Power Slot Lola Review Update...

PPR Super Tires held a contest on a slot car site I lurk in and gave away 4 sets of custom painted PPR Super Wheels. He had painted a blue, pearl white, yellow and lime green set of wheels a while back with the intent to sell them. The painting process turned out to be more than expected to get the paint to stay on the wheels. If I remember correctly it was a 6 or 7 step process. They turned out great, but I can understand why he didn't continue to do them. Also, when he put them up in the For Sale Forum they didn't sell. Although I wanted the yellow pair, but didn't have the funds to buy them.

So, PPR held a custom car contest. At first, only one person posted pictures of cars that he used PPR's wheels and tires to customize them. Nobody else was posting pictures and I commented that I didn't have any PPR stuff to use and get into the contest myself. PPR quickly responded and posted that any car that you've paint, done decals, wheels and tires or any other type of customizing too was eligible to enter the contest. That was all I needed.

I entered the following cars for consideration.

First, my Skru'd Death Race Car. Artin Chassis, $5.00 model kit and hardware. This was made to run on a live figure 8 four lane wood track at a local weekend event a couple years back. Due to too much beverage consumption by most of the Death Race racers...it didn't happen and thus my car stayed intact and is now a shelf queen.

Click on the picture below to enlarge. Yes, the driver is flipping the bird. Just letting the other drivers know how he feels.

I hand painted everything inside and out except for the flat black color of the Chevy.

Secondly, is my Control Freak 1/24 Cheetah 2 powered slot car sponsored by Direct TV. Yes, I does work and better than most would expect it to do too. This one took a lot of planning and massaging to make it a reality. I took the garbage out at an apartment complex I use to live at and someone threw 3 of these remotes away in various conditions. I picked one up and held it at arm's length. Those lines are a race car I thought to myself. I took all 3 remotes back to my place and about a year later pulled them out and came up with the Control Freak.

Thirdly, I posted this picture of the Power Slot Lola I had just finished reviewing and is further down on this blog. I had robbed my NSR Mosler's wheels and tires since the stock wheels had issues. I also said that if I won that the lime green PPR wheels would be perfect for the Lola.

Well, my Death Race car got a couple of votes from other people posting on the forum or as they said, "A vote from the peanut gallery if that means anything." I guess it worked because I took 3rd place. The only thing left was to hope that 1st and 2nd place picked a different color than the lime green wheels. I got what I wanted and they are a perfect fit and fix for the stock Lola wheels that had issues. Plus, they go with the graphics painted on the car. I think they finished the Lola. Plus, the Lola is not only up to par, but surpassing it on the track.

FYI...PPR sent the wheels before I could get a chance to buy of his tires. These are Slot It tires and they are hooking up on the Scaley Sport track very nicely.

My Unicorn Is Finally Captured...

Today a 2 yr safari came to an end. Those who know me know of my love for yellow cars. Funny thing is I've never owned a yellow car. However, there's a big difference from being able to own a yellow Ferrari, Vette or Mustang Boss than there is a $50 slot car version of these cars.

I fell in love with the Fly Classic Ferrari 512S Berlinetta #23 2 yrs ago and could never afford to get it. Did I mention it is yellow? This car has gone for over $100 on eBay. Needless to say, I wasn't in a position to pay that kind of green for it.

I'd keep a vigil on the For Sale/Trade Forums of several slot car sites. Lurking, waiting and ready to strike. In 2 yrs, I've seen this unicorn up for sale or trade 4 or 5 times. Each time I was too late, didn't have the funds or trade car that would bring it my way once and for all.

That all changed when I lucked into a Limited Edition Spanish Ninco Nissan 350Z from a trade with a fellow in Spain. I say I was lucky because all he wanted in trade for it was a Scalextric Dewalt Nascar. I jumped on that deal. This is when I was wanting to add some Ninco cars to my stable after years of frowning upon them. Basically, like I did Fly cars and that has obviously changed over the years.  
 

As you can see above, it had more than enough yellow for my taste. The picture doesn't do it justice. Plus, it was # 21 out of 750.

