[Turismo]

Howdy All,

As the topic suggests, how good are these cars? I've heard good things about them but don't really know anything of the car?
Is there any reviews anywhere?

Thanks.

 

[Ecurie Ecosse 9-5]

When new they were regarded as among the best for racing. Chassis quick, body not exactly high on fine scale detailling. Still great, but I'm biased.

To my knowledge there are three specs with different engines and there are apperently some due for re-release whcih may be different again.

As to which is best I can't say, but depends on your track/controller/style/etc.

At the end of the day it is one of the few sports cars that hasn't been made by two or more slot car brands so you don't have much choice if you want a model of the car.

Scott

 

[Wankel Ickx]

She's a peach of a runner but a suspect looker.

My advice - Buy.

 

[sprint]

I have many of them, and they run well; moreover since they are not so well built you don't care too much when flying off the track; one weak point is the forward part of the chassis near the pick up : I have broken three of them; now I have made a brass insert with a slot-it pick up, I have removed the mag and I am using the Scaleauto 35K motor taped to the chassis with some lead for balance: it is very fast, but not the fastest on our track.
Ciao

 

[JEXY1]

Thought i would reply to this thread in the positive (still will), but then saw Scott's new image and sign off.

Unable to continue typing, falling off chair............

Scott! - you never look like that!!!!

I can confirm that this photo was taken many years ago (when Scott was young!) and wore a suit to an interview.

--

Back to the car - they are great! and cheap! (well in the UK anyway)

Gareth

PS no way i'm posting a photo of me, but i think Nuro has some evidence of my poor maths (see other thread regarding his trip to our Farnham Club.

 

[Turismo]

Personally I thought they looked quite good for a 'different' type of lemans car. Not so much cheap over here as different. I believe the one I'm looking at has an evo 3 motor.

 

[jonny s]

It`s still the car to beat on our circuit at Phoenix. In the hands of almost any racer including me, it goes well. Paul Darby won the GT Championship last year running this car and it proved superior to the other rans,including the Slot It Audi. It was also a popular racers choice at away race meetings we attended in 03. Truth is when you want a good result who cares what it looks like as long as it goes well? I believe it helps that this car is light and sits low and the tyres are superb, very good grip on Ninco. I believe it is a hard to find car nowadays? Spare parts will also be an issue too if Pro Slot don`t sort themselves out.

 

[Turismo]

Thanks for all the info Jonny. I've managed to find a few and spares could be an issue but there is always slot it for that.
Do they really look that bad or is it more of a high detail issue?
You've also just contradicted a friend and now I'm confused.

 

[jonny s]

Should have added that my opinion is based on running the car without magnet. I hardly ever base my opinion on my own use because with a club such as Phoenix there are so many racers that I get a much better idea from seeing the guys race. Because I am the race controller I see how everyone performs and also see all the computer data such as lap times. It`s down to me to record all the results.

I believe the car looks good enough,yes the detail is lacking but in my experience if you race a car then the detail tends to fall away...maybe thats just because I have too many `offs`!?

 

[Turismo]

Interesting feedback, thankyou.

Ok, let me change the rules a little.

Would the Proteus Lambo be a better car to buy?

P.s. Any feedback or experience is great. For the record I do race on Scalextric Classic with magnets.

 

[Mooster]

In my experience the Proslot Toyota with a standard magnet setup doesn't really go at its best on Classic track. The magnet is pretty far forward in the chassis, so you may well notice a lack of rear end grip compared with cars that have the magnet set further back. It should also be noted that without magnets, on a typically slightly bumpy Classic track, the Toyota does have a tendency to take off off on the straights and continue to the scene of the accident at great speed! With my own Toyotas I added a magnet to the rear, just behind the back axle, which helped to make them a lot less tail happy than before. You can turn them into very fast racers on Classic track but it takes a bit of work, therefore.

GJB52 ran a Proteus Lambo on my home track briefly and I was pretty impressed at how quick it appeared to be. Maybe not as much potential as the Toyota, and the motor may not be as fast, but probably more hassle-free in my opinion. Of course the race performance will also depend on how long your straights are, your power supply etc etc.

