Saturday July 26, 2003
Fly Porsche 917 Spyder
In a time when some slot car prices are going
up, finding a good deal on a model starts to become very important to some
enthusiasts. Fantasy World realizes that some of us are on a tighter budget than
others, and they often offer special prices on selected models, allowing you to
acquire some decent slot cars at a very low price. This Porsche 917 just happens
to be one of them, and although not a new release, don't think for a second this
model cannot be just as much fun.
However, it isn't just a "regular" model either. This is a Limited 917, and for some of you that strictly collect, this model seems even more of a bargain. At the price of $24.95 ($20.00 if you buy 10 or more) there wasn't any way I could pass it up, seeing that I have wanted to pick one of these up for some time now. It arrived here safe and sound as usual, and a quick glance around the model proved positive.
I found the overall fit and finish very nicely done, with Tampo-stamped markings being crisp and clean, and a dust-free clear-coat. The livery chosen on this model may not appeal to everyone, but I found it rather striking, and if you already have the Marcos German Special Edition, this is a nice way to add to your collection, and at a reduced investment.
For most of you, I am not showing you anything you don't already know. These Porsche models have been with us for quite some time now, and I for one have found them to be a great addition here. For those enthusiasts just joining us, you may find these models to be some of your favorites. They have enough scale detail to satisfy most enthusiasts, and performance is close enough match to other models with this chassis to create a quick field of challenging racing. Familiar items such as the wheels and tires are all standard Fly fare, with the rear tires requiring a little sanding to get them as round and true as possible.
After removing the 5 body mount screws, you see the interior of the chassis. In the rear we see the Fly B34 rear pod assembly equipped with the B21 button magnet, Mabuchi motor and rear axle assembly. The Fly motor comes equipped with the 11 tooth pinion, driving a 36 tooth spur gear with an axle held in place by the snap in plastic bushings. Sometimes these bushings are a little loose in this mount, and if so, you might want to add a drop or two of your favorite adhesive as shown in the photo. I use Super Glue, although other adhesives such as silicone rubber cement might be more advised if you plan on replacing these gears and bushings in the future.
The Fly sidewinder system is unfortunately famous for having excess side-to-side free-play. You can run them like this, although as you can see, there might be a couple areas where you have the tire rubbing on the body and the chassis. A very easy fix for these models is to just shim this axle to eliminate this free-play, and help prevent this rubbing from taking place.
On this model only one shim was needed to prevent this, and it only takes a few seconds of your time. I chose the Fantasy World Slick 7 axle spacers # SLIS738. They are 3/32 inside diameter and .015' thick and are a perfect fit for your Fly and other 3/32nd axles. First I snap out the complete axle assembly, and then twisted off the right side wheel and installed the shim as shown. Then, simply re-install the axle assembly and snap the wheel back in place. Test to make sure you have eliminated as much slack as possible, and that the tire no longer rubs the body. In some cases after you remove the wheel, you might want to add a drop of adhesive on the axle to help hold the wheel firmly in place. However, if you decide to do this, test fit your assembly FIRST to make sure you have it corrected, then remove the wheel once more, add the adhesive, and then re-install.
Once this modification is completed, you should find a much smoother model to drive. I have always enjoyed these models as acceleration, braking, along with throttle response, seem crisp and easy to control. The button magnet provides decent magnetic down-force for those that use them, although on our Carrera track, they provide a little less drag than found on Scalextric Sport, Classic and Ninco systems. With most of the sidewinder classics, this model is a close match on the track, and this car should fit right into your current field easily.
Again,
not only is this a nice slot car, but the price of it is equally as nice. I was
very happy to see this deal, along with the others cars offered at reduced
prices. Saving money where you can in this hobby, just allows you to have that
new release you have been wanting that much quicker. Some models at these prices
sometimes do not offer the enthusiast a decent performing model, however in this
case it does. I have several of these models that have seen their fair share of
hard racing here, and they are still going strong today. I can only suggest that
you grab a few of these to add to your collection, they should provide you many
hours of fun, and as always, FUN is what it's all about.
Harry
As always, feel free to email me at wiseone@yhti.net about this article or just the hobby in general.
Or better still, drop into the Home Racing World Message Forum and let us know your thoughts.
Thanks go to Fantasy World Hobbies for providing us with this great deal. There are other models at reduced prices as well that will be nice models to match up against this one, so make sure you check them out as well.
Chevron B19/21, tomato soup orange, #11 (Item # FLYGB13)
Chevron B19, yellow w/ bl/or trim, #6,
Wynn's / Lucky Strike (Item # FLYGB15)
Porsche 917 Spyder,
white / blue, #11 (Item # FLYGB2)
Fly GB Track Porsche 917 Spyder, white / blue, #11, Interserie champion, 1971,
Leo Kinnunen.
Porsche 917 Spyder, blue /
yellow, #5 (Item # FLYGB4)
