1September 2007

EditorEditorEditorEditorEditorBrian Rogers

27 Paige CloseWatlington

King’s LynnNorfolk

PE33 0TQTel:- 01553 813090Fax:- 0870 7051127

e-mail:- editor@nscc.co.uk

TTTTTrade Advertisingrade Advertisingrade Advertisingrade Advertisingrade AdvertisingAdrian Leggett

RosevilleWestwood Lane

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SurreyGU3 2JG

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01483 810102 eveningse-mail:- sales@nscc.co.uk

ContentsContentsContentsContentsContentsEvents.........................................2Events and Competition...........4Diary Dates................................5Messages From Margate............7H:O World...............................11Kits ‘N’ Bobs............................13Fly On The Wall......................17SCX Review.............................21Ebay Watch..............................25Bits And Pieces.......................27B.R.M. Review.........................28Book Review.............................31Ninco Review...........................32Pierre Levegh Talbot...............33SCX Review.............................35Adverts.....................................37

NNNNNOOOOO. 306 S. 306 S. 306 S. 306 S. 306 SEPTEMBEREPTEMBEREPTEMBEREPTEMBEREPTEMBER 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007

Thiefbay?Thiefbay?Thiefbay?Thiefbay?Thiefbay?

As many of you will be aware, a trailer load of Scalextric digitalsets was recently stolen from a lorry park in Kent. The thieves

did make the detection task of the ‘boys in blue’ a little easier though;within days, large numbers of the sets were up for sale on eBay bydistinctly questionable sellers. One in particular caught my attention- over 100 listings from a non-business seller, half of which were thedigital sets in question. The rest were identical Nike trainers - musthave been a profitable weekend for the hijackers! It occurs to me thatthe crime detection rate could be radically improved by taking yourlocal bobby off the beat(!) and sitting him in front of a certain auctionsite for the duration of his shift. I wonder why eBay has never beencharged with facilitating the sale of stolen property?

Generally, although I do use eBay to a certain extent- myfeedback rating of just 118 spread over seven years tells the story - Istill purchase the vast majority of my slot car needs from the traderswho advertise in the Journal. Yes, I could save a few quid by buyingnew releases from the eBay dealers but I am a little old fashioned andbelieve that service and depth of stock counts for more than adiscount on retail price. I know that if I order an item from peoplesuch as Sean Fothersgill and Mark Scale it will arrive promptly, bewell packed and, in the event of a fault, will be replaced swiftlywithout quibble. That, to me, is worth far more than £3 off the price.

Sean, in particular, has been most helpful in the ongoingconstruction of my garage track; I have been bombarding him withrequests for information and he has responded quickly with goodadvice, regardless of whether I eventually buy the items from him.Try getting similar help from some of the eBay shops and see whereit gets you!

Till next monthBrian

2

As usual, the end of July and beginning ofAugust has seen a real rush of newreleases with 15 to describe, not

counting the drift Range Rover and Gallardo asI haven’t got mine yet. Where to begin?

C2822 Ferrari F430 “RC2822 Ferrari F430 “RC2822 Ferrari F430 “RC2822 Ferrari F430 “RC2822 Ferrari F430 “Red”ed”ed”ed”ed”C2846W Ferrari F430 SilverC2846W Ferrari F430 SilverC2846W Ferrari F430 SilverC2846W Ferrari F430 SilverC2846W Ferrari F430 Silver

C2818W Ferrari F430C2818W Ferrari F430C2818W Ferrari F430C2818W Ferrari F430C2818W Ferrari F430Another new model for this year is the impactresistant Ferrari F430 with black windows andpainted lights. The solo car is C2822 in red asone might expect. As C2822W it can also befound in set C1195 GT Pursuit along with ayellow version C2828W. It can also be found inan Argos exclusive twin pack with a silverversion C2846W. These come in a polystyrenetray with a cardboard outer sleeve. The twinpack has a reference of C2847.

The shape of the Ferrari is very good withplenty of moulding detail. This is a digital plugready car for when the plugs finally arrive.However I’m waiting for the detailed versionwith much more anticipation.

C2808 Range RC2808 Range RC2808 Range RC2808 Range RC2808 Range Rover “Pover “Pover “Pover “Pover “Police Carolice Carolice Carolice Carolice Car”””””C2819 Range RC2819 Range RC2819 Range RC2819 Range RC2819 Range Rover “Street Carover “Street Carover “Street Carover “Street Carover “Street Car”””””

The Range Rover is huge – well, it seems to bewhen compared to most other Scalextric cars.However, that is what 1/32nd scale really meansand the Range Rover is exactly the right size.Two versions have been released so far. ThePolice Car comes with flashing headlamps, rooflights and an annoying siren that the kids will

love. Disappointingly it has black windows andno interior to allow room for the speaker. Whythis couldn’t be fitted elsewhere is beyond me asthere is lots of space. The silver “Street Car” ismuch nicer with an excellent paint finish to showoff the great details in the lights well. The RangeRover is also digital plug ready. ➳

3September 2007

C2752D Ferrari 248 F1 2006 No6C2752D Ferrari 248 F1 2006 No6C2752D Ferrari 248 F1 2006 No6C2752D Ferrari 248 F1 2006 No6C2752D Ferrari 248 F1 2006 No6No digital plug will be available for single seatersat the moment and so they are still beingreleased by Hornby as official digital versionswith the old chip soldered into place. The 2006Massa Ferrari was released as a standard carback in December 2006.

C2806 VC2806 VC2806 VC2806 VC2806 Vodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren MercedesFFFFF. Alonso. Alonso. Alonso. Alonso. Alonso

C2837 VC2837 VC2837 VC2837 VC2837 Vodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren Mercedesodafone McLaren MercedesLLLLL. Hamilton. Hamilton. Hamilton. Hamilton. Hamilton

C2813 McLaren MP4-21 PC2813 McLaren MP4-21 PC2813 McLaren MP4-21 PC2813 McLaren MP4-21 PC2813 McLaren MP4-21 Pedro De Laedro De Laedro De Laedro De Laedro De LaRRRRRosaosaosaosaosa

The current F1 championship battle betweenAlonso and Hamilton can now be re-enacted onthe Scalextric track too with the release of thenew McLarens. The chrome finish works verywell although perhaps not quite as mirrored asthe real thing. As expected, the body work iscomplex with the tiny winglets and aerodynamic

aids reproduced perfectly. Purists might arguethat it isn’t really the 2007 championship car, butI for one don’t care.

With an eye to the Spanish market there isalso a Pedro de la Rosa version. In 2006, Pedrocompeted in eight races after replacing JuanPablo Montoya from the French Grand Prixonwards. He gained 19 championship points,finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship andreached the podium once with a second placefinish in Hungary. The Alonso and Hamiltoncars have black bases to their cases too.

C2803 Ferrari 375 F1 No12C2803 Ferrari 375 F1 No12C2803 Ferrari 375 F1 No12C2803 Ferrari 375 F1 No12C2803 Ferrari 375 F1 No12A welcome addition to the Classic Grand

Prix range is the Ferrari 375. As with all theseclassic releases, the detailing is superb, especiallythe suspension and the louvres along the bonnetand sides. Of particular note on this model is thecockpit detail with tiny instruments on thedashboard which you can actually read.

4

C2782A 50th Celebrating 50 YC2782A 50th Celebrating 50 YC2782A 50th Celebrating 50 YC2782A 50th Celebrating 50 YC2782A 50th Celebrating 50 YearsearsearsearsearsOf ScaleOf ScaleOf ScaleOf ScaleOf Scalextricxtricxtricxtricxtric

C2826AC2826AC2826AC2826AC2826AW Ferrari 375 F1W Ferrari 375 F1W Ferrari 375 F1W Ferrari 375 F1W Ferrari 375 F1C2751AC2751AC2751AC2751AC2751AW Ferrari 248 F1 2006W Ferrari 248 F1 2006W Ferrari 248 F1 2006W Ferrari 248 F1 2006W Ferrari 248 F1 2006

And finally to the main 50th Anniversary TwinPack that we have all been waiting for. Firstly itis beautifully presented in a deeper version ofthe previous twin pack boxes. At the bottom isa slot containing the 50th Anniversary book andinside are two Ferraris. Both cars are SportLimited Editions with the photo etched limitededition plaques underneath. The limited editionis of 7000 items worldwide and a SuperSlotversion is not expected due to the legal problemsof the Scalextric name in Spain.