Mooster

 

[Turismo]

Hey Mooster,

Thanks for your help on that. I might just sit back and see which I like better. Two friends have ordered one of each, they are both more novice racers so it sounds like the Lambo will be the go. Personally I like the challenge of tinkering around and unleashing the potential of a fast car!
The GT1 is cheaper too!

 

[Mecoprop]

QUOTE Truth is when you want a good result who cares what it looks like as long as it goes well?
I couldn't agree more!

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the pic in the first post above.
In a no-mag context, these cars are GREAT - among my all-time favorites.
Yes they often (but certainly not always) have some quality issues out of the box, but they are well worth the effort of fixing up and racing.
Get the magnet out and thoroughly enjoy!

 

[Tropi]

Johnny S said
QUOTE the tyres are superb, very good grip on Ninco
I got thrashed yesterday, using one of these on Scalextric Sport with no magnet and no weight. Sport track is SO slippery!
The car is almost undeslottable but it won't corner well, slithering around as if on ice. Slower SCX cars with more grip made me look completely stupid!
Can anyone advise me on the best tyres to be using on Sport track?
(remember - NO magnets)

 

[GRAH1]

Ortmans nothing comes close

 

[jonny s]

Which is why I wouldn`t give you Tuppence forn Sport track. Before I get burnt at the stake let me explain. Cars don`t run on totally smooth surfaces and I believe sport track is too smooth. I also struggled with this track when building ten huge layouts for "Short Circuits". Electrical connection is poor and I can`t believe that Scalex didn`t use the opprtunity to widen it. If you want a smooth track surface why not get a routed wooden track?It`s cheaper and you get a more durable product for a permanent track. If you want plexi , get Ninco you know it makes sense! (No I`m not on commision!!).

 

[Tropi]

Grah

I was hoping and half expecting someone would say that.
Are they readily available in UK?

JS

I agree with you 1/3!
Our guys just replaced a 20 odd foot SCX straight with Sport - because the SCX was throwing cars out for no reason other than bumps. We have had quite a few continuity problems since then that didn't exist before.

Personally I think Scalextrix made the right decision staying with their hugely long established track spacing. Many will disagree with me and that is perfectly OK! But for wider spacing, as you say, there is Ninco and, of course Carrera is a little broader still. We have excellent choices available to us.

As to the surface - smooth isn't necessarily slippery - it largely depends on the actual material used too. For instance, super-smooth glassy formica is one of the top favourites for high speed HO racers. The problem is with the Scalextric plastic - its a bit oily. Carrera is less so. A highly unscientific experiment is to drag a finger tip across both tracks - you can FEEL the difference.

Though it is not my intention, this'll start some arguments!

 

[GRAH1]

Jim Brown at Slot-Tech will probably be able to help he has some stocks in the club shop.

 

[Mr.M]

I only have experience of these Toy motas on routed, have never run one on the Ninco at Farnham, but the Liphook club bought four, all evo3 powered, and one just stood out from the rest straight off. Cornered like it was on rails, or had a copper tape magnet, while the other 3 slid all over the place. Inspection revealed that this one had grooved tyres, while the others had slicks. Worth checking when you get left behind by a seemingly identical car before you launch into the cheating accusations.

Interesting comments about the poor conductivity traits of sport track, and while I have no personal experience of it, I have heard it mentioned, and did gently enter it into the digital topic, with regard to it being a potential pitfall. Don't want to hijack this thread any further though!

Cheers,

Mr.M

 

[jonny s]

Part of the interest and a challenge is to find out which tyres go best on your own surface. One mod that I have found works well is to fit Pinkar `skinnies` at the front. These keep the nose down and the guide in the slot. With the Toyota being so light then this helps a lot. If you have a bumpy track then you may struggle but the Proslot weight that some Toyotas come with may help.

Back to the advantages of certain tracks.... Ninco has a more rigid structure so no bumps, although you can`t really make your circuit undulate. The plastic insert in the slot is effective too as it smooths the run of any car and stops shorts to the motor.