[steveaca]

I have a Fly BMW M3 (E30 model) with, I believe, the same layout as the Capri.  The magnet has been removed ,rear tyres replaced and front tyres have been varnished. It handles quite well sometimes but the handling is inconsistent due to occasional rubbing of the front tyres on the body. This is due to the slop caused by those front stub axles. I've tried to firm up these a bit but haven't been successful so far. Of course the ideal solution would be to replace the stub axles with a solid axle but this isn't possible due to the motor location. Looking forward to hearing the results of Top Down's hypo cement fix.
By the way, the Fly Racing Capri which comes with the same looking body but which has a lightweight lexan interior, is an excellent runner. This is also inline but has a long can (instead of the FC130 motor), mounted in the traditional position.

[Top Down]

Next opportunity to test under racing conditions will be 30th June, so quite a wait I'm afraid.

Also, bear in mind I'm a relative novice at 1/32. Last time I raced regularly at a club in this scale was over 50 years ago.  

Recent experience is over just two meetings, with a bunch of second hand cars ranging from old 'rebuilt basket-case' Scalextric Porsche 962's and GT40's that were given to me as a 'box of useful bits', through to a Ninco Lightning Megane. June 30th will be my third meeting where I might be running Scalextric 'Resistant' Nascars (black windows, no interiors, no magnets, stock tyres - I don't know any different.) I've a lot of catching up to do

A couple of other things I've found with the Fly Capri is:

1) I should have trapped the black/red motor lead under the stub axle before I glued the motor in place. It was rubbing the front wheel and also putting the guide flag out of kilter, making the car difficult to re-slot.

2) The stub axles can be tightened up to reduce play too. 

I slipped a screwdriver blade down between the motor and head of the stub axle and whilst holding the wheel in against the chassis, pushed the head of the axle tight up against the stub axle pivot. I then slipped a knife blade into the 'too tight now' gap to ease off the friction just a tad and now have much smoother rotating and less sloppy front wheels, as well as having them in a fixed plane.

There's just enough of a gap to get a tiny drop of light oil in there to help things along too.

It'll be interesting to see if any of this has made a difference - and whether it will be better, or worse.

I might see if I can radius the edge of the rear tyres too, to help them slide rather than dig in.

[Top Down]

Slight update: 

I have a half straight track piece, which I try cars on for 'stance' and ground clearance and the Capri certainly sits a lot better now. 

Firm and flat on all fours without the knock-kneed front-end look the factory set-up gave the car. All tyre treads flat on the road. 

Hopefully, if it LOOKS right ..... it is right.

[slotloco]

Hi there Top Down.
I think the way you decided to "fix" the stub axle issue was a little risky, but if as you indicate, it has worked to give you a planted, stable front end  well done. I am sure it will give you a much more stable front end in corners.

All we are usually doing with these cars is
smooth, round, balanced. Everything we do is contributing to these same basic principles.
You could also weigh each "end" of the car, and aim for somewhere around that old rule of 60/40 weight split  60% being the rear end, 40% the front, while you wait for a test day.  On the day, you can quickly add or subtract some weight with the use of a ht glue gun, to see what fine adjustment does to the handling.

Keep your weight low as possible, those sock Capri bodies/interiors are quite heavy.- Steveca mentioned the racing version, which as he says, can be made to run really well. They have a lighter body due to their lexan interior, and the more usual chassis as inline setup with rear motor, but you are fighting high weight COG

[Top Down]

I think the way you decided to "fix" the stub axle issue was a little risky,

Out of the box thinking, or blissful ignorance? 

Not knowing any better, it just seemed a rather obvious thing to do, to me. 

I have two of those pocket digital scales I used in HO, I can try weighing both ends of the car next.

[Kevan]

Blutac is a much faster way of sticking lead in for trial purposes.

If you intend sticking with the original body/interior the only way to beat the high CoG is with lead ballast on the chassis...don't presume heavy = slow 

[Nonfractal]

I have a pair of fly vipers that have this front engine config. 
Once the very strong magnet is removed, they handle appallingly.
I do admire fly for trying something different but ( like so many cars) they really don't work. 
A shame because the car bodies look quite sweet in their Oreca livery. 
Now I th
Thinking about it, those cars don't even sit on my shelf. 
They are in the shed "toy box" with all of the other uncompetitive kit. 
I'm now wondering whether I could get these cars to work with retrofit work.
The retrofit might be extensive though....??

[Top Down]

Well so far I've spent nothing other than time and the purchase price on my second hand Zakspeed Capri, unless you count a few dabs of GS glue and the bits of lead, which I already had.

However, I won't get the chance to try it on a big track until the end of the month. 

I don't expect it to be competitive in the GT class as any motor is allowed and I'm not going to change that - but I do hope it will handle a lot better and be more enjoyable to drive, so that I WANT to run it rather than stick it back in the box.

Winning isn't the aim. Having fun running the cars I like IS - and getting them to that point is just as satisfying as a win to me.

[AlexisGaitanis]

Have a look here:  front motor setup you might get some ideas

[Top Down]

Thanks Alexis.

I've already glued in the rear axle bearings, motor and drive shaft bearing, which has stiffened things up, as well as modifying the front end as I mentioned.

I hadn't seen that page before but my front end mod is gratifyingly similar, just using stock parts, so much less work.

Weight is low down, on the floor pan ahead of the rear axle, with two small pieces in the very extreme rear corners too. Hope it's enough but I don't want to overdo the additional weight.