Tuesday June 06, 2006

NINCO NISSAN 350Z

Since the very first releases of the Honda NSX and Toyota Supra, I knew that NINCO had started a great new series for our hobby. The Super GT is a very popular racing series in the 1:1 world, and sometimes creating slot cars to replicate all the action of a series such as this is a difficult task. For me, NINCO really captured the essence of this series with the first 2 releases and it was now time for me to try a new addition to the line.

The new NISSAN 350Z arrived here safe and sound from MRC and I was immediately impressed. The CALSONIC livery looks stunning in my eyes and NINCO has done a decent job in the fit and finish department. All of the Tampo-stamped markings were as clean and crisp as you could ask for with no runs or fades noticeable anywhere on my sample.

Overall body shape and detail level were acceptable to me, but there are always going to be a few issues here and there. Comparing this model to prototype photos told me that NINCO comes very close to recreating this hot rod in scale. Small items such as the front and rear tow hooks add realism and scale appeal to the model for me.

The wheels and tires are also very nicely done. Visible brake rotor detail is a nice touch as is the Tampo stampings on the wheels themselves. As important as scale detail is, having wheels and tires that are round and true is equally important. My sample is very concentric in both these areas and the tires seemed to only need a slight sanding to get them right where I like them.

Out Of The Box
(And breaking some rules)

It only took me a few seconds to release this beast from it's cage and it was time for action. And here is where I broke rule #1. Usually, I make sure to take photos of the car before it ever sees the track. However, I could not wait to try the model and told myself all would be well. As any ready to run slot car should, this one started to make laps around our modest road course. Gear mesh was a little on the loud side, but good break-in will fix that quickly. It functioned as intended, and perhaps a little better than I needed. Why? Well, the car ran so well that we could not keep from running it! All the while I knew I had not taken any pictures of it yet for the review, but no problem right?

Lap after lap this car performed admirably, and NINCO gets a 5 stars for out of the box operation. Yes, 20 laps turned into 40...then 60...then 80..then, well you get the idea. It was on one of the last "test" (the test was completed over an hour ago, but we still ran it..) sessions that we had a very hard crash into the grandstand wall. Here is where my right side mirror released and so far efforts to relocate it has ended up blank with no sign of it. So, I supposed I deserve that given that I broke my own rules.

This is where I have to slightly touch on one subject. I think NINCO should closely look at softer, rubber molded side mirrors on future releases. Advances in molding and production over the years allows this option, and it can be done without sacrificing that much in scale authenticity. This would make these cars, and others like them more "raceable" and the durability factor increased for the hard racing that most of these cars endure.

 Poppin' The Hood

Looking underneath we see that there 2 screws that mount the body to the chassis. Once removed, we can see the standard NC-5 Speeder motor in the angle-winder position equipped with a 12 tooth pinion driving a 32 tooth spur gear. We also see the standard NINCO button magnet in the mid-chassis position.

As I have said many times before, I am glad to see NINCO staying with this magnet. Larger, heavy bar magnets are great for those who enjoy that type of racing, but I enjoy a challenge when I pull the trigger. This magnet gives plenty of down-force, yet forces you to drive the model and presents a good challenge for both veterans or beginners. .

Performance

After a quick braid adjustment and tire cleaning it was time to attack the track once again. My Pyramid adjustable power supply was set right at 12 volts and I used PARMA 35 ohm Econo controllers for the first series of tests. My lap times were right with the NSX and Supra with a 4.3 second average, and I was very pleased on how the car reacted in both the braking and acceleration departments.

However, there are a few quick adjustments/modifications you can do to smooth the model out even more. As we have shown in the latest Mosler Review, I sanded the wheels to clean any excess flash molding away and this helped a great deal in smoothing out the overall drive. I also installed the same SCP1 washers on the front axle to clean up the slight amount of side to side free-play. Finally, I did notice the motor flexing (turning in the chassis mount) while under load, so I added a slight amount of hot glue adhesive as shown to tighten things up.

My lap times soon became in the 4.2 second range which is actually where the NSX and Supra are at today. At the time of the initial reviews of these models, 4.3 was the best average I could maintain. However, I have always felt that the #1 upgrade you can make is yourself, and through miles of practice with them I can easily maintain a 4.2 average.

Final Thoughts

If you are just joining us in this great hobby, I can safely advise you to think about adding one of these cars to your collection. If you already have one of the earlier releases, adding this model should be high on your "hit list". They have great power along with balanced control combined with detail levels that should satisfy. I think NINCO has done a great service to enthusiasts with this entire series and this latest NISSAN simply compliments it.

- 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!