Scalextric etc

[New Haven Neil]

Like so - robbed off the interweb.

 

[Barry Ten]

That does look fun.

[simontaylor484]

17 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I remember seeing that trapdoor thing in a very old Scalextric catalog that I had as a kid - full of stuff that had gone out of production even by the mid-70s. I had no idea it was air powered!

 

I've got the Goodwood and Skid Chicanes in my Classic Track but there was only so much room on the table. I've seen it suggested that you should avoid chicanes and crossovers with the digital racing as there's already more than enough interaction without adding opportunities for crashes! 

 

If you follow the link Barry 10 posted and click on sets and look for Blowout there is a photo of the set and its parts the red and blue with the yellow bellows for the activation of the trapdoor 

[Barry Ten]

16 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

If you follow the link Barry 10 posted and click on sets and look for Blowout there is a photo of the set and its parts the red and blue with the yellow bellows for the activation of the trapdoor 

 

I tried finding it and couldn't! Must try harder.

[Johann Marsbar]

39 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Like so - robbed off the interweb.

 

 

That one doesn't feature in my catalogue, so must have been a later addition to the range .   The set I have was the cheapest/simplest available, whilst the other 3 sets were composed of figure of 8 circuits of varying sizes, using bridge piers to elevate the track. One of those has a pair of racing cars, another a pair of Mini Coopers, whilst the other has a Mk1 Cortina and a Vauxhall Viva!

 

 

[Sidecar Racer]

 

I  remember a company produced a track system that was basically an all metal

track , very chrome looking but can't remember who .

 

 Any takers ??

[simontaylor484]

The blowout set

 

 

[Barry Ten]

The one I remember seeing the catalog would have been a much earlier set, maybe this one (picture found on the web):

 

 

As a kid I didn't understand what was the point of flipping a car off the track, but it all makes sense now.

[Barry Ten]

This is the set my dad had, and which introduced me to Scalextric - again, picture nabbed off the web:

 

 

I still have both cars, but they need a lot of restoration - unfortunately that's where I've drawn a blank

with some of the spares. That picture, though - what a cracker!

[33C]

1 minute ago, Barry Ten said:

This is the set my dad had, and which introduced me to Scalextric - again, picture nabbed off the web:

 

 

I still have both cars, but they need a lot of restoration - unfortunately that's where I've drawn a blank

with some of the spares. That picture, though - what a cracker!

Oh yes, they just don't draw them like that anymore! 

[johndon]

As a kid, rather than Scalextric, my brother and I got a TCR set:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Control_Racing

 

With no slots, you were supposed to be able to overtake 'properly' although this proved rather harder than it looked...

[Barry Ten]

4 hours ago, Sidecar Racer said:

 

I  remember a company produced a track system that was basically an all metal

track , very chrome looking but can't remember who .

 

 Any takers ??

 

No idea, Mike - was it Marx, by any chance? They had a metal track system seemingly:

 

http://www.slotcarhistory.com/slot_car_history1.htm

[Barry Ten]

2 minutes ago, johndon said:

As a kid, rather than Scalextric, my brother and I got a TCR set:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Control_Racing

 

With no slots, you were supposed to be able to overtake 'properly' although this proved rather harder than it looked...

 

I remember the year that was being pushed heavily in the run up to Christmas. I must admit I wanted it badly - it looked to be

a step beyond Scalextric - but I didn't get one. A friend did, though, but when I visited him he seemed a bit disappointed with it, saying these was no skill involved. Presumably there was? I do remember it being quite a bit noisier than Scakextric, but the smaller size appealled.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I enjoyed Scalextric as a kid (9-13, late 1960s) but always a huge regret to me that the "track" was not more interesting in terms of allowing overtaking etc. It could surely have not been that difficult to do.

[johndon]

17 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I remember the year that was being pushed heavily in the run up to Christmas. I must admit I wanted it badly - it looked to be

a step beyond Scalextric - but I didn't get one. A friend did, though, but when I visited him he seemed a bit disappointed with it, saying these was no skill involved. Presumably there was? I do remember it being quite a bit noisier than Scakextric, but the smaller size appealled.

