Tuesday April 13, 2004

Monogram Greenwood Corvette
Riverside '75 & Spirit of Sebring '76

If you are just joining us in this great hobby, the first two efforts in classic Motorsports from Monogram were a great success for most enthusiasts. Both the Cobra and the Grand Sport are very smooth and quiet running models that also boasted great scale detail, and I looked forward in seeing if Monogram could make it 3 in a row.

As far as scale accuracy and detail is concerned, it seems Monogram has accomplished that mission. Comparing this model to the various prototype photos I have seen indicate they have brought us another winner. Of course I am not the sharpest critic when addressing scale accuracy so I try and allow the photos to tell most of the story for me, and allow you to come to your own conclusions. There are always going to be some scale issues here and there with just about any model, but for my eyes they have done a great job indeed.

Overall fit and finish of these machines are superb. All of the Tampo-stampings and markings are about as accurate as you could ask for along with being very opaque and clean. I didn't notice any fading, orange peel effect, or runs in either the markings or clear-coat. I did notice a slight amount of bleed-over in the blue portion on one model near the front, but it is so slight it hardly bears mentioning. I have to say that these markings and the effort Monogram has put forth is better than any of these photos might show.

The hood of the Spirit of Sebring '76 just blew me away. The work on this alone impressed me, not to mention the contingency decals. Detail level should please most of the enthusiasts out there with photo-etched grill work and driver detail done very well right down to the  John Greenwood writing on the helmet.

The interior is simple, yet if you look closely you can see the markings on the gauges along with roll bar assembly and gear shift. The interior is post-melted in place but I removed it for the sake of better photos.

Wheels and tires are also a good effort with both models being equipped with round and true running gear. The compound of these tires are soft enough for excellent grip in both magnet and non-magnet applications, although Indy Grips or Supertires will help for maximum cornering ability. I was really impressed with these rear tires as they virtually needed no tire sanding and the width of them give plenty of rubber meeting the road. Only a slight amount of sanding was needed, and I did this more out of habit than to correct any concentric issues.

Underneath we see the front motor configuration and the Monogram adjustable bar magnet. For my taste, this has more than enough magnetic down-force but if you prefer more there is plenty of room. Some of our customers have taken the smaller Tweaker magnet and simply place right next to the original as shown. This really increases the magnetic traction and it is a simple, snap-in upgrade.

It was now time for our OOB (Out Of Box) Test. In all honesty, it is a lucky thing that a customer called during testing because I might still be there. This car is just a blast to drive, being very whisper-quiet and smooth. Braking is still a little light for some people, but you can adjust your driving pretty quickly to compensate. I actually thought the braking was fine for my driving taste, but now that the Tiger Line is back with other gears to choose from will help you even more in the fine-tuning department if you need it.

The only thing I noticed was the guide could have been designed to sit a little lower in the slot and provide a better tripod effect. However, de-slotting due to this was very minimal, and I found that sanding down the front tires virtually eliminated the excess gap. You could always lower it flush by sanding out the front bushing mounts and re-mounting the bushings with adhesive, but for me that amount of work wasn't needed. There is a slight amount of side to side free-play up front, but on both our models it is such a small amount that it didn't need to be shimmed or adjusted.

Time to get under the big Vette hood and see the rest of the chassis.  As mentioned earlier, the Mabuchi motor is sitting in the front motor configuration equipped with a 9 tooth pinion. Finally, Monogram has went with a standard crown gear and has included the 27 tooth version on this release. I feel this is a perfect gear combination and I am glad that Monogram has finally settled on this choice.

I checked the rear axle bushings and drive-shaft bushing, and noticed a slight movement in the drive-shaft unit. I used some clear silicone on both of our models to make sure these bushings were held securely in place. Gear mesh is as quiet and smooth as you could ask for out of the box, and after advanced break-in, things get even better. While I was inside, I added a light drop of oil to all 3 bushings and on each end of the motor.

Time for more testing! Lap after lap this model is some of the most fun I have had in this hobby. It is easily controlled in the corners and can dive deeper in them than I expected. Throttle response is excellent as well and for most small to medium sized home layouts should provide ample amounts of speed in the straights. With our power supply at 12 volts, lap timing on our new Artin road course was an average of 4.250 with a best time of 4.050 according to our  Laptimer 2000 software.

I decided that this model needed to be non-magnet, mostly due to my own driving taste. The bottom magnet bracket is easily snapped off and gives plenty of room for adding lead. However, I wanted a slight amount up front as well and again there is room to work with. I added a 1/4 oz of .040 thick Small Parts Inc Sheet Lead (Part# SPB-040-A) up front as shown and 1/2 oz on the bottom in place of the magnet bracket assembly. Lap times were now an average of 6.125 with a best time of 5.890. They say that magnets hide the faults in any slot car, well if this is true then I guess Monogram gets even more credit as operation of this model is still just as smooth without the magnet as with it.

My final thoughts are that Monogram has once again brought us a quality slot car. In fact, with another new gear change they have made it even better. From drop dead good looks to smooth operation I can't help but advise you to grab a pair of these soon. Of course not everyone will agree, but Monogram has put forth a great effort on these American Classics and I think you owe it to yourself to give them a closer look.

-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!

 Make sure to check out the Monogram Review Section too!

Thanks got to Revell-Monogram and Slot Car World for providing us with these models!
Make sure you check their websites often for all the latest news on upcoming releases.