Creating a Ghost Car for Carrera DIGITAL 143 Racing

By Michael Ashton

I really enjoy racing on the Carrera Digital 143 track when I am fortunate enough to have someone to race with. Unfortunately there are no other slot racing enthusiasts located within hundreds of miles of my home, so I only have a few months out of the year that I can actually race with other people when a couple of friends come to my area for the winter. The rest of the time is spent tinkering and running cars alone.

A nice feature of Carrera’s Digital 132 system that would really be great for a “lone wolf” racer like myself is the autonomous or ghost car. This is where a digital car can be programmed to run around the track at a constant speed while changing lanes in a random fashion. I like to call it a nuisance car because its purpose is to make the racing more interesting and exciting by causing traffic jams, getting in the way of the human-operated cars and acting like, well… a nuisance. So, if there is no one else to race with, you can race against (or around?) the nuisance car.

It's too bad that this feature is not available in the D143 system. Nevertheless, there is a way to simulate the ghost car function on a D143 track. And it requires absolutely no modification of any system component and virtually no additional expense. We’ll name it the D143 Ghost Car and note that the lane changing capability is made possible by a design characteristic of the D143 lane change track. So first, a little background on the operation of the lane changer:

The first photo below shows the lane changing mechanism or, flipper, depicted by the yellow arrow. The flipper is in its closed or, “no change” position. Cars passing over the receptor, shown by the white arrow, with the speed controller’s lane change button not depressed, will continue in the current lane.

The next photo shows the flipper in its open or, “change” position. The flipper shifts to this state when a car passes over the receptor with the speed controller’s lane change button depressed. The car will be diverted into the crossing slot and change to the opposite lane.

A very interesting characteristic of the operation of this mechanism, which I think is unique to the D143 system, is that the flipper is not spring loaded (i.e., it does not spring back to the closed state). Instead it remains in the change state until a car passes over the receptor with the speed controller’s lane change button not depressed, at which point the flipper returns to the no change state, allowing the car to remain in the current lane. However, if the next car passes the receptor with the speed controller’s lane change button depressed, the flipper remains in the change state and the car changes lanes. It is this characteristic that allows a pseudo random lane changing function to be implemented.

The Setup

The emitter that triggers a lane change is located on the underside of the D143 car’s chassis. All that is required is to cover this emitter so that it cannot be detected by the receptor in the lane change track and the car will not change the state of the flipper. It is now, in effect, a D143 ghost car. This means that if the preceding car has set the flipper to change, the D143 ghost car will also change. If the preceding car has set the flipper to no change, the D143 car will continue in the current lane. In effect, it will obey the current state of the flipper, regardless of any action of the speed controller’s lane change button. Although the lane changing action is not truly random, it will be difficult at best to predict the action of the D143 ghost car while concentrating on the human-driven car.

In the following photo, a circular red sticker has been placed over the car’s emitter opening, indicated by the yellow arrow. The emitter is recessed into the chassis enough so that adhesive from the sticker should not contact the surface of the emitter as long as the sticker is not pushed into the opening. Masking tape could also be used for this purpose. Note that this will also prevent the car from registering laps on the D143 Lap Counter.

Now that we have lane changing, we can turn our attention to the other aspect of the ghost car — speed control. As with lane changing, the method used to implement speed control is low-tech, virtually cost-free but surprisingly effective. Yes, the following photo shows an external continuously adjustable variable throttle pressure device. Also known as a rubber band (see the red arrow). OK, I can hear the sniggering in the background, but this method works very well. There is just enough friction in the throttle plunger to enable the speed adjustment to hold reliably — even as fine adjustments are made. The yellow arrow points to the GO!!!/D143 throttle governor which also helps maintain the throttle position while limiting maximum speed to something that is manageable. Of course you will need to experiment with different sizes and thicknesses of rubber band in order to achieve just the right downward pressure on the plunger.

Now, just place the D143 ghost car in either slot, turn on the power and it will start immediately. Once you find the correct length and thickness of rubber band you should be able to fine tune the throttle position to achieve a speed that suits your specific need. I find setting the speed so that the ghost car can handle every curve while also not hesitating on the lane changers’ dead spots works best for me.

