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Why I stopped slot cars in the '60s


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#1 Jay Mendoza

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Posted 09 February 2016 - 08:13 PM

We got a Strombecker figure eight for Christmas of '64, the cars were terrible, hard to stay on the track for one lap. It was those hard, skinny rubber rires. Undeterred however, we played for hours on it until we broke the cars and track. My cousin lived near Rolling Hills Raceway, you could see it from his house, so we would ride our bikes over there and rent cars. The cars were the same as the Strombecker in that they handled terribly and you spent most of your time running over to the far side of the track to put it back in its lane when it de-slotted. It was almost impossible for an eight-year old kid to make a complete lap, even on the red Imperial track, but again, we loved trying to drive and dreamed of being able to afford a brass "thingy", or a nice Russkit.   

 

Then there was those guys with the handmade plywood pit boxes full of nice pro slot cars, man were they fast with their anglewinders. I can't tell you how many times we got cussed out because they hit our rental cars when we spun out, or we crashed into them trying going full bore down the straight in an effort to keep up.

 

A Cox La Cucaracha was on my Xmas list, as we could barely afford an hour for rental of a car and controller. Recall back then, that middle class kids such as myself were lucky to get 75 cents allowance a week. If we had five bucks to our name, we would have spent it all at the track, believe me.  

 

That year, I got a Monogram, or maybe it was a Revell, Jimmy Clark F1 Lotus plastic kit for my birthday that could be made into a slot car with an additional conversion kit. It had a green plastic body, chrome-plated rims, mirrors, engine, and suspension, and was realistic, very cool. I spent hours building it, and saved for another month to buy the slot car chassis, motor, and running gear kit. At long last, I was ready to hit the track with my car, and was really stoked because this car was so much cooler than a rental Stromberg, and had a better motor, too.  

 

All my hopes and efforts were dashed to pieces when the Lotus deslotted as I flew into the high banked turn at the end of the main straignt and it disintegrated into a bunch of pieces. The die-cast chassis was shattered so I could not even run it without the body. I had paid for an hour track time, using all my remaining money, and had no car to run, so I left with tail between my legs and let a guy with a wing car use my lane.

 

So, by the time I had saved up enought for a La Cucaracha, or Russkit, the track had closed. It was economics for us kids, we just could not afford good cars, or more than an hour a week of rental track time. It was not a lack of interest, it was that the equipment we could afford was inssufucient, and we were outclassed by the guys that had the good equipment to such an extent that it precluded us from ever being able to be competitive, even though we aspired to become racers. The cars of the era, especially the scale ones, were easily destroyed in a crash and were not durable, even though they were beautiful. At our age, it took too much skill to build your own brass car without some kind of help and mentoring.

 

I often thought that if they had just equipped the rental cars with foam tires, it would have made the whole experience so much better, and at least we would have been able to get a complete lap in without crashing, but they never did that. Today, they do have really good handling rental cars at Buena Park, and my kids love to go there to drive.

 

So one reason the "next generation," meaning us kid under 10 years old, did not participate was the sport had evolved to the point that it had become too expensive for us. What we did instead was to go buy inexpensive Aurora AFX cars and run HO at some kid's house. We would pool together our HO sets to make a giant track in the garage and race. The HO cars could take real punishment and survive, plus they handled much better than the 1/24 and 1/32 cars, and we could play for hours. I'm sure that reall hurt the few remaining commercial tracks because we were not patronizing them and instead we were buying HO stuff at department stores.  

 

Today, I have gotten back into it and built a couple Hanada D3 Can-Am cars, one has a Lola T70 body, the other is a rolling chassis for a back-up. They are a lot of fun, I just run them for enjoyment and don't bother to enter the races.


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#2 Joe Mig

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Posted 09 February 2016 - 09:30 PM

Great story. Now get some practice and go try a race with your scratchbuilt Can-Am car. It's a lot of fun and since you're older now you could learn and understand the se-tup better. Nothing like racing a car you built and then making a change or just build another one.

 

Hey, welcome back.


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#3 Mike Patterson

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Posted 09 February 2016 - 10:39 PM

Jay,

 

Great post!!!

 

All my local tracks had closed before the anglewinders hit. Cox La Cucarachas were the last hot slot car around here. And I never saw much evidence of scratchbuilding; everyone pretty much ran RTR-based cars.


