August 2016

Thunder Slot Lola MKIII BOAC 500 Brands Hatch 1967 #2

Thunder Slot Lola MKIII

The first models from the new brand Thunder Slots have finally landed on our shores. The veteran racing enthusiast is well aware of this release given it's popularity and understandably so. Reviews and reports have long been published already but now that they are finally arriving here, I decided to have a look.

Data At A Glance

Length - 132.50 MM
Width - Widest @ Rear Fenders - 64.75 MM
Height - 29 MM
Rear Track Width - 59 MM
Front Track Width - 56 MM
Wheelbase - 75 MM
Weight Total - 63g
Weight Chassis Only - 46g (With rear bracket/screws)
Weight Body Only - 17g
Non-Magnet
Sidewinder Motor Configuration
Motor Rating - 21,500 RPM @12 Volts (175 g/cm Torque)
Gearing Ratio - 2:91 (11T Pinion - 32T Spur)
Axle Size - 2.38 MM

NOTE: You will need certain tools to work on this car properly:

1.3 MM (.050) hex driver for rear wheels, spur gear, and front axle adjustments.

Torx T6 wrench for pod and body screws

Small standard cross tip for front guide & motor screws

Although some will disagree right away, I feel this might be the most significant new release we have seen in our hobby in quite awhile. Other new companies have sprouted up here and there in the last couple of years but none of them really made any positive impact in my eyes. This new company seems to have a clear mission and for the pure racing enthusiasts and it's potential is nothing to ignore.

What you see is what you get with this first release. There are no spares or documentation under the case. This seems odd to me as the average person isn't going to know what the car is designed/capable of unless he or she is already in the hobby and plugged into all the latest news such as our site. Lack of printed instructions would be fine if they were available online but the website for Thunder Slot is not completed as it's a simple page under construction. However this is the first release and we must allow some "growing" pains here and there.

Thankfully good dealers like Slot Car Corner and Cloverleaf Racing have the knowledge and are happy to assist.

Speaking of this support, here is an update about the rear bracket that should have been with the model:

"The first batch of Lola T70's received should have included the rear motor mount bracket (note: this is NOT a full suspension - that is a separate optional part). Unfortunately it was left out during the final (factory) packaging. Our U.S. Distributor will be placing another order with the factory within the next day or two. Going forward, all Lola T70's will have the rear motor mount bracket included. Thunder Slot will also be sending our distributor extra motor brackets - they will be provided to all Great Traditions dealers free of charge. Once Slot Car Corner & Cloverleaf Racing receives the rear motor mount brackets, we will forward them to any of our customers (free of charge) who have purchased the Lola T70's. Great Traditions expects to receive the next batch of Lola T70's and the extra motor brackets in roughly 7-10 days. Figure another 2 or 3 days for their dealers to receive them."

The New Breed?

Veteran 1/32 enthusiasts already know about this new company and the name of Giovanni Montiglio formally of NSR. If you are new to the hobby, NSR has established itself as one of the top competition name brands available. So it is understandable that veteran enthusiasts expect this new model from him to be high in the performance category. But make no mistake, this is an all new effort.

There are many facets to our hobby today and depending on your own personal involvement will decide just how important this release is. Some of us are scale purists and desire scale accuracy and detail first. At the other end of that spectrum there are those that require exceptional on track performance above all else. Somewhere in between them there are those like myself. I appreciate and admire fine scale detail and prefer my slot cars to mimic the 1:1 version as much as possible, yet not at the expense of smooth performance. In other words a "middle of the road" type.

I would venture to say that many fine scale enthusiasts have already decided if this car is for them or not. Likely not. It simply isn't going to impress them. That is fair enough as we all can respect personal taste. But allow us to have an understanding: This slot car was produced as a competition level model first.

I won't waste precious space discussing the prototype as you can easily Google that yourself. This car might not have been the most successful effort back then, but on our modern day slot car tracks things could be entirely different.

