{"id":161,"date":"2016-10-21T10:19:27","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T15:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.homeracingworld.us\/TeamHRW\/?p=161"},"modified":"2018-10-09T13:13:19","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T18:13:19","slug":"thunderslot-lola","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeracingworld.us\/TeamHRW\/thunderslot-lola\/","title":{"rendered":"Thunderslot Lola"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thunder Slot Lola MKIII BOAC 500 Brands Hatch 1967 #2<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The first models from the new brand Thunder Slots\u00a0have finally landed on our shores. The veteran racing enthusiast is well aware\u00a0of this release given it’s popularity and understandably so. Reviews and reports\u00a0have long been published already but now that they are finally arriving here, Idecided to have a look.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Data At A Glance<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Length – 132.50 MM
\nWidth – Widest @ Rear
\nFenders – 64.75 MM
\nHeight – 29 MM
\nRear Track Width – 59 MM
\nFront Track
\nWidth – 56 MM
\nWheelbase – 75 MM
\nWeight Total – 63g
\nWeight Chassis
\nOnly – 46g (With rear bracket\/screws)
\nWeight Body Only – 17g
\nNon-Magnet
\nSidewinder Motor Configuration
\nMotor Rating – 21,500 RPM @12 Volts (175 g\/cm Torque)
\nTESTED – 21,700 @ 12 VDC No Load<\/span>
\nGearing Ratio – 2:91 (11T Pinion – 32T Spur)
\nSpur Diameter – 17.20 MM – Pinion Diameter – 6.75 MM
\nAxle Size – 2.38 MM<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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NOTE: You will need certain tools to work on this car\u00a0properly:<\/p>\n

1.3 MM (.050) hex driver for rear wheels, spur gear, and front\u00a0axle adjustments.<\/p>\n

Torx T6 wrench<\/a> for pod and body screws<\/span><\/p>\n

Small standard cross tip for front guide & motor screws<\/p>\n

Although some will disagree right away, I feel this\u00a0might be the most significant new release we have seen in our hobby in quite
\nawhile. Other new companies have sprouted up here and there in the last couple\u00a0of years but none of them really made any positive impact in my eyes. This new\u00a0company seems to have a clear mission and for the pure racing enthusiasts and
\nit’s potential is nothing to ignore.<\/p>\n

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What you see is what you get with this first release.\u00a0<\/em>There are no spares or documentation under the case. This seems odd to me as the average person isn’t\u00a0going to know what the car is designed\/capable of unless he or she is already in\u00a0the hobby and plugged into all the latest news such as our site. Lack of\u00a0printed instructions would be fine if they were available online but the\u00a0website for Thunder Slot<\/a> is not\u00a0completed as it’s a simple page under construction. However this is the first\u00a0release and we must allow some “growing” pains here and there.<\/p>\n

Thankfully good dealers like\u00a0Slot Car Corner<\/a> and\u00a0Cloverleaf Racing<\/span><\/a> have the knowledge and are happy to\u00a0assist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking of this support, here is an update about the\u00a0rear bracket that should have been with the model:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“The first batch of Lola T70’s received should have included the rear motor mount bracket<\/strong> (note: this is NOT afull suspension – that is a separate optional part). Unfortunately it was left\u00a0out during the final (factory) packaging. Our U.S. Distributor will be placing
\nanother order with the factory within the next day or two. Going forward, all\u00a0Lola T70’s will have the rear motor mount bracket included. Thunder Slot will\u00a0also be sending our distributor extra motor brackets – they will be provided to\u00a0all Great Traditions dealers free of charge. Once\u00a0Slot Car Corner<\/span><\/a> &\u00a0Cloverleaf\u00a0Racing<\/span><\/a> receives the rear motor mount brackets, we will forward them to any of\u00a0our customers (free of charge) who have purchased the Lola T70’s. Great\u00a0Traditions expects to receive the next batch of Lola T70’s and the extra motor\u00a0brackets in roughly 7-10 days. Figure another 2 or 3 days for their dealers to\u00a0receive them.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The New Breed?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Veteran 1\/32 enthusiasts already know about this new company\u00a0and the name of Giovanni Montiglio formally of NSR. If you are new to the hobby,\u00a0NSR has established itself as one of the top competition name brands available.\u00a0So it is understandable that veteran enthusiasts expect this new model from him to be\u00a0high in the performance category. But make no mistake, this is an all new
\neffort.<\/em><\/p>\n

