NINCO Cobra - Home Racing World & Slot Car Garage

Wednesday November 19, 2008

It has been quite awhile since a new NINCO Cobra has found it's way here to HRW. I was happy to see yet another release in the Classic series just in time for the Holidays, so let us take a closer look at what she has to offer.

One thing about this model is that it does has some scale issues to it with the overall body. It is a little on the wide and short side and rides a little high as well, which for some enthusiasts this takes away from the true lines of the 1:1 car. With that said you can look at these photos and simply judge for yourself. It either works for you, or it won't.

These issues really never stopped me from racing and enjoying it. Although I must admit this model never did see as much action compared to other classics in the series. Not because of the way it looks though. It was performance. I am hoping things have changed for the better.

Overall the paint work here is very well done and NINCO has given it a nice "historic racer" look to it that I thought was pretty eye catching. Again, personal preference will come into play. A nice clear coat seals everything in place that is dirt free with no fades or runs.

The interior is done well enough for most drivers with decent detail. Markings for the dash panel is visible and adds a little more to the finish of the car. Our driver sits ready for action with his hands on the wheel.

Wheels and tires here are standard fare for Ninco, with the wheels and knock-offs adding great visual appeal to the model. The knock-offs seem a little large but looking at some photos they are not too far off.

The tires are different sizes but the wheels are the same. This means you can easily slip the fronts to the rear for sanding and then return them up front.

Thank You NINCO!

I have to say I feared the worst while I turned the model over. I expected to see the car over-powered with an NC-5 Speeder motor. Such is not the case! This model now comes with the new classic standard NC-8 Thruster motor. It is not often that NINCO makes a motor change that I like but this is one of those times.

When I mentioned earlier about previous models not seeing a lot of track time, well this was the reason why. Although the NC-2 is a great motor this car should have always been equipped with the NC-1 so it would match others in the series. It ran ok with the NC-2, but it sort of collected dust as we never got around to swapping the motors out. Now? This car will fit right in with the other NC-8 Classics released lately.

NC-8 Current Family Of Classics: Jaguar Xk120 Ferrari 250 Corvette Porsche 550

Yes, I am very happy to see this. Hopefully if the Austin Healy ever gets another release they will do the same to make the entire series compatible without the need for a motor change or chassis modifications.

Under The Hood

4 screws mount our body to the chassis. Inside the chassis is the same as the last release. A button magnet is placed up front which I am glad to see. Why? Well, for starters it does help pin the car slightly making it a little easier to drive for beginners. And it is easy removed for those who enjoy the classic non-magnet feel. Easier to remove it...than to buy it.

The Thruster is geared with a 9 tooth pinion turning the 27 tooth crown gear. Gear mesh is a little on the loud side as most NINCO models can be, but break-in will smooth things out. We can see it is also equipped with the new quick disconnect motor lead feature.

To The Track!

I was excited to get this model to the track. In fact I did not even bother heading to our plastic track as we race these models pretty much on wood entirely. Once you sand the tires and add a little lead (if desired) these are some of the most fun you can have in our hobby.

And this car did not disappoint. Very smooth and fun just like I expected. Now, this car can be a tippy little model so tuning it with some lead can help this a great deal. In any event, after our tire and wheel sanding session to clean things up it handled quite well. I cannot report lap times as my system is currently down, but I don't need a timer to tell me how evenly matched it is with others in the series. The Ferrari and Porsche have a slight edge it seems, but this is most likely all driver error. Still, I was very happy with this new addition.

Final Thoughts

I have to say this little car surprised me. The right motor in it to match others in the series is my biggest praise. It is not for everyone of course, but if you are a fan of the NINCO line of Classics, you might take a close look at adding to your stable. Pricing is also better than expected. This car is around $55.00 at most dealers, which although is not in the range of all budgets, it still is not that much of a sticker shock.

- 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 MRC For Providing Us With This Sample!