OT: Slot cars and Radio Control cars

[Tank Engine]

Ok, come out of the woodwork slot-racing peeps.

Oldest Little Tank is turning eight in October and has a yearning for a slot car set (Yes! )

So the question is - What brand?

Things to consider:
- Little Tanks = 3 boys so this track has to be tough and be scalable
- not interested in choosing a brand that is manfactured by German Monks to precise detail and costs $2000 per car

The obvious answer, I thought, was Scalextric but wanted to make sure before I spend the first few dollars that will end up being a few thousand $$$ over the next 10 years.

Thanks.



Modified by Tank Engine at 10:49 AM 9-2-2008

[Lima]

Don't be a tight arse, get him one of these.

[s8n]

TE, there is a cool slot car place on Railway Road, marrickville. Worth visiting, the guy has LOADS of that kinda stuff in there...

[vwlatino]

Used to be a track near my mums old place.

I had a womp womp.

Any one know what I'm talking about?

Front wheels were conical with o-ring tyres, orange sponge rears, highly wound motor. I think the track was 8 or 10 lanes wide.

I had a step-brother that had a scaleletrix track in the garage, it took up most of the place. He had full on mountains, bridges etc, all built up on tressel (SP) tables. I was only 10yo, he was 18-19 or so and I was only really allowed to watch. Had all handpainted cars.

Was so good.

I'll get my boy a track one day. We go into Hobbyco and check it all out every now and then.

Scalextric is the go

EDIT just googled womp womp and found a pic.

mine even had 2 small rods tacked along in a few spots as chassis stiffening, they went from the front in a "V" to the sides right before the back wheels and holes where the body clips sit.


Modified by vwlatino at 12:18 PM 9-2-2008

[auR32]

Rther than splash a bundle on a setup that will get trashed and left at the bottom of the toy box, drop a little bit on a throw-away that tests the waters:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008....html

[Ricky Roma]

get some hot rare olde school ones imho

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Scalext...wItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/SCALEXT...wItem

baaap baaaap

I had a setup based on suzuka as a kid on a massive table it was elite. Had landscaped stuff and all the little men and the lap counters and stands and all sortsa ****, old man spent thousands on it voer the years... and i cant find a single photo of it anywhere haha



Modified by Ricky Roma at 7:37 PM 9-1-2008

[IML337]

Do the slot car tracks that you can visit and pay to use still exist? It could work out to be a better option if the novelty wears off...? The setups are better than anything you can put together on the loungeroom floor too.

Then again, I guess it's not like your kids can just go there at their own free will on their own

[sweatyworker]

There used to be a coin op raceway in Perth called Strombeckers. You had to have the wheel turned correctly to get juice to the car. The setup was massive and old school 50's style. It allegedly still exists somewhere. Downstairs they had first gen video games like Asteroids and Lunar Lander.

I had a Scalextic set that would have been bought early 80's. I amalgamated it with another guys set in a garage he had and then his ex wife came and repossessed it my gear included It had a Black Wolf-racing F1 car and some other thing. I always lusted after the set that had Silver and Gold 930 turbos in it.

That being said the set was a maintenance nightmare with the brushes always wearing out. I probably spent more time fiddling with it to get it going than actually playing with it.

[sweatyworker]

Damn the actual track of my mis-spent youth sold on ebay last year for under 3k.

http://routedtrack.hobby-site....0.pdf

[Ricky Roma]

he needs to use bigger fonts in his ad tho

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by Ricky Roma »

he needs to use bigger fonts in his ad tho

I like the fact that the Amiga is used as a selling point.

Good info guys keep it coming.

I always find that whenever I start a "Something for my kids" thread all you b@stards get all misty-eyed about your youth. hahahaha

[IML337]

Quote, originally posted by Tank Engine »

I like the fact that the Amiga is used as a selling point.

Word. I seem to recall visiting more than one track as a kid that was operated by a C=64 or Amiga.

[Lima]

So when can we come around to try it out?

[sweatyworker]

This was the Black F1 car in my set:

The Red Martini Racing Brabham. The horror, a childs toy with booze sponsorship

The Gold Porsche, I forgot they had working lights so state of the art:

Whatever you do don't look at the other stuff he has you won't be able to resist Hint - Mexico

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by sweatyworker »

Whatever you do don't look at the other stuff he has you won't be able to resist Hint - Mexico

I was already 'thinking' about augmenting the set with some Ford Rallye Sport goodness.