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There are many facets to our hobby today and depending on\u00a0your own personal involvement will decide just how important this release is.\u00a0Some of us are scale purists and desire scale accuracy and detail first. At the\u00a0other end of that spectrum there are those that require exceptional on track\u00a0performance above all else. Somewhere in between them there are those like\u00a0myself. I appreciate and admire fine scale detail and prefer my slot cars to\u00a0mimic the 1:1 version as much as possible, yet not at the expense of
\nsmooth performance. In other words a “middle of the road” type.<\/p>\n

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I would venture to say that many fine scale enthusiasts have already\u00a0decided if this car is for them or not. Likely not. It simply isn’t going to\u00a0impress them. That is fair enough as we all can respect personal\u00a0taste. But allow us to have an understanding: This slot car was\u00a0produced as a competition level model first.<\/p>\n

I won’t waste precious space discussing the prototype as you\u00a0can easily\u00a0Google that<\/a> yourself. This car might not have been the most\u00a0successful\u00a0effort back then, but on our modern day slot car tracks things could be entirely\u00a0different.<\/p>\n

There might be some that want to know how it compares to\u00a0an old Fly version. Well, it doesn’t.<\/strong> This is a classic case of apples and
\noranges. Different car types (MKIII & MKIIIB) and certainly different running gear\/performance.
\nHere is a\u00a0quick photo of the two cars side by side<\/a> just in case you are curious.<\/p>\n

On the outside, the model certainly won’t impress the\u00a0scale enthusiast. It’s not\u00a0perfect and again I didn’t expect it to be. We appear to have a\u00a0slot car that is trying to achieve that balance of scale detail and performance.\u00a0From my seat in the stands it accomplishes that. Veterans of Fly Classics know\u00a0this view. Most of them were not perfect in the scale accuracy department either\u00a0but it didn’t stop us from enjoying them then and honestly won’t stop me today\u00a0on this model.<\/p>\n

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This slot car though isn’t trying to hide anything. The very\u00a0low body stance and undersized wheel\/tire appearance are what most scale\u00a0enthusiasts will notice first. Personally I do not care for this look that much, but some of you do. You might\u00a0want your car as low as it can go regardless of appearance. If that is so, this\u00a0model should please you.<\/p>\n

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So there are some liberties here such as the greenhouse\u00a0is a little off and some “generosity” near the rear fenders. But I am not going\u00a0to count rivets here. I’ll leave that to the aficionados of the car to debate.<\/p>\n

The quality of the paint and markings appear just fine to\u00a0me. In fact I am impressed by it. There are some companies that are actually going backward in the fit and\u00a0finish departments and I am pleased to see Thunder Slot is not one of them.
\nRegardless of scale issues, what is here is covered well.\u00a0So for some of you this model might fall short of the\u00a0mark on appearance. I might subscribe to that to a degree but it’s time for the\u00a0other half of this effort. It is time for the track test and to see how this new
\nchassis and components work. It’s the heart of this model after all and I think it’s going to prove it’s\u00a0worth.<\/p>\n

NOTE: Before operation you will want to check all the\u00a0set screws. Make sure the wheels and spur are tight and that they front axle is\u00a0not binding.<\/span><\/p>\n

LUBRICATION! The models need a light drop of oil on the\u00a0gears, rear bushings.<\/span><\/p>\n

FULL VIDEO REVIEW<\/p>\n