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Scalextric Pirtek Ba Falcon Mods


Vinno

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The paint is barely dry and already I have decided it is time to set up the new BA for non magnet racing.

 

We have a standard Touring car class in our series of races and Devious Dave inspired me to set up the brand new Pirtek in time for the next race later this series. I compared my car with my son Jacobs as his is still standard.

 

I realise this will not be for everyone but it is necessary to compete where we race.

 

newfalc06.jpg

I cut off the locating tabs on the front of the chassis to allow the front end to be lowered a bit. Next I sanded the front of the chassis to allow it to float when running the car with the body screws loose. I sand it enough to give about one millimetre clearance to the body.

 

newfalc03.jpg

I carried out the sanding process all around the chassis and also the top of the exhaust to give some clearance there as well. This pic also shows where I have positioned sheet lead on the chassis to lower the centre of gravity. I also have some lead inside as these cars do not have an interior and are quite light otherwise.

 

I have also replaced the rear tyres with my Slotit P2 or P3 tyres. I use P3 on my Scalextric Classic/Sport combo track but as the weather warms up P2 compound can be more forgiving, especially on the Ninco tracks we race on.

 

newfalc05.jpg

I cut back the posts that press on the bushes and motor as these are not much use with a floating body. This is a pic of the posts in the standard car.

 

newfalc0.jpg

As you can see I have sanded the front mounting posts in the body to drop the front end a bit and give the car a more realistic look. The car on the left is the lowered car. I took about 1.5mm off the posts a bit at a time to make sure the car was level.

 

You can also see the front tyres which are sanded 1.5mm. I did this as the tyres were running on the track and lifting the guide out of the slot by about 1mm. As the Scalextric guides are shallow anyway I found sanding the tyres the best and easiest way to get the guide down in the slot. This was the sole biggest difference to the performance of the car and allowed me to drive harder through the corner without deslotting.

 

newfalc04.jpg

I filed down the thread on the screws to help with body float when running loose screws. For those that don't know the screws are simply backed off by about a half a turn or so to let the body rock on the chassis. This transfers the track irregularities to the body and lets the chassis hug the track better.

 

newfalc02.jpg

Although the car has been lowered you can not really notice due to the sanded front tyres. I think the car sits better than a standard car on the track.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Very similar mods to us down here. I have also cut the windows out and added a set that was vacformed over the standard body. I cut only the 'black' component out and flush mounted the glass thus retaining the decals that are top and bottm of the screen. Lost the side window decals unforunately but I think it was worth it from a weight reduction point, these bodies are THICK, and aesthetically.

 

Dave

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Phil

 

Joe the slot doctor who races with us drills out the hub of the wheel and presses out the Scalextric axles as the knurl on the axle damages the hub if you try and pull and twist them. Can also make the wheel off centre too if not done by pressing them as they are so tight.

 

Dave

 

Have thought about the cutting the windows out and fitting an interior but don't want to try it as I have so many half done projects at present.

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Has anyone managed to get the wheels off one of these new cars they seem very hard to move ( worried about breaking wheel) . The Commodore is abit too wide and needs to be narrowed.

 

Phil

No I haven't but it will be only some sort of glue, I just pulled a rear wing off a commodore (to make mould) and it took some doing, but with a hot hair dryer, job done, heat consistant pressure.

cheers gene

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  • 6 years later...

Do I get a prize for digging up the oldest thread.

 

Anyway, between the T10 shootout and the 300km today, I finally grabbed one of the ugly facsimiles of the supercars, and took to it with a dremel.

 

Made a couple of stuff-ups, but got it down to about 1mm from the ground at front, and about 1.5mm at rear.

 

I trimmed the chassis, trimmed the body and chassis posts (yes duh, should have just drimmed and re-drilled the chassis posts.

Nipped off the pegs from the underside of the body, enlarged the wheel arches, removed the front axle and dremeled down the axle support so the axle could sit lower - because I fitted some Slot.it 17 x 10 zero grips. Fixed the axle in place in the new lower position.

