[PETER GUNN]

In my display case have sat 4 Fly Ferrari 512's for many years, one in particular has been giving me the eye to use so i selected the yellow coupe and here it is sitting in peices on the table now i would like to make it better being not up with Fly any help would be appreciated i guess it's the usual motor, deeper guide, better wheels & tyres e.t.c but the rear axle looks different to others is this a one of size, i expect the chassis may need to be a bit stiffer , i intend to use it on a home circuit to start with but if it is ok take it with me if i visit the local club, nice body not to heavy the driver looks fed up missing his chassis i expect, i thank you in advance Keith.

 

[Screwneck]

If it's over 5 years old then your tyres are going to be nearly gripless. The rear axle will need a bit taken off to clear the body. Otherwise, why change anything else? My two stock 512S cars thrash my stock SlotIt Alfa T33. The longer CL versions are half the fun as they continually whack around on barriers and eventually smack over like beetles wriggling on their backs once the crazy wobbles and fishtailing tug the cars over.

It's OK to race stock and appreciate a really good model by Fly.

 

[DJ]

As above really, Fly classics can be great fun to race.
With Ortmann tyres on the rear, magnet out and a little lead weight upfront (to keep the guide planted) they are great runners.

 

[scudbong]

I run a Fly 512 at Colchester and all I've changed are the rear tyres to Ortmanns, the guide to a slot it one and inserted a solid front axle. I've also trimmed the chassis to allow extra body float and generally look after it and it is competative.

See you down Colchester soon??

Pete

 

[PETER GUNN]

Thanks for the feed back is it worth uprating the motor and i did'nt know how competative Fly's were as my home circuit is not over large and running it with other cars i have, it does not stand out as particulary fast, handling is not to bad i do not compare it with my metal chassis cars from way back as this would be unfair as these have all been refurbished to their former glory and are very rapid with no where to go , i run it against a couple of cars from a similar price range, Pete as regards Colchester it is the nearest club to me and if i can drag this old body from it's armchair on a Friday night, you never know you may see me there sooner than later Regards Keith.

 

[driver#8]

I had a Fly 917 body sitting on Ralph Parker's metal Can-Am chassis with TSRF running gear designed for your style of racing. That went as well as it looked - far too much grunt for a home track! FZSemans has it now I think.

Stock motor is the 18k as used by Scalextric, but it's all horses for courses.

The Fly concept was to make works of art that just happened to be very rapid, if fragile, magnet racers. Take the mag out and you exacerbate the shonky quality of the gears and axles and, most often, end up having a downer on them.

We run a class for box-standard cars without magnets (weight can be added) and it's really a matter of whose car will stay reliable for each 10-lap heat. I've just bought the cheapie re-release 512 longtail to run in that class in the hope that a less complex chassis, solid front axle and less precious details to fall off might offer something.