HO Scale Slot Car Racing.

It was discussed elsewhere on a wandering topic, but the search feature on this message board system doesn't seem to actually work, so I'm starting a new topic.
It may look like a lot to read, but if you have any interest, take the time. There's only so much because I know a little bit about it and might as well put it all down here now.

I've been playing with and racing HO slot cars for 35 years. Although it's not rocket science, it's not quite as simple as it sounds. The quality, design, speed, and even voltage compatibility, of slot cars has changed quite a bit over the years.

If we wanted to do this, a few things have to be considered. Do we want to pull out our oldies from storage and put them back in service? This is really the most fun since you're repairing and using something you remember.
The advantage of going new is that you can buy cars at hobby shops, but, new and older cars are just as easily found on eBay, AND many of the old designs are being reproduced, both chassis and bodies.

In club competition, generally cars of virtually identical design are raced together with rules as to what can and can't be modified on them. The problem is, there are now over a dozen basic designs out there with scores of variations.

For amateurs, I like to lump cars from similar eras and performance levels together, and let the owners tweak them up as they see fit.
This brings up another point. Racers are generally required to provide their own cars. I do have a few loaners, but the bulk of my collection is older collectible and if a body is going to get broken or axle bent, it's generally the responsibility of the driver to replace it.

The following is a general list of categories of slot cars from similar eras and/or reproductions of similar performance.
You may have something different. I can identify most chassis or at least place in a division.
Here is a fairly complete list. Some left off the following lists because they are European or extremely rare.

Each category generally starts with the more common on the first line, followed by less common, then *reproductions, which in some cases have been upgraded to perform better and therefore bumped up a class.

Original.
Aurora Vibrators. (Slow, cost prohibitive. Tough to maintain.)

First generation.
Aurora Thunderjet 500, Tuff Ones. Tyco “S”.
Rare: Lionel. Marx. Faller. Atlas. Bachmann. Eldon. (Some of these may fall into the previous category)

Second Generation.
Aurora A/FX. Tyco Pro. Riggen brass pan, and similar. Ideal non-magnet (later, but primitive).
*Johnny Lightning Thunderjet 500.

Third Generation (Early motor magnet assisted magnet).
Aurora A/FX Magna-Traction, Tyco Curvehugger. Tyco HP2 (Later magnet assisted but generally poor performer).
*Johnny Lightning and Auto World X Traction. *Auto World Thunderjet Ultra G (extra magnet).

Fourth generation (Late motor magnet assisted).
Aurora A/FX Super Manga-Traction & G-Plus.
Tyco HP7 (Later 5th Gen. design but here because it's often a poor performer).
Amrac. Rokar.
*Auto World X Traction Ultra G (Like Magna-Traction but with traction magnets).

After about 1982:

Fifth Generation. Magnet assisted (Early modern. Ceramic magnet assisted)
Tomy/Aurora Turbo. Tyco Magnum 440.
Amrac/Life-Like M. Marchon MR1.
Ideal magnet (rare).
*Auto World Four Gear (Like A/FX Specialty Magna-Traction but with 2 extra magnets).

Sixth Generation. (High power or neodymium magnet assisted)
Tomy/Aurora AFX SRT & Super G+. Tyco/Mattel 440X2 & HPX2. Life-Like.
Auto World Super III. Life-Like Fast tracker. Scalextric Micro.
BSRT G-Jet.

Seventh Generation.
Tomy/AFX Mega G.
BSRT G3. Wizzard.

Part two, just to break it down:
Most common wear items that should probably be replaced before running: Tires and pick up shoes (& springs).

Most common tweaks, upgrades:
Profile pick up shoes for greatest contact, track clearance and low downforce. Tires.

Other upgrades:
Change of magnets, armature, gear/s, wheels. Lighten body and/or chassis.

Suggested tools and accessories:
Oiler (Bottle with a very thin spout, available on line)
Pick up shoe cleaner, either an eraser, or 3M abrasive pen.
Roll of tape to clean tires.
Small screwdriver.

Also, each lane should have it's own small power supply, or a large regulated power supply for the whole set up.

So... as you can see, there's an awful lot to slot car racing, and we haven't even dealt with track at this point.

Kyle certainly knows his slot cars.

Or, we an just go to some track and I can lay waste to whatever you show up with.

Seriously, though. I'll help you repair anything you can bring me/show me, and help you tweek it up to perform as good or better than when it was new.

I used to have the slotless race track where the cars would pass each other By going around the other car. It was so cool. Then i used to have some sizzler cars that were awsome. Still wish i had those.

Sizzler fat track was awesome with those high banked curves.

I have bunch of Tyco slot cars, the ones where the plastic tabs would always break off.

I still have some cars of different varieties. I will have to dig them out.

Be happy to take a look at them and help you get them running.
I have over 150 running slot cars.

Kyle.. you are a baaaaaaddddd man.. I don't need to get back into any other hobbies..LOL

I have had all the little guys and the home version 1/24th.. plus I use to race the 1/24th..