 

Fitted a Slot.it wood guide.

 

V8lowered1.jpg

 

V8lowered2.jpg

 

- To keep the cost down, I am trying to minimise parts swap out. If I had been more patient I suppose I could have shaved the original tyres enough, but they are a beggar to sand..... how do you guys over there sand them down. My Area 3 was making hard work of it - only have a 2.5 amp supply for it.

Apart from realising I should have only touched the chassis posts ot the body posts, can anyone suggest any better ways or different improvements to make.

I could probably have dremeled the front archas a bit less now I have lower the axle point.

But it looks so much better now, and handles much nicer to drive.

Recovering Lapsed Slot Addict :ph34r:  *  Custodian of many used screws (mostly loose :rolleyes:)  *  Total kidder  *  Companion of other delusional slot addicts :lol:  

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Do I get a prize for digging up the oldest thread.

Yes you should because it would've been easier to start a new thread, but you did the right thing by searching first.

 

I could probably have dremeled the front archas a bit less now I have lower the axle point.

But it looks so much better now, and handles much nicer to drive.

 

Yes they do look and handle alot better when they are lowered. The less taken out of the arches the better for appearances but you don't have much choice as there isn't enough room to pull the wheels inside the guards like the current FG.

Edited by triggy

* Avatar used with permission

 

Normal people worry me

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don't have much choice as there isn't enough room to pull the wheels inside the guards like the current FG.

I have manged to get the wheels of my Commodore,AU and Ba inside the gaurds. Not much room but it is possible.

 

IMO hacking out the gaurds ruins the look and down here is not allowed.

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don't have much choice as there isn't enough room to pull the wheels inside the guards like the current FG.

I have manged to get the wheels of my Commodore,AU and Ba inside the gaurds. Not much room but it is possible.

 

IMO hacking out the gaurds ruins the look and down here is not allowed.

 

Phil

 

did you make any specific mods to the car such as shortening the knurled end of the axle, and/or cutting away the outside of the nylon axle bush to get everything inside the guards?

 

Anyone have any mechanical suggestions - that's what I am particularly keen to learn. - any "best practices" for lowering these things.

 

I was actually thinking this morning maybe I could have just put a 0.5mm spacer under the guide holder, between it and the original guide, to lower the guide so it sits full depth in the slot, to save the cost of using a Slot.it wood guide or universal guide as a replacement.

 

BMR - HAH, after you mentioned that MJK code, I had a peek and discovered I had some of those.....they look just like the Slot.it 17 x 10 zero-grip, but have the right width shoulder for the hubs.......

 

cheers

 

mark

Recovering Lapsed Slot Addict :ph34r:  *  Custodian of many used screws (mostly loose :rolleyes:)  *  Total kidder  *  Companion of other delusional slot addicts :lol:  

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Done much the same myself .... trim posts and chassis, screws lose, MJK's on the rear and a set of low profile Ninco's on the front

 

DSC07526.jpg

 

DSC07527.jpg

 

Only difference is that i fitted a Ninco sprung guide to give it a bit more flexibility on the track

 

DSC07529.jpg

 

And the chassis is originally from the DJ 17

Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again

Gary

http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017

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thanks for digging up this topic

i had been searching for a few tips on how to lower these cars

 

my ba has has had a motor swap five times and won't run like the othercars

finally got it to run competitively ........

found out that when you lower them down and the mounts change height, it flexes the chassis,in turn buggers the gear mesh

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Mark: yes I had to trim the axle and cut back the wheel hub to get the wheels inside the body. I used a guide spacer on one car But sanded the tyres on the others to lower the chassis.

One good idea ( if your rules allow it) is to lift the rear axle bearings UP in the chassis, this lowers the car and gives a lot better relation ship between the motor and rear axle. All the cars up to the FG have the motor mounted too high . I even lowered the motor on an old chassis,it handled well but the chassis was just too weak.

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