Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT My Slot Car Man Cave

[dreinecke]

I’m sticking a fork in this and calling it done. I managed to get my decal on slightly crooked somehow amd my OCD said it was time for an adult beverage.

The power supply and trying station have not been run in almost 2 years, and they started right up.

Let the rubber fly!

 

[Bears Fan]

Awesome job on the toolbox and it was free

 

[FMB4]

THAT is a good teacher! Love to hear stories like that!

Yep, he was pretty cool. Drove a light blue metalic '66 Chevell Super Sport. He was also a Vietnam Vet. Sadly, I don't remember his name.

 

[bazzateer]

LOVE the Z pictures! Funding a garage with slot cars...well, I can't say I've not done something similar. Ever hang out on Slotforum? Lots of UK folks on there.

I don't. I rarely do much with slots at the moment, the 260Z was a lockdown project last year. One day I hope to have a permanent layout.

 

[Trapps]

I used to collect on a small scale. Only the Porsches remain.







Not sure why I still have them; the dust on the tub lid says 'undisturbed' for at least 10 years. Perhaps my kids or future grandkids will want them some day. OK, Ok, I'm a packrat...


Happy racing!

 

[shortykorte]

I’ll need to read the chapter Bylaws to make sure I don’t screw something up as a newbie…

the only requirements are to have a sense of humor and like pranks. A little blood to add color is optional.

There was a track up in Thomasville Ga several years ago. Not sure if it’s still operating. So if we get a car, we can race?

Welcome and look forward to meeting you.

 

[Bears Fan]

Any new updates? this is a really cool thread I want to come over and race

 

[shortykorte]

Just ran across this incredible track.

 

[The Cobbler]

amazing track , thanks for the link!

 

[Old Man Roger]

How did I miss this thread? Slot car enthusiasts and had chevelles? We could be brothers! Wish you lived on the east coast, I would be mooching all the track time I could get..lol

 

[turbowoodworker]

Subscribed for new updates of absolute coolness.

 

[dreinecke]

Whew! Is it really March?

I’ve done some new scenery (minor stuff), hooked up my pit LED lights as well as one of my LED billboards, painted the fascia, updated my timing system, and run about a million laps!






I picked up some cool 60’-style chairs:
…and a new cabinet to store the car cleaning stuff:

 

[dreinecke]

The BIG update though was to the outside of the garage and improving property values lol. The PO had never power washed it, he’d “touched up” with multiple colors, and the thing looked terrible overall.



After a serious power washing a few weeks ago, the fetching Mrs. R and I spent the past Saturday painting the entire enchilada. I really liked the sprayer I purchased - a Graco Magnum X5. It ran beautifully, was stupid easy to use, and the clean up was a snap. It is also made the USA, so added bonus!

Here it is after Saturday, and you can see the old color the doors had faded to:


With the doors done and new lights:

 

[Old Man Roger]

Looks awesome.

 

[Toolfool]

Great job !

 

[billconner]

Very nice. I'd like to hear more about sprayer.

 

[shortykorte]

See if you had invited the Florida Chapter over for racing, you could have throw in some Tom Sawyer whitewash.

 

[wachuko]

Oh man that looks amazing!! What is the size of the track?

I only have one Scalextric track... and have been buying cars for several years now... but not that many... All with the hopes to build a much smaller version of what you did... Something that would come down from the ceiling to avoid using precious workshop space...

And now I come across this thread... Wow!!!! Just Wow!!!

 

[Old Man Roger]

Oh man that looks amazing!! What is the size of the track?

I only have one Scalextric track... and have been buying cars for several years now... but not that many... All with the hopes to build a much smaller version of what you did... Something that would come down from the ceiling to avoid using precious workshop space...

And now I come across this thread... Wow!!!! Just Wow!!!

Ever since I sold the big house that had it‘s own track room, I never seem to have any spare room for a track. I often thought about having one that lifted out of the way.

 

[dreinecke]

Very nice. I'd like to hear more about sprayer.

So simple to use, a caveman like me could do it.

I selected this one due to the ease of cleaning and the fact that it has an easy to unclog spray tip.

No hiccups at any time and the unit was a joy to use. Shot the eves and the body of the 30x40 garage in less than 8 hours including cleanup. Did the doors the next day in about an hour after prepping.

 

[dreinecke]

See if you had invited the Florida Chapter over for racing, you could have throw in some Tom Sawyer whitewash.

I knew I was forgetting something!

 

[dreinecke]

Oh man that looks amazing!! What is the size of the track?

I only have one Scalextric track... and have been buying cars for several years now... but not that many... All with the hopes to build a much smaller version of what you did... Something that would come down from the ceiling to avoid using precious workshop space...

And now I come across this thread... Wow!!!! Just Wow!!!

Always good to meet another slotter!

The track is 20’ long and 7’ at the widest.

I’m happy to show any pics and techniques, so ask away!

 

[kjdhawkhill]

I wish I hadn't missed your posts a year ago, but I'm caught up now. I fondly look back on the two winters I spent in the basement wrecking the hell out of HO? cars and then folding scotch tape to press under the (contact points?) and pulling the same out from under my little brother's cars so that I could get better contact and he'd be a lap down before he figured out what had happened.

I don't even remember the scale, the source or results of any specific race, but lets not kid ourselves, I won more than I lost against my little brother.