The modern Ferrari is C2751AW – the2006 Schumacher car released as solo item backin December 2006.

The classic Ferrari is C2826AW. In mostdetails this is identical to C2803 the solo releasewith one major difference – the body top ispressed from tin whilst the chassis, running gear

and interior are plastic. Mind you, it is reallyquite hard to spot the difference and it is only thefact that the louvres and rivets are painted andnot moulded that gives the game away. Tinplatemanufacture has advanced as far in 50 years asthe rest of Scalextric.

I’m struggling not to be a bit disappointedwith this release – I would not have botheredwith the tinplate version (or replicated the 1957technology, gimbal pick up et al) and made bothcars unique to the set.

Hornby would like to hear your commentson the tinplate car and specifically whether youthink other tinplate releases would be worthpursuing further.

FerrarisFerrarisFerrarisFerrarisFerrarisThanks to all of you who expressed an opinionon what the next Scalextric Ferrari should be. Avariety of 250 and GTO models were perhapspredictable favourites but also more modern F1and classic road cars such as the 246 Dino werealso popular. I have passed on the requests toHornby and now we will have to wait and see.

Formula SuperSlotFormula SuperSlotFormula SuperSlotFormula SuperSlotFormula SuperSlotThe news last month about the Spain only partwork of F1 cars brought a flurry of emailsexpressing a desire for such a release in the UKand not a small amount of indignation that wewere missing out. What you have to rememberis that this is not a Hornby release but is drivenby the part work publisher. Why de Agostiniabandoned their part work in the UK a fewyears ago I don’t know, but they are the oneswho need to be encouraged to try again.

The listThe listThe listThe listThe listHornby have released the reference numbers ofthe 15 cars in the collection of which five areexclusive.H2806 Mercedes McLaren F1 2007 - FernandoAlonsoH2780 ING Renault F1 2007 - GiancarloFisichellaH2838 Mercedes McLaren F1 2006 Orange -Pedro de la Rosa – exclusive ➳

Which one is the tinplate vWhich one is the tinplate vWhich one is the tinplate vWhich one is the tinplate vWhich one is the tinplate version?ersion?ersion?ersion?ersion?

5September 2007

H2817 Honda F1 2007 - ButtonH2723B Renault F1 2006 - Fernando AlonsoTurkish GP – exclusiveH2837 Mercedes McLaren F1 Hamilton 2007H2725 Williams F1 2006 - RosbergH2839 Mercedes McLaren F1 2006 - KimiRäikkönen – exclusiveH2850 Honda F1 2007 - Barcelona Test black– exclusiveH2841 Williams F1 2007 - Wurz – exclusiveH2851 Honda F1 2006 - Barrichello 2006Turkish GPH2842 Eagle Weslake - Dan GurneyH2748 McLaren M23 1976 - James HuntH2852 Lotus 49 - Graham HillH2663 Vanwall - Tony Brooks

C2858 McLaren & RC2858 McLaren & RC2858 McLaren & RC2858 McLaren & RC2858 McLaren & Renault twin-enault twin-enault twin-enault twin-enault twin-packpackpackpackpack

Hornby have announced the release of anothertwin pack later in the year – not a Sport limitededition but a pair of Renault and McLaren F1cars.

Mini-Mini-Mini-Mini-Mini-cataloguecataloguecataloguecataloguecatalogueSuperSlot have produced a very nice mini-catalogue for 2007. It’s about 100mm x 200mmin size and shows the whole range of cars, setsand accessories. It doesn’t tell us anything wedidn’t already know but it’s a nice item to findnever the less. Many thanks to Mike Ronaldwho spotted this on a recent trip to Barcelonaand was kind enough to send me a copy - I verymuch appreciate his help in bringing thesethings to my attention. ■

6

As I mentioned back in April,Racemasters have been making movesto bring the Tomy AFX range back to

prominence and last month signalled the depthof the intent with the release of four really lovelyChamp Cars.

All four are 2006 cars, with the SebastianBourdais and Paul Tracy cars also available ina very impressive two lane set called ‘’LongBeach GP”. This set also shows Racemasters’desire to regain former glories, as it contains fiveof their new 18” curves as well as taking up quitea bit of space. Cost is about £80, quite high foran H:O set but pitched at the right value to showH:O should be regarded with respect.

The four bodies sit on the latest version ofthe Super G + chassis, another sign that thecompany intends to be top dog as they were formuch of the eighties and early nineties. For toolong the quality and durability of the chassis hasbeen going downhill and most racers nowadayshave tales of woe involving out of alignmentbulkheads and broken chassis. None of theactual design parameters have changed, but amuch better and more pliable plastic has beenused.

Naturally enough AFX have gone forreadily recognizable drivers, something that ismore important nowadays as the series becomesweaker post-ILR split (to be fair that series ismuch weakened too), so it is no surprise to seemultiple and reigning champion Bourdais, feistyCanadian veteran Tracy, Australia’s Will Power(great name!) and ex-F1 driver Justin Wilson asthe first four cars. My understanding is that the

2007 versions of the Tracy and Bourdais cars,being quite different from the 2006 cars, will bepart of the next batch of releases.

It is slightly disappointing to see thestandard SG+ open wheel body has been usedagain, but realistically AFX were never going totorpedo the release with the large amount oftooling cost that involves when they already havean adequate mould to use. Their next release, ➳

7September 2007

four gorgeous MK11 GT40s from 1966, hasinvolved such expense so AFX are willing to takerisks just not needless ones. Long term there ishope that an all new body AND chassis will beproduced.

The actual execution of the four cars isreally rather good. Colours are vibrant and thetampo printing crisp and clear. There are somevery small graphics on the cars, including thedrivers’ names but most can be made out veryclearly. There is also good attention to detail,such as the rearward facing CDW logos on theWilson Rusports car. If I have a grumble it is thedrivers being painted plain black, I do feel itshould have been possible to paint the helmetsin one correct colour and put in seatbelt straps.Nonetheless an overall very impressive releaseand, in conjunction with those GT40s, ones thatshould have AFX’s competitors thinking aboutupping their own game. ■

8

During the past month I have been on acouple of away trips to classic slotmeetings at Southend and Netley. At

both meetings fellow Wolf Malcolm Scotto andI were made to feel most welcome and at Netleyscored a bit of success by winning the 1961-65Concours with my Dave Jones bodied Lotus 25and the Le Mans / GT section Concours withmy AA Bodied Ferrari TR, although in raceterms we were blown away at both meetings andsuffered some damage due to my increasinglyawful driving. I did encounter a couple of funnymoments. At one meeting I was greeted by thephrase, “Ah you’re the resin man”, while I knowI can be a bit bluff at times I didn’t think I wasquite as bad as that. The second comment was,

“I bet you do alright with all the free cars andstuff you get from the NSCC, etc”. Well I haveto say that rankled a bit. While I do get somekind manufacturers who have supplied theirlatest bodies gratis for me to include in my roundups, (Thank you David and Dave for yourgenerosity) and I get great service from MRE,Pendle, Penelope Pitlane, TRRC and WorldClassics, I do actually pay for virtuallyeverything I build. Now this isn’t a complaint ora hint, I just wanted to put the record straight,by paying for them I get to choose what I featurein the articles, I can give my unbiased opinionand I don’t have a hang up about the carsbecoming part of my collection afterwards. ➳

Concours winners from Netley 2007 - DConcours winners from Netley 2007 - DConcours winners from Netley 2007 - DConcours winners from Netley 2007 - DConcours winners from Netley 2007 - Davavavavave Jones bodied Lotus and AA Fe Jones bodied Lotus and AA Fe Jones bodied Lotus and AA Fe Jones bodied Lotus and AA Fe Jones bodied Lotus and AA Ferrerrerrerrerrari TR61ari TR61ari TR61ari TR61ari TR61

9September 2007

On to the news then - first up is OCAR‘spending release of their new Aston Martin AMV8 and Jaguar XJ12 Saloon, which I know anumber of people are hoping to get in time forthe sold out World Classics Euro Saloon Eventat Wolverhampton on October14th, andpossibly their planned Alfasud road car andBastos Rover SD1 may be available by Octoberalong with the World Classic Alfa SVZ AlpineRally. The big Jag apparently has room for anNSR chassis underneath and should be prettyquick if it arrives in time.

From last month I have completed theTriumph Spitfire LM65 and pretty neat it lookstoo, but the standard PCS32 chassis does needa fair bit of cutting down to fit inside such asmall wheelbase.