There might be some that want to know how it compares to an old Fly version. Well, it doesn't. This is a classic case of apples and oranges. Different car types (MKIII & MKIIIB) and certainly different running gear/performance. Here is a quick photo of the two cars side by side just in case you are curious.

On the outside, the model certainly won't impress the scale enthusiast. It's not perfect and again I didn't expect it to be. We appear to have a slot car that is trying to achieve that balance of scale detail and performance. From my seat in the stands it accomplishes that. Veterans of Fly Classics know this view. Most of them were not perfect in the scale accuracy department either but it didn't stop us from enjoying them then and honestly won't stop me today on this model.

This slot car though isn't trying to hide anything. The very low body stance and undersized wheel/tire appearance are what most scale enthusiasts will notice first. Personally I do not care for this look that much, but some of you do. You might want your car as low as it can go regardless of appearance. If that is so, this model should please you.

So there are some liberties here such as the greenhouse is a little off and some "generosity" near the rear fenders. But I am not going to count rivets here. I'll leave that to the aficionados of the car to debate.

The quality of the paint and markings appear just fine to me. In fact I am impressed by it. There are some companies that are actually going backward in the fit and finish departments and I am pleased to see Thunder Slot is not one of them. Regardless of scale issues, what is here is covered well.

So for some of you this model might fall short of the mark on appearance. I might subscribe to that to a degree but it's time for the other half of this effort. It is time for the track test and to see how this new chassis and components work. It's the heart of this model after all and I think it's going to prove it's worth.

NOTE: Before operation you will want to check all the set screws. Make sure the wheels and spur are tight and that they front axle is not binding.

LUBRICATION! The models need a light drop of oil on the gears, rear bushings.

FULL VIDEO REVIEW

 

Track Test

Well now you know how it performs out of the box. I have to say I am impressed. Not only with the SMOOTH operation but with the power as well. I like this motor as it isn't over powered for our smaller home track. Some models are and I am forced to either reduce voltage or perform a costly motor swap.

Not here. I'll keep this car just the way it is.

So the quick verdict? I am very happy. This model performed to my expectations and for that I give it high marks.

Under The Hood

Time to focus on this chassis. Competition enthusiasts should be pleased with what this model has to offer.

Sit back because this will take awhile.

NOTE: I am focusing on what YOU get out of the box upon purchase. There is an optional line of parts to further tune/modify this model and they are available separately.

The following parts list can be viewed HERE

Quick Tuning Features:

1. Model can be modified by swapping to a harder compound pod or entire chassis.

2. Design allows a suspension kit.

3. The body height can be adjusted with set screws. (Should have been included)

The first views of the chassis likely tell you a lot about what you are getting.

Photos show car without bracket installed. See below as it has been installed for testing.

The chassis has 2 set screw access holes on each side. It allows you to add these screws to adjust the body height.

They make contact with the tabs inside the body.

The problem is they are not included. This is a unnecessary inconvenience in my eyes and they should have been included.

There are magnet pockets in the event you want to add one. Remember this is a non-magnet car out of the box. The absence of a magnet might also be a mistake to some racers. Not everyone races non-magnet style. However, the intended audience for this model is for non-magnet use so in fairness I cannot view this that harshly.

The standard chassis and pod is very flexible. I can easily see some wood track racers opting for the harder compound chassis options, but out of the box it ran well enough for me.

The rear pod assembly is a triangle design with 5 mounting points. This chassis is designed to accept a suspension kit as mentioned earlier but simply loosening the screws gives adequate float.

As mentioned at the start of this review, the rear support bracket is missing. I was fortunate to have mine included in time for this review.

The configuration is sidewinder. Sort of. It is at a slight 2.5 degree angle. The motor is held snugly in place with 2 screws. The motor itself is standard "S-Can" can type and rated at 21500 RPM.

