SRCAlfa33TT12

10/14/2013

1/32nd Scale SRC Alfa Romeo 33TT12
Targa Florio 1973

SRC brings us another great release, the Alfa Romeo 33TT12. It's a great compliment to their previous releases and offers us another opportunity to live our dreams of racing through a 1:32 scale model.

While this car doesn't have a ton of liveries to be modeled, it's a very eye catching body design and fits in really well with other cars from SRC, Fly, and others in this series.

The Alfa 33TT12 has a very interesting racing history, and if you are much into historical racing you already know this. If you are unfamiliar with this car and it's pedigree, do a simple search on the internet and you'll have plenty of information at your fingertips...and lots of reading! I always check out Wikipedia first as it tends to have a nice overview and history of the cars I'm researching.

The model arrived safe and sound in what I feel, is some really nice packaging.

As with all slot car models, there is always some detail missing, wrong, etc., but at a glance, and comparing it to the actual racer, it looks really good.

It's nice enough for me, how about you? It'll race!

The tampo printing in some areas is off just a tad, but again, it's no more than we see from other manufacturers. I will say, that in the detail area, well, check out this interior and driver...very well done.

Have a look at that mirror! Those of you who wish to race this model will be happy to know that you can easily remove the mirror for racing and then reinstall it for displaying if you'd like.

The wheels look good as do the tires which are wearing the Goodyear label.

Tires are a fairly hard compound, but they can easily be replaced with your favorite aftermarket tire. They are also rounded quite a bit across the contact patch, but with some sanding that can be corrected easy enough.

BoxStock Testing

Veteran's Memorial Speedway

Parma 45Ohm Controller - Aftermarket Pyramid 26KX Power @ 12V

Upon removing this model from it's case, I put it right on the track only making adjustments to the braids for proper contact with the track. Now keep in mind that while we'd like to think that every car made will be equal to the one before or after it on the assembly line...they aren't. This model ran well right from the box. Acceleration and braking were good, and the motor seems like a perfect fit; not too mild but not to overpowered. There was a little fish tailing in the tight corners but a little attention to the tires that I mentioned earlier would help this.

As with most any model, there will be some tuning required, though some may require more and some less. It all depends on what you want out of the car. Being that I race on wood, which is not forgiving when it comes to out of round wheels/tires, bad guide alignment, etc., it provides a place to see just how much tuning each new car may need. This one didn't need anything major done to it out of the box, and if you race on plastic where the magnet will help hide some of the small flaws, this car is fine as is.

If you are new to the hobby and try one of these cars, be prepared for a little tuning, and by all means be sure and visit our forum where you will find great folks eager to help you get the most out of your new slot car.

And for you 'old hands' you know what to do whether you are home racing or commercial track racing so if you like the looks of the car, go for it. Then just do your usual tuning to get the car where you want it.

Looking Closer

Removing the 4 screws we see a very nice chassis. As with other SRC cars this chassis comes with a solid front axle. Although some like independent front wheels/tires, I like the ease of tuning a solid front axle. When done well, it can result in really nice performance so it is a nice little bonus for me.

The wiring is routed well which saves me from having to glue or tape them into place.

The front guide fitment is good and includes a spring to keep the braid on the track when the wheels may be riding on imperfections on the track surface. I'm not a huge fan of the spring system and most likely will remove it. In doing so, I'll most likely have to add a shim to get the ride height I want.

The rear wheels and tires should look familiar. They are the same wheels found on Fly GT40 MKII models (as an example). This means any after-market tires made to fit those wheels will work here. There is still some sanding to do to remove the ever present flash molding of course.

The rear axle bushings are slightly loose in their carriers so a little hot glue is in order there. I don't use super glue or anything permanent in case I need to remove one for any reason.

The Alfa gets down the track with an 11 tooth brass pinion that mates up to a 36 tooth spur gear. The gear mesh has a small amount of play in it, but not enough to get excited about. With running, they will mesh up well enough.

As I mentioned earlier, the motor in this car seemed just right. I'm not sure what the RPM of the SRC motor is, but it similar to a classic Fly, which is in the neighborhood of 18K RPM...just enough to keep it fun and not so much it's hard to drive.

Braking is good in this car, stopping from full throttle at 12V in less than 18", which is the range I like my cars to stop in.

For the magnet racer, the chassis comes with a small bar magnet, and as mentioned earlier, there is plenty of room inside the car/chassis for a replacement or additional magnet.

Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of this series, the Alfa Romeo 33TT12 will most likely find it's way into your collection or race box. These models aren't for everyone due to the tuning that they may need, but again, I'd encourage you to not let that stop you as long as you are willing to take the time to tune it. Again, our forum is full of friendly folks that will make tuning this car a breeze.

At a cost of approximately $60.00, it fits right in the range of most slot cars on the market today. Are there better cars for less money? Sure. Are there much better cars for the same amount, sure, but even some of those require tuning and/or parts. But who else makes an Alpha Romeo 33TT12? Ultimately it's up to you to decide whether you want to invest your money in this or any other slot car, but hopefully this review will give you enough information to make that decision a little easier.

The model I have needs very little to run well, and after spending a little more tuning time with it, I'm sure it will run well enough that I keep pulling it out of my display case to run it. It just looks like it needs to be raced doesn't it?!

This is my first SRC car and I'm quite pleased with it. It will look great running with some of my other classics, and since I'm in this hobby for FUN, I see no reason why it won't keep me smiling with every lap.

- Jeremy

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