# My newest ride



## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

My car is finally done and should be headed my way by the end of the week. I am wwwwaaaayyyyyyy excited. This is a Greg Kondrek build. Great person to do business with!


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## Bubba 123 (Sep 10, 2010)

oddrods said:


> My car is finally done and should be headed my way by the end of the week. I am wwwwaaaayyyyyyy excited. This is a Greg Kondrek build. Great person to do business with!


links 2 his site or (??) ???

Bubba 123 :wave:


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

Not yet as far as I know. I believce he is going to be selling them through the Toy Barron.


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Its beautiful!

...erm...but what scale is it?


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

They are HOish. Powered by an rc heli tailrotor motor at 7.5vdc.The front half of the chassis is scratchbuilt and the rear is Tomy I believe. Once I have it in my hot little hands I'll shoot some pics and post them for 'yall.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Old school cool*

Please do! 

So many of us are greatly excited and can hardly wait. Since there has been some superfluous static from 'TOS sifters" regarding the method of introduction of these beautiful models to our board, some "end user" content will effictively muzzle the "persnicke-teers" once and for all. 

Detailed over and under macro shots would greatly be appreciated when you can spare the time. Getting some much needed perspective and insight regarding their actual design, construction, and performance is just what the Dr. ordered. 

Properly addressing, or even a half hearted attempt at addressing any vintage F-1 or other waspish tubular design has been lacking from the major HO manufacturers since the 1:1 cars were in vogue. Even then the technology couldnt support the scale. Now it would appear that the planets have re-aligned in the private sector. 

Sending precious hobby dollars to someone who is building something new and appealing seems like a really fun way to empty my wallet; as well as thumbing my nose at major manufacturing and the conventional wisdom of so called experts at the same time.

Bring it on!! Fat, blobular, plastic, magna-crackers need not apply.


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

I figured that since I am an end user and I am not trying to sell anything that it would be Kosher to show my new toy. I saw the video of my actual car being tested and it looks great from what I have seen. Greg will be sending me a spec sheet and when I recieve it I will pass on as much info as I can. So far the only thing I would like to see different, and I know the problems in doing it, is that it runs on 7.5vdc vs. the more common 18vdc of a Tjet but I think I will be able to live with it.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

oddrods said:


> (snip)
> 
> So far the only thing I would like to see different, and I know the problems in doing it, is that it rund on 7.5vdc vs. the more common 18vdc of a Tjet but I think I will be able to live with it.


This is what I always wonder about. Outside of slot cars and the standard Mabuchi can type things that have been around since before Tycopro and dating back possibly to Atlas and Lionel and like that, do tiny little 18-20v motors exist? If so, what are they used for in "real life?" (I guess that's the $64,000 question for scratch builders...)

--rick


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

N-scale train motors, pager motors, mini RC stuff and how to use it in an HO slim grand prix racer or sprint car has been an on-again, off-again topic in chat for some time now. Torque, worm-drives, etc. has been touched upon, so it will be interesting to see what this new rig is all about. :thumbsup:


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Think smaller Doba.. Z scale is 1:300 or there about... I just don't know what voltage the trains run on. I do know the motors they put in them can cost a arm, two legs, and a few other choice body parts to purchase. 

7.5 volts will probably be the best way to go, and a darn good excuse for a variable power supply. There are ways around it, like adding an in line resistor, but those can generate heat, especially if a big enough wattage unit isn't installed. I'm curious as Bill is as to how this baby is put together. I'm thinking some realistic T buckets with a nice exposed engine, and leg room to boot!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Being a Martklin nut....Z is 1: 220.

O man Joe....you read my mind. Lots of nifty possibilities with a compact inline platform.