Lot's of fun

They are a blast. I cannot wait to go to the track in Rocklin.

The great thing about this hobby is you can be in for $10-$25. Have cars? Buy tires for $2.00

Two of my top racers I bought on eBay for $10 each and they were already set up with wheel and tire upgrades. Another I bought for $5 and it had a $40 motor in it.

Kyle is not kidding. His cars haul some butt.

You should see what some of these guys put into them. Even my most improved are modest by comparison.

That said, the bulk of my collection are bone stock. For sentimental reasons, I won't tamper with most of them unless there's something actually wrong.

If anyone's actually reading along I'll pass this tidbit on: The bar-none fastest out-of-the-box mass production car currently available is the Tomy/AFX Super G Plus. $20-$30 range. Sometimes used ones sell for much less.
However, if you can't handle the car and deslot, fast means nothing.
I actually don't own any of these. You could have a very good chance at me if you bought one and put a decent $2 set of tires on it.
eBay or almost any good hobby store.
Tip two: Formula bodied cars have a lower center of gravity than stock style coupe bodies... I'm just sayin'.

Good advice.

I've never been into the open wheel Formula Cars, although I'm recently more appreciative of the closed wheel Can-Am style.

I would seriously buy sedans, like New Yorkers, Manacos, LTDs, LeSabres...

What you need is a Gremlin.

Jim Douglas Jr wrote:

That one is cool....

Well Kyle is going to be standing besides the track holding his little 1/64 scale cars while we race the big boys on the 1/24th scale tracks...

YEAH BOOOOOYYYYYY

Kyle won't be by himself because of the cars. It'll be because we hate her.

There's a good chance my tiny 1:64 can beat your bulky 1:24. It's a power to weigh ratio thing.
I have cars that can do 2000 scale MPH.
No kidding.

...and you never want to tell me to suck it. I excel at that, too.

We shall see. Your right power to weight is the key.. that is why they have the type 4 2.0l engine as compared to your little 1200 motor.. so more weight, but lots more power.

Mwahaahahahahahahahahaha............... . . See you on the track.. bring your slot car pink slips buddy!

Starting tonight. Tune Up Tips with photos!
Unless a different style I happen to have is a better example, I'll be working on Aurora slot cars, probably A/FX, but the simple procedures I do to them translate to any brand.

Upcoming topics (Covered)
Tools.
Lubrication.
Weight/s.
Pick up shoe adjustment.
Tires and wheels.
Chassis height.
Get out the drill.



Primer.

Many clubs are still racing as their primary chassis the Aurora Thunderjet 500, last produced in 1971.
By selecting one that's very flat, picking a well balanced (both physically and electrically) armature, a lightweight Lexan body, polished or custom axles, brass weighted wheels, custom made foam core silicone tires, well matched or upgraded magnets, and even boring the plastic chassis pan for tiny brass axle bearings, one of these low tech toys can become a serious racer that puts a new production slot car to shame - but there's a price.
Some racers have been known to buy NOS cases of these chassis to find just the right chassis pan and armature. A well set up Thunderjet will cost the racer $50 to $100, and there's no guarantee it will hold it's performance for even a whole season.

With that said, slot cars have improved since the 1960s. At one point, slot cars were the number one selling hobby/toy in the country, so there was stiff competition between companies to improve their products and outsell the competition. Cottage industries sprang up to provide parts and even entire cars for racing at home and local competition tracks.

Early on, it became apparent that speed wasn't enough. The cars needed to stay in the slots. The best way to achieve this was to make sure they ran smoothly, and to keep their center of gravity as low as possible. By lowering the cars and/or adding weights, and even full brass weight pans, the cars could be kept in the slots and had better traction.
It was quite by accident that people racing Aurora slot cars started grinding recesses and holes in the bottoms of the chassis to allow the motor magnets to sit lower. Since "Lower, lower, lower" was the popular modification and mindset, it hadn't occurred to anyone immediately that they were also getting a benefit from magnetic attraction to the steel track rails, and these modified plastic chassis cars were soon outperforming expensive brass pan chassis cars.

This spelled the end for brass pan add-ons and brass panned boutique operations like Riggen. Magnet cars were now under development and have been the standard since the mid 1970s.

With all that in mind, although box fresh slot cars may seem to be amazing performers, few maintain that level of performance for long. Lack of lubrication wears the running gear, and poorly shaped pick ups quickly wear and become problematic. Rubber tires harden, and in months or a year, you have jerky cars that don't seem anywhere near as fun as when you first got them. Then, the tires crack, or you try to fix them and lose a tiny spring or motor brush and pretty soon, everything's chucked into the closet.

Dig them out.
We're going to get them not only running, but learn how to tune them up into race winners.

