News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on NYC’s competitive slotcar racing scene (2019).

Re:NYC’s competitive slotcar racing scene (2019) by zabzonk on Monday April 12, 2021 @12:28PM (#26781382)
When I was at boarding school in the 1960s, four or five of us brought all our Scalextric track, cars and other stuff to school, and every weekend we would build a giant layout in one of the classrooms (this used to really piss of the people who's form-room it was, because we didn't always put the desks and tables back). We didn't just use Scalextric cars, but Revel, (I had a Strombecker, which was crap, which my dad picked up in Singapore) and very popularly Airfix Mini-Coopers, which were cheap, and went fast if you fiddled with track brushes and the motor commutator.

Oh, happy days - when you weren't being bullied and being sent out to play "rugger" in the rain and mud.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NYC’s competitive slotcar racing scene (2019) by King-Aaron on Monday April 12, 2021 @09:26PM (#26787194)
In the early 90's we had a Scalextric set, with several cars that my brothers and I raced against each-other. I later bought myself a really cool Lancer Evo V car, that had a 4WD system and 'grippy' tyres.

I soon binned the 4Wd and standard motor in it, and replaced it with a high (high!) speed brushless motor that spun to some 25k rpm, got some 'competition' sticky tyres for it, and added a neodymium magnet to the nose to 'try' and keep it on the track.

There's still a Mitsubishi lancer shaped dent in the back wall of my Dad's shed, haha.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:NYC’s competitive slotcar racing scene (2019) by zabzonk on Tuesday April 13, 2021 @10:14AM (#26792416)
A friend of mine had a 4WD grand prix slot car - I can't remember what it was, but I do remember it was slow because it had steerable front wheels with the power being applied to them via universal joints, which was way over-engineered. It looked beautiful, though.

I also used to smash cars into walls - I had a Scalextric AC Cobra, that was basically just a flexible plastic shell with a big motor inside - couldn't corner worth a damn, but the fastest thing we had in a straight line. We set up a drag strip and fired it and others off the end.

[ Parent | on HN ]