After getting the Z in the mail I posted pix of it and showed it to Kurt. He loves Ninco and has been on the Ninco USA World Championship Team twice. I knew he had my unicorn held up in his dungeon and this might be the damsil he'd take for it's release. He quickly agreed to the trade and today the mystical beauty was waiting for me on the coffee table when I arrived home from work.

 
This version has the best looking rear end in my opinion. I think I'm in love. Kurt, did you run this thing? I can tell it's been around the track, but it must have been under the control of the Pace Car.  
 

   
I did some parade laps with her and then back in the case she went for safe keeping. Those mirrors would be the first thing to go in a race. I'm torn if she will be raced in our local club events or not. She might be a private runner for when it's just her, me and my choice of 4 lanes. Simply awesome. Kurt thank you so much. It feels weird now. Who will I stalk now?
 
NOTE: I do love my wife...just to set the record straight...LOL.

NOTE: Kurt doesn't...I repeat...doesn't drink the Kool Aid.

Power Slot Lola T-298 Review

Power Slot came on the slot scene a couple of years ago as a small start up slot producer of car models not readily made by other brands. They started off rocky with quality control issues. However, they seemed to be listening to the slot masses as to what they needed to improve on their cars. I’ve reviewed PS’s Quad, 350Z and Opel releases. Each one has had its share of surprises both good and bad. This year Power Slot’s new selling point was their “Setup” chassis system. It consisted of a motor pod that allowed for the adjustment of the gear mesh and suspension of the rear axle assembly. However, I’ve yet to get a production release of a “Setup” chassis with all the parts needed to make an honest and complete analysis of its functionality.

I guess it was around the end of 2008 when I got word of the 2009 release of Power Slot’s Lola T-298. The prototype photos look very promising and I was immediately drawn to the Banco Occidental version of the car. I waited for months just like everyone else. I answered numerous emails or site posts as to when the Lola would be released.

I was just as hyped up about them and all those folks inquiring about them. Then the release date came and no Lola showed up. EMI was on vacation and I eventually got the Lola close to a month after its release to the slotting public. This is where I advise all readers that as with the “Setup” Nissan 350Z I last reviewed…the Lola was a sample car and not a production release.

So, as the title shot asks...
“Was it worth the wait or a washout?”

THE LOLA’S LOOKS


Personally, I love the paint job on the Banco Occidental Lola. It’s bright, vibrant and won’t be missed on the track. The paint overall is good, but could still be better. There is still obvious paint overspray with the white and lime green graphics.

The driver seems out of proportion. His helmet is almost even with the roll bar. That can easily be remedied with a Fly driver as I intend to do with mine. Plus, the Fly driver will improve the overall looks of the Lola. You’ll see what I’m talking about later.

The Power Slot Lola appears to be larger in profile and maybe also in length after viewing some pictures of the real life versions. The driver is without a doubt too big and tall. So, some scale issues seem to be present on PS’s recreation of it.


Looking down upon the T-298 you see the graphics running front to back on it. The open cockpit is well done. The roll bar, stacks and a vent on the rear deck are painted silver. As you can see on the vent, the silver paint was missed in some areas and the roll bar has some rough spots on it.


This is where I’ll point out the holes on each side of the cockpit. It almost seems like PS planned to have mirrors in those locations, but didn’t follow through with the plan. The real car did have the mirror in the position that PS supplied us with, but they also had a side mirror located in the positions I pointed out.

I didn’t find a picture of the real deal with mirrors in all 3 positions. However, almost every picture had an extra mirror on the driver’s side of the cockpit in addition to the mirror PS supplied on the Lola. I don’t know for sure, but maybe depending on the track the real race car moved the side mirrors to one location or the other.


Above is a close up of the primary graphics of the Lola up front. Looking this close shows the issues I’ve already mentioned about the overspray and some logo line up issues in the graphic above the Banco Occidental lettering. They still got work to do folks.


Sliding around to the rear of my Lola I was a bit puzzled and my first thoughts where, “The body post is in plain sight…what the heck!” I searched and search for a picture of the backend of this car on the web. I finally found a picture form a site overseas and low and behold my sample car didn’t appear to be missing a piece as I originally suspected.

This is poor design to me. The inside body post shouldn’t be visible from outside of the Lola.

Note: If I’m wrong about this opening and my car is in fact missing a piece let me know.

