EJ's Hobbies 1:32 Roadster

08/16/03

There's a magical place in Southern Michigan where cars from the past are made new again. Where childhood memories are never forgotten, and those grand old slot cars that have long since disappeared from the face of the earth show their faces again.
	That place is EJ's Hobbies in Grand Rapids, Michigan has been reproducing great slot cars of the past for years, and doing quite well, I might add. Often using actual N.O.S. bodies from Strombecker or Eldon to model his works of art. The Roadster is a little different from what I was used to. My previous experience with EJ's kits utilized injection molded bodies, both on my Stombecker Kit, and my Eldon Kit.

EJ's latest kit, a Roadster of vintage Indy flavor, is just a bit different. This one utilizes a thick clear lexan body designed and crafted by Victor Ferguson of Truescale Products. The body looks very good, but I have never had any luck with clear bodies. It's like one of those things that never really work out no matter how careful I am, or how much I practice.
There is always something I do that messes up the whole thing. But being a diehard gluten for punishment, I would try one more time. My buddy Ed wouldn't let me down, would he?

This kit is impressive right off the bat. Looking past the body, there is a tree of chrome details, a driver figure, clear windshield, and bags full of chassis parts and wheels. The chassis was one piece, and not adjustable. The motor included is a FOX motor with wire leads already soldered to the motor.

What probably impressed me the most was not only did this kit include FIVE FULL SETS of decals, but a sheet printed in color showing each and every color scheme in three views! This is a very impressive touch, and really helped a lot in laying out and deciding a final paint scheme.

I decided to paint the body right off and get it drying while I constructed the chassis. I washed the body with dish soap, then once dry I masked it off and spray painted the inside of the body gloss white. I chose white because this color, when going by the suggested paint schemes, required no fancy masking. The decals did all the color work. I gave the body many thin, light coats, and allowed to dry thoroughly between coats and after the last one.

Assembling the chassis is a piece of cake, but it should be noted that you cannot install the axles (or the crown gear) until the body is in place. Since I had to wait for the body to dry, I assembled it all and tested it on my track. I found that this chassis is one very fast little platform even without magnet. I could tell I was going to have a lot of fun with this car! One thing I discovered is that the electrical contacts that are

inserted into the guide against the braids fit rather loose. You may wish to bend them just a bit to make them fit snug.

When dry, I trimmed the excess lexan off the body with scissors and a sharp X-axto knife. The instructions tell us to use a paper punch to pop out the holes for the axles. I didn't have one and didn't feel like going to the store to get one, so I used my X-acto knife and spun a circle where the axles were to go through. I did the same for the body mount holes. As I said, the axles need to come out in order to fit the body onto the chassis.

The body clips hold the body snug while you install the axles and the wheels. I used the two second largest shims supplied in the kit on the rear axle to keep the crown gear in place. I could have used a couple of the smaller shims on the front axle, but I didn't prior to taking these pictures. The great thing about these EJ's kits is that Ed provides us with a large number of shims to make it easy for us to get it right.

I chose the decals of the 1961 Pole Winner, Dean Van Lines Special, and I have to hand it to EJ's for including five full sets of decals. It really adds to the value of this kit, and at only $40, this kit is the deal of the year. The decal quality is good and they apply very easily, lay down well, and look bright and sharp. Wish the help of the color guide sheet, decal placement was a snap!

I won't bore you with timed laps or how many "G's" this car can pull on the corners, or how many RPM's the motor turns, or anything like that. I will tell you that this is a great way to spend $40 and have not only the joy of racing a cool car, but a car you built yourself from the ground up. And hey! I even managed a fine looking clear lexan body! A first! Thanks, EJ's!

Thank you to EJ's Hobbies for sending me this truly great kit. Please see their new website for this and other great cars.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to eMail me at ken@slotcarillustrated.com.

Ken

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