Slot cars - something to do in Winter.

[Lucifur10]

Is that a Scalextric or Carrera track?

Carrera. I found a brand new basic set on Marketplace for 40 bucks. Amazon has a ton of add on track available so I just doubled the size.

 

[johnnydmd]

I had some time to play around with my track on a rainy weekend. I wanted to change up the layout, the one I had was way too wobbly and unstable. I came up with one easy layout first using a track design software:

I also added some lighting, and lampposts.

It was fun, but way too short. I have soooo many track sections. I tried a whole bunch of ideas, and looked at some 8x4 layouts by other people and came up with this one:

Got this one put together and started testing out. Lotta fun, and both lanes are balanced. I think this wound up being 31.5 feet. I also later discovered that this was real similar to a somewhat well known "Scalextric Maximizer" layout, but in reverse. I also got these building kits and started putting them together. Got the control tower done. Please ignore the clutter in the background, lol. It's the unfinished part of our basement we use for storage. That being said, we have a lotta crap to get rid of!!

I also installed a light kit in one of my Vipers. This is not really done and kind of a mess, and I need to redo the front beams for sure. This is a project car that is waiting on a lot of upgrades for the chassis.

I need to mount the lights behind the axle and (using these clips that screw into the chassis hold it into place and have the lights arch over the axle and into a better, more direct position behind the headlight sockets. This car is getting a motor pod suspension kit added. I already changed out the motor to a Slot.IT Flat-6 model which seems better suited for the track than the high torque stock one with low gears. I geared it up a bit and it's real smooth around the track.

Lights still look cool, but will be brighter when I remount them properly.

The system uses a capacitor, so you can simply free rev the motor to get the lights to the brightness you want, then run it and it draws very tiny amount from the track to keep it charged. It stays lit for a bit after you stop too.

I need to get some other cars beside Vipers, lol.

 

[Doom!]

So cool, I miss my slotcar track.

 

[Xraycer]

So cool, I miss my slotcar track.

Every time I see something like this, I get that itch to get my track up to speed. But, then I come to the realization that it's going to take a poop load of elbow grease, and then I quickly lose the desire

 

[johnnydmd]

So cool, I miss my slotcar track.

I really love having it. Reminds me of a summer I spent at my cousins' house running them in their basement. I even got my wife racing a bit, she has fun with it. Getting a little tired of her beating me though

 

[johnnydmd]

Figured I'd update this one, as I did quite a bit of stuff during the many rainy/crappy weekends we had this Spring as well as recently.

First, I more or less "finished" the track (not sure that's a thing though).

Mostly stuff I found on the cheap off of eBay, as well as some inexpensive cardboard building kits. Only thing I might change up is the controller board and controllers to something better.

Then I started working on my project car that is a ScaleAuto model with a bunch of extra upgrades. I'm going to take the lighting system out though, it's too messy and doesn't really work very well honestly. I think I also want to paint the chassis at some point. This car is stupid fast, even with the "tame" Slot.it Flat Six motor. It's got a floating suspension motor pod, much like my RevoSlot, so it's ultra smooth compared to the "stock" versions.

I also had another blank Viper body that I bought last year because I really messed up the black one that I had done. (I since have put that black body on the custom slot car as the 3d printed body I made, while looking really cool, weight about as much as the car itself and made it rather slow. I figured I could give another go and this time do the green front scheme to match my nitro RC car version.

I was real happy with the way it came out but was having trouble deciding on what clear coat to use. With the black body I used KBS, and while it sure was glossy, it was a bit too thick and make putting the parts together a brutal experience as nothing really fitted right. I had some Revelle acrylic clear that I use for coating decals, that is much, much thinner. So, I tried that on some test parts, and noticed that after it dried, I was getting a good bit of orange peel effect. Decided my garage was too humid, so went to my other workspace in the basement and tested, got a bit better result. Not looking like candy like the KBS, but much easier and would allow better parts fitment, plus the details on the body show through better.

Looks great above while fresh! I was going to put the black stripe decal on the roof like the big boy, but I got a little worried I'd mess up, so didn't bother. After a day of drying, I assembled the car (being sure to wear latex gloves this time as to not damage the clear with finger oils) and put all the decals on (some stick-on, others waterslide).

I'm really happy with this one, and this time it didn't feel like "I'll never build one of these again in my life" struggles thanks to not using the KBS thick ass clear coat. I did touch up the hood decal's edges with a black sharpie since these pics.

 

[WickedFog]

Figured I'd update this one, as I did quite a bit of stuff during the many rainy/crappy weekends we had this Spring as well as recently.

