Thursday July 24, 2003

The Ninco BMW M3 GTR

*Updates Indicated In Red*

Adding to my "must-have" list this year, the Ninco BMW GTR has been near the top. Is it because of the model itself? Well, not really. My main interest was that this Ninco would stray a bit from their usual inline chassis configuration, to a new angle-winder system. For many enthusiasts, the angle winder system is simply the way to go in the performance department, so I was very curious to see how Ninco's system performed.

I have never had any issues with the previous inline system, in fact it has been quite reliable, and so I expected the same with this configuration as well. Since its arrival, this model has come VERY close to being at the top of the list for our racing, and has now become one of those models that I feel I have to have every one.

When this car finally arrived, I was not only pleased with the performance, but Ninco's effort in scale detail. Some of the smaller details you find on the Fly version are missing, but in fairness, they still managed to re-create this model very close to its 1:1 counter-part. Some of the markings seemed a little large according to prototype photos, but nonetheless conveyed a nice appearance. Of the markings, all seemed clean and crisp with no fades or smears. The clear-coat was nicely done as well, being even throughout the model. My recent acquisition of the Leo's jeans version is stunning to say the least, well in my eyes of course. Again, Ninco has done an excellent job of the Tampo-stamping and clear coat as I found no fades, orange peel or dirt present.

Wheels and tires are standard Ninco fair, with no sidewall markings aside from the Ninco name in the tires. The front axle is of the solid axle design, and I happily found a straight and true front end. Topping of the front end is Ninco's now-familiar spring loaded guide system, that some could do without, but so far in my tests, this system does not improve or hinder performance. As with most Ninco models, you usually get a great balance of scale detail and performance, such is the case with this model, in my opinion.

The interior used is classic Ninco fashion, utilizing the half-tray type design. Again, this only matters if you are really particular in the small details. Sometimes simplicity is the best approach on a slot car, and Ninco provides this in decent interior realism, at least well enough as you blast down the straights. This is not to say it is bare however. They have managed to include enough inside to satisfy most detail enthusiasts with visible roll bars, fire bottle, etc. The more I race this model, and quite frankly other models by them, the more I like this level of detail.

But it's the chassis I wanted to see. 2 screws hold the body to the chassis, and disassembly was fast and tidy. The venerable 14.8 volt NC-2 motor fits snugly in its pocket, with removal being…well, a snap! Aside from the angle of the motor, the first thing that caught my eye were the gears. Although plastic, these gears are rugged and strong, with a clean fit. The 11-tooth pinion almost seemed indestructible, and the angles used were a perfect fit against the 33-tooth spur gear.

Along with this new design, you find brass bushings holding the rear axle in place with another small surprise. Ninco has included a shim on the axle that sits inside the bushings. This shim limits any free-play there may be, and allows you to adjust the contact between the pinion and spur gears. I applaud Ninco for this feature, and hopefully we see this more in the future. I have found in advanced testing to set this shim where you want it, and add a light drop of Super Glue on the outside of it to help keep it in place. It is a VERY tight fit, but you can use a flat-tip screwdriver and while holding the axle assembly tightly, push the shim where you want it. If you go too far, this small flat-tip fits between the brass bushing and shim so you can move it back. Also on this new release, I found that the pinion MIGHT BE slightly rubbing the inside of the tire. I took the motor out and held it place as shown in the photo against my Dremel cut-off disc. In just a few seconds this gave it a small bevel, which was more than enough to clear the wheel and tire. This was not present on the first model, although it was very close. I don't see this as a major problem, and to be honest, I did it because it was too close to MY eyes. Pre-testing the model didn't show any wear on the inside of the tire, but it was close enough to convince me to perform this modification before it began to rack up heavy mileage.

The standard Ninco button magnet is in its familiar mid-chassis position, but those that are magnet lovers finally have room to work. At the rear, behind the axle, you can fit a Professor Motor Gold Bar or Slot-It bar magnet. You cannot fit this magnet directly under the axle however, as the chassis is thicker where the bushings snap into place. However, very minimal sanding on either the inside of the chassis or outside on the magnet will allow it to slip into place. So those of you who have been screaming for room to tweak, you finally have it. At first we left ours the way it comes out of the box with nothing more than sanding the tires. However, this model runs pretty smoothly when you remove the magnet and add a little weight. Once the tires are sanded and trued, you can power slide this model completely around your turns, and although some may not find this very prototypical, we just can't help ourselves...it is FUN to us and we now run it without the magnet.

After a few drops of oil on the bushings, gears and motor I eagerly headed to the track. Everyone has their idea of what dictates quality and performance. My pet peeve, if you will, is a quiet drive train straight from the box. Upon the first few test laps, this car had a slight growl in the gearing, but nothing major as a quick check of the gearing showed no signs of stripping. As stated, after some decent break-in, this model has smoothed out quite well. On our new model, I tried something that I have used before to quiet down a few noisy cars in the past: Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. There all all kinds of methods out there to use on your gears to speed up the break-in process, however this is what I use. I coat the pinion with it, and turn the wheels by hand to work it in the spur gear. Then I take it to the track, I place a shop towel down below the car and while holding the rear wheels above the track, lightly apply throttle to dry it off and allow it to work its "magic". After I perform this, I add a very light coat of lithium white grease and perform the same break-in as I did with the polishing compound. I know this sounds a little unorthodox...but it actually works to help cure the "growl" that was present and this model is now just as quiet and smooth as our first one.

Lap times were not as fast as the Fly version, yet were respectable. On our 59-½ foot Carrera track, we posted average times of 5.3 seconds, which is slightly faster than the previous Ninco averages, and only .3 seconds behind the Fly version. However, it wasn't just the speed that surprised me, it was the control. Braking was crisp and distinct and acceleration was very responsive. I was impressed with the handling of this car, and we certainly enjoyed racing these 2 cars against one another. I must admit, I love sliding a slot car around the corners, and this Ninco machine does that quite well, even with the button magnet. We now have 2 different tracks, one Artin Road course, and one Carrera oval. The road course is where this model belongs and we now have a perfect match with the first release. And soon 3 more models will arrive, allowing us an even larger field and because of this, I don't feel the need to try and match the Ninco to the Fly version.

My bottom line is this car is fun, as a slot car should be. Ninco once again delivers a quality model to my dungeon, and I can safely say I will purchase more. Durability, smoothness, and acceptable scale detail usually combine to make a fine 1/32nd scale slot car, and for us the Ninco BMW has all of these, so try one soon! I still feel the same way, if not more so. The collection of these models will continue to grow as I catch up on the ones I missed. Of course the main question I hear is: "Which is better...the Fly or Ninco version ?" Well in my own opinion I will take the Ninco version any day, both are great cars, but I just prefer the way the Ninco model handles...and lets not forget about the price difference. As with most anything in this hobby, it all boils down to personal preference and this Ninco addition has won me over in a big way.

Harry

As always, feel free to email me at wiseone@yhti.net about this article or just the hobby in general.

Or better still, drop into the Home Racing World Message Forum and let us know your thoughts. 

A thanks goes to Slot Car World for providing me with these models. They have these in stock, with more on the way..

Photos courtesy of Ninco Drop in to the website today! www.ninco.com