This shot also shows the short comings of my sample version Lola. All the pieces that should painted silver are not entirely painted silver. The body pieces on each side of the engine details are suppose to be a continuation of the body color and yet they are black like the rest of the car’s chassis. Yes, I can fix all these problems myself. I’m just saying once again, these are reasons for needing an actual finished production car for reviews. The supplied engine detail and tail light lenses are enough for looks under the large rear wing.


Speaking of the large wing on the T-298, it is solidly constructed and should survive most hard hits or off track excursions. However, more paint issues reside under it. The blobbed silver paint is obviously residue from the painter brush touching the bottom of the wing while he or she painted the engine details. Luckily, unless you flip the Lola over it will go unseen.


Let’s take a look inside the cockpit. They did a pretty good job inside the Lola with the extra details, but let us turn our attention to Jean Claude. What did I say the first time I saw the driver up close? “It’s a Playmobil guy.”




AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
If a race car driver’s eyes are this wide and scared looking he shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a Lola, let along a Yugo. The driver just doesn’t work for me in scale and appearance. PS dropped the ball here in my opinion.


What about the shoes? I like the appearance of the Lola wheels with the deep lip and contrasting colors. However, if the wheels and rubber are not right on any car it becomes obvious before you finish the first lap. The T-298 reared its ugly head in this department.

The rims themselves are pretty true and free of flashing. The inserts are rough and as you can see one of mine is broken from going onto the axle too far. Where the rims have serious issues is being drilled off center. One of the rear wheels wobbled like a bobble head on the dash of a Hummer going off road. The rubber like the majority of Power Slots’ cars was the biggest issue. They had excess flashing from the mold that prevents them from seating properly on the wheels. I had also heard that axle ends where smashed when they were cut off. This also can lead to a wheel not fitting the axle properly and causing a wobbling wheel during assembly at the factory. My axle ends had the smashed ends too.

The tires are a reoccurring issue with Power Slot releases I have in my review stable. The Quad tires fit fine. The non-setup chassis 350Z had bad tires and I replaced them w/Ninco Pros. The Opel had much improved tires. They didn’t fit perfect, but I didn’t have to replace them. The “Setup” 350 Z had the same wheels and tires as the original release. Though I think the actual release had tires more like the Opel. Again, a sample car that wasn’t complete as the car was released to the public. Those got replaced with Slot It set screw rims and tires all around. 2 out of 4 releases had acceptable tires that didn’t end up getting replaced by me. Well, make that 2 out of 5 releases.

PERFORMANCE

This was my solution to the major issue on the Lola. I temporarily robbed my NSR Mosler of its shoes. They fit pretty close to the original parts of the Lola. Sadly, this requires another $40 to $50 to purchase the NSR parts. This cost on top of a car already in the $70 range is insane. $110 to $120 could buy a NSR, or 2 Slot Its or 3 Carrera cars.


I’ve also seen people use Slot It wheels and tires, Slotting Plus stuff, etc.

Below is a shot of the “Setup” chassis. If you reviewed the link above you will get a hint of what you have to do to get the motor pod working correctly. PS is trying what Slot It has perfected over the years and I give them credit for it, but they’re not quite there yet.




The PS-3 motor is 25K RPM at 14V and turns a 12 tooth brass pinion and 30 tooth aluminum set screw gear. The sidewinder setup does produce a good amount of torque just like the last Nissan 350Z I reviewed a while back. There is also a set screw axle stop which is another nice touch.


The guide caught me off guard when I first saw it. Almost thought it got turned around the wrong way by its appearance. I’m not sure about the significance of its shape and didn’t really notice a benefit to it on the track either. (shrugging my shoulders)


I didn’t get a shot of it, but the front axle has set screws in the top of the axle posts and in the bottom of the chassis that allow you to control the up and down movement of the front axle. I’ve heard some folks say that it’s still not enough to control the slop completely to their taste. I didn’t seem to have an issue, but can say there was still plenty of play up and down even after taking the set screws to their maximum settings.

