Thursday July 24, 2003

The Scalextric 2002 Pontiac NASCAR

The list of great cars in 1/32nd scale just seems to never end does it? Scalextric brought the NASCAR series to us a few years ago, and since then it has had a huge following of enthusiasts. Rock solid and smooth running, these cars add great fun to your racing!

Perhaps some of my favorite cars  in all of 1/32nd scale slot racing is the Scalextric NASCAR. No model in our basement has seen more mileage on them over the years like these have. Not only do we like the 1:1 series and follow it, but the cars in 1/32nd scale are just plain fun to race. After collecting all the previous models, there was no way we were going to stop there!

For 2002, Scalextric brought us some additional liveries to add to their line up of NASCAR'S. One in particular was a car many enthusiasts were happy to see chosen: The #36 M&M's Pontiac driven by Ken Schrader. This car has a unique livery indeed, and very eye-catching to say the least. Also, this livery is one that is more complicated than most, and I for one looked forward to Scalextric producing it, rather than using my limited painting skills and trying to make it myself!

Scalextric has done a decent job in re-creating the livery accurately. I have seen several photos of the 1:1 prototype that has shown discrepancies in the markings, however, it isn't unusual for these cars to change slightly from race to race. Based on the way the car looked from the beginning of the season, Scalextric captured the overall look and feel of this car.

The body is molded in color, with clean mold lines and shape. All the Tampo markings were clean and crisp and very opaque. The clear-coat however did have a slight "orange-peel" effect as the photos may show. My other 2002 Pontiacs had a perfect clear-coat, so I am of the mind this is very isolated. While sitting on the track and racing, this car looks fine, it is only when you get close up will this become visible. Overall the clear-coat is acceptable, and most importantly, I found no dirt or dust underneath it.

The Pontiacs are different from the Taurus in more ways than one. The first difference is that the Pontiacs chassis did not change to the sidewinder drive adjustable chassis as found on the new 2002 and 2001 NASCARS. Also, the interior of the Pontiac has not been updated to a full interior, and still uses the half-tray design. The third item is that the bar magnets in the 2001 and 2002 Taurus's are a little thicker and slightly stronger than those in the Pontiacs. I do like the inline drive system, as it has proven to be not only whisper quiet, but very durable. The motors are both the same stock Mabuchi, with plastic bushings used on both rear axle assemblies.

However, this is not to say these cars are not great models, they ARE. The half-tray interior, although simple with minimal detail is still adequate and provides a decent level of realism. And because this IS 1/32nd scale slot racing, you can tune these cars easily to make them fairly close in the speed and handling department. 2 screws mount the chassis to the body, with the front screw hidden by the front guide. Simply snap the guide out and you can then remove the screw. The body is easily removed along with the interior tray. It just does not get much easier than this.

The photos may not show it clearly, but the magnet in the Pontiac is slightly recessed in the chassis, causing it to be further from the track rails, and therefore reduces magnetic down-force. This is easily fixed however by simply shimming the magnet, bringing it flush with the chassis, and in turn, increasing the magnetic grip slightly. You can probably think of many ways to perform this, but I have found one way that is quick, easy and doesn't cost you a dime.

First is the removal of the magnet. I can tell you now, that the easiest way I have found to remove these magnets is from the inside of the chassis. There isn't very much room for you to get a flat tip screwdriver on the edges of this magnet from the outside, and these magnets do not have the nice little tabs that the older, grey magnets did in the first Taurus. Also, Scalextric has used some very effective adhesive to keep this magnet in place. You can fit an Exacto razor knife there, but chances are you will just break the tip, so it really is easier to just go from the other side.

So, from the inside of the chassis, I use a small drill bit or the tip of a Exacto knife and drill a small hole above the magnet. With a drill bit, I just use my fingers and spin the bit as it will quickly go through the plastic. Once you are through, just use the drill bit and press a little on the magnet, it will pop out far enough for you to grab it with your fingers, and it's out. With no damage to the underside of the pocket, and the hole does not prevent you from re-mounting the magnet with the shim.

 The "shim" I speak of is not made of plastic however. The cardboard sleeve that covers the case of the model is the perfect thickness. Underneath there are tabs of sort cut into the ends of the sleeve...a perfect match.  I simply bend this tab up, and cut it off with an Exacto razor knife. Then using any brand of super glue, I flow some glue in the magnet pocket and place the shim inside. The cardboard absorbs the glue very well and is extremely secure. Then I flow some glue on top of the shim, covering it completely, and then snap the magnet back in place. The whole process takes 5 minutes and your back to racing. I show this method using the cardboard because it is easy and FREE, and for those that do not have a surplus of Evergreen styrene on hand. Of course you could use anything really to perform this modification, this is just the "Poor Mans" route I take. The magnet is very secure and on all of my cars, not once has it ever came out, even in the hardest tumbles across the infield.

This is where I stop, and race these cars. They still are not as fast as the Taurus, but are a little quicker. I use these cars to run against newcomers and with folks who are still honing their skills. It makes for fun, close racing, and they also help in this same department as some of the newcomers here prefer this car as it teaches them to respect the corners and learn to drive.

The second no-cost way to match these cars a little closer is for you to take the magnet in the Taurus and move it forward one position in the chassis. This really evens things out more, and if you want your entire fleet of NASCARS to be as close as possible, you might want to think about trying this for yourself. There are of course many ways to get these cars to perform very evenly, some however may require an extra magnet purchase. On a few of the Pontiacs, I chose a TWEAKER magnet ($1.95), and placed it as shown in the photo. It sits directly over the hole that was used to secure the car in its case. This helps pin the car down very well, and helps this car keep pace with a Taurus in its stock form, without moving the magnet.  There is plenty of room inside this model for you to tune and adjust it pretty much anyway you see fit to suit your driving style and preference. The suggestions I made in this article are just MY way of tuning them for our basement home racing, and by no means the best ways. Enthusiasts have been tuning these cars for a few years now, and they have found all kinds of adjustments they feel is best.

My personal opinion is that the Scalextric Pontiac NASCAR is one of the finest models you can buy. It has a great balance of scale detail and performance you should find appealing. These cars are simply strong, fast and above all DURABLE model racing cars. Perfect for the newcomer to learn to drive, with no mirrors or wings and small parts to break off. Not to mention how much fun they are to drive. If your a fan of the 1:1 series, then you will certainly not want to pass these up. If your not, you still might want to include a pair in your collection. You might find that although you may not care for the 1:1 series, the 1/32nd scale versions are some of the most fun you can have in this hobby.

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.