Before Sims There Were SLOTS!

[FlashQld]

I am almost 62 years old and I still have a 12 meter Scalectric slotcar track called Opzoldering in my home.
Time measurement is done with an old laptop and an Arduino. I even build the track in BTB for rFactor and GTR2.
Here's a video ;

There is also a blog about my track (in Dutch) ; http://opzoldering.blogspot.nl/

Nice - I really appreciate a good set up and I love the timing. Good work. Makes me want to build a new track myself.

 

[bondyboy]

Received the Aurora AFX Ghost racer track, on Xmas eve, when i was around 10, was hand down the best Xmas i ever had!

I wish i still had it today. I remeber trying to build a jump by making a track going up and connecting the track with wires!

That looks similar to the one I had but if you had to do that with the wires then it's not the same, mine was able to operate with a break in the track, the small cars had magnets in them and you could set up ramps with varying levels of success of landing and carrying on; in fact I remember just holding the starting piece and firing the cars off at my big sister lol

 

[WPxNJ]

Great thread and thanks to all for those great pictures.

Our fun with Aurora HO slot cars were during the "Snake & Mongoose" NHRA Funny Car wars.
We quickly figured out wheelie set ups. Bend and break off the pickup shoe tabs. Dab of glue on the pickup spring base and slightly stretch the springs. Cut a matchbook cover into strips, about 3 thick, pierce, mount the guide pin and glue to the modified pick up shoes.

Finessing the plungers we had a full quarter mile wheelie in two lanes and laughed our behinds off.

 

[MrLonguinha]

I had (10 years at the time) and my 2 brothers (14 and 17 respectivamete) we won our first autorama Estrela (as it is known the slot cars in Brazil) in Christmas of 1976, version Formula 1, lane in eight with inclined curve .. came with 2 cars a McLaren M23 and a Copersucar, these cars stayed with my brothers, my father bought 2 Ferrari 312T from Lauda that was launched in October of the same year for us ... to start we started to make championships, to buy new cars, other pieces and other versions of autorama ... Today I have about 35 cars (all F1 of different times, original and customized) and 3 more autoramas, that can set up a great track, but lack space currently.

 

[poir.qc]

That looks similar to the one I had but if you had to do that with the wires then it's not the same, mine was able to operate with a break in the track, the small cars had magnets in them and you could set up ramps with varying levels of success of landing and carrying on; in fact I remember just holding the starting piece and firing the cars off at my big sister lol

Humm... The more i think of it, after what you wrote, the less sure i am about connecting the tracks to do jumps...

But i think we had the same track. Cars had magnet beneat them. I didn't trow cars at my older sister tho. Did start the drying machine when i knew she hid in it when playing hide and seek! Don't i have to tell that i ran for my life when she got out of it!

 

[Deleted member 205301]

I loved the banked corner.
View attachment 243015

...had exactly the same track (prefered the hairspin) , with a Porsche carrera vs a renault Alpine ...back to 1985...
@++

 

[testdriver77]

In my case simracing was before slot cars

Since few months we started with my son to enlarge our collection and its really funny.
The cars (carrera 132 digital) have surprisengly lot of grip
From time to time we change our layout. Next step is to buy a pit lane and the app connector which allows to display times and another stuff on a tv or similar device.
Pit lane is cool because you can simulate fuel consumption.
And its a good variety instead to sit in front of pc or console....

 

[Ryan Soucy]

Magnum 440-X2....

(mic drop)

 

[Pywackett-Barchetta]

My household still has some old NASCAR ones. Once, a few years ago, I left to go to a convention in Canada and came home to find that my parents had gotten bored and set up the entire kitchen and dining room full of every slot car track we'd had, like something out of Stunt Track Driver.

I can't leave those two alone for a minute.

 

[Fil140]

For me and my sons, sim racing and scalextric go hand in hand!

 

[Fil140]

 

[Fanapryde]

I had several slot sets over the years:
- Jouef (yes, I am that old)
- Scalextric
- Faller
- Ninco was the last one, a 15 meter long track.

I even made a Nordschleife (old) layout with the (smaller) Faller track. This is not my picture, but almost the same track. Mine had more trees and other decoration stuff, but you get the idea.
Now I regret not having made more pictures in those days...

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

cool, i had the track set with the 180 degree turn as well, love how they left extra space for the car on the inside to go round in a slide, it was so much fun when you managed to pull it off