Got out the slot cars!

[philo426]

Git out my Carrera GO!1/43 slot cars out!

[v8vega]

A couple of years ago I started reading up on slot cars in the evening on the internet. And over time I bought a couple of sets and over time 32 cars HO. I built a nice track and ran cars. It's fun but after awhile I just haven't bothered to run cars for some time now which kind of bothers me. You just go around as fast as you can but chasing after them when you go too fast I didn't want to do so I usually ran at more safe speeds.
Now I'm worried that I won't run trains much, I don't run them much now. But I always figured that I would run trains more when my layout is more completed. I don't think I will ever be into operation the way HO guys do.
I'm not sorry I got into slot cars, I had fun building the track and buying cars, it's a good looking track. I don't know how to post photos.
I think slot cars are more popular than generally thought and may even be in a small resurgence. I'm in several slot car groups on Facebook and their active. Facebook groups seem to have replaced forums at least with slot cars.
Some guys have been collecting slot cars since they were kids and have hundreds.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Looks like some good fun value there!

[philo426]

No doubt!

[up148]

My son picked up a slotless car track system (Anki Overdrive) a few years ago and left it at our house. The cars are HO size and carry onboard batteries that keeps them running for 12-15 minutes and the track (4 lanes wide) is a cardboard material that takes a lot of abuse (grand kids walking on it) and never breaks. The track has wires embedded in it and the cars never run off, unless hit by another and they really move. Cars can be controlled by computer, I-pad, I-phone or ??? or you can just put them on the track and let them run around by themselves (grandson calls it "rush hour" and loves it).

You can race against the computer or against other drivers and the cars are equipped with a weapon programs, so you can shoot at another car and disable it for a few seconds while you pass it. The technology just blows me away and it's no more expensive than traditional slot cars. Cars have headlights, taillights and brake lights, plus way more flashing than I care for and so far has proven indestructible. In "rush hour" they collide often at the cross-over, much to the grand kids delight and it keeps them busy putting the cars back on the track, so grandpa gets a rest.

I just read Anki shut down in 2019, but see lots of new sets and cars available all over the internet for cheap. Have to ask my son what happened.

[philo426]

Yes I wondered how durable that paper track was.

[up148]

VERY! And magnets hold sections together so it can pull apart, but only with some force.

[philo426]

Wonder why it failed in the market place?

[philo426]

Just got this 64 Dodge HO slot car!

[HONDO74]

Back a few years ago I bought a CARRERA | Mario Kart DS | Race Track Like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3IdTLkAT4E

Got it at Hobby Lobby at a discounted price. My wife liked slot cars and she was pretty good at racing them.

Back in the 60s when we were first married we stopped by one of those big tracks that they were just putting in where we lived in So California. She got so excited about the slot cars that we bought 2 Cox Ford GT 40s with controllers so we could go racing at the big tracks.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... 1839700063

I got pretty involved with cars. I was rewinding the motors and even advancing the winding's Anything to make them go faster. The tracks became too crowded and they kept raising the price for track time. So we quite and bought small sets so we could race at home.

I still have a few slot cars from the 60s and several small sets. I wish I had kept the GT 40s.

[philo426]

[HONDO74]

Are these older model slot cars like the ones I used to have or are they newer ones ?

[philo426]

Older Strombecker ...have to get replacement tires

[up148]

There is something to be said about the older style race sets. You completely controlled them and they would run off the track if you didn't speed control "drive" them, something you can't do with the set mentioned above. The larger 1/32, 1/24 scale cars always attracted me more, although they took up more room. You could "soup" them up, whereas the HO scale cars didn't seem to have that option.

I got an entry level Strombecker race set for Christmas back in 62 or 63 and had a ball with it until the cheap plunger type controls wore out. When commercial slot car tracks took off in the mid 60's I enjoyed watching them race along with the scale 1/4 mile drag tracks, but it took more money than I had to get started and especially to be competitive. Lot's of adults got into it and their budget was pretty much unlimited. The model car magazines of the day started covering this fairly shot lived phenomenon......but it burned out kinda like the hoola-hoop.

[philo426]

Set up a HO track too!