Have you checked Walther's site lately? They are totally revamping their NASCAR lineup. They've finally hired someone who can do a decent modeling job. The Dodges and Fords look pretty darn good. The Chevys look - okay.

Check out these twin packs:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9044
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9042
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9043
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9032
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9033
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/433-9036

Dodges fantastic, Fords Good but but not stunning, Chevys (as usual) terrible.

Why is that?

looks like they kept the same chevy body changed the nose

Dodges fantastic, Fords Good but but not stunning, Chevys (as usual) terrible.

Why is that?


Dodge (Mopar) they rule!! thats why!! :)

Wes

It's interesting that the twin packs are $34.98 but Tony's car is $19.98 by itself...

The prices on the new Life-Like models are definately lower than the leftovers from the immediate prior vintage. I do think the new Life-Like NASCAR Charger is an awesome looking body. The #9 Casey Kahne cars are incredible looking. I will definately be getting at least one set of those and every other new model. That Charger body handles quite well too.

I'm not a huge fan of the Life-Like T-chassis, but the last few that I've bought don't run half bad. A bit noisy, crappy pickup system, but quite fast and drivable on plastic. I still vastly prefer the M-Chassis but Life-Like's have always been a bit of an enigma. Once in a while you'll get a Life-Like M-Chassis that is a rocket and handles like a G-car. Other times, you'll get a mutt. I have a few Life-Like/Rokar M-chassis cars that blow the doors off of some of my Life-Like Pro Tracker SS powered cars. You just never know what you'll get with a Life-Like.

As it stands today, Life-Like is the only company making good looking contemporary NASCARs. I too wish the Chevy body was done as well as the Ford and Dodge. If Walthers continues to up the QC on that product line and focus on building highly popular NASCARs they may just pull some serious profits out of a niche part of the Life-Like acquisition that just came along for the ride. I would highly suggest that they harness some of their scenery product expertise and put together some NASCAR related track structures and fixtures (garages, pit equipment and crews, lighting, broadcast towers, grandstands, scoring towers, barriers, tool cart, tire racks, etc.) and tap into a hugely under-served market. They could clean up big-time with some rather subtle changes to railroad scenery related products. NASCAR has never been more popular than it is today. Life-Like is in the best position possible to capitalize on that market.

That Dodge body looks fantastic. Life-Like got that right.

Those Chevy bodies are better than the previous release. The Ford bodies aren't bad. I thought the Charger body was released before Life Like was taken over by Walthers. I think they look good though.
I subscribed to Model Railroader magazine and Walthers sends me a mini catalog. They have a Tide Chevy in it. Sale price $19.98 / Regular price $28.75. Randy.

What I don't understand is the different release dates for each twinpack. The Dodges would only be available late October but these are existing bodies, so why so late when they should have been the first ones ?? Also, with the Nascar season finishing around that time and entering the christmas season with '06 paint schemes when the '07 ones might be around already is not a very clever marketing decision...Any risks that they drop these releases ??
I hope not...

Dodges sure look good! :thumbsup: rr

I think Life like chassis are underated, it's a shame they never got serious about their bodies though. The new bodies look good, bit if they were smart, they would make more mussle cars and classic hot rods.

yes the lifelike cars look like it would be very very easy to mount a lexan body on them havent tryed it yet need to pick up some and see about mounting them on them

I've mounted lexan bodies on Life-Like chassis using double sided foam tape. This works well. I also have some Life-Like M chassis that are fully configured for SS, with body mounting tubes and reinforced shoe tabs. They are fun runners but just can't cut it against the newer generation of SS chassis.

I really like trying different chassis even though it's a chore to find all the consumable parts to keep them running. Next up on my list of must-haves is the Aurora Super Magnatraction.

afx too- funny you mentioned how LifeLike's are so inconsistent on performance. I had a few old style LifeLikes, then I got one with the two neo traction magnets on it. It is by far, the easiest fast car to drive in my collection, including SG+, Patriot, etc. Since then, I have purchased several more and have spent hours trying to configure them to run like the one anomoly, but they aren't even close.

These new Nascar bodies are nice, but a little sterile. They should have put more of the sponsor decals on.

Jim

Those do look nice. I'm a Kenseth fan and wouldn't mind getting that 17/99 set, but wouldn't mind a #31 Cingular. I liked Burton when he was with Rousch.

Can't wait until the 26th though. If you watch the Bristol race, look for me. I'll be the one waving! :wave:

Noddaz,

There was another car with the #20 to make it a set, but it got too close and Tony bumped him out of the picture.

:p

Noddaz,

There was another car with the #20 to make it a set, but it got too close and Tony bumped him out of the picture.

:p


OT question....Why is that God of Nascar Erhardt Sr would bump people 5-6 times a race and was Hero and Stewart has the same take guff attitude and people get down on him? Just curious I kind of like the guys passion...


Or as I say to my Wife who is huge Stewart fan.. he all comes from up North, so they just have to hate him...

lol


Dave

Hehe,

Earnhardt got it too, his first few years. Poor 'ol Tony just hasn't paid his dues yet. :thumbsup:

I like his style actually. Anyone who tells the Press his weight lifting regimen compared to the other drivers is lifting 12 oz. cans...ya gotta like.

