What's a good slot car set?

[Alex Franke]

It's a random question, I know, but I figure if anywhere someone here will probably know the answer...

My son's generous Opa wants to get me -- er, I mean him -- a nice quality slot car set, up to about $200 or so, I think because he knows how much fun I had with them when I was a kid. I think we had a Tyco set back in the day, but that's about the extend of my product knowledge.

Any pointers or recommendations?

[Uncle Cracker]

For a home layout, you're gonna be talking about either 1/32 or HO (1/64). In 1/32, look for SCX or Carrera sets, and for HO, look for Tomy or Tyco sets (according to my neighbor's 12-y.o.).

[Alex Franke]

For a home layout, you're gonna be talking about either 1/32 or HO (1/64). In 1/32, look for SCX or Carrera sets, and for HO, look for Tomy or Tyco sets (according to my neighbor's 12-y.o.).

Awesome! Does he know it Tomy makes AFX? I can't tell if AFX is a brand or a technology... I think the HO size is the one we had when I was a kid.

This one looks insane: http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Raceway-.../dp/B001NOVSE4

[Alex Franke]

Does he know it Tomy makes AFX? I can't tell if AFX is a brand or a technology...

Looks like I see Tomy in the corner under AFX in a picture of the box on what looks like another listing of the same product...

(Yes, I know I just quoted and answered myself -- it's late. )

[Uncle Cracker]

Awesome! Does he know it Tomy makes AFX?

Yes, he says they do.

[Daryl]

Thanks for the memories. Mine was a Strombecker.

[dbhost]

What a trip down memory lane! I remember the Tyco HO set I had when I was a kid. Those go GREAT with toy train sets...

My favorite car for that set was the Porsche 917...

[gsmittle]

What a trip down memory lane! I remember the Tyco HO set I had when I was a kid. Those go GREAT with toy train sets...

My favorite car for that set was the Porsche 917...

How'd you get it to fit on that itty bitty track?

I think mine was a Tycho??? I remember playing with it off and on for years. It was really old school—the cars had little skinny tires and the controllers would get very warm in your hand. Almost wish I had one…

g.

[Uncle Cracker]

Some of my fondest memories as a kid were racing my Aurora minis with the other neighborhood kids. I had a hundred or so of those little beauties, all tricked out (there were many sneaky performance tricks) and a dedicated room of about 20' x 25', in which I had built two very large layouts. I tossed papers to earn the money I spent on the hobby, but it was worth it. I can only imagine the collector value that stuff might have today, but I'll never know, because my brother sneaked it all out and sold it for dope money when I went away to school...

Anyway, there is a company called Auto World that markets modern versions of those old TJ500 cars, complete with their amazing pancake motors. Those were the days...

[Alex Franke]

This is what we got. It's a blast!

[LCHIEN]

This is what we got. It's a blast!

so, what brand/model is it? Amazon Link?

[Uncle Cracker]

so, what brand/model is it? Amazon Link?

Click the photo, Loring. It is a link to the Amazon listing.

[Alex Franke]

What a GREAT way to feel like a kid again! I immediately recognized the sounds and even the smells, and almost instinctively knew how to disassemble and tune up the cars.

Here's the first set-up -- 8'x4', what they recommended in the box. We forgot to add the guard rails.



Then we got permission to bring it downstairs and managed to fit in every piece but one short straight section.

The "snakepit":


The starting line / lap counter:


The 10-foot straightaway with a banked turn at the end:

[LCHIEN]

turning green with envy....

[bigstick509]

Looks great, but as I remember the next step is a trip to HD for a couple sheets of ply and then a couple hundred spent at the hobby store on scale building, trees ect...