Penelope Pitlane have now released theirBirkin Bentley and Lotus 18, the Bentley is stillon my workbench but I did get the Lotusfinished. The body kits are designed for thePenelope Pitlane chassis and the Lotus can bebuilt either as the Team Lotus version with sidepanels in place and exposed fuel caps or as theRob Walker entered Stirling Moss Monaco 61winner with side panels removed and driver’slegs exposed, which is how I have built mine.Again this is a great bit of timing with thePenelope Pitlane sponsored Half Tonner GrandPrix meeting at Wolves on November 25th.(Places still available).

Staying with resin, I enjoyed building TrafficModels Morris Minor so much that I boughtanother five kits and have built them for thismonth, these being the Riley 1.5, Hillman Imp,Austin A35, Austin 1100, and Triumph HeraldCoupé. They look great and are loads of fun todrive, with skinny tyres giving lots of sidewaysmoments just like the real ones.

TRRC have released the Delahaye 145LM38 sports car version, the first available beingready to run versions with body kits due soonafter. Across the Channel, Protoslot haveannounced two new releases expected inSeptember or October, these being the Porsche914/6 LM70 and the Ferrari TR61 as ever bothas pre-painted or unpainted kits. Sadly at the

WWWWWorld Classic’orld Classic’orld Classic’orld Classic’orld Classic’s Ts Ts Ts Ts Triumph Spitfirriumph Spitfirriumph Spitfirriumph Spitfirriumph Spitfire LM65e LM65e LM65e LM65e LM65

PPPPPenelope Pitlane’enelope Pitlane’enelope Pitlane’enelope Pitlane’enelope Pitlane’s new Lotus 18 Rob Ws new Lotus 18 Rob Ws new Lotus 18 Rob Ws new Lotus 18 Rob Ws new Lotus 18 Rob Walker –alker –alker –alker –alker –

Stirling Moss Monaco 61 and 1960 ScarStirling Moss Monaco 61 and 1960 ScarStirling Moss Monaco 61 and 1960 ScarStirling Moss Monaco 61 and 1960 ScarStirling Moss Monaco 61 and 1960 Scarababababab

TTTTTrrrrraffic Models Rileyaffic Models Rileyaffic Models Rileyaffic Models Rileyaffic Models Riley, Imp, Imp, Imp, Imp, Imp, A35, 1100 and Her, A35, 1100 and Her, A35, 1100 and Her, A35, 1100 and Her, A35, 1100 and Heraldaldaldaldald

CoupéCoupéCoupéCoupéCoupé

10

time of writing the expected MMK 1/24th scalekits and their ready to run Ferrari TR61 stillhaven’t arrived in the UK, but they shouldn’t befar away. Rounding out the resin section PendleSlot Racing have a limited number of ready torace PRS Abarths in a very attractive newRothmans livery but, as with the others, thesewill probably sell out quickly.

On to plastic now and sticking with PendleSlot Racing. In addition to last month’s pre-production photos of MB Slot’s upcomingZonda, they also have pre-production photos ofNSR’s upcoming Renault Clio R3, which looksvery tasty and should be very quick. Slot.It havejust released plain white versions of the LanciaLC2 and the McLaren F1 GTR for all thosewho wish to do custom liveries, and I gatherPendle now have more stock of the magnificent1/24th scale Porsche 962 kits from B.R.M. Most

eagerly awaited though are probably the twonew Martini liveried Porsche 936s from Spirit.These are available as either the white Le Mans76 high air box or black Nurburgring 76 low airbox versions. Spirit also has a new red andyellow liveried Pneuhoge sponsored BMW2002.

Rounding out this month is Revell’s latestlimited editions release - the David Hobbs BMW320i, and finally I have purchased one of Sloter’snew Zyteks although, to be honest, the trackperformance is disappointing and should notworry Slot.It or NSR runners just yet. On thebrighter side however, as mentioned by Garethin his column last month, Sloter have postedpictures of the pre-production versions of theirplanned Fiat 131 Abarth and Renault AlpineA110 and have confirmed they are planning anOpel Manta 400 and Lola T70 Spyder. ■

Spirit’Spirit’Spirit’Spirit’Spirit’s new Mars new Mars new Mars new Mars new Martini Ptini Ptini Ptini Ptini Porsche 936sorsche 936sorsche 936sorsche 936sorsche 936s

11September 2007

When Fly have their annual Augustshut down, there tends to be a surgeof new releases from mid July thru’

to early August. This takes into account thedelay from the cars being produced, to themhitting the shelves. Every year I brace down mycredit card and wait for the tidal wave to hit.This year was to be no exception with eight pre-announced models available, plus another threespecially commissioned models (previously onlyknown by those that needed to know) to hit theshelves during this short period. Of course, oncethe storm has been weathered the oppositehappens, with nothing at all released until midSeptember.

Standard RStandard RStandard RStandard RStandard ReleaseseleaseseleaseseleaseseleasesBMW M1 “Jägermeister” #1 (88269)DRT 1982, driven by Kurt Konig. The second“Jägermeister” liveried M1 produced by Fly thisyear. The other being E1303, race #31, whichwas produced as a limited edition of 1500 andonly available through certain outlets. This latestversion is a standard edition and readilyavailable via your local friendly neighbourhooddealer. Once again it is decorated in orange andfitted with gold BBS wheels.Porsche 917K “Team AAW” #18 (88270)24hr Le Mans 1970. Anybody who has seen the“Le Mans” film, starring Steve McQueen mayrecognise this car as it featured quite a bit duringthe opening few laps. It was driven by DavidPiper and Gijs van Lennep, but unfortunatelyfailed to finish the race due to an accident on lap113. The model itself is decorated in yellow andhas red stripes running around the lower sillswith red flashes on the rear winglets. Finishing

touches to this model include red tampo printingaround the headlights to simulate duct tape.This car first appeared in the 2003 catalogueand goes to prove that any of the cars picturedin older catalogues not yet produced, could stillhappen.

BMW 3.5 CSL “Conforstick” #44 (88271)Driven by Jean-Claude Justice and Jean Belintaking part in the 24hr Le Mans race of 1976.As above, this car also failed to finish the racedue to head gasket failure after lap 128. Themodel is decorated in dark blue with yellowstripes along the door sills and around the wheelarches. This version has the shorter morestockier rear wing fitted.Venturi 400 LM “Sherwood” #68 (88272)24hr Le Mans 1994, driven by Antonio Puig,Xavier Camp and Jean Louis Sirera to 17th

place, completing 225 laps. The model isdecorated in an attractive red with broad silverbands and finished off with white wheels. Likethe Porsche 917K listed above, this too firstappeared in the 2003 catalogue. ➳

12

Las TLas TLas TLas TLas Temporadas Argentinasemporadas Argentinasemporadas Argentinasemporadas Argentinasemporadas ArgentinasPorsche 917K “Martini” #38 (99036)As mentioned in the July issue, this model wasoriginally planned to be a Ferrari 250 GTOtogether with the “Cobra/Ferrari Wars” DVD.Due to problems with the film not beingavailable in a multi-regional format it meantthat it has been put on ice for the time being. Ibelieve Fly are trying to sort the problem, sowatch this space for further developments. ThePorsche 917K included with the box set isdecorated in silver with red and blue “Martini”stripes running down the centre and along bothsides. It depicts the car that took part at the1000km Buenos Aires in 1971 driven by GérardLarrousse and Vic Elford. The DVD includedwith the set is a documentary with plenty of stillphotographs concentrating on a series of GTraces in Argentina between 1947 and 1972.“Las Temporades Argentinas”, meaningArgentinian races held in the summer season. Abooklet is included in the set which is full ofinteresting photos and a detailed account of thefeatured race, narrated by Vic Elford.

Champion DriversChampion DriversChampion DriversChampion DriversChampion DriversDodge Viper GTS-R #50 (99061)A special edition focusing on the ‘professor’himself, Alain Prost. The car is decorated inwhite, blue and red and is modelled on the carthat Alain and his eldest son Nicolas drove atMagny Cours in 2005. The set is presented in asturdy cardboard box together with a die-castmodel of Alain standing on a plinth with hishands on his hips.