The big difference between Earnhardt and Stewart, besides a heaping handful of championships, is that Earnhardt didn't whine like a little girl when someone gave him the chrome horn. If you're gonna give it - you'd better be prepared to take it. Watch the video of Stewart after this years Clash, whining about "someone's gonna get hurt if NASCAR doesn't do something - boo hoo boo hoo" with all the bump drafting. A week later he does a full sideways body slam into Kenseth's car out of retaliation, sending Kenseth completely off the track and into the infield. I don't condone bump and run tactics or blocking when these cars are running at the speeds they're running. The saying "Those who live by the sword die by the sword" was never more prophetic that it was for The Intimidator.

The big difference between Earnhardt and Stewart, besides a heaping handful of championships, is that Earnhardt didn't whine like a little girl when someone gave him the chrome horn. If you're gonna give it - you'd better be prepared to take it. Watch the video of Stewart after this years Clash, whining about "someone's gonna get hurt if NASCAR doesn't do something - boo hoo boo hoo" with all the bump drafting. A week later he does a full sideways body slam into Kenseth's car out of retaliation, sending Kenseth completely off the track and into the infield. I don't condone bump and run tactics or blocking when these cars are running at the speeds they're running. The saying "Those who live by the sword die by the sword" was never more prophetic that it was for The Intimidator.


I remember Big e doing his share of gripping..Mind you todays crop of taxi drivers all seem to do a excessive amount of whinning..Lot like the general public LOL... But I agree its getting worse. I also wonder about the state of many race series these days.. F1 starts remind of a pile of kids going for candy on the first corner. And you know I have been a huge F1 fan I just do not have admiration for todays crop of drivers diving like that in open wheel cars.. I watch Nascar for the wrecks plain and simple I won't bs about that. because with the hollywood green white checkers because of a candy wrapper on turn 4 has made a mockery of the sport anyways...

Stock car racing went downhill after they were no longer stock cars....

The high speeds achieved by the older huge engined factory cars (I know they were braced, reinforced, gusseted, welded up, stripped down, and otherwise modified, but still factory cars) on those old technology tires was the peak of racing in the U.S. Speeds reached by modern Indy cars in cars that were similar to cars you could by at the store...220 MPH.

Since tube chassis, faux body panels, limited CFM intakes, weight parameters, profile parameters, and all the other yukety yuk it just isn't the same.

Since then it is all a club style race for big bucks in my book.

Stock car racing went downhill after they were no longer stock cars....

The high speeds achieved by the older huge engined factory cars (I know they were braced, reinforced, gusseted, welded up, stripped down, and otherwise modified, but still factory cars) on those old technology tires was the peak of racing in the U.S. Speeds reached by modern Indy cars in cars that were similar to cars you could by at the store...220 MPH.

Since tube chassis, faux body panels, limited CFM intakes, weight parameters, profile parameters, and all the other yukety yuk it just isn't the same.

Since then it is all a club style race for big bucks in my book.

I agree. When they slapped the big aero-front bumpers on and did away with the bias-ply tires in 1989 that pretty much signaled the beginning of my declining interest in NASCAR. I still watch Martinsville because that track is terrific and the Daytona 500. Other than that, I prefer F1 and sports car now-a-days.

'doba

Those dodges look great.Could use some more decals though.

Interesting.

Mopars would run even better on a Tyco chassis (and Rich did not pay for this announcement).

The Dodges look great. (for NAStyCAR) The fords and chevys are just lame. The paint jobs on the fords are amaturish at best. The Chevy just looks like some one got halfway there and said, "Screw it, close enough."

I just cant get behind NASCAR since there's not one vehicle there Id be caught dead driving on the street. The monte is the least offensive since its at least a coupe, but its geared towards middle aged single women. The other 2 are just sedans which = YECH. And since both are being raced as bodystyles that dont even exist, AND the charger is the only rwd V-8 version in the 'real' world there's nothing that says stock car about any of these.

That aside, LL does do some nice models of NASCAR stuff, but even though they have molds for some nice street cars like 2 different mustangs, 2 'vettes, a camaro, and a few older Rokar bodies, it seems they'll barely touch those. Id like to see a few more of the Datsun Z, Baja F-150 (going way back on that one) and a few more of the miami vice pak. More '05 Stangs would be nice too.

And I really like the M or X2 (like Rokar and Amrac) chassis a lot better than the T. At least those are easily rebuildable, they dont use goofy sized motors and the handling and speeds are more realistic. The X2 chassis is a blast to drive especially.

What was this thread about again? :lol:

Scott

It was about how cool Mopars and Tycos are...

What, are you guys saying that these threads can derail into random rants?

All the 'big' issues on LL has been mentioned here, so I have nothing new to add. But a reminder of what needs 'fixing' couldn't hurt:

Track - the connections are very flismy, mimmicking the old Afx design (nostalgic though). A deeper slot, more turn-radius variety are the biggest problems.

Bodies - needs more variety.

Chassis - yes, dump the T-chassis and bring back the M's. The indy fronts on the Pro-trackers are a nice touch.

Sets - a true 4-lane set is needed, along with someting similiar to Tomy's Long Beach set - containing 5 diffierent radii of curves.

Scenery - not too important, but would really strike big with those who want atmosphere with their layouts. And there are quite a few of those folks.