Your investment:
One micro-spout oiler (Under $7, One bottle will last many, many, many years).
Modern rear tires (Rarely over $2.00 a set).
Any missing parts. I keep a stock of Aurora parts and a few others, usually $1 each/pair.
I even have the lightbulbs for lighted cars.

LUBRICATION.

Let's do a little discussion about oil and lubrication right now.
Every racer needs his own bottle, but you use so little, it's nice to share with your poor neighbor with the rumbling, grindy car (unless he's clueless and your world depends on beating him).

Oh, we used to just oil the motor bearing and top gear plate (A/FX) with 10W-40 and a toothpick when the cars ran noisily. Never did it occur to me to oil the axles, and all the other gears, and I'm sure some of my old favorites have enlarged axle holes and worn crown gears (the gear on the axle) because of it. Luckily, our sloppily lubricated A/FX cars slung oil everywhere and I'm sure these points eventually got a little by osmosis.

There are several slot car oilers on the market, and you can get them for usually $3-$7.
I'm maybe 20% into a one ounce bottle I bought nearly three years ago, and I'm maintaining about 150 running cars.
Most of you will get a lifetime out of a $3.00, 1/2 ounce bottle maintaining 2 to 12 cars.
I added Tri-Flow, which is liquid Teflon, to my oil. I have no idea if I'm getting any additional benefit from it, but it can't be hurting to impregnate the plastic with Teflon at the axles, etc. I added maybe 7% Tri-flow to my oiler. I may have thinned my oil by doing so, but when motors are doing 30,000 RPM, how long can it last, right?
Look for a long narrow spout. If you lose the cap, you can plug the spout with a slightly bent T or sewing pin. I use one with a white head to make it easy to find, and cut the pointy tip off to avoid poking my fingers.

Search Slot car oil (Click here).
The Liquid Gold, Liquid Bearings, and Magnum oilers all are fine.

Avoid the vintage oils and tiny Aurora tubes. The oils in them aren't anywhere near as good as the modern synthetics and the applicators are clumsy. You don't want to get oil on your tires or electrical parts.



Points to oil.
All sparingly. Over oiling eventually contaminates the electrical gear and picks up dirt.
>Motor bearings, being sure not to get any on the motor brush commutators (electrical parts on the armature)
>Axles/wheels. Each will have different optimal points, some more difficult to do accurately than others. Some in the backs of the wheels, some from inside the chassis.
>Gears, including the riveted gear on some cars, and any place a spinning shaft goes through the chassis or chassis parts. Do the teeth on crown (axle) gears, too. These are like your transmission and take a beating. Run the car for one slow lap and be prepared to mop up any slung off oil.

That's it.
This often overlooked step makes for smooth, fast cars. Re-oil when performance drops and the car gets noisy. Some cars need constant oil, others will take very little depending on what kind of motor they have, how well their parts mesh, and how fast they are.

TOOLS.

I suppose we should have started here. The pros have a whole gamut of gear and wheel pullers and presses, which can save a precision part from being bent.
We're not going psycho. We'll save that for race day.
We're tuning up and getting our cars running in the best form we can without spending a fortune on custom parts, and that includes tools.

You know those little sets of six small screwdrivers you see in a plastic case with a blue or red back in the discount bin at the hardware store?
Get one. Try to find one with 4 flat heads, or 3 flats + 3 Phillips.
Again, everyone should have their own set, but share with the hapless newbie.
These are invaluable for adjusting or removing wheels, debris, pick-up shoes, etc. Few if any box-stock mass produced slot cars require any other tools.

Some guys like a pair of tweezers, but I find that you'll tend to drop a tiny spring if you ease up on the pressure even in the slightest. Any if them can be picked up more securely by putting the tiniest of the drivers through them and then a thumb on the part, and can be put in place with them just as easily if not more so.

Wow, with your screwdrivers and oiler in hand, you'll be looking like a champ already!

Let's not neglect transport and organization.

Most arts and/or craft stores have small plastic trays with dividers and lids, as do places that sell fishing lures. Many a slot car driver has his stuff in a tackle box. Very handy, especially if it never gets tipped over. Hardware stores also sell parts cabinets with little slot car sized drawers perfect for parts, too. These are great because they're transparent, or at least the lids and drawers usually are. Many have carry handles.
Little tiny zip-loc bags are great for motor brushes, springs, etc.
With a small fleet, you may not have or need to keep spares. With over 150, I keep plenty on hand. Ultimately cheaper than buying individually and waiting, plus there's parts for the next owners.
If you have vintage cars in good condition, having a decent mode of transportation is paramount. The little window posts are fragile and bent and broken posts devalue most vintage bodies to almost nothing.

I keep my cars in old Matchbox car cases, and my parts in old A/FX Pit Kits, which have dividers. Perfect for small slot car and parts collections. They can be found at toy shows and on eBay sometimes very cheap. I picked one up last week for .99 and $5.00 shipping.
It's neat to have the vintage stuff, but not at all necessary.

Any small sturdy container with a lid will do, even small margarine bowl or Glad-ware.