Circuitos Con Historia -Circuitos Con Historia -Circuitos Con Historia -Circuitos Con Historia -Circuitos Con Historia -NurburgringNurburgringNurburgringNurburgringNurburgring

BMW M1 “Motorsport” #201 (99073)1000km Nurburgring 1980, driven by HansStuck and Nelson Piquet, finishing in 3rd place,55 seconds behind the winning Porsche 908/4.The car featured is decorated in white with amap of the Nordschleife printed on and displayedin a presentation cardboard box. Included withthe set is a booklet all about the old Nurburgringcircuit and shows just what a dangerous, butchallenging, circuit it is.

13September 2007

Special EditionsSpecial EditionsSpecial EditionsSpecial EditionsSpecial EditionsBMW M3 E30 “Camal” #2 (99062)Rally Rias Bajas winner in 1989, driven by ToñiPonce and Gaspar León. This is a speciallycommissioned model, limited to 1000 unitsproduced solely for the Toñi Ponce boutique inGran Canaria. This follows in the footsteps ofthe “7 Up” M3 E30 released earlier this yearand is now the third in this exclusive series (aNinco VW Touareg, limited to 240 units beingthe first). This latest model is decorated mainlyin yellow with a white rear quarter. At firstglance the model looks rather plain, but tapedunderneath the plinth is a tell-tale blue packetcontaining the adults’ only cigarette sponsorshipdecals. Strangely though, the blue packet thatcame with my car contained two identical sheetsof “Camel” decals with the illustratedinstructions from the soon to be released“Rothmans” M3 E30 “duo kit” (88298). After aminor panic, I managed to find a useful pictorialguide on the Ponce Motorsport web site to aidme. Once the 11 decals are applied, it totallytransforms the car into a true rally cigarette pack

replica. The car is mounted on the usual blackplinth with crystal case and has a numberedcoloured backing card. Also mounted on theplinth is a “Ponce Motorsport” pin brooch,which can be removed and worn if desired.BMW M3 E30 “Blaupunkt” #5 (99084)VI Rallye Valeo 1989, driven by J.Bassas andA.Rodriguez. Another unannounced model,limited to 500 units which has been produced forthe Spanish travel agency “Viajes” to sell in theiroutlets to customers. It is decorated in an eye-catching white with blue stripes and mounted ona grey plinth. The backing card is numberedand decorated in a similar scheme to the car.Porsche 911 SC (99075)Campeonato Nacional de Rally Slot 2007. Thisracing kit has been produced for the Spanish slotrally championships and is limited to 400 units.It is decorated in orange and has a map of Spainon the bonnet and doors. The car is presentedin the new style racing kit box, which includesextra accessories like an engine cradle, chassissprings and various crown gears etc. ➳

14

BMW M3 GTR “Alcoi Model” (99079)Another racing kit as above and also limited to400 units, for the Spanish “Alcoi Model” shop.The model is decorated in black with goldlettering graphics and complemented with gold15 spoke wheels. This is the first of the new styleracing kits I have bought and was lucky enoughto be offered the chance to purchase one of thehandful of these cars that were officiallyimported into the UK. Assembling the car reallymakes you appreciate the complexity andengineering that goes into the current Evo 3racing series.

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsFly have announced the cars they will beproducing in September. In numerical order,they are as follows: -88275 – Ferrari 250 GTO – Tour de France196488277 – Porsche Carrera 6 – 24hr Le Mans196788278 – Porsche 911 SC – Rally Catalunya198088279 – March 761 – Long Beach GP 197688285 – Audi Quattro A2 – RAC Rally 198588303 – BMW M3 GTR – Racing Kit99053 – Marcos 600 LM “Playboy”

99054 – Marcos 600 LM “Playboy”99082 – March 761 – Spanish GP 1976

And Finally…And Finally…And Finally…And Finally…And Finally…I have been informed by our illustrious eBaycorrespondent that another “DHL” edition carexists, in the form of a Lola B98/10.

Unfortunately, Steve lost the link to the eBayitem and hasn’t seen one listed since. Therefore,I am unable to publish any further informationon it at this time. I guess the car will bedecorated in the usual yellow and red, but ifanybody has a picture or any information onthis model, then please get in touch via email atflyonthewall@nscc.co.uk. Hopefully I can theninclude it in a future issue.

Also, there is news of a special edition BMWM1 which took part at the Le Mans 24hr racein 1986. It will only be available in fourcountries, with Austria, Germany, Switzerlandand the Netherlands being the chosen ones. Thecar is mainly black with a white chequeredpattern on the bonnet and roof and sponsoredby “Motorsport Wheels” with race #111. I donot have any further info on the cataloguereference or quantities produced so, once again,please get in touch if you can help. ■

15September 2007

(62580) Ford Escort RS(62580) Ford Escort RS(62580) Ford Escort RS(62580) Ford Escort RS(62580) Ford Escort RSCosworthCosworthCosworthCosworthCosworth

By Dave ChangBy Dave ChangBy Dave ChangBy Dave ChangBy Dave Chang

SCX’s latest release in their classic range isa reproduction of the iconic Ford EscortRS Cosworth (#62580). This is a model

of the 1994 1000 Lakes Rally winner driven byTommi Mäkinen and Serpo Harjanne.

The RS (Rallye Sport) designation firstappeared in 1970, and has consistently beenreserved for high performance versions of thecars. The Escort RS Cosworth appeared in1992 – a major reworking of the standardEscort – and took the place of the Sierra RS500as Ford’s principal motorsport car. It was fourwheel drive powered by a 227 bhp 2 litre 16valve Cosworth engine and featured anadvanced aerodynamic design which includedthe adjustable ‘whale-tail’ spoiler. Unfortunately

it did not fare as well in the World RallyChampionships as Ford had hoped and, despitesignificant engine upgrades in 1994 and anumber of wins, failed to dominate the era. Itsmain competitors were the Lancia DeltaIntegrale, the Toyota Celica Turbo and GTFour,the Subaru Impreza 555 and the MitsubishiLancer Evo 2.

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth ceasedproduction in 1996. Despite its mediocre resultsin WRC, the car handled extremely well ontarmac and became an aspirational vehicle forboy racers and anyone who appreciated a greathigh performance car. Time has been good tothe car’s memory, elevating it to cult status. ➳

16

The Slot CarThe Slot CarThe Slot CarThe Slot CarThe Slot CarI don’t have many SCX cars in my collection,and was very interested to see this model,especially since SCX have a high reputation forthe performance of their rally cars.

The first impressive feature is the displaybox. The car is held off the bottom at an angle,making viewing the car and checking it out veryeasy. By supporting the car off the ground, italso prevents the tyres from getting ‘flat spots’where they might have been compressed againstthe base for months in a shop before beingbought. The box also features six iconsindicating the features – but I only understoodthe first two (lights and 4 x 4).

SCX’s model captures the real car’s liveryvery well. The base white paint is thick andnicely applied and the deep metallic blue isnicely vivid. It is let down a bit in a few areas.The review car featured slight smudging orblurring at the edge of the metallic blue areas.This is somewhat surprising, because the otherlayers of tampo printing and tiny lettering areimpressively crisp. The livery seems to have beensimplified a little from the real car –Fordemblems are missing from the wing mirrors andthe wheel hubs. The spare wheel hub inside thecar is left in the black of the plastic it is moulded

in instead of white. The windows feature blackedging, but the white lettering or graphics fromthe red sun visor band have been omitted. Thefinal discrepancy is the logo ‘SCX©’ whichappears in the bottom right of the windscreen.

Unlike the body, the wheel hubs do look abit plastic. Attention is drawn away from thehubs by the well proportioned tyres completewith Michelin Pilot SX decals. The tyres have aribbed tread, and raised lettering ‘SCX’ andwhat I think is the tyre size. The raised letteringis very subtle and hard to see, and does not spoilthe look of the tyres at all.

The body is well proportioned, capturingthe lines of the car accurately. The oval vents onthe bonnet and at the back of the front wings areopen, and the RS’s distinctive ‘whale-tail’ spoileris properly presented. Shut lines and body panellines are crisply moulded. The light cluster maylook a bit ‘blobby’ – but that is exactly how itreally looked. Having said that – my researchindicates that the rally light cluster, frequentlyused in the 1994 season, may not have beenpresent on the 1000 Lakes car.

The interior is a medium pan of blackplastic with minor detailing, black roll bars, adriver and co-pilot from the armpits up. WhilstI do delight in excessive interior detailing, thiscar does not seem to miss it. The matt blackplastic makes the interior look dark, so it is notimmediately obvious that anything is missing.

