Thursday August 21, 2008

Have you ever taken the blind chance on a slot car and soon after getting it you are so proud because you scored a winner? This is how I felt when I purchased my first Aston Martin in the SCX GT line. Soon after another followed along with a pair of Ferrari's. When the Red Bull car was announced I knew it would find a home here and FAST. Right at the same time I wanted the Volvo based on nothing more than looks. How will this STCC Volvo stand up to the other GT series cars? Time will soon tell.

VOLVO S60 R

Yes, I admit it. I wanted the Volvo after seeing the first images of it in our forums. The colors of this car had a great contrast as well as a cool body style. I am no expert on STCC or other GT series to say the least. I do not follow any of the 1:1 racing and rarely get the chance to read or watch it. This is where our hobby can educate you. I researched this car and discovered it was bioethanol-powered and hence the "Green" approach. Regardless of my 1:1 knowledge I knew I wanted it to join the rest of my GT field.

On our model I have to say my photos do not do it justice. The paint on this car is fantastic. There is a hint of a gold or yellow metal-flake that you can really appreciate when you look close. The markings seem very accurate to the prototype and a very shiny, dirt free clear-coat seals everything nicely with signs of runs or fades. I noticed some differences in the prototype photos but they are very minor, and most likely these cars change a few items here and there between races.

So far just on looks alone I was happy about this car. Interior detail is acceptable with a driver figure and visible roll bars. No, it isn't the most detailed interior, but given the tinted glass, what you can see plays the role very well.

Wheels and tires are also nicely done and were mostly round and true. The tires here grip decently on our track but on some surfaces you might want a tire change. But on plastic track with the magnet in stock form, they do the job nicely.

Aston Martin DBR9

The Aston Martin has been around for awhile but not in this trim. The Red Bull livery itself is becoming sort of like the Gulf, Jager and Martini liveries for me. Just about any car you put it on it looks great and same here for this model. In fact, as soon as I opened the case my wife "General Myway" declared: "I like that a lot, I'll take it."

So much for that. Still, she graciously allowed me to complete the review. Again the paint here is very well done. The white is very opaque with no fading or bleed through I could find. The rest of the markings are the same and again sealed with am excellent clear coat.

Interior detail is sufficient for what you can see. Driver figure, visible roll bars, and a little color on the dash.

Wheels and tires are very good although I have seen some photos that indicate the car could have had a more inset wheel and a little darker. No real issue here for me, and it should not mean much to most home racers.

Turning each model over we see slightly different chassis designs, but overall pretty close to one another.

Each model has the RX-42 power plant with a 9 tooth pinion and 27 tooth crown.

BOXSTOCK TESTING

Artin Plastic Track- 12 Volt DC Aftermarket Power - 25 OHM PARMA Econo Controllers

It was time to put these cars in action. The Volvo started things off well with lap times averaging 4.0. This was nice to see as other cars in the GT line are right with it. This told me we had a decent match in this series.

It had a very light wheel chatter and of course a little rattle here and there which is typical of these models. Still, our model did exactly what it was intended to do: run out of the box and run well.

The Aston Martin was very similar although it had a little more wheel hop to it. Nothing drastic, but you could tell the difference. Lap times here were 4.1 seconds, so very close to the Volvo. So far? I'm happy. But now it was time to throw a little tuning on these beasts to see what we can do.

Simple Tuning Time

We basically perform the tuning featured in our Ferrari and NASCAR reviews.

NOTE: Some of these tuning methods may or may not work for you and your driving style or track conditions.

This is simply how I do for our models here. It will only take you about 10-15 minutes to perform these mods aside plus about 15-20 for the break-in. Not bad I think!

Lube Job? CHECK

Wheels & Tires Sanded & Cleaned? CHECK

Motor Pod Hot Glued? CHECK

Front Guide Tabs Cleaned & Adjusted? CHECK

Motor Tabs Soldered? CHECK

Light Wiring Installed? CHECK (Not A Performance Required Mod)

Allow For Motor Break-In? CHECK

QUICK SOUND TUNING TIP!

Sometimes no matter what you do, you might still here some excess noise. Not a lot, but you can pick it up.

After removing the body add some adhesive to the brass lighting conductive strips. They are post melted in place but there are times when some of these areas are loose. You can use any glue, even tape. I like my hot glue and add a few drops here and there.

This prevents the strips to vibrate against the body causing that small amount of rattle. Try it and see.

Further Testing

Artin Plastic Track- 12 Volt DC Aftermarket Power - 25 OHM PARMA Econo Controllers

It is amazing what a little work can do. These cars are much smoother and the excess noise has been reduced. Right off the line both cars cruised into the 3.9 range. After more tires sanding and some cleaning, we easily had them at 3.8 averages. This is where I was very pleased with the Volvo. I was counting on it being a tough contender and it answered the call!

NOTE: This is with the bar magnet in the fully raised position. You can lower this magnet by loosening the screws to increase downforce.

Those of you who enjoy magnet racing and seek that need for speed, these models might need a little magnet added up front. Lowering the bar magnet will help you as well, but some racers have also placed a button magnet up front for even more traction. The motor seems to handle this extra downforce, so don't be afraid to give it a try.

Advanced Testing

Routed MDF Wood Track - Copper Tape - 12 Volt DC Aftermarket Power
25 OHM PARMA Econo Controllers

On the MIDMO Speedway things were very nice. Smooth operation with plenty of braking. Tire traction here is fine, although an after-market silicone is the hot set up for maximum traction. Changing to a set of K&D's (Part# KD13256SCX) on the rear also reduced the chatter a little more. This is of course entirely based on your track surface. Trying different brands of tires is what it takes to find your own "sweet spot".

There is room here to add lead where you feel it needs it. You can slide some lead tape underneath as well. I have not felt the need to add any additional weight, so our models are stock.

One small bonus is the fact the models are lighted. For some, this means nothing. For our racing it does. We enjoy night racing from time to time and having the models come ready to go is a huge plus.

 Post Race Comments

These models are a lot of fun like slot cars should be. They can be tuned to meet a wide variety of driving styles and should make most enthusiasts happy who run straight out of the box. They also have a decent price point which helps those on tighter budgets have a wider selection. I think if you decide to add one to your collection, you will be as happy as we are.

- 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!

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