Next, place a human-controlled D143 car in the slot and just start running. As you run and start to change lanes the ghost car will follow the state of the lane change flippers. It won’t be long before the interaction between the two cars will start to reveal situations that will make the running more interesting. For example: eventually the human-controlled car will end up behind the ghost car and a lane change will be required in order to pass; or the human-controlled car can change lanes while just behind the ghost car and then try to time each subsequent lane change so that the cars are always crossing paths and never in the same lane; or just see how many times the human-controlled car can lap the ghost car. There are likely many different scenarios to be discovered and I’m still experimenting.

Perfect? No. Effective? Yes. Fun? Absolutely!

Some things to consider about this method of implementing a ghost car capability:

• There are some drawbacks. The primary disadvantage being that, unlike a true ghost car function, the D143 ghost car requires a controller and uses up one of the three available car ID’s. Personally, I don’t see this as a major issue because, at least in my case, the motivation for doing this is to make racing alone more fun. Also, there is no way to start and stop the ghost car while the controller is set using the rubber band. This means that there cannot be a true starting grid, unless the power is off and then switched on to start the race. Once again, not a big issue for me personally.
• If the D143 ghost car becomes obstructed by a de-slotted car or pileup, be aware that the throttle will continue to apply power. For this reason it is best to clear any obstructions to free the ghost car in a timely manner.
• At the present time I have only two D143 controllers so my testing has been limited to a single (solo) human-controlled D143 car. However, even in this somewhat limited configuration the D143 ghost car significantly enhances the digital racing experience. There is no doubt that running the D143 ghost car with two human-controlled cars would really provide some exciting and challenging racing.
• If a second D143 ghost car is desired it could be created easily by adding a third controller and setting up another D143 car as a ghost car as previously described. However, a superior set up for a solo D143 racer wanting multiple ghost cars could be achieved by installing a D132 decoder chip in a GO!!! or D143 car. The D132 decoder chip can be programmed via the speed controller to run at a constant speed and change lanes randomly on a D143 track. This would enable a fully functional D132 ghost car, a D143 ghost car and a human-controlled D143 car to all run concurrently managed by a single racer. An advantage of this approach is that only two controllers are needed because the programed D132 ghost car uses ID 7. Therefore, the original three D143 ID’s (1,2 and 3) are still available. A future article dealing in detail with the installation of a D132 decoder chip in a GO!!!/D143 chassis will appear on this blog in the near future, so be sure to check back from time-to-time.
• One way to make D143 racing against ghost cars more challenging is to reduce or even eliminate the magnetic down force provided by the traction magnet in the human-controlled car’s chassis. This will make the human-controlled car a little more difficult to control in the turns and will also require an increased level of concentration and skill on the part of the solo racer. Down force can be reduced incrementally by adding thin plastic shims under the magnet in the magnet chamber. Or, the traction magnet can be removed, in which case an aftermarket rear tire such as Jel Claws will be needed in order to provide at least minimal traction on the smooth surface of the Carrera track. If down force is reduced even partially, it will be important to keep the rear set of pickup braids pushed in to a shorter length and possibly splayed a little wider. This may be necessary in order to avoid shorting of the track rails if the car’s rear end slides out in the turns. Setting a car up to run this way will also be discussed in detail in another future article right here.

So, in conclusion I will say that if you spend any significant time running your Carrera Digital 143 slot cars by yourself, you should definitely try this method of adding ghost car(s) to your racing environment. I found it to be very worthwhile and a big step up from merely counting and timing laps when there is no one else to race with. And it requires no modification to the cars, track or any other D143 component, and there is virtually no additional cost other than a sticker and rubber band. There is really nothing to lose.

Thanks to Brian at BRS Hobbies for coming up with this neat idea and making this article possible.

_Michael Ashton

’67 Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 by Pioneer Slot Cars

By Michael Ashton

The original Trans-Am Racing Series was created in 1966 by the SCCA and reached its peak in the period of 1968-1972. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, Mercury Cougar, AMC Javelin, Pontiac Firebird, and Dodge Challenger were the predominant competitors. They raced on some of the best tracks in North America including Daytona, Sebring, Riverside and Pacific Raceways, to name just a few. The 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 sponsored by the Alan Green Chevrolet dealership of Seattle, WA is a notable example of the wonderful automobiles that battled ferociously on these historic race tracks during this great era of racing. Now, Pioneer Slot Cars has recreated this little-known mighty machine for us in 1/32nd scale, and I will attempt to do it justice in the review that follows.

