Test and tune SRC Porsche 914 Chrono Update December 26th 2022

[Brumos RSR]

So I ended up going against everything my wife told me to do, and ordered a SRC Porsche 914 Chrono 2.0. to tune which arrived on a rainy day here. Over the course of time I’ll do additional updates as to my findings with the car as I add MORE items and tune. I’d say buy the car solely for the wheels which are incredible. SRC created the best box and display pad that I’ve seen at any price paid for a car also. The paint, is glossy the photo etched parts add to the detail along with the mirrors and fog lights which even have tampos that add to the realism . My words won’t do the car justice the pictures will do the bulk of the talking.

After a quick look over, I put the car on my little Scalextric track and pulled the trigger. This particular 914 comes with a clear guide which my OEM timing did not recognize, so I counted laps for 3 minutes. The 914 out the box turned just over 38 laps which is not bad. For a true reference my Thunderslot McLaren which won the 2019 Can Am Proxy turns 51.8 laps in the same time. The car handled very well, with no sliding and drove through a quick switch back which can flip a poor handling car and is a key in my tuning for proxies. Again shocked at the handling which I thought would all change once I removed the magnet and begin the tuning process. More on the magnet later.

The two body screws require a fine Phillips as they are fairly tough to remove, they have a smooth shaft which allows for as much body float as you could want but will never need after chatting with one of the Sirs of our HRW forum. Once the body is removed, you’re greeted by a simple but effective rear end that has a double flanged bushing with a dual spring set up similar push rods and rocker arms. I plan on playing with the screws later to see what changing the tension may do if anything. The rest of the car is standard, a flat chassis, no pod, a spring on the guide but held with a screw which I like. As you can see in the photo, little studs rise up from the chassis. After a little research, I found the studs hold weights in place that can be ordered from www.src.es or possibly any of our favorite slot(crack) dealers. So the wife will be upset again. Oh, and there’s NO MAGNET! There are 2 weights below the rear axle where more of these studs reside.

Next, I set the front axle as the car did not sit flat on the front tires. After some time getting to what I felt was the right setting on the front end, I decided to widen out the car just a little more, as there’s tons of space between the outer edge of the fenders both front and rear. The front track was reset to 55.75 from 53.5mm and the rear 56.55 up from 55.6. The front does come with nice 2mm spacers installed. I noticed that the front tires feel like a zero grip and the rears were as soft as Thunderslots which explains the surprising grip. So, I added a little Slot Car Corner oil to the bushings and replaced the body which was set on super tight prior to removal. I set the body at 1/4 of a turn off tight just giving some float but not too much and put the car back on the track.

The car handled slightly better but with a little slide that it did not exhibit in the first test. I figured out I was carrying more speed into the corners and was also coming out just a little harder. So the fun stuff, the 914 turned 40.0 laps. This equals approximately a 2/10 a lap improvement. Not bad from setting an axle, adding some spacers and loosening a body slightly.

The car comes with a second set of tires plus SRC makes tires in several widths. So I will play with rear tires while I wait on springs and weights to see if there is additional time to be found in the car. I’ll keep you posted.

• “bridge” + 2.2 x 8mm screw.
• Suspension set: 2 stops, 2 supports, 2 springs (RM0814), 2 screws 1.8 x 6
• 1 x M3 engine (RM0103)
• 11z Pinion In-line. 1 x 27z. Bronze In-line Crown Spec.module + (1 x Crew 2’5 x 2’5)
• 1 x T1 CHRONO Guide (black). 1 x Screw 1,8 x 6 + spacer 580
• 2 x Double anti-friction bearing for rear suspension + spacer
• 2 x Axle 53mm CN Steel. 2 spacers for front axle (RM0508)
• 4 x Grub screws (to adjust front axle) 2.5 x 0.45 x 3
• 2 x T1 motor screw
• 2 x Supremex 2.1 x 8 screw (For bodywork)
• 2 x Rear tires RN0118. 2 x RN0201 front tires
• 4 x Complete hubs Mini lites
• 1 x Light and painted TC cockpit
• Extra: 2 x RN0114 tire + rearview mirror + megaphone

[modernslots]

Impressive car but an even more impressive review! Excellent job Tony.
Rob

[Courtney s]

Great review and I love the before and after Tuning comparison.
Good job Tony and SRC

[HomeRacingWorld]

Yes indeed, well done!!!

