Hey, has anyone here raced slotcars? I run 1/24 scale weekly on a 180' Engleman . . . . been racing on and off for about 12 years . . .


. . . anyone? anyone?

Is this an expensive hobby?

I had one when I was a kid, actually been thinking about buying another to play with, but have to many hobbies as is.
John L

I'm buying my son a set so I can play with it.

i was at a local hobby shop while they were holding a tourney. Lots of neat stuff. I guess they have classes for stock and modified. While I was there, some guy was racing stock and lapping everyone. They busted him cheating. Evidentally, he used lighter fluid to remove the sealed plastic preventing modification. He then changed the timing and glued the plastic back on. Was really neat.

I started racing 1/32 scale cars about a year and a half ago. My friend bought a Ninco track that we setup in his living room. We soon realized that it was a blast and I bought a set. Then we got on e-bay and bought an additional 500ft of track. We re-did his basement and built an 8x20 table and started at it. We've changed the track configuration about 6 times. At first we were trying to draw up plans for a layout, but we downloaded a program ( tracker2000 ) that allows you to input how much track you have and exactly what pieces you have ( sharp curves, light curves etc.. ).
Cars cost about $30 - $90 ( I've seen some as much as $500 ). I own 12 1/32 and about 6 or 7 1/24 ( some are in pieces! ). The controlers that you get with the set suck, so we went out and bought adjustable controllers for about $75/ea.
You can change the motors, the wheels, the tires, the frames... it can get costly. I think we have spent somewhere close to $2000 or so. Not including the money we spent on the basement.

Its a fun hobby. Can't do much outside during the winter so its a great way to have fun indoors. I've told friends about it and they laugh, but as soon as they get down there and see it, they don't leave for hours.

After 4 or 5 beers it gets hostile.

If you are interested in it, check out www.slotcarillustrated.com its a great site with chatty forums like this one!!

Marke

I started racing 1/32 scale cars about a year and a half ago. My friend bought a Ninco track that we setup in his living room. We soon realized that it was a blast and I bought a set. Then we got on e-bay and bought an additional 500ft of track. We re-did his basement and built an 8x20 table and started at it. We've changed the track configuration about 6 times. At first we were trying to draw up plans for a layout, but we downloaded a program ( tracker2000 ) that allows you to input how much track you have and exactly what pieces you have ( sharp curves, light curves etc.. ).
Cars cost about $30 - $90 ( I've seen some as much as $500 ). I own 12 1/32 and about 6 or 7 1/24 ( some are in pieces! ). The controlers that you get with the set suck, so we went out and bought adjustable controllers for about $75/ea.
You can change the motors, the wheels, the tires, the frames... it can get costly. I think we have spent somewhere close to $2000 or so. Not including the money we spent on the basement.

Its a fun hobby. Can't do much outside during the winter so its a great way to have fun indoors. I've told friends about it and they laugh, but as soon as they get down there and see it, they don't leave for hours.

After 4 or 5 beers it gets hostile.

If you are interested in it, check out www.slotcarillustrated.com its a great site with chatty forums like this one!!

Marke

Dangit!!! I was impatient and submitted it twice. " Employee making a newbie mistake!!"

hehe Marke double posted....hehe

Thats ok Mark, a lot of the times it does it when your not touching a thing. Just waiting. Anyway, yes about the slot car racing. I have 3 trophies from back in the day. I believe the day was around 1978. I used to race Richard Petty's car. Of course I added hood scoop, side pipes and an extra magnet or two to keep it on the track. Oh, the good ole days. Then skateboards came around.