12/31/2011
12/31/2011
1/32nd Scale MRRC Kellison Kit Car #90
The Kellison. This is perhaps one of the oddest choices for a slot car I have seen in quite awhile. Yet, for as odd and obscure as it the 1:1 car was I chose this one over the Cheetah. Why? Why not? It looks like a great little classic doesn't it?
So I am betting many in the slot car world have already done searches about the history of this oddball. In case you have not, start HERE. This article pretty much nails it 100% to me. Now you know what this car is all about. In truth I am betting it was chosen to be a natural "running mate" for the Cheetah.
It appears to my eyes this car seems to follow the J-4 model, yet the roof line and rear look more like the J-5. But there is likely only a few of you left on Earth who will be scale purists about this car. MRRC is no help in this area as the website says nothing of what model it is based on. Emails to them about this car were unreturned which is really poor and disappointing in my eyes.
But let us move on to the scale model. It appears the car is simply a fantasy livery sort of compiled from various images on the web. In truth this does not bother me. It looks like a vintage racer well enough for me.
The paint work here is nothing impressive but is clean enough. There is a very light clear coat if there is any at all but I found no dirt or runs. I did notice a slight tweak in the body. It is not a lot, but I have to mention it. There is a good chance I simply have a one-off model but make sure you check yours when it arrives.
Interior is basic but it does the job. Some enthusiast notice that our driver needs to pay attention to the road as he is looking toward the sky.
Wheels and tires seem good enough although the fronts do have a wobble to them. I suppose for the advanced racer this means very little, but it will catch your eye when you first inspect it. The tires are a medium to soft rubber but MRRC tires have never been much to brag about in the grip department. Our road test will reveal the truth soon enough.
The 5 spoke wheels look very plain and unpainted but pretty good otherwise. I cannot say how accurate they might be for a car like this as I have seen so many wheel configurations.
Turning the model over we see the Sebring chassis that has been standard for a quite awhile on MRRC models.
Box Stock Track Testing
Models are tested straight from the case to the track.
CARRERA PLASTIC TRACK TEST
Temporary Setup - Design/Track Brand Changes Frequently
After placing this car on the track I noticed it sitting a little off to one side. It is because the braid MRRC uses is extremely heavy and stiff. Once I adjusted it the car sat pretty well and it was "off to the races" so to speak.
A very quick and responsive car showed itself. This motor is more than enough, and perhaps too much for my taste. But some people like faster motors so in these cases they should find it acceptable. There is some gear noise and there are a couple reasons why that we address later, but as it is it functions out of the box.
The magnet works well enough although the car is still a little prone to popping out up front. I think most of this is due to these stiff braids and the fact the front tires need truing badly. Once these are addressed I am sure things will get a lot better. Tire grip is ok, and actually better than I thought given the history I have had with prior models. Again, sanding and cleaning will make things better.
Overall the car passes our initial tests. As it is, it is a decent effort of a very rare car. If you are new to our hobby, you might as well try a Sebring chassis equipped model. They need work to get them where I think they should be, but they are well worth it.
CLOSER LOOK
*Quick Notes For The Veteran Enthusiasts*
Please remember these tips are my personal modifications to make the car run optimally on a wood surface, non-magnet.
It is time to do some work here as you all know. My time with this chassis is limited so the changes/mods you see are nothing new. But there are those just joining us that might benefit from it.
*NOTE* Some of this is a little extreme. Correction: It is extreme. Tuning these cars vary from body to body. I just approached this car one step at a time and came up with what gave me a silky smooth slot car. I learned these modifications from my fellow advanced enthusiasts over the years so I am simply illustrating the best i can what they have taught me.
DO NOT attempt some of these if you ever want to sell the car or keep it anywhere original condition.
First I want to change this braid. It is too thick and stiff for my tastes.
Original braid is too stiff.
This is simple enough to accomplish. I used Slot Car Corner copper braid in this case. I cut about 1 inch lengths and that worked fine.
Next I looked at the front axle and noticed it had some side to side freeplay that needed cleaned up.