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

slotcarman12078 said:


> Think smaller Doba.. Z scale is 1:300 or there about... I just don't know what voltage the trains run on. I do know the motors they put in them can cost a arm, two legs, and a few other choice body parts to purchase.
> 
> 7.5 volts will probably be the best way to go, and a darn good excuse for a variable power supply. There are ways around it, like adding an in line resistor, but those can generate heat, especially if a big enough wattage unit isn't installed. I'm curious as Bill is as to how this baby is put together. I'm thinking some realistic T buckets with a nice exposed engine, and leg room to boot!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:



Z is 1:220 and transformers limited to 8v
T is 1:450 and limited to 5v. Not quite possible yet to do a slotcar "Yo Dawg" meme, but getting there.


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

*This just in for my personal car!*

Hi, Rob -

A little information on the car, tech and maintenance: Lotus 38, #82 (1965 Jim Clark Indy winner)


Features:

1. Steel rod frame with bonded, lightened G3 motor box
2. Fabricated styrene front bulkhead, body/shoe-plate mount, with G3 guide pin
3. Floating polystyrene, rubber tube and polycarbonite shoe plate, with G-Jet pick-up shoes and PlanetEngineers 26 gauge ultra-flex, multi-strand silicone wire
4. Mabuchi M30 motor with .062 armature expansion plug
5. BSRT Nylatron gearset: 7-tooth Pinion, drilled to .062 with shortened boss; 20-tooth Crown, lightened with beveled gear and boss edges
6. BSRT Titanium, splined rear axle spaced with .005 stainless steel spacer
7. BSRT Marcos rear wheels with White dual compound silicone tires dyed Black
8. XXXXXXX
9. Detailed MagnaTraction O-ring plastic front wheels, acrylic sealed
10. Polycarbonite body, with replaceable styrene suspension rods in rubber tube mountings, reinforced with ripstop nylon tape. 
11. Detailed Lotus historic livery with polystyrene driver: sealed with three coats of Acrylic wax.
All paints are Parma FastKolor and Pactra RC Acrylic.

Specifications and Requirements:

1. Mabuchi M30 motor with 1.5-2.0 volt minimum requirement, 7.5 volt MAXIMUM rating.
2. Controller settings should be set as you would run with your G-Jet cars.

Maintenance:

1. To remove the car body, remove the rear axle assembly. Spread the front nose of the body, and slide-out the mounting rod from the heat-shrink tubing. Slide the body forward from the motor box mounting tubes. Reverse process to mount body.
2. Oil the motor bushing every one-half hour of running with one drop of high-grade synthetic motor oil. I have used a 50/50 mix of Prolong (or Z-Max) and Automatic Transmission Fluid on the motor and axle, with great results (also works great for the T-Jet).
3. To clean the rear motor bushing, remove the body and axle assembly, and use a quick burst of high-grade motor cleaner, such as Trinity Motor Spray. It will not harm the motor-box.
4. Clean the tires as you would any dual-compound; tape or a mixture of water and a drop of Dawn detergent will work well.

Should you have need of repair, just ship it back to me: I will repair for cost of parts and postage.
I think that is about it!

Rob, thanks so much for your interest in these cars!
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Later...

GK


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

Greg should be joining HT tonight or so and you all should have purchasing info then. In the mean time he sent me these pics.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Ah ha!*

Thanx for posting!

Those reverse pick ups explain alot. Very ingenious indeed.

(Any one else have a "duh" moment when they saw that configuration?)

That puppy is just killer. A blend of old school inline non mag design and new school technology.

Hats off!


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

oddrods this is one trick Cookie!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Bz