I am not a doctor, but I played one as a child with the girl next door.


#4 Dennis David

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:02 AM

Jay,

I think many of us look back on the "good old days" and have forgotten some of the frustrations that you have accurately recalled. I do remember a time when it was hard to keep your car in the slot and when the "other guy's" cars were so much faster than ours. This was before the modern day flexis came out but after most had given up on slot cars cars.


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#5 Vay Jonynas

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:33 AM

While I never wiped out badly enough to destroy my car, I'd always end up losing litte pieces such as the rear view mirror or wheel knock-offs from my lovingly-assembled Monogram Ferraris which broke my heart. That amounted to a powerful disincentive to running my kit cars, and probably one of the reasons styrene bodies gave way to Lexan ones. 
 
Even now when I'm buying a ready-to-run gem from Scalextric or Carrera, I look for the ones that don't have rear wings. I don't want to have to constantly glue them back on, assuming I can find them somewhere on the track of course.
 
:shok:

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#6 Dennis David

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:05 AM

One reason why I only run my scale cars on the flat track. I also look for bodies that extend beyond the rear wing. For that the Slot.it Porsche GT1 Evo 98 is an almost perfect car. The only issue is the low rear deck limits the motor to their flat six if you want any suspension movement.

But that brings us to the point where modern speed bowls are not conducive to scale slot car longevity.


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#7 Michael Jr.

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 06:53 AM

I've often wondered how slot racing nearly disappeared so quickly and we lost around 4,500 slot businesses when things were as good as some believe. Seems a lot of people walked away in mass.

Maybe we should do things differently this time around.
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#8 Les Boyd

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 07:23 AM

That was almost the same experience I had at first. That was like reading my own story, but you posted it... thanks that took me back.

 

I too went to the track on my bicycle.


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#9 Steve Deiters

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 08:26 AM

It's amazing how any of us maintained any interest considering how terrible those early cars were.


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#10 Ecurie Martini

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 08:40 AM

My exit - about 1963:
 
From the "History" section of the Ecurie Martini website (www.ecuriemartini.com)
 
"All went well until one night, a competitor showed up with a rather rough looking Porsche GP car - with two 703s stuffed into the rear and dual wheels at each end of the two rear axles. It was fast. My observation that it bore little resemblance to any know car fell on deaf ears. (The counter argument was, "No, but it might have been"). Others were inspired by the success of the "road warrior" and, in the ensuing weeks, more and more bizarre arrangements appeared. This was, I suppose, the beginning of the "thingie" era. I began to build a "super car" based on a Globe industrial 6 volt motor that would turn 20,000+ and still fit in a scale body but it was never finished. In 1963 Ecurie Martini packed its cars, carefully cushioned, in their metal travelling boxes. Unfortunately, one of the casualties of this cessation was the aforementioned 1/32 300SLR which was designed to answer the handling criticisms leveled at US cars sent to England to compete by proxy. As I walked away, I strolled into "The Model Ship Chandler's" and bought a ship model."
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#11 Guy Spaulding

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 08:47 AM

Me three. A slot car track opened just a block from my home. I was too young to realize they were not faring well after a couple years in business. But I recall they got creative in trying to generate additional interest. They created "Slot Car Soccer", using two teams of four Lil Red Wagons with reversing switches installed, lined up in every-other lane to travel in opposite directions in an attempt to push a Ping-Pong ball across a goal line on a flat Paperclip track. 
 
When that track closed, I had to travel about four miles on my Schwinn Stingray, which seemed like 10 miles because it was so very hilly.


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#12 airhead

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 11:20 AM

In '65 my local track in Ohio was so busy that on a Saturday night you had to call ahead to reserve lanes for you and your date, where you would spend most of your track time putting the rental cars back on the track, not even the fast guys could make a lap with them. So where are you going with your date next Saturday? It's not going to be the slot car track.

 

By '66 all that was left were a small number of racers, not enough keep the track open, so it closed.

 

Jay, a good reason to enter an organized race is that someone else will put your car back on the track when it comes off.


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#13 eshorer

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 11:47 AM

Jay:

 

It's interesting that you mention Rolling Hills Raceway. It was there where my slot car box was stolen when I was 17. I had my controller and a car left, and that was it. I remember frantically running around looking for it, and even through the kitchen in the restaurant next door looking for it, but it was long gone. It wasn't my home track, and would have been too much hassle to keep going back to see if anything turned up.