[WAY]

When I was 8, I had all sorts of radio controlled car. That's what little Tank needs! I started with Nikko stuff, then moved on to Tamiya and then Kyosho and then all sorts of more advanced stuff. When OlieWAY grows up, I will buy him any radio control car he wants (because daddy wants to play them haha).

[IML337]

Quote, originally posted by WAY »

When I was 8, I had all sorts of radio controlled car. That's what little Tank needs! I started with Nikko stuff, then moved on to Tamiya and then Kyosho and then all sorts of more advanced stuff. When OlieWAY grows up, I will buy him any radio control car he wants (because daddy wants to play them haha).

Only the other day I saw this cab, and got all nostalgic. I may head out to the store that sells them and buy some stuff Hopefully Mammy posts some pics of his Tamiya collection in another thread - he has some wicked old classics.

I also remember when I had Slot cars as a kid, it was obviously my dads choice of gift as he was more excited about them than we were haha

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by WAY »

When I was 8, I had all sorts of radio controlled car. That's what little Tank needs! I started with Nikko stuff, then moved on to Tamiya and then Kyosho and then all sorts of more advanced stuff. When OlieWAY grows up, I will buy him any radio control car he wants (because daddy wants to play them haha).

Wise words Way. This is also on little Tank's radar.
Having aboys only household makes for great presents for Dad.

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by IML337 »

Hopefully Mammy posts some pics of his Tamiya collection in another thread - he has some wicked old classics.

I was waiting for Mammy to chime in at some stage.
He has a reputation to maintain for the best collector of serious toys.....

[Flaps]

Quote, originally posted by WAY »

I will buy him any radio control car he wants (because daddy wants to play them haha).

Won't be long until these are radio controlled.

[Ricky Roma]

Quote, originally posted by Flaps »

Won't be long until these are radio controlled.

they just about were before two way telemetry was banned haha

[Lima]

If they were radio controlled at least they'd have more personality than Kimi.

[vwlatino]

I saw a chap one day, down at little manly cove (or beach?) he had a full size remote control speed boat and was standing on the boat ramp controlling it.

I bought my son a tamiya car, well I bought it for us. He watched me build it and he drives it for about 1 min each go on full steering lock and full throttle as well, he can hardly hold the controller on his own.

Actually his older sister was more into it at first.

[WAY]

Tim/Mike, check this one out. This is sooo cool! I want it! Just wished that OlieWAY is a few years older so that I don't have to explain why I have yet another radio control car...
http://www.tamiya.com/english/...x.htm

[TheHamofMam]

Is the Harris Street motor Museum still operating?
If so, make your way there and check out their massive slot car set-up.
I used to go there with my mate and his kids. Geeky fun.

[WAY]

And here is Tamiya's version of slot car.
http://www.tamiya.com/english/rcmn4wd/index.htm

[TheHamofMam]

They've been out for a while. Pretty big in Japan but not as skillful as a proper slot track.

[Stifflers Mom]

Quote, originally posted by Ricky Roma »

get some hot rare olde school ones imho

I like Wes' idea of getting olde skool cars but you run the risk of getting some broken tripe in the post a la:

ONE WINDOW PILLAR IS BENT AS SEEN IN THE PICTURES.

THE STEERING IS WORING GOOD

[IML337]

Quote, originally posted by WAY »

Tim/Mike, check this one out. This is sooo cool! I want it! Just wished that OlieWAY is a few years older so that I don't have to explain why I have yet another radio control car... http://www.tamiya.com/english/...x.htm

holy crap, I'm totally gonna get one of those!

[IML337]

Quote, originally posted by TheHamofMam »

They've been out for a while. Pretty big in Japan but not as skillful as a proper slot track.

Could be a perfect beginning for some young kids to get into it maybe?

[TheHamofMam]

Yeah, could be good for azn kids; teach them something about throttle control.

[Tank Engine]

Quote, originally posted by TheHamofMam »

Yeah, could be good for azn kids; teach them something about throttle control.

Post of the Day

[WAY]

Quote, originally posted by IML337 »

holy crap, I'm totally gonna get one of those!

Get 2 and bring one home the next time you come back. It's so much cheaper over there than here. I normally go to a store on Orchard. Can't remember the name of the centre, but it is a small centre and not a high profile one. The shop is in the basement level and there is a maccas there too.

[YellowDieselGolf]

If you want to test the waters before spending $$$s, get an AFX set - they're strong and some tracks have loops and climb walls.

Otherwise, Scalextric is the go easily upgraded to digital and high quality

I sell both on my weekend job.

[TheHamofMam]

Hey Pete, can you get TamTech Frogs?