The Model

The ’67 Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 is packaged in a crystal display case with an attractive cardboard sleeve suitable for static display. Also included is a vehicle data card which provides quite a lot of information about the mechanical specifications and history of the race car.

Taped to the underside of the display case base was a plastic bag containing a replacement guide with a 7 mm deep flag (the installed guide’s flag is 6 mm deep), one set of replacement braids and a 13 tooth pinion (the installed pinion is 12 tooth).

The overall appearance of this model is nothing less than superb. The Alan Green Chevrolet decoration is not complex. Nevertheless, the paint, Tampo printing, fit and finish of virtually every part is very well done. The only flaws that I could find were too minute to warrant mentioning.

Compared to every photo of record that I could find, the overall appearance and stance are just about perfect.

Detail is crisp, clear and quite faithful to the original.

Mechanical

Under the body, the Camaro is virtually identical to past Pioneer models.

The red arrow in the above photo points to the (D)igital (P)lug (R)eady cover. This mechanism will accept the Scalextric SSD DPR chip for digital operation in the Scaletric digital system. The top half of the following photo shows the underside of the body. In past Pioneer models (at least in the Mustangs), the interior was attached via screws to the chassis. This is no longer the case with the Camaro, where the interior is now attached to the body. Personally, I prefer this latest method.

Above we see what is now the familiar Pioneer mechanical set up. The very smooth and reliable 18K rpm Typhoon FC-130 motor driving the rear axle via a plastic 12 tooth pinion and 36 tooth spur in sidewinder configuration. These gears are relatively noisy (whiny) but they mesh well and run quite smoothly. The guide has a circular base with a 6 mm deep flag and a very tall post. It accepts [only] special purpose quick-change braids. The lead wires from the guide assembly are fitted with the “ferrite man” noise suppression components and terminate at the DPR plug. They exit the DPR plug and end at another ferrite man which is attached to the motor terminals. These particular noise suppression components are required only for the SSD system. A very strong neo traction bar magnet is fitted just in front of the motor. The rear axle spins inside brass bushings and what appear to be nylon bushings in front. There are nylon spacers on both ends of the front axle and on the non-gear side of the rear axle. A nice touch: the front bushings have oil holes, highlighted by the red arrow below.

Almost every slot car that I have encountered has at least one or two issues that are introduced during assembly at the factory. This Pioneer Camaro is no exception. Upon close examination after removing the car from its display case, I discovered three minor anomalies that required attention prior to taking the car to the track.

The first thing that I noticed was significant horizontal play in the rear axle. This was causing the spur and pinion gears to come uncomfortably close to disengaging, as shown by the red arrow in the photo below. I thought that it might be the result of wheels not being pressed all the way on, however, I could not press them any further so it wasn’t that.

The solution turned out to be twofold: First, I added a second axle spacer as indicated by the yellow arrow in the following photo. Second I moved the pinion outward on the motor shaft by about 1 mm. These two actions eliminated the axle play and allowed the gears to align correctly, as highlighted by the red arrow.

The next thing that caught my attention was a rough scratching noise when I rotated the guide by hand. You could feel that something was scraping the wall of the guide housing. The red arrow in the following photo shows that one of the lead wire terminals was bent forward which forced it into contact with the guide opening wall.

Bending the terminal back toward the guide post was a simple yet effective fix.

The final issue encountered was an obvious one. The front axle assembly could hardly be turned because the wheels were pressed onto the axle too far, causing the hubs and axle spacers to bind with the bushings. Moving the wheels outward by a minute amount allowed the axle assembly to spin freely.

Performance Testing

There was no sign of lubrication of running gear anywhere. So, the pinion and spur gears were lightly greased, and the motor and axle bushings were all oiled. Braids were flared slightly and bent down at approximately a 30° angle. The motor and gears were allowed to break in at 5-6 volts with rear wheels elevated for about 20 minutes. Nothing else was done to the car.

