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Why front motored slot cars & can they compete?
#1

Got myself a beautiful Zakspeed Capri by Fly - bought on looks - but the motor's mounted up front so it's all show and no go. 

I can sort of understand that it puts weight over the guide and allows for a full interior but my magless/weighted Scalextric Audi A4 will outperform  it.

So are Fly cars not competitive, or is it the front-mount concept that doesn't work.

Can it be made competitive in an 'inline saloon' class without replacing everything, or is it destined to be a shelf queen?
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#2

They can be made to run pretty well, IMHO.  We run a front motor class, and many of the cars are on a par with inline, or even sidewinder cars.  It take a little fiddling, weight in the right places, and usually a change of gears(and rear axle).  The tracks I run on have individual power supply's, so cranking up the voltage helps too!  Have fun experimenting, it IS a hobby after all!
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#3

The Magless Inline Saloon class is open to all inline configurations, so they go head-to-head. 

Despite removing magnets and the strategic addition of weight it (or more likely I) couldn't compete. 

Sounds like it needs more work.  Thumbup
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#4

I don't think many, if any, Fly built cars are competitive out of the box and with the traction magnet rmoved, definitely more show than go. Whereas Ninco stretched the width of some of their cars, Fly seem to have kept reasonably faithful to the look of theirs. Fly went through a phase of putting the motor close to the 1:1 location and that didn't help the non-mag handling (eg your Capri and the 911S).

Leo

Forum Precepts:  Don't hijack or divert topics - create a new one.   Don't feed the Troll.    http://www.scuderiaturini.com
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#5
Wink 

Plenty of room for lead in the rear  Thumbup
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#6

Mm? Think I'll be returning it to stock and relegating it to shelf queen/home racer.  Tappingfoot
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#7

I think tuning front engines slot cars well is possible, but usually more difficult.
Partly to get the weight distribution correct, but more so, dealing with the imbalances usually caused by the long driveshaft and spring system both Scalextric and Fly used.

In the case of Fly cars like the Capri. Mr Rafael Barrios Senior who started the company about 1992, had a very fixed opinion that the slot car should have the motor in the same place as the real car.
- We are so fortunate they modeled a lot of rear engined race cars !!!!

For that Capri, you will have to deal with the slop between the rear axle and bushes - usually some applications of thin superglue applied carefully to a lubricated axle, can be used to remove the slop.
Also, before bothering to go too far,  make sure rear the wheels are not at an angle on the axles, or you have too much uphill battle, and then you probably need replacement tyres depending upon your track situation.

Soft braid, and I think it has stub axles due to the front motor, so make sure the fronts are not carrying too much weight, and take off the front and glue and true the tyres, and coat with varnish or superglue as well to remove the grip.
It will need a lot of weight at back - about 15 grams.

It is possible to make it run nicely, but just not like a Sideways Capri. The "Racing Capri" version from Fly can be made to run really well, but needs replacement rear end even so.
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#8

Ah, ok. I see what I've done. Totally the reverse of what you're suggesting. I added weight over the front end - in fact 4.9gms on top of the motor. so putting added weight on the front wheels.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.  Thumbup

I had glued the motor and rear drive shaft bearing in place.

Rear wheels and tyres are pretty good, nice and concentric with a good flat tread - but I can give them a further light sanding.

Fronts do look like the stub axles pivot. Should I try to increase the amount by which they do?
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#9

(15th-Jun-19, 01:25 PM)Top Down Wrote:  Fronts do look like the stub axles pivot. Should I try to increase the amount by which they do?

Those  stub axles are a pain, because the short shaft attaching them to the chassis DOES pivot. It means they and move around, and they do not create a stable platform for the weight.
My suggestions are
1) Look to see how much gap there is between the outside of the chassis and the wheel - it is that gap which enables them to pivot, and you should try to eliminate
2) Look at how far inside the wheel arch the wheel currently sits as you do want them sitting as wide out as practical
3) As the short shaft mounting the wheel is smooth, they can be pulled off that shaft for truing if you desire, but in any case, carefully removing the wheel, inserting a spacer that removes the "slop" which enables pivot when pushed back in place, will help stabilise how those wheels sit.
4) It is worth using whatever method you can, to glue and true those fronts, bearing in mind you still need them to touch the track and rotate when the car is on the track.
Especially with that front motor weight, creating a tripod which had the front weight all on the guide, and the front wheels not touching, would be a very bad idea!
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#10

I may have done the wrong thing but ..... I've just stopped the pivoting stub axles from pivoting.

Put a dab of G-S Hypo cement on each of the four pivot points and left the chassis upside down with the wheels flat on a glass surface and weighted down to set.

Now got a nice solid front end with the wheels planted firmly and squarely on the track.
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