Righto.
1: Most tracks allow BL 1/8th to run, but I'm not sure if any have got enough people turning up with them to run whole heats.
2: A lot of manufacturers are going to go by the ROAR rules of 4S maximum - otherwise very few rules are in place - provided that the min/max size/weight etc are the same as the nitros.
3: There is the new Hyper 9 Brushless - which moves the entire centre diff to the back and stuff - it's a new chassis too - like the D8e.
Other than that there are cars such as the Caster, the Associated(s) and the Losi which are still based largely on the nitros, but come as electrics out of the box.
Then there is the new Ishima BL, which has a purpose made chassis and allows the use of two 2S lipos, but lying down on either side of the drivetrain for a better (lower) C of G.
4: The Losi conversion kit, and the Associated conversions, are both bolt-on kits as far as I'm aware - so no drilling. Custom stuff from RC-Monster and others needs a bit more ingenuity. There are also the Tekno-RC conversions, where the chassis are custom made - very low CG, and they use a funny clutch and motor mount system which are more like the nitros - which is good if you don't like direct drive but can be a bit abrupt when accelerating out of corners.
5: If the ESC has BEC circuitry which can handle 14.8V input, then it won't fry the receiver. However if you are trying to use a 1/10 speedo, then disabling the BEC may allow you to use up to 5S without frying it (if it was capable of 3S with BEC), but you will need a separate receiver pack, or external BEC for it to work.
I would avoid the Novak Conversions as they have quite poor weight distribution on many models, though are most readily available in the UK for most models.
The Tamiya TRF801X and T would be more difficult to convert than others, as no specific motor mount is available for it, though one for a Hong Nor X1 may fit.
Truggies are good to convert as they have more room on the chassis for all the electric gubbinz that you need, and allow you to place components for the best weight distribution.
I would say that the best ESC (due to its excellent drivability for sensorless, and overall reliablilty) is the Mamba Monster. They did have problems at first (we are now on V3) but now seem pretty solid, and they have the best warranties ever. If it blows, or something then you send it back to Castle, and if it's under warranty (which a surprising amount of stuff is), they repair it for free (obviously). However (here's the really good part), when your warranty has expired, or you've done something really stupid to void your warranty, the most any repair will cost you is $70 (even if it requires a brand new ESC!). The only annoying thing about it is that it has no mounting tabs so double sided tape and cable ties are in order here - which can look a bit bodged.
The new Tekin RX8 should be really good, and not that much more expensive than the Mamba combos over here.
Phew - I think that covered most things...
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