Friday May 15, 2009

Sometimes a model comes around that seems to really grab the attention of many 1/32 enthusiasts. To say this new release from Revell/Monogram is one of these is certainly an understatement. In the past couple of weeks the responses and feedback about this model has been a lot more than I expected. This just built up my anticipation for this model even more and finally it has arrived.

NOTE: I want the reader to know that I purchased this model the day it was announced with another on it's way here.

So what is the big deal about this car? Well, simply put it has been a classic model that many of us have wished someone would bring back for many years. It does not hurt that this historic car is so beautiful either, at least to my eyes.

Taking the model out of the case I was pleased with the overall fit and finish. The paint work here is nearly flawless. I inspected the car under my second set of eyes (magnifying lamp) and could not find any bleed through on the stampings or any fades in the clear coat. Very impressive so far.

Now let us look at the model and see if it is close enough to scale for most enthusiasts. Hopefully the photos will let you get a good perspective and help you decide if they have done a well enough job for you.

If you were expecting precise measurements from me I apologize. I do not need a micrometer or calipers to tell me if I like the model overall or not. So do I like it? Oh, of course I do. Is it perfect? Of course not. But overall I think they did a decent job bringing us this model in our scale.

Many have commented on the driver being too "tall in the saddle". My the photos I have seen they are correct. The body also seems to sit a little high on the chassis. Is it really that bad? Not really, but it could have been better.

Some enthusiasts have already addressed these issues by lowering the body and performing surgery on our driver figure to settle him down a little better in the seat. Will I do the same? Honestly I am not sure. Maybe lowering the body some, but not sure the driver bothers me enough to put him under the knife.

So what do you think? Is it close enough for you, or have they disappointed you? I have to say that for the price point on this model they certainly did well enough for me. And this is one subject that means a great deal to many of you in our hobby.

The real news about this car was it would have an all new chassis. The most recent classics have used the Sebring chassis and although it has its own issues, the latest releases were much improved over the first series we tested. But with this car it would be all new so let us get right to it shall we?

Looking at the bottom of the chassis we see the motor in the sidewinder configuration with the magnet in an adjustable mount right in front of it. 4 screws are easily removed to remove the chassis from the body. You can also remove the magnet mount and adjust the magnet as well. We see what appears to be the standard guide up front, but what concerned me was the placement. It looks a little too far back, but testing will tell us more.

TEST TRACK
Artin Plastic Track

We are in the middle of rebuilding our beloved Artin track with only 2 lanes functioning and no lap timer. However I can assure fans of high speed magnet racing that they should be very pleased. This car is VERY stuck to the track and has decent power for plenty of high speed fun. There is a slight hop to the model which I suspect would be the wheels and tires needing some sanding.

Looking closer revealed one issue many have commented on: The tires are loose on the wheels. So much so that they will expand and become out of round on the wheel. Slipping it back into place smoothed the car out but in just a few laps it happened again. No large issue for me as gluing the tires is nothing new, but I am little disappointed.

I have to think of the newcomer in our hobby. What will they think of a car that keeps spinning the tires off? Sure, it is easy to fix but that really is not the point. This should not be happening.

TEST TRACK
3 Lane Routed Wood - NON Magnet

Starting a new method here and hopefully it will allow us to give a more accurate and fair assessment of the model for non-magnet fans and for those who race on wood. In the past we have tested the model on plastic, then addressed any issues we found. After the tuning was completed we then tested on wood. Well, let us see how the model acts right out of the box on this surface.

I can tell you that this model will need some fine tuning. All seemed well until the first time we gave it full power. The tires expanded and the model hopped all over the track. At lower speeds the model also seemed to de-slot more than I thought it should.

No, this car was not very impressive right out of the box on this surface. Then again, not many models in our hobby are. If you are an advanced enthusiast you already expect that most cars on your wood surface will need attention to get things just right and such is the case here. That is not an excuse for the model, just a plain fact.

However, this car could have easily ran better if more time was spent in quality control. Just having tires that fit the wheels like they should would have improved things a great deal.

Looking Closer

Looking inside we find the motor outfitted with a 14 tooth pinion driving a 37 tooth spur gear. I am at a loss as to why this gearing was used, but although braking is very weak at least gear mesh is smoother than prior efforts by them. However, once again the spur gear is so large it almost scrapes the track. In fact, on tracks that have uneven surfaces/elevations it does. Like the NASCARS before it, I see no reason why they could not use the more industry standard 36 tooth spur gear. At least this would give it a little better clearance not to mention better action for those with small to medium sized layouts.

There are also other small issues I have found that mirror the comments made by others in our hobby. The rear bushings that hold the axle are not a very snug fit which causes the car to chatter a little more than it should. The front guide is set a little too far back and could be set lower to make a better tri-pod effect. As it is, the front tires do support the front more than I would like.

Tuning?

For many enthusiasts out there, simply gluing the tires on the wheels and sanding them the best they can will do wonders for the model. There are a host of other options that will most likely make the car even better, but to be honest I do not have the room here to cover each and every one of them. I will work on the car to make it how I like it, but to feature all of these modifications would simply be too much for this initial review.

Final Thoughts

For the newcomer, does this mean the car is that bad? No. I want you to know the car is well worth the low asking price in my opinion. As stated, once to glue the tires to the wheels you will have a car that runs much better. Running on standard plastic track with the magnet should be pleasing for most of you.

Sometimes we can really nit pick a model to death. I am guilty of it myself and can only apologize for my apparent illness. This scale of slot car racing produces a passion for realism and performance that is truly hard to tame. When a classic like this car arrives and seems to fall short of the expectations we had, it can be frustrating to many in our hobby.

For the veterans (if you folks even read my dribble anymore) there is no reason to pass up this cool classic. In truth, you will simply re-build the model to suit your own styles. Why not? We do it to just about every slot car we get our hands on anyway. You know very well that just having the car brought to us is all we really needed. After that, fire up the Dremel and get your order of parts in with your favorite dealer and let the tuning begin.

Although the car does have some issues, the low price makes it simply too hard to resist. If you are a fan of classic racing and feel comfortable doing some light tuning then get this model as soon as you can. It just one more cool classic to compliment your current stable.

- Harry