Slot Cars

[the_matrix_guy]

Any of you guys do slor car racing? I had slot car tracks growing up and I wanted to buy a decent one for my nephew. So I started looking into it, and oh boy — I am down the rabbit hole. I had no idea this was a full blown hobby and I love the detail on the 1/32 scale. I believe that growing up, the popularized scale was smaller than 1/32. But now 1/32 seems to be the norm.


Not my pics below, but I’m interested in building something similar: a table for a dedicated track (not too big) as I don’t have the space. Half a standard room at most.

[BrickHaus]

this is sick. Closest thing to this I've recently ran with is my Anki drive kit. Slot cars would be way cooler.

[the_matrix_guy]

I saw some inexpensive sets in case you want it for your kids and wanna test the waters. You dont necessarily have to go head first into the hobby level stuff right away.

[Chuck E Ducky]

I have a few Audi and F1 1/32’s and lots of track. I know I got a bunch of track. Jump sections, drift sections, and ramp looped fit going up the wall. Railings for them are probably gone. Haven’t busted them out in a while but I definitely have some retro pieces from the 80’s as well as some recent stuff.

I may have a few C5Rs Corvette livery race cars. Slots are fun I use to see people racing them at the Fair all the time as a kid. But I think those were larger scale.

[Riot]

I had these growing up, but I’m not sure at the time I made the connection that they were “slot cars.” Like, I knew the term, and I knew I had little race cars, but I don’t think I realized until now. Haha.

[the_matrix_guy]

Same. I didnt know the term "slot cars" till I started looking just a few days ago. I was searching for "electric car race track" lol eventually I found it

[the_matrix_guy]

I have a few Audi and F1 1/32’s and lots of track. I know I got a bunch of track. Jump sections, drift sections, and ramp looped fit going up the wall. Railings for them are probably gone. Haven’t busted them out in a while but I definitely have some retro pieces from the 80’s as well as some recent stuff.

I may have a few C5Rs Corvette livery race cars. Slots are fun I use to see people racing them at the Fair all the time as a kid. But I think those were larger scale.

I am going down the rabbit hole. FAST. I am now looking at "high performance" slot cars. Haha


Some of the detail for these is impressive. It's high-end model car level of detail or better.


Post pics of your stuff (if you can). i wanna see man

[Chuck E Ducky]

Those are cool! Very detailed. I will tank some pictures next time I’m over my Moms.

[Melrosejedi]

Oh the memories, raced HO slot cars as a kid and 1/24 scale as an adult in the 90’s. We would hook three ho sets together and it was like daytona speedway and we had the tyco race center with tachs and gas gauges that would cut power to your lane when fuel was gone. I still have my 1/24 cars but it seems like a by gone sport these days.

[the_matrix_guy]

Oh the memories, raced HO slot cars as a kid and 1/24 scale as an adult in the 90’s. We would hook three ho sets together and it was like daytona speedway and we had the tyco race center with tachs and gas gauges that would cut power to your lane when fuel was gone. I still have my 1/24 cars but it seems like a by gone sport these days.

Thats dope. My nephew would get his mind blown by 1/24 scale. He just turned 7. And he has model cars that are 1/24 he has no idea 1/24 slot racing even exists.

[automeister]

I am pretty into the smaller HO scale type stuff, especially the 60 & 70s era. It is a great easy going hobby.

[the_matrix_guy]

I am pretty into the smaller HO scale type stuff, especially the 60 & 70s era. It is a great easy going hobby.

Oh shoot. That’s what I had growing up. I just looked up “HO slot cars”. They’re 1/64 scale. That was the size we had. Is that still the norm. Because everywhere I looked, most online hobby shops are pushing the more expensive 1/32 & 1/24. Personally, I love the 1/32. Its the perfect sweetspot of detail and size even though it is more expensive. I am assuming the footprint of the racetracks are bigger too because back then we could assemble the starter 1/64 racetrack on a coffee table. And now I see the 1/32 is larger to accommodate for the bigger cars (obviously).

[automeister]

I do think HO is still popular. You may have enjoyed the Model Motoring stuff which I think is super cool. One thing I like about the older stuff is that it goes slower. In my opinion this makes the speed look more to scale! Some of the cars appear to go way too fast for their size. If a full size car was going an equivalent speed they would maybe be going 200 mph. Which might be fine if you are using models of modern day F1 cars, but may look silly if you are racing Mustangs and Camaros.

[the_matrix_guy]

I am pretty into the smaller HO scale type stuff, especially the 60 & 70s era. It is a great easy going hobby.

I looked it up. I guess both are the most standardized today. Would you agree?

[automeister]

I think they are both pretty standard. Both have good support. The HO stuff is easier to store as it is smaller. You can have more cars and track and build a longer track to scale without taking up as much room. Depending on how much space you have the HO scale may be desirable. The HO size is also more historic and nostalgic in my opinion (look up Model Motoring T-Jets). You do often sacrifice detail though.

[the_matrix_guy]

I think they are both pretty standard. Both have good support. The HO stuff is easier to store as it is smaller. You can have more cars and track and build a longer track to scale without taking up as much room. Depending on how much space you have the HO scale may be desirable. The HO size is also more historic and nostalgic in my opinion (look up Model Motoring T-Jets). You do often sacrifice detail though.

Excellent . Thank you.


But yeah, I remember growing up it was all 1/64. I had a few race-sets. No idea the brand or anything. Just that one set had two older Audis racing in the front. But I even loved the box

[Melrosejedi]

I would say the 1/32 and 1/24 scale are better racing in terms of car setup. I wss able to purchase different ring and pinion gear ratios, different tire compoung and diameters, motor armatures,so i could dial in the car for the track conditions. Ho is limited on parts but still ways to get more speed, but slot car racing to me was far superior to rc. The tracks we raced were 8 lane and werr computer controlled for soecs like top speed,laps completed,etc and you would race all lanes for a certain time period. Pole position would chose starting lane.

[the_matrix_guy]

I would say the 1/32 and 1/24 scale are better racing in terms of car setup. I wss able to purchase different ring and pinion gear ratios, different tire compoung and diameters, motor armatures,so i could dial in the car for the track conditions. Ho is limited on parts but still ways to get more speed, but slot car racing to me was far superior to rc. The tracks we raced were 8 lane and werr computer controlled for soecs like top speed,laps completed,etc and you would race all lanes for a certain time period. Pole position would chose starting lane.

Sweet. Yeah, from the YT videos I was watching yesterday, it gets pretty crazy. What are all the track conditions? I mean aside from plastic vs wood. If you go to a venue, they tell you “oh we have Carrera track” etc?

For sure, I will be getting 1/32. I just love that the hobby doubles as a model building/collecting. I even saw the blank chassis ready for painting.

[the_matrix_guy]

I would say the 1/32 and 1/24 scale are better racing in terms of car setup. I wss able to purchase different ring and pinion gear ratios, different tire compoung and diameters, motor armatures,so i could dial in the car for the track conditions. Ho is limited on parts but still ways to get more speed, but slot car racing to me was far superior to rc. The tracks we raced were 8 lane and werr computer controlled for soecs like top speed,laps completed,etc and you would race all lanes for a certain time period. Pole position would chose starting lane.

1/24 is very appealing too. The cars are big enough to showcase and would be funner to tune IMO. I was watching this bench test

https://youtube.com/shorts/zrrSobMVug0?si=wcURuPYGsRRtN1Jt

…the only problem is the size of the track. I dont have the space for it.