Friday February 03, 2006

Slot-it Jaguar!

The very latest from Slot-it arrived here over 2 weeks ago and I decided to give this car a little more time before I brought you my results. There are times when a model arrives here and I simply feel it is one that offers a little more to those in our hobby and I like to take the time to let other enthusiasts try it for themselves before I present it here.

On The Outside

If you are just joining us in this great hobby, the name Slot-it will soon become quite familiar to you. For years they have had a reputation for quality after-market parts such as gears, axles, motors, magnets etc. A few years ago they began to introduce their own line of ready to run slot cars and over time they have certainly brought us some wonderful models to enjoy.

This model is no exception. The overall body shape and attention to scale detail is as high as you might expect from them. Comparing prototype photos to the model told me all I needed to know as they have reproduced yet another winner in our scale. Of course nothing is perfect, but Slot-it has came very close and reports from other enthusiasts seem to echo my sentiments.

This is a model that has been done before in the past, and in different scales. However, none have reached this level for today's racer. There are many fans of this series and timeframe and I was happy to see them finally bring this famous car to completion. Tampo stampings and paint were very crisp and opaque and I could not find any glaring flaws on our sample.

Detail level here should please most everyone in our hobby. The cockpit interior and driver are accurate enough to bring a high level of realism to those who appreciate it. items like the top antenna which is made of soft, flexible rubber is a plus as it has withstood several hard crashes without breaking off. This might seem like a minor item to some of you, but for me it just adds to the durability of the model.

There is also an additional rear wing included that brings the durability factor even higher. If you so desire, you can remove the more delicate prototype wing and replace it with a sturdier flat black option. I have been asked if the rear wheels skirts can be removed. It does appear that they can be removed but they are solidly mounted in place. I tried to remove one, but it required more pressure than I was willing to use. Personally, I will keep mine in place as that is the way the car raced and see no reason to remove the skirts.

Wheels and tires are as round and true as you can ask for in ready to run format. The rear wheels are aluminum held in place by a very small allen head set screw. Between these perfectly round wheels and tires that require minimal sanding, you simply get a very smooth operating slot car.

On The Inside

Looking underneath we see the Slot-it V12 motor in the inline position, bar magnet to the rear of the motor and 2 screws that mount the body to the chassis. You can also see the screws that hold the entire motor mount and rear axle assembly. All of these screws were easy to remove, but I just removed the 2 holding the body to get inside for a closer look.

This model comes equipped with a 28 tooth crown gear that is driven by a 9 tooth pinion. The wiring for the motor and front guide is neatly tucked away along the sides keeping things right where they should be for easy re-assembly of the body. The front guide is very snug in its mount and is deep enough for most all home racers.

Operation

Straight from the box to the track is our first test and as usual for Slot-it this model performed flawlessly. Very smooth overall control with a very quiet and solid gear mesh. Braking and acceleration are crisp enough to suit most enthusiasts and I found that even on our smaller layout that the gearing selection still gave me easy control in the tighter corners.

The magnet in this car does give decent magnetic traction, but nothing like heavy bar magnet cars from other makers. This makes the car drive much better for my personal tastes as the car does not have the "snap roll" effect heavy magnets can sometimes cause. The model easily slides through the corners and gives you plenty of time to control the model in a skid. There is another magnet pocket in front that will allow you add another magnet if you so desire, which just makes the model that much more appealing to a wider variety in driving tastes.

Usually after the first road test, I sometimes sand the tires and perhaps have to make other adjustments such as sanding the wheels to remove flash molding, trimming front axle that are too long, gluing in bushings to prevent them from spinning, etc. On Slot-it models, I usually only have to lightly sand the tires and I am finished.

Ideally, these models will perform best on after-market power and control. I used 35 ohm PARMA Economy controllers along with our Pyramid PS26KX 25 amp variable supply. Our first setting was the standard 12 volts and performance was very favorable. The car had plenty of punch out of the corners to say the least and blasted down our shorter straights with command. Lap times averaged 4.7 seconds which is slightly better than the Porsche 956 released by Slot-it back in 2004.

However, having adjustable voltage is a blessing in more ways to describe, and on our smaller track it really makes the difference. I dialed the voltage down to 10 1/2 volts and overall control increased. The model was much easier to navigate through our tighter corners, yet still had plenty of power. Remember that our Artin Road Course is not that large of a layout, so dialing the volts down just makes the car easier to drive and thus increased the fun factor. And lap times stayed near the same as we clipped off a 100 laps with a 4.8 second average.

Conclusions

In the end, all I can do is repeat what I have said about Slot-it products in the past. They provide the enthusiast in our hobby about the best value you can find. All the after-market parts many racers add to other brands of cars are included here. Wheels, axles, motor and gearing is simply some of the best you can have in ready to run format, and all at a great price. At suggested retail of $49.95 you are simply getting a lot of quality slot car for your money.

I highly recommend that if you have not tried a model by Slot-it yet that now is the perfect time. This model will be joined by another Jag very soon along with even more models of different types later this year. You can also still find many of the prior releases so that you can begin a brand new series in your home or club. Dollar for dollar it is possibly the best value any enthusiast could ask for.

- 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 Slot Car World For Providing Us With This Model!