TRACK TIME

This is where my testing is going to be inadequate because of the Lola’s original wheels and tires having the issues I mentioned earlier in the review. I ran it with the NSR parts and it ran pretty good. The PS-3 motor in the sidewinder position gives able torque and speed as their Nissan 350 Z previously reviewed. No track times since my track was dismantled and I had just setup a smaller test track for this review. This car finally came after I started building my monster track table. Sorry folks.

JUDGEMENT DAY

I asked the question at the beginning of the review…”Was it worth the wait or a washout?”

Personally, I would not pay $70 for this car knowing what I know about it now. Power Slot has quality issues with the most important part of any slot car...the wheels and tires.

They have very good parts in the pinion, gear, axle stop and bushing departments. However, I think PS needs to seriously consider doing wheels like Slot It has available on their cars. Other brands are using them or parts similar to them because they get the job done.

I also took into consideration that I got what appeared to me to be a sample version of the Lola for my review. I thought, “Maybe it’s just my sample.” However, I got my Lola about a month after it was released to the public and after reading some of the posts on various slot car sites my thoughts were proven wrong.

Every post I read hit on the poor quality of the Lola’s wheels and tires. One unhappy guy even mentioned how it will be a shelf queen until he can afford to replace the wheels and tires on his. That is just unacceptable after dropping that kind of cash on a car by any brand on the market. Sadly, I have to say the same thing about my Lola and until I can put together the money for the NSR stuff…mine will have to sit too. However, I got lucky in the fact that I didn’t have to drop the initial $70 to get mine.

Protect me from what I want...

I've always thought this was the best version of Ninco's BMW V12 LMR series. It is better known as The Art Car. I've had several chances to get in over the years, but either didn't have the cash or something else came up that was more important. I got a really good deal on it. Sadly, the best deal I ever saw was $20.00 shipped, however, someone beat me to the punch....not this time.

The best part... all the sayings in the Beemers paint job. They're probably out of some secret racers rule book.

It's powered by the good old NC2 motor... which is a great all around motor. The challenge will be making it a solid and controlled non-magnet racer.

New Carrera Front Magnet

I took the front magnets...oops magnet out tonight. It appears to be 2 magnets from the bottom of the chassis. When in fact, it is a single long magnet that stretches from side to side of the chassis. It also has a metal shime on top of it. I assume you could put it on the bottom to slightly raise the magnet in the chassis, but doubt you would notice a difference with the car. I removed the front magnet and it freed up extra speed in the Plus 8. The rear magnet was still plenty enough for keeping the car on lock down.

In order to remove the front magnet you have to unscrew the chip and remove a post sleeve with a flange on the bottom it. This flange holds the magnet in its pocket when the chip is replaced and screwed down. The removal of the rear magent appears that you will have to remove the rear axle assembly and maybe even the motor since the pinion resides directly of it.

I can also see why analog runners yank all the "guts" because getting them all back into place so the body fits properly can be a royal pain in the keyster.

Carrera Morgan Plus 8 Review

Let's step back into time when things were simple and classy. The Morgan Plus 8 is an elegant roadster with flowing curves and style. Carrera easily captured the Morgan's class with a detailed eye. This is a great looking car and will make the classic car folks very happy.

The overall appearance and finish of the Plus 8 is almost flawless. I can't say I saw anything that stood out or needed to have a finger pointed at in a negative fashion. Which surprised me since there is so much to take in on this small car.

The front end of the Morgan is simply stunning. Like the chrome grill (hey, there you go something to point a negative finger at) with a minor imperfection in the upper left of the grill that I'm only pointing out because no car can be perfect. Plus, I just noticed it in the closeup shot of it. The best part are all the car badges from various car rallies or shows our driver has participate in with his pride and joy. I just wish the lights worked!!!

Turing our attention to the back side of the Plus 8 it is just as detailed and well done as the front of the car. Yes, that's an actual rubber tire for a spare. Carrera following the lead of Ninco with their rally cars and Fly with their Classics. Besides, a molded plastic spare would just ruin the overall appearance of this car. Again, I wish the lights worked on this beauty. I will say this about the front and rear bumpers of the car...possible breakage in hard collisions wouldn't surprise me. Simply because of the way their made to achieve the correct look of the car.

