Thursday May 10, 2007

For fans of the Artin line, 2 more releases have finally arrived to expand our selection. These models have been produced before by other brands, but having them in Artin form is a very welcome addition for many budget minded enthusiasts.

These DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) (German Touring Car Championship) Mercedes models from Artin have just arrived from Slot Car World and I was very happy to get my hands on them. Although some enthusiasts do not care for Artin as they do not have the level of finish and scale accuracy seen from other brands, there are many racers that are perfectly content with them and these models fit right in.

Both look close enough to the prototype to satisfy my personal tastes and I was surprised to see a mix of both Tampo stamped paint and thinner, waterslide decals. They are not perfect of course, but given the price point of the cars I was not really concerned. Like anything else in our hobby, only you can decide if they are good enough. My models had some fading of the paint in a couple areas, but nothing to glaring. The interior tray is as basic as it gets with both being molded in black with a unpainted driver's head in white. Again, either this works for you or it doesn't. Personally, I enjoy a little painting once in awhile so if it starts to bother me I can always fix it.

The chassis is the same used on all other Artin models except that these come with the polarity switch installed for reversing your direction. This little addition might come in handy for many racers out there and I was glad to see it. The difference between this chassis and others is only the tires and wheels used. This style of wheel has been seen before on the Audi and first generation stockers. The tires are the grooved type and will need some sanding to get them as concentric as possible.

After removing the 3 screws that mount the body we see familiar Artin territory which I am always happy to find. Both models are equipped with the standard Artin power plant with a 9 tooth pinion and 27 tooth crown gear. They also come with a light for the front but usually does not last very long. You can replace them easily enough if you really enjoy the effect. I did notice the motor was stamped with a different number series than other models, but testing showed they were virtually dead even. I have no dyno to verify this, but our drag racing testing appears to be accurate enough. Gear mesh was very smooth and quiet out of the box and will just get better over time.

For many racers out there, this car simply needs nothing but someone to drive it. You can however perform a few adjustments here and there that can make this car, and other Artin models run even better. My first modification is to the front axle. On some models there is just a large amount of side to side free-play. You can either trim the axle using the cut off disc in your moto-tool or you can shim the axle. On these cars I will cut the axle as it brings the wheels in closer and just looks better.

When you trim it, just measure how much you need to take off. You can pretty much do this by sight as I do. I start with just a little and keep going until I have the right fit. The wheels are easily twisted off and re-installed so do not worry about them being secured until you are finished adjusting the axle width. Once you finally have it in place, you can add a very light drop of model glue on the end of the axle and twist the wheel in place. Make sure you get the wheel as straight and true as you can.

Secondly, I like to block up the front axle to reduce the vertical free-play. This also helps give the model a better tri-pod effect and all my Artin chassis models get this treatment. We simply use styrene tubing cut to fit and place it under the axle as shown. A drop of adhesive is all you will need to hold them in place. With this size tubing, you just need to crimp it slightly to get it to fit perfectly between the axle and the chassis.

Wheels and tires get standard treatment with both the wheel and tire getting attention. I first remove the tires from the rear wheels and then using some 1000 grit or finer sand paper, I clean up any excess flash molding on the wheel. After this is completed I install the tires and sand them to get them as round as possible. After this, I remove these tires and swap them to the front. I then install the fronts on the rear and repeat the sanding process.

My final step is to beef up the rear bushing mounts. These bushings work fine but they do not fit very snugly in the chassis so I simply add a bead of hot glue over the tops of them to help keep them in place.

After this small amount of fine tuning you should find an even smoother model that is very pleasing to drive. Not everyone needs or wants the most powerful motor and magnet they can find. The virtues of the milder Artin motor and magnet are soon discovered when you first apply the throttle. The speed of this car is slower and really allows you to enjoy the model as you slide through the turns. And I mean slide, not snap off and roll like many of our heavy magnet models. This allows you to have a large control window and it simply makes the car easier to drive.

So why are these models important? What makes them even worth the effort of a review? For starters these cars have a price of only $16.95. This is just a great price that will fit even the tightest of budgets. Looking at the prices of other models, this car really gives you a big bang for the buck.

Models like these work for many different applications. These are just ideal for the younger children out there and also for the adult beginner. Our younger racers are not concerned about scale accuracy, they just want to race and have fun. Cars like this allows parents to have several at the price of a "regular" car found from other brands. The adult beginner will find an easy to drive model that will allow you to hone your driving skills without worrying about breaking them. If you break the wing, glue it back on or leave it off...it's a $17.00 car, so don't sweat it. Bang it up...beat it up...enjoy discovering this scale of racing. I have seen this for years and people usually do not get upset when they break these types of cars, it is the $50-$70 models that make us cringe when we see the wing or a mirror go flying off.

Finally, this chassis is a great platform for scratch building. I have seen countless models using this chassis and it works perfectly for many different types of cars. RMS MotorSports, BOSS Bodies and even Revell 1/32 snap kits all have bodies that can be fitted to this chassis.

These models should be on the list of many budget-minded enthusiasts. A great low price will allow you add a pair to your stable without breaking the bank, and with just a little tuning you may discover just how much fun these inexpensive models can be.

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Thanks Go To SlotCarWorld For Providing These Models.