Vinno Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Scalextric Allan Moffat XB Falcon no 9 Allan Moffat and Vern Schuppan Bathurst 1976 This is probably one of the most anticipated slot cars to be released in Australia for some time. With Christmas just after the release date it meant England recieved their shipment and the rest of us had to wait another month. Most of us didn't wait as the local stores had pretty much had the lot sold on pre order so parcels were being shipped all over the world, well mainly to impatient Aussies anyway. Following on from the Holden Torana L34 which is a fantastic replica of the real car, Scalextric has really come up with the goods, in my opinion anyway. After the Torana some were worried we may not end up getting the popular sidewinder configuration which has worked so well for many of the Sedan Style cars manufactured by Scalextric. Thankfully the Falcon is large enough to be manufactured as a sidewinder with the old faithful Mabuchi 18,000 rpm at 12 volts engine. It has some different markings but runs like all the others so I am guessing it is no different. This is one car I couldn’t wait to put on the track however not having one meant I had to wait to give it a spin. Anyway how does it measure up? This car is big, long, wide and relatively heavy, for a slot car anyway. The detail is great and the look is much better than I was expecting, although I must say the Torana looked pretty good too. They look to have the scale pretty right from my eye and it is one I am more than happy with. Some dimensions are as follows. Weight 95 Grams Length 153 mm Width 63 mm Height 42 mm Rear Track 58 mm To compare a Scalextric 72 Camaro is as follows. Weight 83 Grams Length 149 mm Width 62.5 mm Height 39.5 mm Rear Track 57.5 mm And a Scalextric Torana· Weight 83 Grams Length 139 mm Width 56 mm Height 42 mm Rear Track 53 mm With the Falcon you could pick on small details like Hotwire mags instead of Simmons wheels and no door mirrors, the Moffat Ford Dealer sign is a bit too perfect as the real car decals were hand cut but that is not something that would be replicated in a $50.00 slot car. The car looked to have a real racing white colour which looked almost too creamy but it seems to depend on the light you look at it in. Some glasses on Mr Moffat would have been nice tooJ When comparing it to other Trans Am style cars from Scalextric such as the Mustang and Camaro it does sit pretty high with very tall rubber and wheels that are larger but this is pretty accurate really. I mention these cars as they will make good running mates for the car. So how is it put together? In typical Scalextric style it is well finished, it has a good thick clear coat so racing it won’t see the decals easily scratched unless you slide on Ferrodore. There are headlights and tail and brake lights. Working lights are not what you would normally see on a race car like the Falcon and off they will come, although I may leave the tail and brake lights as they do look good. They take up a bit of space and make the car fiddly to put together. The front grille section is separate as is the front and rear bumpers and front spoiler. I will be gluing the grille into the body on my race car and most likely the rest of the loose bits and pieces . The wheels are very true so the car ran very smoothly on the track and is probably my quietest Scalextric sidewinder I have. Just rolling the rear wheel over in your hand and there is barely any noticeable gear meshing. One little niggle I have with the car is the offset on the rear axle with the spur gear side sitting a couple of millimetres inside the guard while the other sat nice and close to the guard. I couldn’t leave it like that so I moved the wheel out approximately 1 to 1.5mm and added a nylon spacer next to the spur gear to even it up. Just mark where the wheel is on the axle then grip the Spur Gear and Wheel next to it together and a slight twist and pull and off she comes. Re-install it about 1.5 to 2mm further out. I did glue the wheel I moved so it stays on. Running the car in standard form non magnet it went pretty much as any of the Trans Ams. As I mentioned mine was very smooth so felt a little faster on the straights than my other Scalextric Trans Ams. In comparison to the 1970 Camaro I was running it with the Falcon seemed a bit smoother and the handling was similar although more planted probably due to the extra weight. Both cars were standard and the Camaro had only run a few laps itself so they were in very similar condition. The Falcon cornered well with a bit of sliding at the limit once I rounded the edge of the tyres. It could deslot going into a corner too fast but sanding the front tyres down a little will help there. What I was happy with was that it didn’t really need any weight in it to be a good drive which is just as well at 95 Grams. I ran it this way for around 50 laps and then put it away until I carried out the above modification to the rear axle and ran it on another night. Since then I have carried out a few more mods to see how it will go as my new Trans Am race car. I will add in these details soon but I can report that it will be my race car now these mods are completed. I must commend Scalextric as they are taking notice of us few downunder and I hope this is a successful series of models for them. I know I will be buying at least two of each of this car. Also Thanks to Ember for her fantastic scenic shots, namely the first picture in this review, she is a great asset to the forum. · · · · · · · Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Thanks Vince Look forward to seeing what extra mods you have done and how it performs against other makes and models of that class Quote Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again Gary http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FPV GTP Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Look forward to seeing what extra mods you have done and how it performs against other makes and models of that class The last test sesion saw handling improve & lap times getting faster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsmsoccer Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Thanks for the wright up Vince. Mine is still in its box as I am now starting to put my track back together again after the move Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 Thanks for the wright up Vince. Mine is still in its box as I am now starting to put my track back together again after the move Charlie We'll be up that way in September, on the way to Coffs for the WRC, will have to drop in for a cuppa and a few laps