Above, you see a mass of details...3 wiper blades, the cover with all its silver painted snaps, various vents and a molded in hood strap. Excellent work on Carrera's part. Below, a close up of the lucky owner and driver. He's smiling...I wonder why?

The driver's wardrobe and hat are nicely done and even though the interior isn't much Carrera still put in gauge details behind the steering wheel.

The wheels and tires are molded to perfection. The front end just has so much to take in and enjoy viewing...doesn't it? The chrome details on top of the front fenders are sturdy to the touch but could be prone to breaking under the right scenario.

Take of look at this underbelly. The Morgan Plus 8 is both a digital and analog car all in one package. The white arrow points to the digital optic. The green arrow is the directional switch. A good number of drivers yank all of that out. Personally, I like being able to driver the other direction with a simple flip of the switch. The yellow arrows point to the 4 screws that hold the body in place. Finally, the red arrows point to the new front magnet system on Carrera cars going forward. Well, front side magnet system now. In the rear is also more details with the dual mufflers that are part of the chassis.

Also, above you see that imfamous huge guide. It looks rough for a reason. I took a sanding block to it. It still needs work and the length has to be reduced too. The length of the Carrera guides has been a constant debate and/or complaint from many folks. My problem was the length on the tighter R1 Scalextric curves which is easily fixed with a snip to the end of the guide. However, this time my biggest guide issue was the width or thickness of the guide material. The Morgan got stuck in a straight section of my Scalextric Sport track. Again, patience and a sanding block can solve this issue too.

Above, the one thing that hasn't changed is the mess of wires or as I like to call them "guts" that appear whenever removing the body from a modern Carrera car. Perhaps another reason for the lack of working lights.

Since this is a digital car and the short length of the Morgan the front axle consists of 2 indepenent stub axles. However, this is where Carrera didn't follow in the footsteps of Fly. They use brass bushings w/metal stubs instead of plastic like Fly uses in their cars. Thumbs Up!!!

The Morgan Plus 8 ran very smooth once the guide issue was corrected. Magnet runners will be happy to know that the new magnet configuration hasn't affected the magnet downforce. Personally, I'd rather see it with a lower RPM motor, but that's just thinking from the perspective of running it with my other Ninco Classic powered cars. I didn't get around to running it without the magnets, but I have no doubt it will make a great non-mag car on plastic and probably more so on wood tracks.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5 folks

No work done this weekend...

I had hoped to mess with the track elevation(s) this 4 day weekend, but that didn't happen. Friday had guest until around 3 am Sat morning. Saturday had a pig roast and bonfire. Sunday had the big fireworks festival. Today...recovery.

However, Dan says he's found a couple of R4 curves to cover the AWOL curve.
Should get more going on the track this week.

Preliminary search and rescue for the missing R4 curve...came up empty handed. Suspect gremlin taking piece to piss me off since I was finally getting to build after all this time.

Track down...

Later on the night that I got the lights bought and hung I pulled out all the track pieces and started getting it laid out on the table. It was so much easier putting the track together standing up. I didn't miss being hunched over or on my knees on the concrete floor.

I actually gave my Dad the wrong length for the table when he drew it all up. It was suppose to be only 17' long. However, the extra foot on the end in picture #1 below will allow me to place my monitor in the left corner of the table for the timing system. So, a mistake that paid off for once.

I plan on trying to create an elevation(s) somewhere within the layout. I've got a couple of ideas swirling around, but until I actually do it and run a car around to see how it will actually work...they remain just ideas.

Photo #1

See anything wrong in Photo #1? I put all this track in a box and upon taking it all back out to build the layout I had a R4 curve go AWOL on me. It couldn't be a piece that I had 5 extras of...could it?

The box did end up on the side of the basement that everything was piled up in and I'm sure it fell out into the mess. I'll have to do a search and rescue. Unless, the track gremlins are playing a nasty trick on me. However, Dan, one of our club members, said he might have one laying around his basement for me.

Photo #2

I'm thinking the outer section of this end might become the elevated section of the track.

So, next the big task of wiring the 4 driver stations, the track for the variable power supply and who knows how many power taps around the track. I'm not looking forward to this part, but I've got several of our local Cincy Slot Rods Club boyz ready to help. I just need to get the funds for the supplies together.