Fly Gulf Porsche 908/3

When I spied this release in the Fly 2002 catalog, I knew it would eventually end up here. Not so much of the model itself or its history, but just by the looks alone. I don't feel too guilty though, there are many enthusiasts who purchase models just because they think they look great, and I am admitting my weakness now...I am one of them!

For some, the blue and orange that depicts the Gulf livery isn't attractive, and I guess it is one of those cars that either you like it, or you don't. Well I think it is one of the most striking liveries in all of racing, and just about any car released that carries it automatically ends up on that ever-growing "must have" list.

This model based on the Porsche 908/3 Nurburgring, 1971. The photos really can't capture how striking the model is, but suffice it to say Fly did a decent job of capturing it in 1/32nd scale. I say decent...because unfortunately there are some issues that perhaps are minor for some, but because I appreciate this livery so much, it did bother me a little. Of course I purchased this model to be driven, and it will eventually see its share of scrapes and scratches, but I still expected that Fly, upon this re-release, to get it right.

The first problem is right up front as you can see in the photo. Not only is this very easy to spot, but it makes you look even closer where you can see the uneven color shades in the orange. Also you can see the areas where the orange has faded, and flaked a little, showing the blue body underneath. Again, this might be small potatoes to some of you, but there are those among us who it means a great deal. I could mix a blend of orange and touch these areas up, and this is most likely what some of you might do, however, the front striping issue is a little tougher to fix, especially for some of us who are "modeling challenged".

The only clear-coat present is on the blue portion of the body itself, indicating as if they shot it with clear-coat, then applied the Tampo-stampings and shipped it out the door without sealing them. This will mean that my beloved orange, especially in the front is un-protected. However, this isn't the first time I have had to clear-coat a Fly car, so at least this issue is easily dealt with. I will use the same spray I have used on my Capri's, and this will seal it right up. However, as bad as all this seems, when the car is on the track at a arms length distance, it looks acceptable. I am hoping that these issues are isolated to my model, (which in many cases it is) and that some of you who pick this release up will let us know how your car looks.

 Ok enough of the nit-picking...there is plenty of good in this model here somewhere and it starts with the interior. Fly did a great job here, from our driver's markings right down to Gulf logo on his suit, to the gauges and standard fire bottle. The motor detail is also nicely done, and the overall fit and finish was pleasing to the eye. The rear of the model also includes some small details such as the individual suspension springs that adds great depth and scale realism.

The wheels and tires are standard Fly fare, with the 5 spoke wheels that were fairly round and true, and Firestone stamped markings on the tires. Of course these markings won't last long after racing, but they did a good job with them, and adds to the scale appeal. The rear tires however will need some work to allow this car to run smoothly, along with a few other items we will look at very shortly.

5 screws mount the chassis to the body and were easily removed. Up front we see the standard stub-axle mounted front wheels and snap in guide with braid. These stub axles were a little different than those I have seen before, at least on my model, as they were nice and tight, allowing a very minimal amount of free-play. In the rear we see the familiar B34 rear pod assembly equipped with the B21 button magnet, Mabuchi motor and rear axle assembly. The Fly standard Mabuchi motor comes equipped with the 11 tooth pinion, driving a 36 tooth spur gear with an axle held in place by the snap in plastic bushings.

These bushings were nice and tight inside the chassis, but as usual I added one drop of adhesive here to make sure they stay that way. Now that we are back here, of course there is some issues that need to be corrected before you can really start enjoying this model on the track. It isn't the gear mesh that is the culprit here, rather the old stand-by fault of excess side-to-side free-play in the axle. And to get it right, we have to resort to measures as found in the Lola and 512, among others.

Now I want to point out that my methods are no means the best way, just the way I am most comfortable doing them, and they provide the results I want. First, after you have removed the axle from the chassis, you must twist and remove the wheels from the rear axle. On this model I found I needed one shim on each side of the axle assembly to get it as even a possible. I ran out of 3/32nd ID washers, so I used some 2.5mm ones made by Du-Bro. They are made more for R/C airplanes, but they worked just fine.

Also, as with other classics by Fly, the pinion might have the problem of rubbing on the tire, and tire rubbing on the body as shown. Now, sometimes simply shimming the rear axle as described above will eliminate these problems, however I still clean the pinion up a little to make sure. After I remove the motor, I attach a standard cutting disc #409 on my Dremel and lightly bevel the edges of the pinion as shown in the photo, and then I cut the shaft of the motor flush with the pinion. Performing this step doesn't interfere with the gear mesh on the model, and the pinion can still be removed if you decide to change the ratio. Plus, the pinion won't slip due to the fact it still is seated on the knurled section of the motor shaft.

When I re-install the wheels, I put a small drop of Super Glue on the end of the axle and then press these wheels back into place. Now your ready to address the tires, which most likely are a little out of round, or have high/low spots throughout the tire. Sanding these tires will greatly improve the performance on these models, (and just about every other car on the market) and is worth the time performing it. Now, some tires do require more sanding than others, and even in some cases, you just get a very bad tire (more egg-shaped than round) that you need to replace. I show this only in the event that you want to keep the original rubber tires and not install silicones, or you have no quick source for changing them and want to improve the performance of the model until your new tires arrive.

I have found that using 150 grit aluminum oxide 1/4 sheet resin sandpaper works very well. As shown in the photo, I hold the car BACKWARDS on the track, as I have found this to be a great deal easier in handling it. Then I lower the car while applying around half-throttle and accelerate for about 10 seconds with the tires on the paper. I use only about 10 second bursts like this, and then while throttle is still applied, lift the car up and allow the tires to cool somewhat before giving them another turn on the sandpaper. If you overheat the tires, they will appear to have almost a greasy effect to them, and they will seem to almost crumble, and you probably won't get the desired results in your efforts. On some Fly models, I almost sand the entire tread pattern away until I get them as round and true as possible. However, that is fine with me as I prefer them this way.

Well, that about covers the modifications I perform. Once this is completed, you actually have a model that is smooth, as well as fun to drive. Fly is well known for having models that are very stuck down because of the magnet included, however, on Carrera track this car is not that heavily effected by this strong magnet. In its stock form, you still have a decent correction window to straighten this car out in the event of a spin before it just leaves the track in a hard crash. Braking is more than adequate, with throttle response and acceleration more precise thanks to the modifications performed.

In the end, this model is fun to drive, and regardless of the modifications needed, I know that more will appear here in the future, for they do produce some models that some of us just have to have. Only you can determine whether or not it is worth your time and effort, let alone your hard-earned slot-dollars, to purchase one. I do advise that these models are for the more advanced enthusiasts rather than beginners based on the issues here, however they are not that hard to tune, and once they are, can be a lot of fun...and of course FUN is what its all about.

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 this model.