Quote Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again Gary http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burglar Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 I got one today. I think that sanding the tyres will make a big difference. Also my passenger seat was loose, but I just glued it back in. I thought that the deslotting might be due to the new guide design. I adjusted the screw though and it didn't seem to help. I also increased the radius on the front of the guide blade but that didn't help either. It might just be the tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinno Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I got one today. I think that sanding the tyres will make a big difference. Also my passenger seat was loose, but I just glued it back in. I thought that the deslotting might be due to the new guide design. I adjusted the screw though and it didn't seem to help. I also increased the radius on the front of the guide blade but that didn't help either. It might just be the tyres. Yeah front tyres are a little tall so you don't get full guide in the slot. Easy fix is to sand them down. The centre rib on the rims are narrower than the tyre so the tyre moves around on the rim a little too so glueing the fronts helps and also the rears if you want to run standard tyres. I have added a ninco guide now which is even better but you need to do a few mods to make sure it is a nice fit and doesmn't flop around. Mine will be my new Trans Am race car so I needs it to be competitive with the SCX Cuda which is very low and handles brilliantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsmsoccer Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Thanks for the wright up Vince. Mine is still in its box as I am now starting to put my track back together again after the move Charlie We'll be up that way in September, on the way to Coffs for the WRC, will have to drop in for a cuppa and a few laps Sounds like a good plan look forward to it Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32coupe Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I fitted a slot.it wood guide and that solved the de-slotting for me. At our club racing last night it was running 4.7s laps, which was on par with other Scalies, but not quite as good as the pioneers at 4.5s. I still have a few tricks to try yet, so let's see where it's at next time we race this class. Cheers Andrew Quote A man without a woman is like a neck without a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QRphil Posted February 1, 2013 Report Share Posted February 1, 2013 Also converted my unit to a Ninco sprung guide, and she is tracking a lot better with good power pick-up (I run on Ninco track at home). Added some weight behind the driver to get the power down on my small track. Need to get new rubber and remove the weight for the longer wood track. Still have to center the rear axle, so thanks for your tip. Interested in your other mods. Regards, Phillip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burglar Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) I fitted a Sloting Plus standard screw fit guide in today and it seems fine without using a B-NOVA conversion, as the Sloting Plus guide is a little bit thicker than the Slot.It guide once you wind the screw in. The screw with its integral washer seems to help too. I've yet to rewire it and check the self-returning aspect but I think it will be okay. Also I removed the magnet under the axle and placed it in the empty holder in front of the motor. I'm not sure but I think that the offset magnet might contribute to some of the problems. Also for the life of me I don't know why they designed it with the motor offset like that. They could have had it in a more central spot to improve weight distribution, avoid the problem of one wheel being further out than the other, and allow wider tyres to be installed. Also, it is a good thing that the groove inside the tyre is wider than the rib, as the ribs on at least one of my wheels are not cast straight ... Reminds me of the wheels on the Carrera Petty Torino Edited February 4, 2013 by Burglar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinno Posted April 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 With our Trans Am series coming up I really wanted to make sure this car could challenge the SCX Cuda's. With a bit of chassis cutting and shutting, attaching front and rear clips to the body and some decent lowering I think number 9 is ready to go. Weight was down 15 grams by removing lights and magnet plus a heap of unnecessary plastic when epoxying to the body. Looking forward to giving it a run on the track now. Added 10 grams of lead down low and now have the scope to add a little more if she needs it. Hopefully she is low enough not to need any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Looks much more goodera Vince Now it's time to kick some Cudda freckle Quote Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again Gary http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ember Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Has anyone been having issues with the tampo rubbing off? Almost like it's missing the clear coat? I have not, but there have been reports from some of the later ones... Quote Computers. They'll never catch on. Tiny Tyers Targa - The build saga continues - Aging wood - A recipe for staining wood - Don't take a fence - Step by step paling fence - An old shed for my new cars - Wooden garage under construction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinno Posted April 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2013 Yes mine has a couple of small nicks but it's a race car so not worried obout that. Add's weight anyway. The shelf queen stays in the box so won't ever know what will happen to that one. Actually the race one is one that Yngwie picked up early before the Aussie releases so that would be an early version wouldn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted April 22, 2013 Report Share Posted April 22, 2013 Has anyone been having issues with the tampo rubbing off? Almost like it's missing the clear coat? I have not, but there have been reports from some of the later ones... When i was re-adjusting the patto stickers, i noticed that some of the original tampo came off as i was adjusting Quote Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again Gary http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercharged Posted April 22, 2013 Report Share Posted April 22, 2013 Nice work on the xb gazza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.