All testing was performed on my relatively twisty 61’ NINCO road course home track:

• Power: Pyramid PS-26KX @ 12 volts DC.
• Throttle: Parma Economy 35 and 25 ohm controllers.
• Timing: Lap Timer 2000 with homemade IR light bridge.

I ran the car for about 25 laps with the [very strong] magnet installed. I did not time the laps because I don’t usually run this type of car with a magnet. However, I wanted to be able to convey my subjective impression of magnet performance. With the magnet installed the car is very fast through the turns and requires minimum throttle control. As has always been my experience with strong magnets, I am able to perceive very little, if any, feedback prior to “snapping” out of the slot when exceeding the limit of adhesion in a corner. Regardless, I am confident that those who run their cars this way will be more than satisfied with its performance.

Next, with the magnet removed, I ran the Pioneer Camaro casually, without timing, for about an hour. Slowly working up to its limits on the NINCO track. The car runs smoothly with a definite feeling of control. It’s a little more tail happy than I expected, but I’m confident that the tires will eventually “true” themselves on the rough NINCO track surface and handling will steadily improve. When I finally decided to time some laps, it only took six laps to reach a fast lap of 8.195 seconds, and I wasn’t really pushing that hard.

This is already faster than my [well-tuned] Pioneer Mustang and is a very encouraging starting point for this track. I could be quite satisfied with the performance exhibited at this point. However, I believe that for those who run without the magnet on plastic track or on routed wood tracks, and/or always want to take their slot cars to the ultimate level of performance, there are additional gains to be extracted from this car. For example, truing the wheels and tires and finding the places where added ballast will enhance stability will undoubtedly lower the lap times.

A note on body float: I have found that one of the most important criteria for superior handling when running no-mag or on wood is adequate body float. As experienced racers are aware, loosening the body mounting screws to allow the body to float or rock freely over the chassis will “de-couple” the inertia of the body from the chassis. This tends to enhance handling by allowing the car to stay in the slot at higher speeds in the corners. However, in its stock condition the Camaro’s body cannot be made to float in the manner previously described due to two design characteristics:

1.) There are several “mounting clips” (indicated by the red arrows below) that hold the front spoiler in position. Because the nose of the chassis fits underneath these clips it is held in place and vertical movement is restricted. The front mounting screws can even be left out and the chassis is still secured to the body by these clips.

2.) The lower edge of the body panels fits over the edge of the chassis, effectively creating a “clamshell”, interfering with any potential float, even when the body mounting screws are loosened. This is different from the Mustang where there is room between the body and chassis edges, allowing the body to float freely over the chassis.

The required modifications to the body and chassis needed to introduce body float to this car are well within the capability of the majority of slot racing enthusiasts. Once this is accomplished the car should be highly competitive in serious no-mag and wood track racing. Regardless, in my experience, the Pioneer Camaro performed very respectably without the benefit of body float — or any other tuning for that matter. So there is certainly no serious mechanical acumen or exotic tuning skill required to really enjoy this car. Which is really good news for me. :)

Summary

For me the Pioneer Alan Green Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 represents the best balance among appearance, performance and price in a slot car that I have encountered in quite a while. While it did take a long time to finally appear, I am convinced that it was worth waiting for. If you are a fan of the original Trans-Am racing era or just have a soft spot for late 1960’s Camaros, you will do well to acquire this slot car. Whether this is your first Pioneer Trans-Am or an addition to an existing stable, I am confident that you will not be disappointed.

It’s nice to see Pioneer starting to roll out new quality products again. If this car is representative of what will be coming along in the future, then I think we have much to look forward to.

Thanks to BRS Hobbies for sponsoring this review.

_Michael Ashton

Upgrading the Guard Rails on Carrera GO!!!/D143 Race Tracks

By Michael Ashton

Carrera GO!!! and Digital 143 race sets come with enough simple guard rails to cover each curve track section included in the set. These stock guard rails consist of a series of posts or supports that clip to the edge of the track section and a plastic strip that is threaded through the posts to create the barrier.

