[Slot Cars] Are you a slot-car racer?

[TimD]

I don't know about you, but all of these computer racing games leave me a little cold.

Now, what I want is real speed, and genuine handling characteristics, and a real danger of personal injury (if the car flies off the track and bounces off the furniture at a certain angle).

Yes, Slot Car Racing. Whether it's HO-scale, the Aurora AFX, TCR, Matchbox or Tomy size, or perhaps 1/32, the classic Scalextric, Fly and Ninco type, or perhaps you prefer the professional level 1/24 scale big racers. Whichever. Slot cars have been with us for 40 years, and they just keep on going.

Who has kept up racing into adulthood, dismissing all protests from those who think we ought to grow up. And who can I persuade to go into the loft and reach down their old set and have a go?!

What's the best car you ever had? Do you modify your cars for speed and handling? And does anyone out there have any experience with making their own cars from the ranges of replacement bodyshells which are out there?

For me, I'm still trying to find a car that handles as sweetly as the old Scalextric BMW CSL coupe. It's heavy and solid, but it's quick, and it's less fussy than the Porsche 911 and Capri which it always used to be pitted against. I loved my old CSL.

Come on - confess! Who's out there?

[Minardi fan]

I love my Scalextric, and even better is that my housemate received a Caterham Cup set for Christmas. Currently racing round it are the two lovely Caterhams, plus my Ferrari (boo), my ancient white Scalextric F1-ish car, plus my Marc Gene '99 Minardi - which blows the rest of them away with it's sheer speed and handling. It's superb.

Is this where we also confess to loving train sets???

[Mackmot]

Ive got a load of scalextric track and I use my superfast Lola T70 and Porsche 917K Fly cars on it they are about twice as fast as the scalextric F1 cars

[TimD]

Wow, you'd think that with 31 clicks on this thread (and counting) there would be more than just the three of us who'll admit to a Scalextric session now and again.

And there was I thinking of trying to set up an off-season "run what you brung" somewhere. Oh well, maybe sometime in the future when we've coerced a few more people.

Mackmot, those 60s/70s GT ranges are awesome, aren't they? I'm seriously thinking of going for the set of Lolas!

Minardi Fan, there's very little will persuade me to run a train set. I like the challenge of the modelmaking, but the lack of the element of competition is what spoils it. Having met a man who was proud of the fact that the little flashing light on the back of his model express train flashed at precisely the same intervals as that on the real thing, I knew that particular hobby was not for me.

Even if some of my best friends run train sets. Right, Bluebottle?

But it's my ambition to have a portion of my workshop devoted to a fully landscaped 6-lane Scalextric-based Nurburgring Nordschleife. The dreams and plans are locked away in my head for the moment, but it will be a good project for my retirement...

[Sparky]

Alright Tim... A number of those 31 clicks were mine - I'll admit it. I was just considering my response.

As I said to you at Autosport, I have about 160 sections of track, a 'Powerbase' voltage supply system (easily reversible!) and (I think) 7 or 8 cars.
Never really bothered with buildings or straw bales, or even bend armco! (although my grandparents had boxes of stuff which for some reason went to someones cousin. And No, I'm not too bitter...

Favourite section of track? Cross-over tracks... Yeah!! (Top-Tip: Fit two of these, or your opponent quickly gets upset...

My fleet:

Mk1 Escort x2 (look great, awful handling!)

Mk1 Mini Cooper x2 ('Late' type Mk1 with wide arches. Handle Well, look ...Ok

Mighty Metro x2 (One standard - terrible. One modified - body lowered over chassis to lower CoG (Looks a bit... Maguire-ish!) handles superbly!)

BMW 3.0 CSL x1 (Rescued from a 9 yr old kid at a car boot sale for a fiver. Nasty paintjob and even nastier tyres! Doesn't handle well at all. Too tail heavy, like a dirty great pendulum.)

Ford Escort Cosworth x1 (Really, really boring. Magnatraction means it doesn't ever come off unless you drive like RickP. Goes well though.)

Next purchase?

Might have to be a Caterham...

When is the Ten-Tenths Scale RWYB meet? Must get some pre-season testing in... (Gotta find a tyre supplier!)

[Airhead]

OK Tim,

I admit to three or so visits as well. For me the home track doesn't have the thrill of the day out advbenture. In Australia, there are slot car tacks that are in buildings and are for bigger cars on bigger tracks.

I had a great time as a teenager racing group 20 cars with no success at my local track. This form of racing must exist elsewhere as the components for the cars (that you built up yourself) where from memory manufactured overseas.

This sought of thing is very addictive, and mimicks propper motorsport in that to really do well costs money. But the cars are incredibly fast being wings on wheels.

[Hans.ca]

I must confess to owning two F1 Scalextric cars in there original boxes together with instructions. The cars are
MM/C63 Lotus R.E. (green) B.R.M. MM/C59 (red). I purchased them new in the mid 1950's and played with them for a long time. About 20 years later I got divorced and lost all the track and other stuff. But I had a good time with them while it lasted.
We used to have several comercial tracks in Toronto in the late 50's and early 60's. A friend had one that was about 6 lanes and about 120 feet long, he passed away, so did the track. I don't know of any tracks in existence now.
When my first grandson was born in 1980 I gave him a set of then popular cars and track made by Aurora. I don't think he ever got to play with them, his father destroyed them before he was old enough to use them.

[Neil C]

Slot cars have much more attraction for me than computer games.

Aurora AFX HO scale slot cars were instrumental in my development as a motorhead. I still have a few cars including Lauda's Ferrari in a cigar box somewhere.

My new house will be done in May. I have a fantasy of the entire cellar being given over to a 1/32 or 1/24 scale road course.

I just have to figure how to inform my wife.

Does anyone know what the best sets available in No.America are?