger CV driveshafts and axles to handle the additional power of the Mach 427 big block engine.  Large 20mm aluminum drive wheel hexes help prevent wheel strip out and keep the new dish wheels where they belong... attached to the LST2!  Updates and upgrades to the suspension and drivetrain help make the LST2 more rugged and reliable.'

 

The max 8 motor sounds like a good choice. Guessing you'll be using something like a 120A or 150A esc, and running 4s? Or maybe 6s if you're going for a 150 amps or higher?

I look forward to seeing how you get on with your build 👍 

 

Thank you, I hope I get it running too, and yes I think the buyers who are picking up working models for £100-£150 are getting a huge bargain! 

Thanks for the tip about the drill, I have heard from people before that using one might not be the best idea. Luckily mine has a slow setting, but do I want to risk it..?

 

Hmm, maybe i'll be better off getting a new one of these:            Just to be on the safe side

 

 

[supersavage]

I think Losi did an electronic conversion kit as I bought one for mine but I had to get it from Amain, think most of the LST stuff I had I ended up getting from Amain. Though I ended up buying a new LST XXL2e in the end but I can't remember why but I did end with a load of spares as a result of giving up with the conversion. I think I ended up with putting a Max 8 combo in it which worked great. Unfortunately I can't remember too much else about it but I think I posted a few times in that owners thread. 

[Redback]

Ah yes the old roto starters that ran flat after a few starts, used the motor from it for a crawler lol.
Yes max 8 with 150amp motor combo that i use in the hyper, its got all the power it should need probably to much on 6s.
So will start on 4s due to the weaker v1 drivetrain, Will keep you posted and looking forward to seeing yours recovered from the grave, if you don't mind, I'd love to drop some pics in here rather than start a new topic on reviving the LST.
You might be ok if you have a clutch on the drill and dont overstrain the engine, but expect the roto start plate to wear out eventually.
Can confirm the wheel hexes rounding on v1, i think most are now glued into the wheels.

[James.S]

9 hours ago, Redback said:

Ah yes the old roto starters that ran flat after a few starts, used the motor from it for a crawler lol.
Yes max 8 with 150amp motor combo that i use in the hyper, its got all the power it should need probably to much on 6s.
So will start on 4s due to the weaker v1 drivetrain, Will keep you posted and looking forward to seeing yours recovered from the grave, if you don't mind, I'd love to drop some pics in here rather than start a new topic on reviving the LST.
You might be ok if you have a clutch on the drill and dont overstrain the engine, but expect the roto start plate to wear out eventually.
Can confirm the wheel hexes rounding on v1, i think most are now glued into the wheels.

 

Haha, now you say it I do recall that they had a tendency to go dead after a very short amount of time.

Awesome, and yeah you're right it will probably be plenty fast on 4s, most RC's are! Even at it's orginal weight of about 5kg i'm sure it would go well enough, but of course there's a massive weight reduction after doing the brushless conversion. Must be about 1.5-2kg lighter now without the engine & all its components. 

I really look forward to seeing your progress mate. Do you plan on changing to the v2 drivetrain in the future in order to run 6s?

And yeah man no worries at all. I'd very much like to see how yours looks 👍

 

 

 

 

[lazkopat]

keep it mate and enjoy your nitro!!! fire it up now and then for a bit of nostalgia remembrance or if your like me then fire it up for a bit say for half an hour and enjoy hearing the nitro sound down your local retail carpark, enjoy the nitro sound and inhale the lovely smell it produces!  

Edited November 21, 2020 by lazkopat

[Redback]

6s brushless conversion was definetly heavier than an engine and fuel for the hyper anyway as needed much stronger shock springs all round, I agree run it nitro, maybe some one in the park will offer you 300ish for it once they see it and say, thats cool i want one...

Edited November 21, 2020 by Redback

[James.S]

52 minutes ago, lazkopat said:

keep it mate and enjoy your nitro!!! fire it up now and then for a bit of nostalgia remembrance or if your like me then fire it up for a bit say for half an hour and enjoy hearing the nitro sound down your local retail carpark, enjoy the nitro sound and inhale the lovely smell it produces!  

 

Haha, this man loves his nitros ↑ but yeah mate, that's the plan. It won't be getting used too often, especially this time of year, but once I get her running again she will definitely be getting the bash she deserves after sitting there for all those years. 

 

1 hour ago, Redback said:

6s brushless conversion was definetly heavier than an engine and fuel for the hyper anyway as needed much stronger shock springs all round

 

After looking up the weights of various nitro engines (didn't manage to find it for the Mach 427 though) I think it's safe to say I was wrong. They're a lot lighter than I expected. And yeah I imagine when you're running a large 6s capable motor & esc + a hefty servo then also factor in the weight of a 6s battery (probably 600-800g?) then it's going to far exceed the weight of the nitro engine, exhaust & a couple hundred ml of fuel. 

 

1 hour ago, Redback said:

I agree run it nitro, maybe some one in the park will offer you 300ish for it once they see it and say, thats cool i want one...

 

Haha, and even if that scenario was to occur i'd probably end up turning their offer down as I will have been infected by the nitro bug once again

[Redback]

2 hours ago, James RC said:

Haha, and even if that scenario was to occur i'd probably end up turning their offer down as I will have been infected by the nitro bug once again

Thats the best bug to get infected with right now matey! 😜

[James.S]

7 hours ago, Redback said:

Thats the best bug to get infected with right now matey! 😜

 

Indeed! Aha. 😋

 

Alright so today I really want to get the bits I need ordered. This is what my basket on Modelsport looks like currently:

 

 

I'm pretty sure that those 3 items will be fine for my LST, but if anyone has some better recommendations then please let me know.

 

The one thing i'm really not sure about is which engine starter to get. I've gone off the idea of using my own drill as i don't want to take any chances & break something. I can't find anywhere to buy a replacement of the one that came with the model, and i've really looked around. Ideally I don't want to spend too much either (maybe £20-£40), but I want one that comes as a complete unit, I.E. with a battery & charger. Any suggestions?

 

[lazkopat]

18 hours ago, James RC said:

 

 

Haha, and even if that scenario was to occur i'd probably end up turning their offer down as I will have been infected by the nitro bug once again

@James RCthe seed had been planted into you!

[James.S]

Well, i have great news! We had a really good result last weekend with my LST2. 

 

It hadn't been started in about 14 years but with some fresh fuel, new batteries for the transmitter & a charge up on the 6.0v nimh, we got it running again in about 5 minutes 😁

 

I say we, but it was mostly @Luvell RC with his extensive knowledge of nitro. So another big thank you to you Mark. It was great to again be able to drive something that's so sentimental to me, and lots of nostalgic feelings/sounds/smells were had 😄

 

Few pics & vids were taken on the day. Credit to @Bert_w164 & @Luvell RC for taking them. They will be posted soon 

[Nathan G]

It was a sick day out mate and was cool to have a go with the Losi, been wanting to get it running for ages ain't ya