Sunday September 10, 2006

All New Slot.It Lancia LC2
Le Mans 1984

The reputation that Slot-it has acquired over the years is one of high quality and attention to detail. Almost every single ready to run model they have released have had these traits and enthusiasts looked forward to each and every new addition. This latest effort from them is no exception as racers everywhere are already commenting on how much they enjoy both the looks and performance of this classic competitor.

We have seen other releases in this series from them and I am glad they stayed with it. This model will look right at home with previous models such as the Porsche 956 and although this particular car did not finish the 1984 Le Mans due to engine trouble, there is no stopping you from re-writing history on your home track.

My first impressions of this model were very positive. Although some may not appreciate this car for the paint scheme, I enjoy models with contrasts like this. Most anyone who does appreciate scale authenticity will have to give Slot-it credit as compared to prototype photos, they have really captured this classic racer extremely well. There are always a few small details here and there that appear incorrect, such as the front pillars being yellow instead of black. Still, for my eyes this is not that crucial and takes very little away from an overall excellent finish.

The paint and Tampo stamped markings are some of the best efforts you will see in our hobby. Not only are they very accurate in size and placement, but they are very crisp and opaque with no signs of dirt or fading. As usual, I am hoping that the photos here tell most of the story for me. Smaller interior details are virtually hidden given the small cockpit, but you can still make out the driver that has great helmet detail along with safety harness in painted place.

Wheels and tires are also well done, being very round and true. Given that Slot-it uses turned aluminum wheels on the rear with their own high quality axles have always made the models from them smooth performers and such is the case here. The model comes with an extra set of tires that are the S2 silicone tires for increased grip. This is a nice added feature that just further increases the value of the model. Perhaps I am making more out of this than I should, but it seems to show me that Slot-it cares about the racer enough to include these tires so that it can be tuned for different track conditions.

Out Of The Box

After checking the braid I put the car on the track and it was time to let her rip. Our Artin track is set at 12 volts using PARMA 35 OHM controllers. This first lap confirmed that once again I had a winner on my hands. Remember, this car is right out of the box with no modifications. Not even tire sanding, I just made sure the tires were clean by rolling them over some masking tape.

Lap times were impressive as I posted a 3.6 second average. Not only are the times pleasing, but the smooth and quiet operation just made this Lancia even more fun to pilot. I wanted to keep going, but the initial test was over and it was time to dive inside this beast to see what makes this latest rocket tick.

Inside

2 screws held the body to the chassis and were easily removed. Inside we see the venerable Slot-it (SIMN04) V12/2 - 25,000 RPM motor equipped with a 9 tooth pinion that turns the 28 tooth crown gear. The one item I have seen lately on these cars is that the front of the motor mount seems to be a little small and it barely holds the motor in place. However, I did check the model under full load and found no evidence of excess motor flex so it required no attention. I still like to add a small seam of hot glue on each side of the motor just as a preventive maintenance measure.

Up front we see the front axle and front axle height adjustment caps. Some have commented that the axle height is set so that the front wheels do not touch the ground. This is true as my model was just shy of the track, but not enough for me to remove the caps. I inspected the new braids and just made sure they were flat as possible. After flattening the braid out a little by hand, the tires then were at near perfect height and would prevent unwanted front body roll.

More Trigger Time

After putting our Lancia back together it was time for more action! This time I lightly sanded the tires, rolled them across my tape to clean them the best I could and prepared for battle (with my Laptimer that is). The first series of laps still had the car in the 3.6 second range but I did dip close to 3.5 with a best time of 3.609. It also just felt better through the corners and most times were between 3.650 and 3.610.

However, let us not forget about our spare tires. I installed the S2 silicones and headed back to the track. The results at first were favorable as I quickly dived into the 3.5 range. In fact I had a best time of 3.503 so I was close to 3.4 range! The problem was that once these silicones (like many of them) became a little dusty, that added traction disappeared just as quickly. My basement is not the cleanest environment for a track, so I dusted and cleaned the track again and re-tested. Even after this, it did not take long for the tires to accumulate a light layer of dust and traction soon declined.

However, to be fair these tires make a world of difference on many routed wood tracks along with other plastic tracks. It is just that in my case they don't offer that much of an advantage over an extended period of time. I took a lint roller and rolled it across the track to collect as much dust as possible. After I did this, these tires really hooked up and stayed that way for about 125 laps. Big improvement. In this case it isn't the tire, it was my negligence in making sure we had the cleanest surface possible. There will always be differences in track conditions that will make a certain compound of tire rule the day. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Slot-it even includes this spare set to help you tune your car in this manner deserves praise.

I also have to comment again on how smoothly the model operates. Braking and acceleration are very crisp and you can simply feel the smoothness of the model as it negotiates your course. Even pulling the magnet still finds a model that is easily tuned with nothing more than a little lead weight where you desire. Many of our ready to run models cannot claim this level of operation once the heavy magnet is removed, at least not without upgrading better quality parts in the wheel and axle departments.

I raced this model against both the Porsche and Jaguar to find a comparison. This latest Lancia was slightly better in the corners and this proved to be the big difference. This isn't to say these other cars could not compete as the racing was very close, however I think enthusiasts will find this new release a serious contender.

Conclusions

It seems repeating  myself is commonplace when I do a Slot-it review because each car we have seen is simply a great model. Not only are they highly detailed and accurately modeled, they come with excellent running gear that is considered after-market upgrades for many other brands. With all of this, we still see a price under $50.00. Sadly, not all models can claim to have this amount of quality both inside and out, and have a price point like this.

I can only say that anyone in our hobby should make at least one investment in this line of models. These slot cars offer a great deal to any enthusiast, from the beginner to the veteran. If you decide to add one to your collection, I am pretty sure you will be glad you did.

- 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 www.SlotCarPlace.com For Providing Us With This Model!