The nostalgia alone has me dreaming of a set my parents never would have purchased for 10 year old me... I could pull off 80' linear feet in the basement, just on the perimeter. Boys both have birthdays coming up.... This could be bad. I could hang some from the radiator pipes for elevation change. Oh, yeah, a boy with a credit limit could make some bad decisions. I'm that potentially broke (adult) who bought what he wanted 25-35 years ago.

I'll never get a table set up like you, Dreinecke, but the dream lives on. Thanks.

 

[harley jim]

Dreinecke, like others have said this brings back memories, I had the stromburg banked figure eight track with the Cheta and I think a Ferrari. We had it set up in the house at christmas, it was half in the living room and half in my bedroom crossing through the doorway, Dad eventually built a table in the garage for it. We would go downtown to the hobby shop on the weekend and run the (big track), the ho track was on the counter but the big guys were down in the basement, what a time to be alive, me and my buddy Rusty would buy brass rod and sheets to build the ultimate frame, the one that was going to revolutionize the sport. Sidewinders and all we tried every combination, some worked and some were lousy! I had a 56 ford truck with a tilt front end and Rusty had a 32 Ford coupe, as our main cars.
We didnt win much but had the time of our lives. I still have a box of them put up for later.

 

[dreinecke]

Glad I hit the nostalgia bone for some of you!
I’ve had a few tracks since 2002 - mostly as we moved around Colorado before moving to Florida.
Here are a few more pics of those for you:



And if you want to see the size difference between HO and 1:32 - here you go:

 

[andyvh1959]

Wow. I had a commercial 1/24th scale track back in the 70's. Just an oval track with Lola style open wheel cars. Since they were 1/24th scale I mounted model car plastic tires on the rims, scuffed the tires with sandpaper to adjust the traction and then I had slot cars I could drift through the turns.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Oh, yeah, a boy with a credit limit could make some bad decisions. I'm that potentially broke (adult) who bought what he wanted 25-35 years ago.

Isn't that one of the perks of having kids? You get to buy "them" toys..lol

Is that a Corvair by the ABC Sports tower? Love the fenced in roundy round cars too..lol

andywvh1959 Said
Wow. I had a commercial 1/24th scale track back in the 70's. Just an oval track with Lola style open wheel cars. Since they were 1/24th scale I mounted model car plastic tires on the rims, scuffed the tires with sandpaper to adjust the traction and then I had slot cars I could drift through the turns.

I remember putting scotch tape on my HO wheels.

 

[harley jim]

I remember putting scotch tape on my HO wheels.

Roger, we made a siping stand from an old axle and siped our tires with an exacto knife.
It probably didnt help a thing except the cool factor.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Roger, we made a siping stand from an old axle and siped our tires with an exacto knife.
It probably didnt help a thing except the cool factor.

For grooving, I just spun them up on the car and used the exacto. Man you guys are really giving me some serious nostalgia.

 

[dreinecke]

Isn't that one of the perks of having kids? You get to buy "them" toys..lol

Is that a Corvair by the ABC Sports tower? Love the fenced in roundy round cars too..lol


I remember putting scotch tape on my HO wheels.

It is a Corvair! I used to master and cast my own bodies. Shut the business down when I became sensitive to the raw resin. Here’s a few:

 

[dreinecke]

Roger, we made a siping stand from an old axle and siped our tires with an exacto knife.
It probably didnt help a thing except the cool factor.

I don’t sipe tires, but do have a tire sanding station to smooth them out.

 

[dreinecke]

For grooving, I just spun them up on the car and used the exacto. Man you guys are really giving me some serious nostalgia.

Always happy to feed the beast

 

[dreinecke]

A few more of my resins:

 

[Old Man Roger]

It is a Corvair! I used to master and cast my own bodies. Shut the business down when I became sensitive to the raw resin. Here’s a few:

That's some awesomness! Only thing better would be a 66 Chevelle.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Man you have a real talent.

 

[dreinecke]

That's some awesomness! Only thing better would be a 66 Chevelle.

Did it. When I get home I’ll post a pic since it isn’t on my phone. Did the #13 Yunick car.

 

[harley jim]

I don’t sipe tires, but do have a tire sanding station to smooth them out.

We both came from fathers that ran dirt track, Dads #88s and Rustys Dads # 57s, so we tried to do to our slot cars what they did to there real cars, at 9yo you just didnt take a chance on missing a trick. We would put the axle in a dremel like tool and true the tire and then cross cut it.

I dont have smokeys car yet but I did pick up this a couple months ago. Now I'm going to have to go to the shop and find my slot cars and sit down at my bench and clean them up. Like Roger my nostalgia bug bit me this morning.

 

[andyvh1959]

Wow, these images of old style stock cars and sports cars reminds me of the comic books I used to collect that had stories about old time NASCAR, Olds, Pontiacs, Dodge/Plymouth Fords and Chevys, with driver names above the LH door like Fireball Roberts and Coo Coo Marlin, and of course Lee Petty/Ricard Petty. I recall looking at those images (though rendered by the eye of the illustrator) of steel wheels and fat tires stuffed under standard wheel wells, numbers printed on the hood "400 HP", which seemed like such an outrageous number back then.

 

[shortykorte]

Did it. When I get home I’ll post a pic since it isn’t on my phone. Did the #13 Yunick car.

The 22 behind the wrecker (in side fence) is a Yunick car right?

The shot of the tower is awesome.

I’d be interested in a write up on how you went about building a master.

 

[dreinecke]

It’s a Yunick Impala.

I’ll share some info if you’d like to.