 

That pretty much killed it for me. At the recent Checkpoint Cup, while many were leaving their boxes and cars overnight, someone asked why I was taking all my stuff home if I was just coming back the next day. I was too tired to give the real reason.

 

Eddie


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#14 Phil Hackett

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 11:55 AM

It wasn't the '60s but in 1970 Revell shut down the local track. I wasn't driving yet and five mile one-way bike rides weren't gonna happen either.

 

Spent the next 2-1/2 years tearing into the real things (1:1 cars)…


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#15 Dennis David

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:20 PM

Seeing how many of us have had the same experience, it's interesting how things have changed and how tracks have evolved such that for the most part they dictate what cars can run on them. Sure you can run scale cars on a King but racing alongside a wing or flexi car that's running twice as fast is just asking for trouble.

Scale cars today are not produced by any American company except for the odd nostalgia remake. European companies who produce scale cars only make them for home or club tracks. The amount of work required to make a slot.it car run on a commercial track at any level of speed requires a lot of tuning and often finicky modification that's not attractive to most.

In the other case if you accept modern cars then your average flexi to Retro cars run great and there is a lot of fantastic racing going on but at much higher speeds.

You could say now are the golden years of slot cars but unfortunately you'll often be talking to a mostly empty raceway.


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#16 Jay Mendoza

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:26 PM

Now days, you see more parents with thier kids at the tracks, who like me, are trying to introduce them to something we loved to do in our childhood.  If there are enough kids present at a practice, then a short informal race is possible and we take turns marshalling. The appeal of actual real time control is something they cannot get from video games, and once kids get a taste of it, they like it. What it takes however is an involved parent who is willing to spend time and assist their kids in learning the ins and outs of slot car driving and mantenance. What a drag, having to go play with slot cars with my kids at the track and watch them smile and laugh, I don't know why anybody would ever do it!!!

 

Eddie, I take it someone swipped your box while you were driving? What a dirt bag, taking some kids stuff, pretty low. Do you remember the growler they had by the counter for checking your armature for shorts?

 

Rolling Hills was a real nice raceway with four tracks as I recall, and a big uncrowded area. They had about everything at the counter, even custom-made brass chassis with ball bearing rear axles, and custom painted Lexan bodies. I seem to recall one track (orange?) had coin-operated timers on it. The Shenks were very nice and helpful people. We used to go there on weekends to watch and help mashal the big races to earn track time.



#17 Uncle Fred

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:43 PM

I too graduated from home sets to commercial raceways, the first of which was Polk's in NYC. But I could drive fairly well and loved every minute I spent at the raceway. I read magazines with all sorts of how-to articles and quickly graduated to scratchbuilding chassis.

 

I remember arriving at Glen Oaks Raceway for the Tuesday night races and waiting for the kids to finish their track time so we could start practicing and noticing that none of them stayed. Slot Cars were just toys to them. Very few got involved in racing.


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#18 Keith Tanaka

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 12:57 PM

Jay, on another thread (posted last year?) you posted about the heydays of the '60s and Rolling Hills Raceway. You mentioned my name previously in the other thread and how you liked slot cars in those days. Today's slot cars are much faster and the atmosphere at most raceways is different from the heydays, especially on weekends. 

 

I'm sure you're aware but in case you aren't, Buena Park Raceway has "hardbody" slot car races each month (third Sunday of each month). These slot cars are the slowest racing class today but they represent a type of slot car building/racing which appeals to those who are more in favor of "scale" looking slot cars. We utilize the same materials and scratchbuilding techniques as used during the heydays of the '60s.

 

Scratchbuilt hardbody slot cars were not common in the heydays, but it's becoming more popular these days especially with the baby boomers. If you have any interest in scale-looking cars and scratchbuilding, take a look at our website: hardbodyracing.com

 

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Team Rolling Hills circa '66-'68


#19 John Streisguth

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:06 PM

I came up through slots both in HO and 1/24. HO was always at home and at friends' houses, 1/24 at the commercial raceways. I tried my hand at organized racing, quickly found that any commercially-built frame was not competitive with the latest from the builders, so I started building based on articles in Car Model magazine and the Model Car Racing (?) newspaper.

