What gives with Scalextric?

[Barfly]

A little history reading and I get that Scalextric either invented slot cars are at the very least was on the cusp of doing so.
So when I decided to get into 1/32 scale cars and started shopping around it seems Scalextric cars are some of the less desirable cars.
Maybe somewhere along the lines of Fly cars? Is there a problem with these manufactures? What are your thoughts?

Thank you
Joe.

[Fast Co.]

There's nothing wrong with Scalextric cars, but you have to keep in mind that their cars are designed to run on the track that they sell. With steel rails embedded in the track and magnets in the cars a newbie (think kids) will have an enjoyable first experience and they may or may not ever graduate beyond that.

What distinguishes brands like Slot.It, NSR, ScaleAuto, Sideways, and Thunderslot from brands like Scalextric, Fly, Carrera, Monogram, SCX, and Ninco is that the former brands are designed so that parts such as wheels, axles, gears, guides, etc... can be easily replaced or upgraded from a selection of available parts. These cars are highly tunable. They also have motor pods which are separate from the chassis to allow for more fine tuning. These brands are often founded by veteran slot racers who seek to improve upon existing products.

The latter brands have no separate motor pod and have plastic wheels that are often pressed onto knurled axles making gear or wheel changes on those cars, for example, not as easy to perform. Also, parts availability from these latter brands is often lacking, although it is possible to swap parts from the former brands into the latter.

[Barfly]

That makes perfect sense to me. Thank you.

[Bal r 14]

I went the same route when I started about 1 1/2 years ago. Scalextric and Carrera had a large presence, so I figured they must be good. They were OK on plastic track with magnets. But that wasn't how I remembered slot car racing from the 60s, which was what I was looking for. Once you route your own track, the shortcomings of the cheaper brands are very obvious. You can still tweak them enough to use on a routed track, but most will perform rather badly. At the very least, I look for aluminum rear wheels, adjustable height front wheels, a separate motor pod and a standard guide configuration that allows me to change to a deep wood guide. I also avoid low rpm motors (under 20k) but that's just me.

[Barfly]

Funny you say that, I was just talking with the guys at Viper Scale Racing, they make routed track sections you assemble. I would really love to have my own routed track. Someday...

[Bal r 14]

It isn't that hard to route your own track. I have a finish router, a lexan guide and a jig saw and I'm starting my 4th track in a little over 1 1/2 years. Once you do one, it goes pretty easy. Probably cheaper than buying plastic track, too. The best thing you can do is to get advice from the people here who have done it before. I didn't, which explains why I'm starting on my 4th track.

[Fast Co.]

Joe, if you do eventually rout your own track here is a thread of routing tips that I first wrote about 10 years ago after I completed my current track. Hopefully, this will help you avoid some of the mistakes that I made doing my first routed track. https://www.hrwforum.com/forum/road-...ear-the-router

[Fast Co.]

3D printed chassis' are changing the game a good bit. There are good selections of printed chassis' from brands like Olifer, Slot.It, CG Slotcars, National Racers, and Amato to fit many Scalextric, Carrera, SCX, Monogram, and Ninco cars essentially bringing them on par with the performance of the premium brands. You can find them on the Shapeways website. It can get a little pricey when you buy a slot car and then replace the chassis and add a pod and all of the necessary running gear to it. But the option is there.

[Barfly]

A friend from the 1/43 side started building those 10-12 years ago and is still at it. They are getting popular I think.

[Bal r 14]

The brands I buy, in order of their performance on my 60' routed track at 10.5v are:

NSR (needs nothing but tires and some models may need some weight)
ThunderSlot (just tires)
MR SlotCars (Tires and weights)
ScaleAuto (Chassis is very thin and tends to warp, very little ground clearance)
RevoSlot (needs higher voltage to compensate for weight but great on a big track)
Sideways (only the older models with yellow motor)
Pioneer Legends (slow, but fun)
Slot.it (excellent value for the money but performance is inconsistent due largely to the chassis design that makes it very difficult to add weight on many models)

Please note: I use silicone tires and Slotting + deep wood guides on all cars.

[Barfly]

I've seen a routed track that big, from there I've dreamed a lot 🙂. Thank you.

[F1Fan]

I have hundreds of slot cars and they include multiples of all the modern and current brands including Scalextric. I buy cars for a variety of reasons, some as shallow as a unique/special livery, some for their technical innovation and some for the fact that they have a historical or personal connection with my love of motorsport & cars.

Just like with most other slot car manufacturers most of my Scalextric cars run great against like for like competition and a few needed some work. Many of the cars Scaley make are special to me due to their unique place in my memory banks e.g Ford Falcon, Escort and many of their F1 cars and BTCC range to mention just a few. (too many to mention in fact)

If you consider their range of earlier F1 cars for example, with the right tyres and a tiny bit of work, they run fantastic on wood tracks, fast and a joy to drive.

Horses for courses, but I love my Scalextric cars even at $65!

Chris

[Barfly]

I'm learning with every reply, thank you so much.

[daniel heald]

Ah the annual hobby versus toy slot car debate. The simple answer is enjoy the cars for what they are not what you want them to be. With work they can compete, but the cost will most likely be twice the cost of a hobby car.

Desire is in the eyes of the beholder. Ability is in the design.

The Trans Am Scaley cars are a deleight when raced against similar cars. We enjoy them mag free on a routed track. Great close racing. Put them with any of the hobby brands and it is a case of taking a knife to the proverbial gun fight.

Just like our 1/1 world cars taking a Focus to the track is enjoyable in it self, just dont think of comparing them to the 911RS/C8 Corvette that screams past every lap.
The adreniline rush of being fastest is very enjoyable and there is fun in close competitive racing. A good friend of mine liked tracking his MX5. Sure it is slow but he could drive it atr the limit and got the most out of it every time he went to the track.

As an aside a 3D printed chassis under a Camaro transforms the car into the perfect X car. Looks stock but goes like a bat of hell. The boxer motor and all in one pod system help enormously. Think of the updated car being like a Black Arrow chassis under a Camero. A great running car at a cost. Mine is a James Hunt 1973 Spa 24 hours Camaro. Worth it to me.

Like Chris I love my Scaley cars. There are eight on pre order. The '77 six wheel Tyrrell, Bastos Rover, Camel Lotus 99T, JPS Lotus 97T, Williams FW11, Aston Martin V8, Lotus Esprit and one more I can't quite remember right now. I have got it, the Alan Mann Mustang.

So on desire I can't agree with you. On ability yes most definately something does give and then I choose close racing over this is the fastest car on the track.

Race different classes of cars and appreciate each for what they are. (F1, Formula E, Sportscars, BTCC, GT3 etc etc ).

[Barfly]

Enjoyed reading your reply. Myself, I surely will injoy close racing over any trophies. Thank you.