[Brumos RSR]

Tonight was a chance to tweak a few minor items as I wait for weights and a motor from www.src.es (SRC) . I did not like how much spring play there was in the guide from my first run so I thought I would revisit the front end set up. For now I want to leave the spring in place and will make changes down the road later with the guide. I managed to raise the front axle a little thus lessening the spring travel and lowering the front just a little more as well as the guide in the slot. I have no idea how I missed this the 1st time. Setting the front tires so they still touch my set up board, but would rotate if I turned them with my finger made me happy. I’m learning how important this part of the process is every time I touch a car now.

With the front end set, I added SRC RN0118 rear tires. They measure 17.6x10.3 versus the 17.1x9.5 tires that were original to the car. The new tire was slightly used as I had made an attempt to use them on my proxy 914. They fit well on this version and had the same softness as the tires I removed. So back to the little scalextric track to turn a few laps. The car had a little more grip going into corners and exhibited less slide out than my previous run. The car was smoother around the track maybe due to the guide not oscillating as much as it did prior to my front end adjustment. Due to the guide not being picked up by my timing system even after a second black Sharpie attempt, I counted laps again out loud and now my wife knows I’m crazy. In the end the car turned 42.5 laps during this 3 minute run. That was a 2.5 lap improvement over the last outing.

Always wanting more, I remembered SRC has hollow axles available which I have used for the majority of my independent front rotating wheels. Rather than waiting for a hollow axle from SRC and Spain, I pulled out a Slotting Plus axle I had lying around. After checking tolerances for side to side play on the new front end set up, I was back on the track and was rewarded with 43 laps, or another 1/2 a lap. The car would rotate better mid corner and maintained a similar slide out but it felt easier for me to drive not sure if it’s the Indy front end or completely in my head.

Stay tuned for the next report as I will move from the SRC rally interior to the SRC race interior to see if I can shed a little weight up top. I believe I mentioned I would order weights, soft springs and I’ve found different motors have been used in the multiple variations of the car. Therefore a 21k RPM 270gram motor will be going in. I placed the order on line last night and it shipped this morning so we will see how long it takes for the parts to arrive. I will then make changes again one at a time to see what we gain or lose. Oh and the car balances well on my latest toy.
.

[Dodgefarmer]

Ok. I'll bite. What is that acrylic piece on your set up plate?

Thanks
Randy

[Brumos RSR]

Randy, this piece allows me to balance a car left to right and then set the front to rear weight bias after I measure from the guide to the rear axle. Since I’ve been doing this, my cars, although not winners have vastly improved in position in proxies. Click the link below.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=1Z8eGt2l6qE

[Dodgefarmer]

Thank you Tony. That's a very impressive device. Almost as impressive as this review and tuning thread.

Randy

[CJR RACING]

Great review and update. 914 one of my favorites.

[Courtney s]

Tony great detail and I like the fact this is all SRC parts. Also the order you do the mods shows improvements , I can’t wait to see what the weight does.

[Brumos RSR]

I’m learning how to get the pictures right so my apologies. While waiting for the other parts to arrive, I thought I would replace the rally interior with the SRC race interior # RC0141.. Just like our good friend F. A. Porsche, I figured potentially lighter may be potentially faster. I removed the body from the chassis and took a good look this time as to how the interior would slide out as I did not want to damage it on removal in the event that I wanted to put it back in. You never know change could be a bad idea . I noticed 2 rubber grommets #RM1401 at the front of the interior and then at the back how the interior was held by the tabs from the door handles. There was glue at the very back of the interior holding it in place. I gently removed the grommets (genius) as I assume it cuts down own noise and vibration plus it allows everything to flex if needed.

I completely forgot to weigh the new interior prior to install but I weighed the entire car afterwards which can be seen in the pictures, down a gram for those who didn’t check. I played around with the body screws and I still think there is more in the car. I will need to figure out the number of turns when I’m not typing this to a glass of Uncle Nearest to help those who are following along with their own car. I tightened the rear screw about an 1/8 of a turn from the prior setting and loosened the front a 1/4. My assumption was let the rear suspension work and the front allow for some chassis twist if possible. The 914 ran just 8 inches past the line after 43 laps for a slight improvement. I’m not sure if it was the weight savings or the body screws. The car has slide out that is manageable on my plastic track a stickier tire would be needed on plastic for my tastes. I can only assume it will have more grip on a routed track with my current set up and run faster. Finally, I never mentioned or noticed how much clearance the chassis has between the body, I’m starting to realize the car was produced for some form of competitive racing versus just being a fun car. It’s truly a different approach without a pod like we are accustomed to. The fun part about doing this report, I have not trued or glued tires, added weight, balanced or played with gearing and motors. And I’m having fun hopefully you are to.