They are relatively easy to install and usually keep the cars from flying off the turns, without creating a significant advantage for the outside lane. However, they suffer from one major flaw. Whenever a car makes contact with the barrier strip, the strip is pushed out of position as shown in the following photo. So the intended protection is temporarily lost until the strip can be readjusted to its original position. This tends to be a distraction that can interfere with the normal flow and pace of a race because, in addition to placing the car back in the slot, the barrier strip must be dealt with.

One solution to the problem could be to glue the barrier strip to the posts so that it can't move. But for those who set up and break down a track frequently this might reduce flexibility and diminish the portable nature of the track system. Not to mention the slick, flexible plastic used for the barrier strip might not react as expected to being glued.

A Functional Alternative

Fortunately, a relatively inexpensive replacement for the standard guardrails exists, and it is designed specifically for the 1/43rd scale track by Carrera. A package of Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guard Rail Fences is shown below. Each section of fence covers a 1/90° curve track section and there are ten fence sections in the package (five red and five gray).

Installing the guard rail fence sections is even quicker and simpler than the standard guard rails. The procedure is shown in the following photos:

Slip the lower part of each clip under the outer lip of the curved track section.

Then tilt the fence section upward, toward the opposite side of the track until the upper part of the clip snaps into place.

The properly installed fence sections should appear as shown in the following photo.

Simpler and Better, I Think…

After installing the Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guardrail Fences and running the cars for a while, I found them to be definitely superior to the stock guard rails. I believe that there are at least four advantages provided by the guardrail fences:

1. Because they are a single piece, they are easier and quicker to install and break down.
2. They are more secure and, therefore, require no readjustment after contact with the cars.
3. Because they are higher, they provide better protection against cars flying off the track in the turns.
4. IMO, their appearance is more realistic — but that is just a preference.

So, if you feel that the stock Carrera 1/43rd scale guard rails are less than optimal for your racing needs, I recommend that you install the Carrera GO!!!/D143 Guardrail Fences. I'm confident that you will find them to be a worthwhile improvement to your Carrera 1/43rd scale race track.

_Michael Ashton

Disabling the Turbo Button on the Carrera GO!!! Controller

By Michael Ashton

The standard Carrera GO!!! controller comes with a feature called the Turbo button, highlighted below by the red arrow. The controller's thumb trigger provides between 0% and about 70% of the available power to the cars. Depressing the Turbo button provides 100% of available power immediately. This feature tends to work fine on medium to large tracks with moderately experienced racers running the cars. But on a small track with novice racers or children, the sudden burst of power can be too much for them to handle. Moreover, the button is in a position where it could be activated by accident. This might lead to frustration for someone who is just getting started in the hobby. Therefore, it would be nice if the Turbo button could be disabled or removed. The good news is that it can, very simply, and without the need for any permanent modification to the controller. And the only tool required is a small to medium Phillips screwdriver.

In order to disable the Turbo button the controller's housing must be opened. To do this, unscrew the two Phillips screws shown by the yellow arrows in the photo above. Then gently pry to two halves of the controller housing apart, lifting the half that is facing up away from the lower half. The controller will look as depicted in the following photo. The yellow arrow points to the Turbo button mechanism, which will be removed, thereby disabling the function.

Once the controller case has been opened, lift the lower end of the Turbo button up and out of its pivot hole as shown in the following photo.

Next, carefully lift the throttle plunger assembly upward and away until it separates completely from the controller case as shown in the photo below. The Turbo button can then be gently wiggled off the plunger shaft. The yellow arrow highlights the plunger return spring. I am holding it in place with my index finger because it has a tendency to fly off the shaft and hide under anything nearby.

Now replace the plunger assembly in the reverse manner that it was removed. See the following photos. The yellow arrow in the first photo below highlights the throttle contacts. They must straddle both sides of the red guide that runs between the two sets of resistor wire windings, visible just below my forefinger.

Getting this assembly back in can be a little tricky so proceed slowly and carefully. The return spring should go into the plunger channel first with the upper part of the plunger tilted way from the controller case. It is necessary to depress the contacts so that they will fit around the red guide (see the red arrow below) and the shaft can be moved downward into position until it is below the upper stop (shown by the yellow arrow).

Replace the upper half of the controller case, making sure that the cable is positioned in the hole at the bottom of the controller and is not pinched or stressed in any way (see the red arrow below). Once you are sure of the fit, reinstall the two screws.

