07/30/2012

 1/32nd Scale Flyslot Lotus 78 - Gunnar Nilsson 1st GP Belgium 1977

I have been looking at the classic Grand Prix line from Flyslot very closely the past year or so. I am an no expert on the glory days of this series of racing, but the cars they drove fascinate me. This particular model has been on that famous "list" that we all have as one I wanted to try.

Although many fans of this series know about the success Mario Andretti had in this car, the story of Gunnar Nilsson is just as good. This is a great link about the history of this driver and the famous win he took in Belgium in 1977. The video is decent quality too. Here are a couple quick photos as well. The car Mario drove is available too, and has been for well over a year. But the inflated price on it will likely leave it for only the ardent enthusiasts or collector.

My model arrived safe and sound from Slotcarplace and I could not wait to started on it.

Quick Data:

Length: 139.65MM
Width: 65.35MM (@ rear wheels)
Height: 27.50 (Top of wing to track surface)
Wheelbase: 84.45MM
Total Weight: 57 grams

The first thing most of you will notice is the absence of any clear coat. This is a shame. I have noticed on some of the new releases from Flyslot this has been an issue and sadly it is the case here.

As a racer and not a collector I am a little disappointed. A clear coat is not all about looks, although that is the main thing in most cases. It also protects the markings of the car from rubbing away from hard racing contact or even normal handling while tuning. Whoever has taken over the reigns at Flyslot are not making the right choices in this area. Of all the items to choose a shortcut, the final finish should not be one of them.

Aside from this, they seemed to have created a very accurate model. Or at least it satisfies my eye.

Detail level here is very good with the small things like the driver paint work drawing your eyes closer. They made the John Player logo too large on the helmet, but I can at least give them credit for trying. Besides, my old eyes needed a magnifier to find that little issue anyway.

Markings are well done, but there are areas of fading. I would have liked to see a little better quality here but it isn't too bad. Engine detail looks great to me as well.

Wheels and tires are close to enough to scale, although the front wheels do not seem to match the 1:1 in pattern. They are also void of any gold, which from my research shows the car had. It does have the Goodyear markings on them which really please me. Without them, it just wouldn't look right.

The tires look all right, but any racer can see they need a lot of sanding to get them right. I won't even bother tying to tune with these tires.  I will be replacing these tires with Paul Gage brand tires for racing.

One item that some of these models have that bothers most racers is the front "steering" and that the front "toe" is off. My model does have a slight toe out effect but not as bad as I have heard about on other models.

Perhaps some will feel I am being biased here, but even with some overall finish issues I am still happy. I really like the looks of this classic and the small effort it will take to seal the car with a coat of Future does not bother me.

Why? To be honest I give an extra coat of Future clear over a lot of my models. Some manufacturers apply the markings over the top of the base clear coat so they need it anyway.

Under The Hood

There are 3 screws on the bottom of the car and one screw in the rear that is hidden by the differential cover.

The wing snaps apart and comes off rather easily, but it is delicate so be careful.

Once inside everything is pretty straight forward.

The crown gear is for a larger 2mm motor shaft, but the pinion is large enough that it isn't an issue. There is a washer here is confusing as it serves no purpose that I can see. The motor shaft limits the travel before it touches it.

The motor has no marking others than shown in the photo and I cannot verify the exact ratings. I can say that it is a quick outfit and for my non-magnet small layout it is too punchy. I think it would be a great motor though for larger layouts.

Magnet fans will like this news. It has not one but two magnets. One large up front and a smaller one tucked in the rear as shown.

The steering here is sort of crude. It is sort of a combination of the lead wires laying in slots cut into the suspension, plus a small ring with a tab on it snapped over the guide. When the guide turns, the wires move along with the tab on the ring and the assembly "turns". I can tell you I will bypass this somehow as it doesn't really work that well and just adds pressure where I do not want it.