[Kevan]

Interesting front body mount...something I've thought about for one or two cars but not got round to trying.

[Brumos RSR]

The mount does wonders for the handling. Still struggling with the guide thing in the UK as it’s the SRC Rally guide.

[Ragtopman]

Thx so much for all this as I have 2 src 914’s and am really enjoying them. Both of mine are very different(one is the Monte Carlo rally and the other the gulf 50 anniversary) but both awesome on my plastic Carrera track. Amazing they handle so well w no motor pod or any weight added...I look forward to your next post. Thx again!👍🏻

[Brumos RSR]

Parts arrived Monday from Spain,fairly quick I'd say. Last time,the little 914 turned 43.25 laps in 3 minutes, another improvement. My thought was change the springs 1st to see if I could improve the grip more on corner exit. The car goes in well, sets it self and can pull mid corner but exhibits slide out on corner exit. I replaced the medium spring (on the right in pic) with the softer spring on the left.
The change was straight forward and very simple. After unscrewing the body, a mere turn off the screws of the spring caps on the top of rear end and a lift and you are removing the spring, replacing the new one and tightening the screw back down. Previously with the medium springs, I had backed off the screw a 1/4 turn off snug to lighten the spring pressure with the hopes of getting more grip. This worked well for the medium spring factory set up. I did the same with the soft spring and set out on a few laps. The car would make a sound as if it was grinding gears on acceleration or braking down the straight and into corners. Grip levels seemed slightly improved but the number of laps remained the same. I decided to tighten the spring screws completely and measuring the rear with calipers with the hopes each side was equal. The car chattered less on acceleration and near none on braking and I was rewarded with just over 44 laps in the 3 minutes an improvement of approximately a 10th. I was able to repeat this 2 times. Remember this is on my plastic Scalextric track, not wood but it’s well rubbered in. There was slightly less slide out in my tightest turn and I was able to run faster down my short straight before turn one and carry slightly more speed. There was again less slide from turn four before a short straight followed by another 180 degree turn. I felt it was an improvement after several repeats and thought it was time to type this. I have weights, a new motor and experimental tires that were included in my order. Therefore, the current tires are not glued as I will compare test tires next. My thoughts here and your results will vary depending on your track but I will continue to report.

[KK Racing]

I dropped a Scaleauto Tech 1 in one of these cars and it really rips. Times are about equal to my NSR Porsche 911 Rally car. I would agree that this little car has allot of potential.
Nice review, thanks for posting.

[BEEJAY7]

Excellent. The proper way to do a tuning review going from a standard car performance baseline, everyone can then see the benefits of each stage of modification.
SRC do make some very nice cars and an excellent range of spares.

[Rooster]

A guy in my neighborhood has a 1:1

[Brumos RSR]

Ooh that’s cool. They are getting pricey to purchase now also. I know a gentleman with 7, six are in some form of restoration and one he drives. Great little cars in real life too

[Brumos RSR]

Tonight I changed out the motor the M3 17,000 RPM 270 grams of torque motor from SRC was replaced with the M7 21,000RPM 270 grams (RM0107). I elected to leave the gearing the same to keep the test as accurate as I can throughout. Eventually there may be change but we will see. After soldering on the lead wire and mounting the 11 tooth pinion, I was ready to remove the M3 and install the M7 motor. I was lazy on the install as I did not remove the rear axle and springs. I did not want to upset rear settings from my last test. From removal to replacement took all of 4 minutes. The most difficult part was removing and installing the motor screws as the poles for the rear weights are aligned with the motor screw holes. I did my best to set the wires in the guide so it would self center like all my cars. The only variable, I lowered the wires slightly over the front wheels with the hopes of lowering the overall center of gravity up front as the wires would not fit under the front axle. Sometimes getting wires high or low have affected the handling on some of my cars.

So putting the car on the track and pulling the trigger, I was greeted with slightly more acceleration and significantly more brakes from the car and the handling characteristics changed slightly. Remember I run on a Scalextric track, the car appeared to have more downforce and cornering grip than before. I could only suspect that this motor has a stronger magnets than the one I replaced. I was rewarded with 44.25 laps. A good reward as the car is quicker, I believe the results would be more on a wood track or on a copper braid track given the increase in a RPM. I am still happy with the improved results. Finally, I weighed the motor in the car as my scale measures the magnetic force along with the weight of the can. There was an increase of .03grams wight overall. I will test a new set of tires next, have a great week.

[Courtney s]

Great report