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

*Review*

I finally found some time to do a review on my new Lotus 38, #82 (1965 Jim Clark Indy winner). To start with the appearance of this little car is fantastic! The lexan body is painted in a metallic green with a yellow stripe down the center. Pant lines are crisp and detailing is well done as are the decals. The pipes are added on and are very cleanly mounted. The driver is separate and is also well detailed. It uses custom sili-sponge wheels on the back and a modified AFX front wheel with O-rings. Removing the body (no small feat!) reveals a beautifully soldered spring steel chassis mated to the modified rear subframe of a G3 that has been substantially lightened. Solder joints are clean with minimal excess solder. The front wheels are independent and mounted to an “A” frame appearing assembly. This is where I found my first minor complaint. The right front wheel was not drilled centered so it is fairly out of round. In addition, both wheels are tight enough on the axle to allow virtually no spinning. Both of these items I will be replacing myself as it is easy enough for me to do. Another thing I noticed is when the car is on the track the front wheels don’t come anywhere near touching the track! I thought this was odd but when I called Greg he assured me this is how he designed the car and he said it handles just fine. I had concerns about the added drag and motor heat etc.. but again Greg said he has no problems and I should just try it out. 
I was also surprised at the amount of magnetic downforce provided by the little Mabuchi M30 motor! These are the informal results on my scale. I left the guide pins in all the cars so the results are a little skewed.
Stock Tjet .8 grams DF
SS Tjet 3.5g DF
Tomy Magnet car 10.2g DF
F1 Special 5.8g DF
So the little F1 definitely has some decent down force compared to a Tjet.
The pick ups also deserve noting. They consist of Floating polystyrene, rubber tube and polycarbonite shoe plate, with G-Jet pick-up shoes and PlanetEngineers 26 gauge ultra-flex, multi-strand silicone wire. There is no spring tension because there are no springs! It all seemed very strange to me but the fabrication was clean and it all seemed to float as advertised sooooo. On to the track…

I turned down the voltage on my Mastech HY3005D power supply to 7.5vdc and hooked up my M-Magic controller to my Tomy track. I placed the car on the track, pulled the trigger and she shot off like a rocket! Way too uncontrollable! No throttle untill about 90% of the travel and then..... I had the controller set on the same setting I use for my SS car (fray). It is the equivalent of maybe 45 ohms. I had to turn it WAY down, almost as far as it would go before It lost the on/off feeling. Once I got the controller dialed in the car was awesome! Very quick and fairly neutral handling. It is more likely to oversteer than understeer and even when it did oversteer it usually stayed in the slot. The grip on the tires were very good and the car was very predictable. The car also seems very solidly built. Testing for this was accomplished by several hard wallshots (unintentional I assure you). The only damage was to the front body mount. It is only CA’ed to the front of the chassis and seems to be a weak spot. I am going to play with some other ways to mount the body later. 

Overall my impressions of this car are very good. I would love for it to operate at 18vdc so I could run it against my Tjets but for now that isn’t possible. Fabrication is excellent except for the minor wheel issues and body mounting that Greg said he would take care of if I wanted. Speed and handling are fantastic! Appearance is also fantastic and I can’t wait for some of the other guys in the club to get one! I think if I install a set of tires to just barely touch the track it will help the controller issue. I think that it might draw too much power overcoming the initial drag. Once it is moving it seems fine but…. Last but not least, Greg was fantastic to deal with. It took him a while to get the car built but he was in constant contact with me the whole time. He called regularly and also sent emails with pictures and status updates. He is a rare bird these days as he truly believes in customer service.
If you want one of your own his contact is:
Greg Kondrek
[email protected]


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

I woulda thought with the interest in these cars previously that there would be at least a few questions or comments. Go figure....


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Its a funny thing, hey. Your review and findings were so complete, I am sure that questions have already been answered.

I had ONE question and you answered that too! I will be contacting the builder in a week, just after I am back from the family vacation. i did not think it would be fair to start Emails with him only to let things lay for a whole week.

I am grateful for all that you have shared. I am more resolved than ever that I should own a few of these beautiful cars. I am also resigned to the fact that I bet they do not come so cheap. Would you care to add a retail price to the information
that you have already provided?


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

He was still working out a final price when I got mine. It should be in the neighborhood of a well built Fray car. Anotherwords north of $100.00. 
I made a change to the body mounts on my car today in that I glued a small sewing pin to each lower sill. The magnets are so strong that I think they will hold the body just fine when used in conjunction with the factory rear mounts. I'll be running it Sunday on a huge routed track so I should find out then.


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Thank you. This price does not surprise me at all for what goes into them.
I sure don't expect them to be built for free!


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