The left hand photo below shows the reassembled controller without the Turbo button. Note the opening where the button used to be. This did not present a problem for me because my fingers were large enough to fit over the opening without slipping inside. However, this is likely to be a distraction for smaller hands such as those of a child. A simple solution to guard against this is a small strip of electrical tape over the opening as show in the photo on the right.

Once the case is opened on an electronic product it is possible that any remaining warranty becomes void. Also note that the controller is now only capable of delivering about 70% of available power to the car, which may affect the ability to traverse the loop accessory if there is not a sufficiently long straight section leading into it.

In any event, following the procedure outlined above, the Turbo button of the Carrera GO!!! controller can be disabled simply, safely, reliably and with no permanent modification of any kind to the controller. This will undoubtedly help the younger enthusiasts get more enjoyment out of the racing — and that's what this is really about. Just be sure to store the Turbo button mechanism in a secure place and the controller can be restored to its original condition very easily.

_Michael Ashton

Converting the Carrera GO!!! Dodge Viper to Digital 143

By Michael Ashton

I have a Carrera GO!!! Dodge Viper that I would like to race on my D143 track. This entails installing a D143 decoder chip in the Viper. Technically, this is not an overly complex task, however, the larger obstacle is the fact that the D143 decoder chip is not available as a separate product from Carrera. This means that the only source for a D143 chip is an existing D143 car. Fortunately, I happen to have a D143 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta "street" car that I do not need for digital racing. Therefore, the Ferrari will become the "donor" vehicle. The D143 chip in the Ferrari will be transplanted to the Viper and at the end of the process, the Ferrari will become a GO!!! car — nothing wasted here.

Preparation

Below is a photographic list of the minimum tools required to remove and install the decoder chip:

1. A relatively low wattage (≈ 30 watt) soldering iron.
2. A hobby knife with a fresh, sharp blade.
3. A scribe or hole punch (a sharp nail will do).
4. A small tip Phillips screwdriver.
5. A 1/8" and a 5/16" drill. 

The above tools will allow the task to be completed successfully. Naturally there are additional tools which can make the job easier, quicker and the results more professional. These tools will be pointed out later in each step of the process where they are used.

Let's take a look at a side-by-side comparison of the GO!!! and D143 chassis.

Below right is the D143 chassis with the chip installed. The yellow arrow highlights the screw that holds the chip firmly in place. The red arrow indicates the point where the lane change LED emitter fits inside a cylinder that forms the opening through the underside of the chassis. It is through this opening that the emitter sends the lane change signal to the sensors in the lane change track section. The inset photo shows a closeup view of the LED emitter seated in the cylinder, indicated by the red arrow.

Above left is the Carrera GO!!! Viper chassis that will receive the D143 chip. Installing a D143 chip into a GO!!! chassis is made much simpler by the presence of the D143 chip mounting post that will be used to secure the chip in place with the mounting screw (yellow arrow), and a solid plastic post into which a hole will be drilled to create the opening for the lane change LED emitter (red arrow). Both posts are in the correct position required for accurate communication between the emitter and track sensors, so no measuring is required.

A few cautionary notes:

• It is quite possible that the modifications described in this article will nullify any manufacturer's warranty that may still be in effect. It is, therefore, important to test the digital functionality of the donor car prior to proceeding in order to insure that you have a good D143 decoder chip.
• This conversion is not particularly difficult, however, basic skill and knowledge of soldering, and its attendant safety issues, are required.
• It is strongly recommended that when transplanting a D143 decoder chip from one chassis to another that the chip/motor assembly be removed and installed as a unit. This will preclude the need to de-solder and then re-solder the chip connectors to the motor terminals, thus averting the risk of overheating the chip components and/or the motor itself. It also insures that a motor with the appropriate specifications for digital operation is used.

The Steps

1.) Remove the bodies of both cars from their respective chassis by unscrewing the mounting screws located at the front and rear of the underside of each chassis.