SCX have included roof aerials. These aremade of black plastic, and whilst they look niceon the new car, I suspect they will snap off thefirst time the car rolls over. This is one detail thatI would be happy for manufacturers to omit,although Scalextric’s solution of making themfrom bendy rubber works quite well too.

The ride height of the car looks good, andthe wheels fill the arches nicely without any riskof rubbing. The wheels do protrude ever soslightly from the body work, but from mostangles this is not visible.

Although I have pointed out a number ofshortcomings in the appearance of the car, Ishould stress: this car looks really good. It wouldbe easy to mistake it for a die-cast.

17September 2007

The body is secured to the chassis by threescrews, two behind the front wheels and one atthe back. The black front grille is part of thechassis and acts as a clip to hold the front of thebody in place. Removal of the body is simplerthan if it had a lot more screws, and it alsoallows people to leave the screws loose to allowthe body to rock, which often aids the stabilityof the car especially when racing withoutmagnets. The chassis is strengthened by a coupleof longitudinal struts inside which also hold thebrass axle bushes.

The car comes with a small ‘U’ shaped barmagnet fitted just in front of the rear axle. It isthicker at the ends than in the middle. Often, a‘U’ shape is used because theoretically there isless magnetic downforce when the car is goingstraight, and more attraction as the back endslides out positioning the thicker part of themagnet over the rails. The bar is not very wide,so I think that in this case it is primarily to allowspace for the pinion inside the car. The magnetis accessed from underneath the car, and itsheight and downforce can be adjusted using twoscrews, without the need to dismantle the car.

Like the real thing, the slot car is four wheeldrive. This is achieved by the motor featuring aprop shaft that extends forwards and backwards,with a pinion on each end driving crown gearson both the front and rear axles. The alternative

method is for the motor to drive one axle, andfor the other axle to be linked by a rubber band.There are openings in the chassis for the twocrown gears, which makes it possible to lubricatethe gears without opening the car.

Just ahead of the front axle is a nicelyengineered sprung guide with about 4mm ofvertical travel. Sprung guides are a nicety on anyslot car, enabling the guide to maintain electricalcontact even if the front of the car bounces orrides up. They are even more useful on 4 wheeldrive cars, where you want the front wheels tomake solid contact with the track and to supportthe car. A fixed guide would be hard to adjustperfectly in these circumstances. They also allowthe more experimental rally aficionados to makerough terrain and dirt tracks and still drive theircars.

Looking inside the body, we can see SCX’sinnovative electrical system. Rather thanconnecting the electrical components bysoldering wires to them, SCX build copper stripsinto their cars. This means that you do not needto use a soldering iron to change the motor, andit also means that the body can have the lightsbuilt in, without them having to be attached tothe chassis by wires. As the body is screwed on,the sprung copper strips in the body makeelectrical contact with the strips in the chassis. ➳

18

The motor is an RX81B which is rated at18,000 rpm. It can also be removed andreplaced without the aid of a soldering iron.This is a great arrangement, the only downsideis that you are constrained to SCX replacementmotors.

The car features three white LEDs at thefront, one for each pair of main headlights, andanother for the central bank of rally lights.These are held in a black plastic holder, whichdoubles as a light shield to reduce the lightbleeding through the bodywork. At the rear area pair of red LEDs for the tail lights. The bleedis moderately controlled, but if you are as fussyas me, you will need to apply some extra blackpaint inside the body shell to eliminate itcompletely. The rear lights look great, the frontsare satisfyingly bright too, with the light evenlyspread across the four cluster lights.

PPPPPerformanceerformanceerformanceerformanceerformanceThe test track used was my garage ScalextricSport layout powered and timed with SportWorld. It is a twisty hilly layout with hairpinsand sweeping curves.

First impression of the Escort RS on thetrack straight out of the box is that it is fun andvery controllable. The brakes are sharp,acceleration is responsive. The back slides outnicely on the corners. The four wheel drivedefinitely made a positive difference to the car’shandling.

The Escort was pitted against an SCX FiatAbarth 124, a Scalextric Subaru Impreza (the2006 Solberg model) and a Ninco RenaultMégane. The Fiat and Renault are 2 wheel rearwheel drive, the Impreza is front wheel

sidewinder driven with a belt providing power tothe rear axle. I ran 10 lap qualifying to establishthe fastest lap the cars could achieve (as drivenby me!). The first measurement of the Escortwas literally box standard, then I tested it againwith the tyres trued and the body screwsloosened. The other cars are also box standardwith basic tuning.

TimesTimesTimesTimesTimesEscort RS Cosworth box standard 7.121sEscort RS Cosworth tuned 7.050sSCX Fiat Abarth 124 7.394Scalextric Subaru Impreza 6.115Ninco Renault Mégane 7.551

The tuning made a small improvement onthe lap times, but actually made the car harderto drive. It is now faster, but more likely to rollat corners rather than slide. More tuning shouldgive the best of both worlds, and increase theperformance noticeably more.

All the cars felt very different – the Fiat waslight and sprightly, but prone to rolling orjumping out of the slot if the corners were overcooked; the Ninco was very slidy but quick, theSubaru was glued to the track, and the EscortRS was somewhere in between all of them.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionThis car is well made, looks great and drives verywell. If you are a fan of the Escort RSCosworth, or a fan of 90s rally cars, I would saythat this model is a must. If the review car istypical of the rest of the production run, it is alsoa great option if you want a no-fuss car that willdrive nicely straight out of the box.

In looks, SCX has made a few compromisesand rates marginally below the front runnerswith a basic medium pan interior and a fewminor livery omissions, but they have chosenwhich corners to cut carefully, so the car stilllooks very impressive.

The performance of the car is in the rangeof other manufacturers. For the fairest racing,you need to class your cars carefully accordingto performance, or race the same model. We willhave to wait to see if more liveries of the Escortappear. ■

19September 2007

I had been thinking it was going to be a quietmonth and I would have nothing to writeabout but I have managed to pick a couple

of topics to hopefully hold your interest.To avoid boring you with almost the same

statistics this month, I will just say August sawsimilar listing values, numbers and patterns asJuly for the UK site thanks to a half price listingday again. It is quite remarkable how manysellers really gear up for these cheap listing days,especially in our slot sales world. Regular buyersdo as well I have noticed, and I can count myselfguilty as charged on the buying side! It isespecially true for those items like spares thattend to be at the lower price end of the market.So my little tip for this month is, if you arelooking in the spares direction and cannot bebothered to look at eBay every day, look out forthe cheap listing days and search on that dayamongst the newly listed items for your spares,if you can’t find them with any of the dealerswho regularly advertise in the Journal. Alsodon’t forget to check out eBay shops wherespares often lurk because of the lower listing fees.

Bargains?!Bargains?!Bargains?!Bargains?!Bargains?!For the bargain hunter the cheap listing days canoften bring out the best deals as well as treasureditems with a few different sellers makingappearances. This was true on a lot of otherdays this month, especially on the top of therange Scalextric Digital Super GT sets thatretail at around the £200 mark. Generally onlythe odd set had been listed and sold in previousweeks, and this was mainly from shops selling viaeBay. These sets have not been out long andhave just appeared in the Argos shoppingcatalogue if you want to look them up. Suddenlysets were in plentiful supply though, at rockbottom prices this month. I stopped countingafter 40 had been sold within the first week or so

of the month in the range £100 to £125 withmany on BIN prices. Remarkably almost all hadthe same description even though they werefrom allegedly different sellers. Some were newlyregistered sellers, and others usually sold non slotrelated merchandise. As I write I noted that atleast one seller who had shifted many sets was nolonger registered on eBay so maybe these “hot”deals were too good to be true?

Did I bag a set then? Well no, I did notsuccumb to these bargains as I was made awarethat a lorry load containing 866 of these sets, Ibelieve it was, had been stolen at the end of Julyand I thought it too much of a coincidence thatthese were suddenly available in plentiful supplyfrom private, not business sellers. I have beentold the police are taking a keen interest in thesesales so I suggest you choose your seller carefullyif in the market for this set. (Many of you mayhave seen this on the local news, received anemail, or read about this theft on Slotforum soapologies if this is old news to you by the timeyou read this.)

