Wednesday July 23, 2003

VMG McLaren Riverside 1971

& SHADOW Elkhart Lake 1971

Like them or not, more models keep appearing from VMG, just adding more to the current CAN-AM field. I was told once that CAN-AM would never be a hot seller in our hobby...well I am not sure about the rest of the world, but it certainly is here. Since testing the first releases our current field of these models see plenty of track time and now our field just got a little larger.

2 of the latest models to hit the streets are the McLaren M8D driven by Chuck Parsons, and the ever-popular Jackie Oliver Shadow. These models are both excellent runners when you take a few minutes to prep them, and we have had some very close, fun racing with them. Arriving here safe and sound from Slot Car World, it was time to take a quick look at them before they entered heavy service.

First off, unless I am looking at the wrong prototype and data, the Chuck Parsons model does have some paint issues. Prototype photos of the Riverside 1971 race clearly show his car to have very dark blue or black rear wings and front flares, not to mention a different shade of red.. Our model has them in yellow, and so far in my research I have not been able to find anything that places this model at the race VMG says it is prototyped after. In the new catalog released by VMG, there is what appears to be a prototype photo of our model on page 5, that does show these items in yellow and with a brighter shade of red. Again, my knowledge of the CAN-Am is limited to books and the internet and there is a good chance I am wrong here, so hopefully those with greater knowledge can solve the mystery for us. I have decided that an easy fix for this would be just to remove the wing and flares, then simply re-paint them to match if in fact this was simply a mistake.

UPDATE! Photos of this car was found, but at MOSPORT not Riverside. And judging by this photo, the VMG did a decent job of capturing it. There is still some markings that are missing, primarily over the rear quarter panel areas, but at least the color combination is close.

Some of you will say this is being very "nit-picky", and I suppose you are correct. Because right or wrong, this model, along with the rest of the releases are going to see plenty of action here and obviously the prototype of this model DOES exist. In fairness to VMG, according to this photo in the catalog they did capture it well aside from a few contingency stickers being missing, and the roll bar being in a different configuration. Tampo-stamping was very well done, with markings being very opaque and even. The clear-coat here is even and dust-free, although it seems the markings on the sides of the model were applied after the clear-coat.

The Shadow release however looks fantastic. According to the prototype photos, VMG has managed to capture it very well, although our driver does sit a little higher than Jackie actually did. Since the first release of this model, it has been the most popular here and this stands to reason. The Shadow was one of the models some of us grew up with in HO scale, and I have heard from many enthusiasts that this was the reason they wanted it in this larger scale.

Tampo-markings and clear-coat were free of any defects in my eyes, and the overall fit and finish was excellent. There is a slight difference in the contingency markings on the sides of the model, but this is not really a glaring issue for me. In our testing, the rear wing of this model has so far survived, although it is a bit more fragile than others. I like this model a great deal, not only because of what it is but of the history that goes with it. Sometimes models that remind us of our youth are the ones we like the most, and such is the case with the Shadow with me.

Regardless of any issues with these models, we still like them and love racing them. These slot cars have an identity all their own, not only in looks but in driving style as well. We find it a nice change of pace in our home racing and with more on the way it seems that our CAN-AM racing stable will only get larger. If your looking for something different in your slot car racing, I would suggest giving them a second look.

Click HERE and HERE for prototype information on both these releases.

Make sure to check our Review Archives on the rest of the VMG line.

Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Or thanks go to EAGLE DISTRIBUTING for providing us with these models!