Saturday, March 14, 2009

JAGUAR C-TYPE L.M. WINNER 1953/1955

JAGUAR C-TYPE L.M. WINNER 1953 T.ROLT / D.HAMILTION #18
(RACING GREEN0

Model Number : 13571
Category : Slot racing
Scale : 1:32 Slot racing
Make : JAGUAR
Weight in kg : 0.5 kg
Availability : Available within USA & Canada



This 1:32 scale slot car is a replica of the race car driven by Hawthorne & Bueb #6 at the world’s most prestigious endurance racing event in 1955.


This 1:32 scale slot car is a replica of the race car driven by Hawthorne & Bueb #18 at the world’s most prestigious endurance racing event in 1953.


The first track test was on a small Carrera track. The braids needed a downward tweak to make good contact with the rails, but that's not unusual for any car The Jag’s are quiet and smooth and feels easy to drive. Acceleration is quite gentle, and the strong magnet gives it good traction. They are fast, but you need a long straight to find out! Braking is fairly good, though it's mainly the magnet that slows the car down. The Jag’s magnet is relatively narrow so high speed cornering can cause the car to drift( understatement), moving the magnet away from the track rails, causing the car to (let’s say always for me ) spin and roll over.


The slot car itself looks so good, it would be a shame to race it. Tires, wheels, and vehicle stance are a great place to start.



The new Jaguar D-Type slot car comes with rear wheel drive, magnetic traction, and working headlights.




The body is clean and sharp with no molding flaws or lines. Every panel line and detail is crisply defined, and the lights, windscreens etc fit perfectly. The bonnet houses the engine,which appears to be held down with chrome latches. It's nicely done and very effective - I almost expected it to open to reveal the engine underneath!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Revell Monogram 1964 Ferrari 275 P Kit


In 1964, the Ferrari entry at Sebring included their new 275 P and 330 P prototypes. After 12 hours, a 275 P Ferrari emerged the victor, defeating even its bigger brother the 330 P. To prove that the win by the smaller car was no fluke, the Ferrari 275 P, repeated its performance at Le Mans, setting a new record average speed of 121.5 mph for the distance just short of 3,000 miles in 24 hours. This illustrates vividly what Ferrari has known for years, that racing improves the breed. Through racing and winning, Ferrari has the most highly regarded name in the field of high performance cars, today.



1964 FERRARI 275 P #22
KIT: 27 piece slot car assembly kit
CHASSIS: Sebring adjustable
MAGNET: 2 fixed locations behind guide & at rear
GUIDE: Standard with copper braid
BEARINGS: Nylon
MOTOR: Boxer style 18,000 rpm
MOTOR CONFIGURATION: Inline




Rating out of five stars
Ease of assembly
Quality of moldings
Look of finished product
Ease of instructions
Drivability


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Monogram #4892 Special Edition '63 Ford Galaxie 500 #28 Fred Lorenzen

Fred Lorenzen’s cup career spanned 12 years with 26 wins, 84 top tens and 32 poles, this was achieved with only 158 races run. From 1961 until 1967 Lorenzen drove the famous white and blue #28 Ford for the Holman and Moody team. Fred was the first driver to earn over $100,000 in a single season. He was named one of the cup series 50 greatest drivers in 1998 and inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in America in 2001.


Monogram’s 1/32 scale slot car of the Fred Lorenzen’s 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 #28 cup car captures the appearance of the car marvelously with with what you could call an early attempt at anaggressive line and contour right there to see. But performance-wise these cars have not enjoyed a reputation to match their looks. Still, there is hidden potential, and a couple of simple tricks will go a long way toward giving them the performance they should have.




In stock form the rear tires don’t deliver the grip they should. Switching to aftermarket tires is worth several tenths of a second per lap, depending on the configuration of your track. However, the stock tires, with a little work, may be an even better choice. Their problem, as they come from the factory, is that their tread surface is seriously concave. This means that only the inner and outer edges of the tire are touching the track. Since traction on a dry surface is a direct function of the area of rubber in contact with the road surface (the “contact patch”, as it’s known) most of the potential traction of those tires is being lost.