Genuine bargains are around if you haveplenty of patience and it is not miserableweatherwise which is when people tend to stayin and log on and then we see some of thosefancy Sunday listing prices. However oneSunday bargain pointed out to me was a RevellPorsche Spyder which the seller said was hard tofind. In general, standard Revell cars usuallyfetch £10 to £15 currently but there were nobuyers on one Sunday morning as one listingonly achieved £7.39 and that for a James DeanLE mint boxed example. Missed that one!Another good bargain example was a 60sgrandstand that only reached £1.26 and whichI believe one of our committee members waswell pleased to win. I did manage to win anauction for 1p for some track and a Scalextricbag. ➳

20

New Scalextric releases have again havebeen keenly priced with a number of the new50th Anniversary Ferrari sets containing themodern tinplate car struggling to make the £50mark, although you do have to be careful as onebig seller has taken to breaking these up andselling them without the book. The tinplateFerrari from these sets has also sold on its ownand fetched over £50. The set without the bookhas at times only just crept past the £40 markand I was fortunate to get one of these bargains.The new Scalextric case cars have been sellingaround the low £20 mark but surprisingly forthe moment the Hamilton McLaren has beenpitched only slightly higher with BIN prices of£24. I cannot see these being at this price in acouple of months’ time when the Christmasbuying season gets in full swing in view of thisrookie’s popularity.

SRA & Slot.ItSRA & Slot.ItSRA & Slot.ItSRA & Slot.ItSRA & Slot.ItLast month’s rather high price for an SRA TVtower seems to have prompted a few more sellersto list SRA items. For those not aware, it hasbeen reported that SRA is no longermanufacturing its metal figures and accessories.Prices achieved this month were all around retailthough. Whilst on the subject of figures I havenoticed that nicely painted examples do tend toattract higher bids on the right day so this couldbe a way of getting some more money for yourSRA figures later in the year.

Whilst not so many earlier Slot.It modelswere listed in the UK, the US saw several of thelater Le Mans Audi listed. Prices in the range$100 to $150 are being realised for these modelsregularly it seems, and a Mercedes Kouros hitthe $125 level. However these price rises do notseem to have filtered through to the Nissan andLancia models - well not yet anyway!

This monthThis monthThis monthThis monthThis month’s prices’s prices’s prices’s prices’s pricesPrices as listed and spelt on UK eBay unlessstated, with the time and auction ending day.Triang Scalextric 1959? Manual £72.01JAGUAR E SCALEXTRIC C 34 Weiss SlotcarSelten!! €151 (German eBay and in a 70s rallybox of all things on Wednesday night).

Slot it - Porsche 956C - Still sealed in Box £53(Monday night).Scalextric Auto Union C96 ‘C’ Type. Tuned. InBox £336.67 (White version in very goodcondition and boxed on Wednesday night).6 Litre Auto Union Type C MM/C £266(White version in what appeared to be very goodcondition on Sunday night).Scalextric MM/C53 Austin Healey 100-6TINPLATE electric £174 (red version missingmotor and rear axle. Blue version with rustmarks, motor present but wrong wheels went for£224 from same seller on Sunday night).Scalextric C2510 Ford Boss Mustang 2003Retailer RARE £365 (picture showed car still inbubblewrap on Tuesday afternoon).SCALEXTRIC 50TH ANNIVERSARYCOLLECTABLE PIN BADGE £14.45 (Dutchauction for 2 badges on Monday night).scalextric 1960s winners trophys in vgc x 3, £25(No winner’s Laurel and no packaging. BINprice on Tuesday night).1960’S 2ND Edition Triang Scalextric Catalog24 Pages $80 (excellent colour example on USeBay Saturday night. Seller also had black andwhite version which sold for $66.50 at same timeand #1 that went for $102.50)old scalextrick car austin healey boxed £65.89(excellent example near mint according to selleron Tuesday morning. At same time seller alsohad red Aston Martin with same unique spellingthat went for £70.50).Vintage TriangTV Stand £37.50 (missing figureand bit of tower on Monday evening).Scalextric Trackside Buildings (Stand, TVTower etc) £46.50 (boxed including starter andrefreshment kiosk on Saturday night).RARE SCALEXTRIC 13TH EDITIONCATALOGUE 1972 PRICE LIST £21.88(Good used condition with prices written in onFriday night).Pink-Kar CV-002 Bugatti T39 Black very rare#118 of 300 £77.01 (Used but excellentcondition still boxed on Sunday night).

I shall be at the Milton Keynes swapmeet inSeptember so if you have any comments youwant to make on the column try and track medown there. ■

21September 2007

WWWWWolverhampton Classicolverhampton Classicolverhampton Classicolverhampton Classicolverhampton ClassicRacesRacesRacesRacesRaces

The World Classics Euro Saloon Classic onSunday October 14th is sold out but spectatorsare welcome - free entry. The Penelope PitlaneHalf Tonner Grand Prix for 1.5 litre F1 cars1961-65 on Sunday November 25th still haslimited places available.

Any members competing in the ClassicSaloons may like to whet their appetite withfootage of a round in the 1971 Osram SaloonCar Championship at Crystal Palace. It featuresa terrific scrap between Martin Thomas, MikeCrabtree and the great Gerry Marshall. Thefilm is in two parts and the link is easily followedwhen part one is finished. Make sure you turnup the volume - the cars sound fantastic as doesMurray’s commentary. For those of us theunmentionable side of 45, these really are greatmemories - www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY5zdnGvT0c.

David Wisdom

Loughborough SwapmeetLoughborough SwapmeetLoughborough SwapmeetLoughborough SwapmeetLoughborough Swapmeet16th March 200816th March 200816th March 200816th March 200816th March 2008

As it is important to give as much notice aspossible to avoid date clashes with otherorganisers please note that the Loughboroughevent is a lot earlier than in recent years.The previous problems we have had to contendwith regarding the Sunday we could bookappear to have been relaxed. In the past wecould only book the weekend that the studentsreturned, so that there would be staff availableon site. Now apparently the University have somany events going on throughout the holidaysthat staffing our event is not a problem.So we have decided to go to the week beforeEaster next year. Part of the reasoning behindthis decision is to see if it will increase thenumbers through the door, we wondered ifpeople may have still been returning fromholidays on our normal weekend. Anyway, wewill see what happens next March.

Bob Bott

22

I was really happy when I found out that anew Italian manufacturer called B.R.M. wasgoing to produce a 1/24th scale Porsche

962C kit. Better yet, the news that this was aserious kit with some high quality parts and afully pre-painted body. The last bit of news thatPendle Slot Racing had been named as the UKstockist was even better; I didn’t have to goshopping abroad for one of these new kits.

Now I normally give you a bit of back-ground regarding the real cars; however, the956/962 series were so successful for Porsche inGroup C racing that I don’t think the editorwould let me have the space required tocatalogue their achievements. The B.R.M.962C kits come currently in six different liveries,white Kenwood #10, red Kenwood #10, aquamarine Leyton House#16, red and black Advan#25, red and yellow Momo #30, and yellowFromA #27. The first three were all engineered

by the Kremer brothers and featured a modifiedrear wing layout which has been produced onthe corresponding three kits. These three are,according to Autosport, all currently up for salewith two at £POA, while the red Kenwoodversion chassis CK6/88 could be yours for amere £175,000.00. A darn sight cheaper then isthe 1/24th scale kit from B.R.M. and, as I couldnot decide which one to order, I went for theLeyton House and white Kenwood versions ofthe Kremer cars.

The cars come as pre-painted and tampo-printed kits with a very stiff one piece plasticchassis, body-shell pre-assembled with glass,radiator grilles, wing etc. Wheels are grub screwmounted alloys with two “air pocket” sections inthe rims and the inserts pre-assembled; axles arehardened steel with a nylon alloy crown gearfixed by a grub screw and race bearings, whilethe tyres are B.R.M.’s own and seem very soft

B.RB.RB.RB.RB.R.M. – P.M. – P.M. – P.M. – P.M. – Porsche 962Corsche 962Corsche 962Corsche 962Corsche 962C1/241/241/241/241/24ththththth Scale Kits Scale Kits Scale Kits Scale Kits Scale Kits

By Phil InsullBy Phil InsullBy Phil InsullBy Phil InsullBy Phil Insull

Beautiful prBeautiful prBeautiful prBeautiful prBeautiful pre-painted and pre-painted and pre-painted and pre-painted and pre-painted and pre-tampo printed Pe-tampo printed Pe-tampo printed Pe-tampo printed Pe-tampo printed Porsche 962C Kits from B.R.M.orsche 962C Kits from B.R.M.orsche 962C Kits from B.R.M.orsche 962C Kits from B.R.M.orsche 962C Kits from B.R.M.