2.) Remove the D143 chip from the donor chassis.

a.) First, de-solder the motor lead wires from the pickup contacts (see the following photo):

Additional tools employed here are a soldering stand, used to free both hands by holding the chassis in place, and a pair of surgical forceps to pull the lead wires from the pickup contacts when the solder melts. Note that the front tires have been removed to avoid damage from the soldering iron tip. The front wheels were not removed because the front axle tips are knurled. So removing the wheels would likely have caused irreparable damage to the hubs. Exercise caution when soldering near these wheels.

b.) Remove the decoder chip mounting screw, as shown in the photo below.

c.) To remove the motor/chip assembly, first gently push the hole punch or a small flathead screwdriver through the opening of the motor mount on the underside of the chassis, as seen below. Repeat in the opening on the other side of the motor mount. Take your time and do this gently in order to avoid damaging the motor mount tabs that secure the motor in place.

This will cause the motor/chip assembly to pop up out of the motor mount, shown in the following photo. The assembly can then be lifted up and forward, separating it from the chassis. The red arrow points out the LED emitter.

Below is the motor/chip assembly, safely removed from the donor chassis. Note the tabs at the front of the motor mount (just behind the chip mounting post), still in tact.

d.) Repeat the above steps a.) and c.) to remove the motor from the GO!!! Dodge Viper. The difference is that there is no decoder chip to deal with.

3. Prepare the Dodge Viper chassis to receive the D143 decoder chip.

a.) Drill a small pilot hole in the center of the solid post that will house the LED emitter. I used a pin vise and a very narrow diameter drill as shown below. But the hole punch or even a small sharp nail can be used.

Absolute precision is not necessary, but try to be as close to the center of the post as possible.

b.) You could probably drill the final hole now, however, if you have a drill set, work your way up to the final hole size in several gradual increments. This will make the drilling easier and is less likely to cause damage.

c.) Use the 1/8" drill to create the final opening in the top of the cylinder. Drill all the way through the chassis turning the drill by hand — do not use an electric drill for this. See the following photo.

The finished opening as seen from the top is shown below. The hole is not perfectly centered but this is not a problem because the LED emitter and the lane change track sensors have a relatively wide angle of sensitivity.

e.) The underside of the opening is shown in the photo below. Note that this side of the opening is slightly larger than the top, or beveled. This is accomplished by drilling up from the bottom by about 2 mm with the 5/16" drill. Be very careful not to drill too far up. The edge can be smoothed over using the hobby knife and some fine sandpaper. This is an important step because the beveled opening provides a wider field of transmission for the LED emitter.

3.) Install the D143 chip/motor assembly.

Just reverse the steps of motor/chip assembly removal from above. Slide the pinion gear through the circular opening in the mounting bracket in front of the crown gear until it meshes properly with the crown and the motor shaft fits into the channel between the two parts of the gear. Make sure that the LED emitter is lined up to fit into the cylinder opening. Then press downward on the motor can and chip until the motor snaps into place and the LED is seated into the cylinder. Insert the mounting screw through the hole in the chip and into the mounting post below, then turn the screw all the way down until it is tight and the chip is firmly seated and the LED is all the way into the cylinder. Finally, solder the motor lead wires to the pickup contacts.

The two photos that follow show the motor/chip assembly installed in the Dodge Viper chassis. Note the orientation of the motor lead wires for correct polarity. The red arrow in the first photo highlights the proper positioning of the LED emitter.

When viewed from the underside of the chassis, the emitter should appear as shown in the photo below.

The GO!!! motor removed from the Dodge Viper can be installed in the Ferrari in virtually the same manner as depicted above for the Viper. Again, the only difference is that there is no decoder chip and LED emitter to deal with.

Finally, reinstall the Dodge Viper body onto the newly converted chassis and we now have a D143 Viper ready to test on the D143 track.

The newly converted D143 Doge Viper was tested on an oval skid pad for about 100 laps of continuos lane changing and straight pass throughs. During this test there were no missed or spurious lane changes observed.

Upon completing this project a couple of things occurred to me: first, the Dodge Viper is available only as a GO!!! car, so I now have a D143 Viper which is somewhat unique; second, apparently GO!!! cars are pretty easy to sell on Internet auction sites and slot car forums. So if there is no need for the [converted] GO!!! donor car, this will help reduce the overall expense of the conversion significantly. Somewhat cool on both counts, I think.

_Michael Ashton