Need Help Converting Vintage Cars To Digital??

[Apexdreamer50]

Hello, I've recently built a Carrera 4x16 digital track that I am so far really enjoying. My Father had some slot cars that were used on our large wood track that he built in roughly 1967. These are mostly K&B, Strombecker, and home built tube chassis cars,

I had my Sister find these cars packed away in our garage and send them to me. I've found that for the most part these cars will need some work. Mostly just a good cleaning and replacing the dry rotted tires. Some of the foam tires are not even able to be used at all after have traction compound on them sitting for years. Some will need rewired which is not a problem as well. I have found that Ebay has quite a few parts for these older cars which will be a good help when it comes to making repairs should I decide to do so.

My question is this. What is the best way to go about getting these cars to run on my Carrera digital track? Should I buy an Analog black box and track part and a couple controllers and just switch the piece of track when I want to run these cars? I plan on buying other Analog cars as well but for the most part retro fitting them with digital chip units so they could be run on the digital track without any issues. Should I just try to do the same thing with these vintage chassis cars by installing a digital chip to at least just get them to run on my digital track?

Or lastly should I just sell them and take the proceeds and purchase cars that are more suited to the current track I have?

Thanks for any help you can send my way, its greatly appreciated!

[chrisguyw]

Hello, You may want to provide some pics. of the cars (particularly the motors) as some of the vintage motors may draw more current than many of the digital systems can reliably supply.

As far as an analog system you should have no (or less) issues, depending again on the current (amp) draw of the motors, and your power supply.

Again, a few pics. would certainly help.

Cheers
Chris Walker

[Apexdreamer50]

OK, sounds like a good idea Chris Walker. I will post some pics within the next hour or so.

[Apexdreamer50]

Ok guys here are some pretty quick pics of the motors involved. I never even thought about the motors being compatible with my current transformer. Did I mention I'm new to this slot car business?

Anyway thanks again for the help its really appreciated. It would be nice to know if I am just wasting time thinking about running these cars are my current track. It might be a much better idea to part with these cars and get cars suited for my track?

[dw5555]

Can't get much more vintage than this..1/32 chip works well.

[SpeedyNH]

wow a Cox 36D and everything! sounds like 1965. i don't recognize the chassis tho.

[dw5555]

I had to go down and look. I have 2 that style but neither are marked. A couple of AMT chassis and some brass chassis. Your right on the date, 65/66 is when we were running them.

[SpeedyNH]

we soon moved to dewound 16D's, 26D's. and brass homemade chassis. i still have some left. lots of stories there.
i still would like to know whose chassis that is. looks like a Revell, but not.

[Fitzy]

I'm thinking this is worth the money if you use Carrera digital and analog prob best of both worlds!

https://www.carreraslots.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Category_Code=132ACCTRAC&Product_Code=TS34486

[Bluevista]

Extend the IR diode on the chip with a pigtail and you can chip anything that a chip will fit physically fit inside of, or rubber band it to the roof or trunk lid, could even drag it around in a trailer.

[Apexdreamer50]

Haha, drag it around in a trailer. Got a kick out of that modification. That looks like an expensive way to go by purchasing the Carerra analog / digital track piece and set up box @ $250.00. Possibly I could find a used one somewhere.

[Apexdreamer50]

Isn't this all I really need? Just replace my digital section with this? However I'm not sure if my digital power transformer will plug into this?

Carrera 10115 2.4 GHz Wireless Set for Analog (Evolution) 132

[32lbking]

You CAN just put that in, INSTEAD of the control unit [but never have an analog power track and a CU hooked up at the same time] You WILL need an analog power supply as your digital plug will not plug into the analog base. But there are a couple of caveats..
1. If you have jumper wires, they must be run SEPARATELY from Lane 1 to lane 1 and L2 to L2 to run analog [and + rail to +rail and vice versa].
For instance, your digital track is essentially 1 lane ELECTRONICALLY. If the track is DIGITAL ONLY you could run one 15' jumper wire on lane 1 and just run a short jumper across from L1 to L2 on the section of track that the 15' jumper is ran to [ eliminating the need for another separate 15' jumper for L2].

2. I'm not sure if this has been disproved or not, but when I built my track years ago, I and most guys were filing the ends of the rails just a little on the Lane Changers where the lanes meet in the middle, between the 2 LC track sections to prevent a short from L1 to L2 when running analog.

Anyone that knows for sure that this does not need to be done, PLEASE feel free to state that here.

3. I don't have a curved LC, but have heard that they are wired differently than straight LC's [maybe a jumper between lanes?] and have to be modified somehow? Not sure on that one.

I swap between CU and analog control tracks on my layout and have had no issues.
One unintended benefit if you get the 10115 set that you pictured is that those controllers will also work with the CU for digital racing.
Randy

[Apexdreamer50]

Thank you all for the replies, I really appreciate the assistance. It looks like there are several ways to go about solving this issue. I suppose its just a matter of figuring out which way works for me the best. Considering that in the future I am most likely going to accumulate more than several analog cars a more permanent solution might be a better option to install right now so I am ready for when that day comes.
In reality after going through the cars that have survived close to 50 years or more it looks like I can salvage about 3 solid cars. At this rate I might be better off just installing the Carrera chip in these and face the music as I collect more analog cars.

[Apexdreamer50]

This is one of the chassis I plan on keeping and trying to get running again. I see that it’s a K&B and appears to be easily adjusted for different bodies.
I did have a question though regarding the mechanism on the right rear drive wheel. Is this some kind of differential that came on the scene way back when or what?
If you know what this is and are familiar with how they work please let me know.

Thanks