23September 2007

and sticky. The interior has a cockpit section,pliable driver figure, and scuttle / dashboard topwhich push fit together. There is a centralmagnet for those who want it and a big 25,000rpm inline boxer motor with B.R.M.’s ownbranding on it. Finally the kit has all the screws,washers, guide, braids, wires, and an Allen keyand screwdriver so you have everything youneed for assembly.

Putting the kits together couldn’t be simpler.These are as easy as assembling the Slot.It312PB kits and easier than the recent NincoFerrari 360 ones, just follow the instructions andyou should be ready in 15 minutes or so. I did doone additional thing to mine and that was to cut

and fit an aluminium spacer tube on one side ofthe rear axles next to the crown gear to makesure it stayed in mesh. I have had similarAmerican crown gears on previous cars and, asthe axles develop a little play, the teeth can comeout of mesh and this helps to prevent it. I thenoiled the gears and bearings and was ready to gotesting at Wolves.

On the Slotfire track the cars were quick butthe magnets were so strong that there was no feelto the Porsches and it felt like you could bombround all day and never come off. On to thewood routed copper tape track and now we haveto drive them. Using first a Parma 45 ohm andthen an MRRC 25ohm controller the carsbecame very lively and as confidence grew I gotdown from the low 9 seconds bracket to 8.20and managed around forty laps with each beforesuffering a spin out. The motors have terrificpunch and the only problem I had was that theWolves straights aren’t long enough to let meopen these cars up. Grip from the tyres is verygood and being long and low the Porschescorner superbly well; in fact by far and away thebest handling 1/24th scale cars I have everdriven. Couple this to their great looks and easeof assembly and I think we may end up with aregular 1/24th class at Wolves before too long. Iloved these so much I’m going to order a couplemore next pay day and, with Pendle Slot ➳

Kits come complete with evKits come complete with evKits come complete with evKits come complete with evKits come complete with everything includingerything includingerything includingerything includingerything including

toolstoolstoolstoolstools

Assembled chassis with additional tube modification to left of the crown gearAssembled chassis with additional tube modification to left of the crown gearAssembled chassis with additional tube modification to left of the crown gearAssembled chassis with additional tube modification to left of the crown gearAssembled chassis with additional tube modification to left of the crown gear

24

Racing stocking a full range of parts to fit,keeping them in tiptop form should be noproblem. Rumour has it that B.R.M. areplanning more Group C cars from the same

Simply stunning looking and v Simply stunning looking and v Simply stunning looking and v Simply stunning looking and v Simply stunning looking and very quick forery quick forery quick forery quick forery quick for

1/241/241/241/241/24ththththth scale motors scale motors scale motors scale motors scale motors

period including the Toyota CV88, which wouldbe great. With quality like this it’s easy to see why1/24th scale is so popular in Germany and Italy,and why people like me are getting more andmore hooked on it in the UK. ■

25September 2007

The Slot Car Handbook -The Slot Car Handbook -The Slot Car Handbook -The Slot Car Handbook -The Slot Car Handbook -Dave ChangDave ChangDave ChangDave ChangDave Chang

By the Editor

Although I have not yet collated all theresponses to the Journal survey, onething that does stand out is the number

of requests for articles about tuning slot cars.This book would therefore appear to fill a needas it is a comprehensive look at Scalextric racingin general and tuning in particular.

AuthorAuthorAuthorAuthorAuthorDave Chang is a member of the NSCC and nomean racer himself as I discovered at this year’sRamsgate weekend. He is a moderator with theSlotforum website under his tag of ‘Astro’ andhas a really good scenic track in his garage. Heis also a thoroughly nice bloke who will chat forhours about slot racing over a pint or six.

Dave has written several reviews for theJournal and he remains, to this day, as the onlyperson ever to submit a piece totally devoid ofspelling, punctuation and grammatical errors -RESPECT! As a well-known editorial pedant itthus gives me great pleasure to announce that Ifound a spelling error in the book, although I didhave to look very hard to find it.

TTTTTarget Audiencearget Audiencearget Audiencearget Audiencearget AudienceThe publication is aimed at the vast majority ofslot car racers - those who play on plastic trackwith 1/32 scale magnet cars (analogue or digital)from Scalextric, Technitoys SCX , Ninco, Flyetc. There is a token coverage of other scalesand non-magnet racing on wooden tracks butthose seeking specific information on theseminority interests would really need to lookelsewhere for sources of knowledge.

The BookThe BookThe BookThe BookThe BookThere is virtually nothing in the book whichcannot be found in various other publications orscattered over t’interweb but you will spend along time tracking down the information. Thisis the real appeal of the book to me - just about

all the important bits are concentrated in thisone volume. It is extremely well written, thelayout is excellent and it provides a single sourceof information about tracks, cars, layouts,controllers etc. It really seems strange thatnobody has thought to publish something likethis before now.

The first chapter is an ideal introduction tothe hobby for the absolute novice. It covers theanatomy of a slot car and basic preparation suchas running in the motor and meshing the gears.It is particularly strong on tyre truing andpreparation - something I always struggled withat the beginning.

The second chapter, entitled upgrades,delves a little more deeply into the black art oftuning. It includes sections on upgrading motors,changing gear ratios and modifying magnet set-ups. Throughout the book every step is neatlyexplained with pictures and diagrams plus a listof tools required for the job in hand.

Further chapters cover track maintenance,digital cars and the actual racing with a veryuseful troubleshooting guide at the back of thebook. All in all it does exactly what it says on thetin - “The definitive guide to setting up andrunning Scalextric style 1/32 scale RTR slotcars.”

Buy It?Buy It?Buy It?Buy It?Buy It?I did - even though I could have obtained areview copy for free! If you are an experiencedracer used to competing at top club level thenthe book will probably have a more limitedappeal but it is not really written for you anyway.Everybody else, from complete novice upwards,should find it immensely useful.

If you would like further information orwant to purchase a signed copy direct from theauthor go to: www.theslotcarhandbook.com.Alternatively go back to page four of the Journaland enter the competition to win a copy. ■

26

I didn’t even realise that Ninco had produceda new version of the Porsche until Brianemailed and offered me one to review. I

decided to wait until the parcel arrived and waspleasantly surprised by the new model in frontof me.

The Porsche 997 was in a stunning yellowand black driven by the ever successful ChristianMenzel. This particular livery appeared in 2005in the Porsche Super Cup and was a successfulyear for Menzel with four victories.

The car comes at present in two liveries, theone I’m reviewing here and a road going versionin white; I’m sure more will follow. It isdecorated in yellow and black with the GermanPostal Service “forum/gelb” emblazoned alongeach side and their logo across the bonnet.

This being a completely new model fromNinco I was struck at how low it looks sitting inits box. I also found it unusual for a Ninco carto have “eyebrow effect wheel arches” with thetyres partially obscured by the flared arches.

Fitted with low profile 18x10 tyres the carlooks correct when compared to its real lifecounterpart. The 997 comes with the usualNinco sprung guide and central button magnetand an NC5 motor producing 20,000 rpm at14.8v, set in the anglewinder configuration. Ialways find these motors get faster the morerunning in that you give them.

I track tested the new 997 against a NincoPorsche 911 GT3 model. Both cars are prettymuch the same size and wheelbase, the onlyobvious difference is the angle winder in the 997.TheGT3 handles the track pretty well withmagnet removed; I didn’t really try it withmagnet fitted (force of habit to remove them).

However I tried the 997 with magnet intactand had a job to make it de-slot around aScalextric sport track. Due to its very lowground clearance it stuck itself down and myfour year old who was eagerly watching had funrunning it round with no trouble before Itweaked it and removed the magnet from car.With the offending object removed and the tyresgently trued it easily out performed the 911 bytwo tenths of a second and was very forgiving asits tail began to slide.

I tried a couple of JGTC cars I had lyingclose to hand and the 997 easily kept paceagainst these and, with a bit of tinkering, I’msure will out perform them. I checked my Nincocollection and I can’t find another car with thesmaller front wheels fitted to this model (youmay know different). They will be useful ifavailable as a spare for club racing.

Overall I’m quite impressed and woulddefinitely give it a try in our club’s new GT class.