 

The problem was that, as there was no slot, the track had walls either side so it was pretty much impossible to crash off the track and you could go full speed all the time.  Also, when you flicked the switch to overtake, your car slowed down ever so slightly so the other drivers you were trying to overtake got away from you. 

 

There was also a 'jam car' that ran by itself at about 2/3 of the speed of the other player cars so you had to overtake that as well.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by johndon

[33C]

I had the "Rally Cross" set with the Clubmans. Loved it! Still got the cars along with my current fleet, but, no track! The Capri's are restored from two, badly burned/melted cars found at a flea market, into Bodie's car, from "The Professionals" and what will be an "Alan Mann" car.....

[33C]

6 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

That one doesn't feature in my catalogue, so must have been a later addition to the range .   The set I have was the cheapest/simplest available, whilst the other 3 sets were composed of figure of 8 circuits of varying sizes, using bridge piers to elevate the track. One of those has a pair of racing cars, another a pair of Mini Coopers, whilst the other has a Mk1 Cortina and a Vauxhall Viva!

 

 

I have an Airfix Cortina i'm restoring and a couple of others which i hope to fit with modern chassis soon.

[Tony_S]

My brother and I had the Airfix system. Nearly everyone else we knew had Scalextric.

[Sidecar Racer]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

No idea, Mike - was it Marx, by any chance? They had a metal track system seemingly:

 

http://www.slotcarhistory.com/slot_car_history1.htm

 

 Not as old as that Al , this must have been a 60's product , my memory of

it is from the younger brother of a girlfriend having it so that was about 68 or 69 ,

I tried to get my old cars ( not scalex ones *) to run on it but because of the metal track

I could'nt get the polarity right for the two systems .

 

* , I had a collection of cars from the days when I was a member of the Taunton

slot car club .

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Sidecar Racer

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I enjoyed Scalextric as a kid (9-13, late 1960s) but always a huge regret to me that the "track" was not more interesting in terms of allowing overtaking etc. It could surely have not been that difficult to do.

 

I think that's where the digital track really comes into its own as overtaking happens very naturally. 

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, 33C said:

I had the "Rally Cross" set with the Clubmans. Loved it! Still got the cars along with my current fleet, but, no track! The Capri's are restored from two, badly burned/melted cars found at a flea market, into Bodie's car, from "The Professionals" and what will be an "Alan Mann" car.....

 

 

 

 

Some nice cars there. I always wanted the 6 wheel March. I have the same TR7 in white and put a chip in it, but I think it could use a new rear axle gear. 

 

I only knew the name Alan Mann from recently watching the documentary on the aborted Steve McQueen racing film, "Day of the Champion" where Mann''s name came up a lot. I didn't realise they were a racing team as well. Very interesting documentary if you haven't seen it.

[simontaylor484]

The box art is very good reminiscent of airfix models and Commando comics

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

e 6 wheel March

I have a couple of six wheel Tyrrells but another six wheeler will be lapping round the track in the near future. Bachmann recently released FAB1 from Thunderbirds in 1/32 scale and I have the kit and just need to modify a brass chassis kit. It should make a good pace car. 

[Oldddudders]

5 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

I only knew the name Alan Mann from recently watching the documentary on the aborted Steve McQueen racing film, "Day of the Champion" where Mann''s name came up a lot. I didn't realise they were a racing team as well. Very interesting documentary if you haven't seen it.

As a successful entrant in saloon and sportscar racing, Alan Mann was heavily involved in the Ford GT40 programme in the mid-60s. For Le Mans '66 he entered two 7-litre Mk IIs, one driven by Graham Hill, who described it as "a great big heavy old lorry"! This despite the Mann cars having special lightweight body panels, making them lighter than the Shelby and Holman Moody works cars. 

[Johann Marsbar]

I've photographed the relevant pages from the Airfix Motor Racing catalogue to show the range of cars that were available at that time....