I bench tested this motor on our laser checker and pleased to report the ratings are very close. You have to give a few hundred RPM here and there with these motors but mine was reading 21,560 consistent. And as I already stated, I like the performance and will keep it in place.

As with some cars of this configuration, the pinion is very close to the tire. You might need to push it on a little further to avoid rubbing. My car was not effected.

Make sure to check the other side as it is very close to rubbing the chassis.

This side can be adjusted using shims. There are shims present in stock form.

The gearing was sort of a surprise as it is equipped with a plastic pinion as well as spur gear. Perhaps this was to keep the initial entry price a little lower, but I can't confirm that. Regardless of the material, the mesh is smooth and responsive. And given that I have models 10-15 years old with plastic gears that are still going strong, I'm not really complaining.

The rear single flanged bushings are a very nice fit to the axle and press in place. I imagine gluing these in place will be an option many will accomplish. The important part is that precise fit to the axle.

They are also counter-bored. This reduces friction at the axle and bore acts like a "well" of sorts for holding lubricant.

The rear wheels are aluminum and have the "air gap" design to them such as NSR as there are only 2 narrow ribs supporting the inside of the tire. These ribs are smaller in diameter as well and not like the NSR. I personally didn't think we needed another new wheel as any standard sized version would have worked fine.

And with this new wheel comes a challenge: Aftermarket tires are harder to find. Most silicones I tested simply cup and have a low center due to being unsupported. For most advanced enthusiasts on this side of the pond, that is not a good thing. A alternate approach is to simply change the wheels out to standard ones. Of course we are adding more cost, but at least getting different tire blends and sizes would be easier. Until someone makes a tire for the originals that is.

I did manage to fit a Paul Gage #PGT 20125 tire with very minimal distortion. A light sanding has it nice and true. You will have to glue the tire for best results, but you will want to that with the stock rubber as well. 

All of this might mean nothing to you if you prefer the tires that the car comes with. Since they feel much like NSR tires, I imagine many of you will keep them.

I do like them as they grip our track surface very well. In fact I may not bother to replace them and just keep these models in stock form. The fitment could be a little better and there are some obvious flash mold areas that will need attention.

Sanding the tires to get a smoother contact patch was the answer for our track surface.

The front wheels are plastic and press on easily. You might want to glue them before racing. The size is common but the inner rib is very shallow. You should be able to use the front tires as is by sanding and coating them for zero grip effect. Personally I won't go any lower diameter.

And seeing the plastic wheels doesn't concern me. Round is round. These are about as good as it gets in plastic. 

I was pleased to see the front axle adjustment has the screws you need. I was concerned these would not be present like the body screws, so I am pleased to see them.

It is also interesting to see that you can convert this model to independent fronts thanks to the added set screw supports up top and access points in the bottom.

The front guide is an interesting design. From the blade shape to the wire connections. I would have preferred a little thicker blade for wood track use, but the guide works well enough. As with most things, it can be easily changed to suit your track/preference. The set screws provide a very good connection. Turning the guide all the way to the left or right gives you access.

Final Thoughts - The Checkered Flag!

Regardless of the scale accuracy, I just cannot help but like this slot car. I feel compelled to give credit where it is due and for a first effort, Thunder Slot has provided us with a very nice model. It's not perfect but there are few cars that are. Liberties in scale are not that offensive to my eye and the pure enjoyment of driving it simply outweighs it.

And the price point of it is acceptable. For years I have not collected any NSR due to the extreme pricing and it's refreshing to see another worthy competitor come to us at around $18-$20 less. At $69.99 I feel you are getting a lot of slot car for your dollar.

I certainly think this slot car deserves a chance in your collection. Especially if you are a wood track or non-magnet enthusiast and desire a smooth performer with impressive tuning potential. Thunder Slot has accomplished a lot with this first effort and I wish good fortune for them in the future.

-Harry

Feel free to CONTACT ME about this review or the hobby in general.

Thanks go to Slot Car Corner & CloverLeaf Racing For Sponsoring This Review

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