 

Having Nutley Raceway as my home track was a curse and a blessing. LOL.


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#20 Vay Jonynas

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:28 PM

What a drag, having to go play with slot cars with my kids at the track and watch them smile and laugh, I don't know why anybody would ever do it!!!

 

 

What?! And take time off from drinking beer and watching TV? Talk about a non-starter...
  
:wacko2:


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#21 Vay Jonynas

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:41 PM

 If you have any interest in scale-looking cars and scratchbuilding, take a look at our website: hardbodyracing.com

 

D3 Hardbody Racing

 

Lovely, lovely cars! I like the 1930s Ford Coupes and the 1967-76 era NASCAR stockers the best.

 

:)


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#22 Jay Mendoza

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Posted 10 February 2016 - 02:02 PM

Yeah, Keith, I remember you from Rolling Hills, and we attended as spectators, and helped the Shenks at the 1967 Car Model race. Glen Toma won the static beauty contest, and years later (1989) I recognized him at Futaba when we both worked there.  I still recall seeing you and some other guys practicing with your team shirts on at Rolling Hills.  You helped my cousin sand his rear tires true to get the correct ride heigth on his Cucaracha, which BTW, he never let me drive....rats!  The Rolling Hills team drivers were very graciouse to us kids, as opposed to others that treated us like fodder. Oh, but to have been able to afford one of those transparent sparkle red Cox controllers!   My love of the sport was due to the potential and prospect of someday reaching the levels of sophistication that the older, more experienced slot racers had acheived. The tracks died, but the flame kept burning! I ran into Mike Reedy and Gene Hustings while working for Futaba and Tekin, and bought a Proline Go Kart from  Doug Henline in the 1980s, and recognized them all from events at Rolling Hills back in the late 1960s. There was a track on PCH, not far from Eschelman st in Lomita too, don't recall the name. 

 

I would love to see a class based on those repop AMT kit cars, as they are kind of standard and availlable at a reasonable cost. With scale, it would be nice if half the total event score would be based on appearance, the other half on track performance.  I remember guys buying the original AMT, Revell and Monogram cars back then and adapting them to a chassis like a Classic or Russkit, or even a jail door brass frame. Some had working head and tail lights as well.  This dwindled when the Lexan bodies and sidewinders became availlable.

 

CORRECTION:  The car I destroyed at Rolling Hills was a Monogram Lotus 33 GP By Monogram, it had a brass chassis, which was badly tweaked in the crash. I was misstaken that it had a die cast frame, that must have been one of my later cars I also destroyed due to inexperience, possibly a Cox Ford GT. All my first cars were built from kits and had hard styrene bodies. The detail was excellent on those molded bodies, engines and drivers.  Forgive my memory if some details are off, it's been almost 50 years since the "good old days".



#23 Vay Jonynas

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 01:33 PM

It's amazing how any of us maintained any interest considering how terrible those early cars were.

 

 

My first slot car was a 1/24 scale Monogram Ferrari 275P that I carefully assembled in 1965. 

 

Monogram%20Ferrari_zpsa4po6ril.jpg

 

Monogram%20Ferrar_zpspxxwmtym.jpg

 

I took it to the track upstairs in the hobby department of Cowan's Hardware in downtown London, Ontario and found that the tires wouldn't hold to the banked track. The car just slid down the banks. The fellow behind the counter told me that a pair of slicks would solve the problem. Now I was reluctant to "adulterate" my lovingly assembled kit with non-Monogram parts, but I had no alternative if I wanted to actually run it so I bought the slicks.

 

That's when I discovered that my beautiful little Ferrari had a tendency to bleed small pieces after contact with the side of the track. Very sad.

 

:o


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#24 stumbley

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:01 PM

Guys, you might want to take a look at ScaleAuto or BRM cars. They are scale hardbody 1/24 cars that run very well on commercial tracks (without glue). Not all European manufacturers are building strictly for home or club racing.

 

ScaleAuto: http://www.scaleauto...lot-racing-cars

BRM: http://store.brmmode...us_homepage.asp


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#25 Uncle Fred

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Posted 11 February 2016 - 05:18 PM

I had a chance to run a Scaleauto car and it was fast enough and handled well enough to be a lot of fun.  The BRM cars seem to be more cumbersome.


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