■

PPPPPorsche 997orsche 997orsche 997orsche 997orsche 99750445 Menzel50445 Menzel50445 Menzel50445 Menzel50445 Menzel

50446 R50446 R50446 R50446 R50446 Road caroad caroad caroad caroad car

By Dave SmithBy Dave SmithBy Dave SmithBy Dave SmithBy Dave Smith

27September 2007

This story is as full of tragic irony as anyin motorsport history. 1923 saw the firstrunning of the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Levegh attended it and it changed his life as hewas captivated by it. He became a very goodmechanic with his own garage and as an averageclub driver he tried hard but with little success.But in 1938 he acquired a Talbot dealership atthe age of nearly 40 and was offered a worksdrive in the 5th works car. It looked like he wason his way but co-driver Jean Trevoux broke thecar long before he was due to drive. 1939brought no offers of a drive and for the next fiveyears the German Airforce put paid to anycompetition as they used it as a Fighter Airbase.Racing did not resume until 1949.

After two years as a spectator he was finallyoffered a Talbot drive for 1951 and, with RenéMarchand, finished a creditable 4th. Levegh felthe could make the Talbot a better car so hebought one, which arrived late in 1951. Hismodifications included engine preparation, largefuel tank and a new alloy body shell. His onlyconcern was glory for himself and France.

1952 Le Mans and Jaguar were favourites,having won the previous year, along with thenew Mercedes Benz 300SL. Not a lot ofattention was given to the No 8 Talbot driven bya middle aged man who had never won a thing.Levegh could not stay with the others but thingsturned in his favour as the C-Type’s new nosecaused the cars to overheat and all the Ferrari’sclutches failed.

In those days there were no rules governinghow long any driver could stay at the wheel.There was a feeling Levegh wanted to win on hisown and by 3am the leading Gordini had retiredand Levegh was in the lead. Levegh had finallyachieved his dream by leading Le Mans.

So, after 11 hours of hard driving it wasexpected he would hand over to Marchand. Butalthough tired, Levegh pressed on, determinedto do it on his own. At 8am he came in for fueland his wife and co-driver pleaded with him toget out of the car, to no avail. Even at the nextmidmorning stop Marchand tried to force himout of the driving seat but Levegh, probably nowon auto pilot, pushed him away and let out theclutch.

Mercedes team boss Neubauer did not askhis cars to go faster as surely Levegh could notlast another five hours. The two remainingMercedes, now in formation, shadowing Leveghand the hopes of France. Nobody was surewhether they could catch him or they were justwaiting for exhaustion to get the better of him.Levegh came in for his last stop and could notbe persuaded to vacate the car even by TonyLago. His co-driver was again repulsed and withvictory in sight Levegh was again away.

The reason would not become known foryears later. He had sensed a vibration in theengine which he decided that only he wascapable of nursing home. With over 23 hoursgone Lang and Neidermeyer in the 300SLscrossed the line in the lead. Levegh’s worst fearshad come to fruition and the Talbot’s crank hadbroken with only 40 minutes to go. Some triedto blame Levegh for selecting the wrong gearand blowing the engine but the car had apreselector and it would have been very difficultto achieve this, even in his tired state.

The French felt they had been cheated byLevegh going it alone, he had been a hero for 23hours and 20 minutes, now he was jeered. Afterthis day no one was allowed to drive for longerthan 18 out of 24hours. In 1953 Levegh drovea works Talbot and he finished a lowly 15th in ➳

Pierre Levegh and LePierre Levegh and LePierre Levegh and LePierre Levegh and LePierre Levegh and LeMansMansMansMansMans

By Dave Yerbury

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an uncompetitive car. In 1954 aboard a Talbothe crashed out. After this he stopped racing butirony was lurking in the form of Neubauer whohad been impressed by Levegh in 1952.

1955 saw the return of Mercedes to full timeracing. Nuebauer needed a co-driver for JohnFitch, the American, and Levegh accepted theoffer. Levegh was now 54 years old and theMercedes drive would bring him his greatestchance to win Le Mans. Driving the number 20Mercedes he ran near the front early on then,just after 6pm, the incident for which he willalways be remembered started to unfold.Hawthorn’s D-Type tangled with Macklin’sAustin Healey opposite the pits and Levegh,closing at over 150 mph, could not avoidMacklin. Levegh had raised an arm to warn thefollowing Fangio then the #20 Mercedes clippedthe Healey, taking off and disintegrating as itwent into the crowd, killing Levegh and around83 spectators. Later that night the Mercedesteam withdrew.

Levegh’s life was Le Mans and all he wantedwas his name to be synonymous with the 24hour race. It is ironic that he will be rememberedmostly for this tragic accident.

The car is modelled on Levegh’s 1952 nearLe Mans winner. You can blame Mike Hyatt asit was his idea. It’s quite a large car as it is aflared in version of the GP Talbot Lago. Itshould make a good track car with a wheelbaseof 78mm and a track of 50mm. The chassis is

the versatile PCS32 from Pendle Slot fitted witha Scalex Mabuchi can. Sitting on Ninco spokedwheels I think it looks good to go. The chassis issecured into the shell with a single post at thefront and a solid plastic oblong at the rear, bothare levelled up square and glued into place.Finished in a shade of French blue. I am not aracer so I can only imagine it goes as good as itlooks. ■

29September 2007

This is a model of the car entered by theBelgian PSI Experience racing team inthe Spa 1000kms race in May 2006

scoring a creditable third in GT1 class and 10th

overall. Driving was shared by Finns PerttiKuismanen and Markus Palttala and DutchmanJos Menten. The real car’s chassis number is 002which actually makes it a model of the same carthat SCX have already released – the yellowCompuware #64 car that fared so well at LeMans in 2005, finishing first in class and 5th

overall driven by Magnussen/Beretta/Gavin. Itwould be interesting to know whether this wasby coincidence or design. Perhaps Gareth couldask those in the know at Tecnitoys and reportback.

I think it is an excellent model of the realcar, capturing the shape and stance very well.

The livery on SCX cars has come on in leapsand bounds in recent years. This design hasmany small lines and plenty of sponsors namesthat are represented with remarkable clarity.SCX have even gone to the trouble ofreproducing the blue wheels that, as far as I canmake out from the PSI-Motorsport website,were only used at the opening round of the 2006LMS championship in Istanbul, Turkey. Itwould surely have been far easier for them toproduce plain silver wheels as fitted for the restof the season and to the previously releasedCompuware car. They have made one glaring“faux pas” though; the Belgian flag on thedriver’s door is back to front.

When comparing the car to the previousmodel I noticed that this was the same case withthe Stars an’ Stripes! ➳

SCX Corvette C6RSCX Corvette C6RSCX Corvette C6RSCX Corvette C6RSCX Corvette C6RRRRRReference: 62520eference: 62520eference: 62520eference: 62520eference: 62520

By Jim MoyesBy Jim MoyesBy Jim MoyesBy Jim MoyesBy Jim Moyes

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Decoration aside, the performance of thislatest release is where the biggest difference lies.SCX have managed to squeeze a few morehorses under the hood, or more correctly, underthe driver’s platform. The new car is fitted withthe latest RX 42-B motor. When Gareth askedme to do a review of an SCX car, he suggestedthe latest Merc DTM with floating motor pod,but I spotted this Corvette in his box of goodiesand, as we were running an SCX GT class at theBolwextric club, I thought this gave moreopportunity for a meaningful comparison. Thefollowing Monday night at Bolwextric wasactually the last (of eight) rounds of thisparticular class, so I was up against well run-inand prepped cars, driven by people who had gotto know their cars very well, in a fresh straight-out-of-the-box version. I had no chance ofwinning the series, so just used the night as a testsession. Well, I won all of my heats comfortably,the car was that much more responsive out ofthe bends and accelerated further along thestraights. Some post race testing showed that laptimes had been improved by almost half a

second with the new motor. I set the lap counterto a ten lap race and then ran each car. Best laptimes over the 130 foot MDF/Copper tape trackwith the power supplies set at 12V were;

Compuware car (RX41 motor) 11.86PSI Motorsport car (RX42B motor) 11.45

This increase in performance is a bit of adouble-edged sword however, as for the previousseven rounds of our SCX GT championship ithad been proved that it was possible to win withany of the five currently available contenders.We had some fantastic close racing and nobodycould say they didn’t have a chance because theywere using a certain model. Now it would benear impossible to win with the old motor in arace against cars with the new one fitted. Butthat’s the price of progress, I suppose.

Many thanks to Gareth Jex, AEC Modelsand Tecnitoys for the chance to review this greatcar. ■