I used common plastic shims you can order or make yourself. I like the plastic ones for this as you do not have to wrench off the wheels. Just cut a slice in them and they will pop onto the axle.
There was also some vertical freeplay to deal with. I decided to cut a small section of styrene to prop up the axle and minimize it to reduce body roll. This also helps make your tripod setup much easier.
You will need to sand this shim by hand to make it slightly thinner. Just sand it until you have the right feel, where the axle is supported but spins freely.
Next, you will need to sand the front tires down. I have to say this will take a little while as you need to remove a good amount. I used my tire machine for this task. If you don't have one you can force the tires on the rear wheels of a NINCO classic. Tight fit but can be done.
The next step is totally up to you. I swapped out the 21K motor for the M/T Racing SL1 Slim Can. This motor is just too punchy and has more RPM's than my smaller track needs. Plus in my mind this is a great classic car and I want it to run like one.
QUICK LINK TO MT RACING MOTORS
Sleeve Tubing At Bottom Of Page
HOWEVER, even if you do not do a motor swap, you might want to add the following part: A Motor Sleeve.
MRRC uses a standard crown gear in this car. It is the MAJOR source of gear noise and failure as the gap between the gear and the alignment bushing is for standard sized motor shafts. Since these slim can motors have a smaller diameter shaft, the gear moves back and forth against the pinion teeth a little too much for my liking.
The answer? SLEEVE IT. MT Racing has tubing you can buy and cut to fit. You can use this tubing to sleeve the motor shaft to fit standard pinions or to accomplish this modification.
Cut with cut off disc.
Once you cut the sleeve, you can clean up the inside flash with the end of a hobby knife or very small file. I do not like using a file as I do not want to make the inside diameter too large. This tubing is press fit, and it stays on pretty tight.
Now the next step is not required, but again it can help the gear mesh. If you test it though, you will definitely hear and feel the difference.
The inline setup MRRC uses has the motor shaft a little low off center from the crown. The first models tried using offset crowns but this is not a 100% hypoid and these gears sounded worse that the standard crowns used today. I was taught to lift the end of the motor up a little to even it out. The result is MUCH improved gear mesh.
You do not have to trim the motor tabs on the chassis. They will flex enough to give you a little room to lift it. Once it is where it looks and sounds good, I just run a bead of hot glue on each side and this holds it in place perfectly.
Now this gearing is VERY SMOOTH and quiet.
The price? Sanding on the interior enough for the motor to clear. The amount will be based on the model. On this car it took quite a bit and it looks bad in the photos. However, the interior is so small that when it is on the chassis you can hardly see it. Painting the top of the motor black will basically eliminate any sight of it.
Looks rough but needed. You will hardly notice it when the body is installed.
Again, you do not have to go this far. The car will run without changing the motor angle. However I must remind you again: Do your own test. The difference in gear mesh and performance is like night and day. We tested this method on 3 chassis during this review and I have performed this on a host of models in my collection. Each chassis revealed the same results. You mileage may vary.
Last step is tires for the rear. I chose Paul Gage standard NINCO classic tires. I really like the looks of these tires and they have fantastic grip on my home tracks.
These tires are slightly larger than a stock NINCO tire. That is fine as they are designed to be SANDED and TRUED. This will bring the diameter down and you can contour to your liking.
I like using slightly larger tires like these on all of my models. It allows me that flexibility to sand them down to the look I prefer.
Everything is completed and time to test it!
Body Installed And Ready For Action!
The changes made are all well worth it. What a smooth and responsive little classic we now have. Gear mesh is very quiet and smooth and will just improve over time. The new tires are the big change in performance as they really grip our surface.
Yes, it does take some work to tune these chassis. But just about any slot car out there needs a little tuning, some just take more than others.
I am very happy with the model now and glad I picked it. MRRC needs to make some improvements though, and they should have addressed them long before this and the Cheetah were released.
How can you pass up a car like this? It is one of the craziest ideas for a slot car that just fits perfectly in any classic series. Any veteran enthusiasts who know their way around a Sebring chassis might as well cave in and get one now.
-Harry
As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com.
Better yet, drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!
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