PCEngineFans.com - The PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 Community Forum
Non-NEC Console Related Discussion => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: FiftyQuid on December 30, 2012, 11:46:44 AM
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Back when I was a kid, the best gift my Dad got me was an 8' x 4' sheet of plywood. I painted that sucker green, and painted a blue river that led to a lake in the middle. Around it I put a AFX slot car track, sprinkled sand near the banked turns, bought moss from a local hobby store to make makeshift trees, and shrubs. I'd cut "Coke" ads out of magazines and make billboards with them. I had access to all 4 sides of the track, and that sheet of plywood monopolised one section of the unfinished basement. I remember spending entire days down in the basement. Taking apart the slot cars, cleaning the bushings, swapping the bodies. I even cleaned the track with some special un-oxidizing eraser. I'm really not sure what that thing did. My Dad must have loved it. He always knew where I was, and it inspired a lot of creativity.
Whew... Now that I've relived my past, I'm thinking of getting into it again. I've been looking at the slot car tracks on Carrera.com and man, slot cars have changed a ton since the old AFX days. It looks awesome! I'm looking to buy a starting kit and then buy pieces to make it my own, but I haven't decided on a scale of track/car to go with. I've only looked at Carrera to date.
Is anyone else on the forum into slot cars? Any manufacturers I should be looking at, or anything you can tell me about your preferences in track/cars/manufacturers?
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Got any pics of that track? It sounds really cool.
Chris
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There's a hobby shop that hold slot car competitions every weekend about an hour from where I live and I've always wanted to show up sometime just to watch. I have a friend who is really into slot cars and goes frequently to race.
When I was a kid, I did the same thing, only with an HO train set. Man, I loved building the scenery for that table, and there was always tweaking of the track and cleaning everything... Good times.
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I did the same thing with my dad about 15 - 20 years ago. Thanks for reminding me of this! There was a slot car places across the street from my house about 5 years ago, but it went out of business. Wish I could help, I use to love those slot cars. Good Luck!
EDIT: remembered I also had a Revell set. Might want to check that site too with Carrerra.
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Got any pics of that track? It sounds really cool.
Chris
Man, I wish. That was 30 years ago. I don't even know if my family had a camera back then. It would be awesome to see some pics of it though.
I'm looking to get into the 'sport' again so I'm just starting the research. Seems there have been a few advances, like digital versus analog track, and there's different scale cars like 1/24, 1/32, and 1/43. It's a lot more confusing that it was before. Digital looks pretty cool though. Up to 8 cars on a dual track with passing and pit sections. Mind = blown! :shock:
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Hmm... Slot cars... R.C. Pro Am...
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That's one hobby I never got into, amazingly. I build static models of 1/24 cars though.
(http://grab.by/iEwK)
(http://grab.by/iEwQ)
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I used to be into them, also from my father. I still have some of my old AF/X cars in the attic.
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Q: Slot cars?
A: No.
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There is a very famous slot car place in New York state. I forget what it was called, but it has 3 GINORMOUS tracks, and pictures of newspaper articles and celebrities visiting the store adorning the walls. Of course, they sell slot car parts and tracks as well, and they even have sit-in special seats where you can play Gran Turisimo 4!! :)