First, I more or less "finished" the track (not sure that's a thing though).

View attachment 200526

Mostly stuff I found on the cheap off of eBay, as well as some inexpensive cardboard building kits. Only thing I might change up is the controller board and controllers to something better.

Then I started working on my project car that is a ScaleAuto model with a bunch of extra upgrades. I'm going to take the lighting system out though, it's too messy and doesn't really work very well honestly. I think I also want to paint the chassis at some point. This car is stupid fast, even with the "tame" Slot.it Flat Six motor. It's got a floating suspension motor pod, much like my RevoSlot, so it's ultra smooth compared to the "stock" versions.

View attachment 200527

I also had another blank Viper body that I bought last year because I really messed up the black one that I had done. (I since have put that black body on the custom slot car as the 3d printed body I made, while looking really cool, weight about as much as the car itself and made it rather slow. I figured I could give another go and this time do the green front scheme to match my nitro RC car version.

View attachment 200528

I was real happy with the way it came out but was having trouble deciding on what clear coat to use. With the black body I used KBS, and while it sure was glossy, it was a bit too thick and make putting the parts together a brutal experience as nothing really fitted right. I had some Revelle acrylic clear that I use for coating decals, that is much, much thinner. So, I tried that on some test parts, and noticed that after it dried, I was getting a good bit of orange peel effect. Decided my garage was too humid, so went to my other workspace in the basement and tested, got a bit better result. Not looking like candy like the KBS, but much easier and would allow better parts fitment, plus the details on the body show through better.

View attachment 200530

Looks great above while fresh! I was going to put the black stripe decal on the roof like the big boy, but I got a little worried I'd mess up, so didn't bother. After a day of drying, I assembled the car (being sure to wear latex gloves this time as to not damage the clear with finger oils) and put all the decals on (some stick-on, others waterslide).

View attachment 200532

View attachment 200533
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View attachment 200535

I'm really happy with this one, and this time it didn't feel like "I'll never build one of these again in my life" struggles thanks to not using the KBS thick ass clear coat. I did touch up the hood decal's edges with a black sharpie since these pics.

View attachment 200537

I really don't like you man. Is there nothing you can't do? That little guy is just sick man.

 

[johnnydmd]

I really don't like you man. Is there nothing you can't do? That little guy is just sick man.

LOL. I can't play piano...

 

[Xraycer]

I really don't like you man. Is there nothing you can't do? That little guy is just sick man.

Yeah! Why can't you, once in awhile, be like the rest of us and just do things half-ass?!

 

[CertifiedMike]

I LOVE this build!!!I used to have about 60 miles of tyco track when I was a kid.
THAT was my "young and dumb".
Let a "friend borrow" the set when I took it down.
So yeah, I LOVE this build!
This type track is better than the one I had imo. More skill required to get these cars around this track!
AWESOME layout too! Lighting is cool!!!

 

[Doom!]

Looks great! My slot cars were all HO scale, never driven the larger ones.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I have an old tyco super duper double looper. Just sitting in the closet right now been itching to set it up but don’t have any room. Once I move I will set it up. Here’s some pictures of it from a few years ago. Still have the original Lamborghinis for it plus a couple newer cars so I don’t jack those up.

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i have that set as well. the impossible gap loop can suck it! never could made that stupid thing work.

iv also got a couple other tyco tracks. a "Lamborghini Challenge" set that was my first set. a "Corvette Challenge" set. also have a set that my dad got my mom when they were dating, "curve huggers daredevil jump" as well as a TCR kit where you can change lanes. have a crap ton of cars to. but haven't touched any of it probably 20 years. but it's all up in the closet still.

i used to drag race 1/24 scale slot cars. was big into that back in the mid 90's. ill have to find pic's, only pic's i have available are my "womps" (1/32 scale cars raced on 1/24 scale tracks)
my super gas bug, super 16d motor.

bracket bug, 16d motor

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

found more pic's of more of my cars

 

[johnnydmd]

Love that Mooneyes car!

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Love that Mooneyes car!

that's a BB/FC. group 12 motor, 90 grams in weight. been to long, can't remember how quick/fast it was. i want to say 60+ mph and sub 1 second. (55 foot track)
interesting fact about the body, the lettering and eyes are painted. headlights and tail lights are also painted (i didn't paint it, a guy i raced with did)

 

[Warby]

I used to race slot cars at the local club when I was a kid. Nothing serious, just for fun. I still have some cars. Their not so pretty though.