I know it's come up in isolated instances before, but I thought it might be good to have an all-inclusive thread devoted specifically to MINI slot cars.

Just to start, I have two digital MCSs and four Coopers awaiting digital chipping. Here's the Coopers.




I had built an early digital track which has been dismantled for something better. Here's one of the digital MCSs hitting the esses on that earlier track.




The new track I've started is cool. It's on two levels. Here's a pic of the only lower level section I've done any real work on...notice the Cotswold stone wall in the back is incomplete. The wall is squishy, so it makes a great barrier.




Another shot of the wall




Finally, no even would be complete w/o a classic showing up. This one is a SCX model. I can't wait to make this one digital.




So there's lots of ways to indulge one's MINI obsession. This particular one should keep me busy for a long, long time!!! I have "plans!"

 

BTW, does anybody have the John Cooper Challenge Works MCSs. I think they only came in a set.

 

I mess around with the HO scale slot cars a little in the winter time, I like to get mine out around Christmas time. I would love to get into the larger ones like yours, though. Nice set-up!

 

I've got about 6 of the 1:32 scalextric cars, but not the digital versions yet.




That track is killer!!!!! I wish I had a place to set mine up and leave it! I've picked up the JC Challange set and a few more sets (minus the cars) to build my track building capability (sport series). I'm running dual power supplies which helps keep the speed up on large tracks.

Do you have any more photos that show your detail?? I'd love to see a shot of the whole track!

My grandson is coming up next week, so we'll be putting together another large track.

 

Here is tonights track, nothing like gokartride's. Heck I think the record so far is 6 laps without the cars flying off





We love to run them into the other rooms, makes for some challanging points As I type the G-kids are trying their hand at lights out driving, using just the headlights of the cars I think I'll be doing some glueing tomorrow

Have a great night!

 

I

 

i got one too... the BF bought it for me for my b-day last year
... i have several rare VW golf cars too

 

Two new MINI Challenge cars are now available from Scalextric!! These cars are standard...just found out they are both coming out in digital soon as well.

 

Just stumbled upon this thread...

I've been racing and collecting HO slots for years - basically since about 1968.

I've hosted a race at my track twice now which I call the "MINI Cooper Invitational". We run VHORS rules Aurora T-jet chassis, Fandango Racing MINI or MEV Mini resin bodies.

Recently I've started collecting Ninco and Scalextric MINIs too. Don't race them much tho, as I've got no 1:32 track... yet....

 

That is really impressive Where can I see/read more about your new track layout?

 

I set this up on my workbench last night...Carrera Go 1/43

 

My "IROC" set - Italian Job (+ one) Tjets:



Those are 4 matched stock Tjet chassis', with custom made Fandango Racing bodies, Vincent "R90" rims, & slip-on silicone tires.

More info on my HO layout: http://glenardenspeedway.grazfam.net/

 

MINIs and t-jets...a marriage made in heaven!! Those Fandango cars look awesome...love the driving lights!!!! btw, did you do any painting on those cars or is that the way they come straight from Fandango?

 

Sorry...didn't see this sooner. Well, the layout I've been working on (as seen in the pics above) is going away. Why? Because I'm moving this year and will have more room for the little cars!!!

I'm currently painting all my Scalextric track a dark grey to resemble more weathered asphalt. Once in the new place I'm going to have room for one digital track and one analog. All will be in a space-saving bookshelf configuration w/ two levels and complete lighting. The analog track will be a single lane rally track! The digital track will be the domain solely of the MINIs.

So, with two tracks to work on (and a MINI to detail) any glimmer of hope for having a life are finally gone, gone, gone!!!

 

I have no experience with slot cars, except playing with the old Aurora AFX type sets when I was a kid in the 70's and early 80's.

Can someone tell me what "digital" slot cars are?

All of the pics in this thread look really cool and make it tempting to want to get into this hobby!

Thanks!
Bill

 

Digital is kinda new and at this point is unique to 1:32 cars. In the digital world, cars carry an on-board chip that gives each car a unique address. Constant power runs through the track at all times so the chip on the car, "talking" to the controller, is what determines car speed.

At the same time, the chip allows the each car to independently change lanes at specially designed track sections. These track sections allow lane changes on straight sections, on 90 degree curves, and in tansitioning from two lanes to one and then back again (this is often used for working pits). We are still exploring the mind-bending possibilities of digital track configuration.

Along with the lane-changing capabilities, digital also allows up to six cars to race on a two-lane track!! Another mind-bender given potential traffic!!

Most of the makers have their own digital system...no standard exists yet. Scalextric sells chip-kits that allow any car made to be converted to Scalextric digital. I like racing vintage cars so I personally went w/ Scalextric. Carrerra, SCX, and others (I think) also have digital offerings.

Hope this helps.

 

I had Jack from Fandango make this 4 car set just for me - to my specs. It wasn't cheap, but he's a great guy. I have no modeling skills whatsoever, I'm more of a racer...

BTW, Jack's original idea for the driving lights was to make them out of aluminum and then add them on. After 6 months the R&D costs for that idea got too high, so he just changed the resin cast mold instead.

I host a race every spring on my MaxTrack called the Mini Cooper Invitational. Tjets configured to VHORS specs, MINI or Mini bodies. The first 2 were a blast! Not sure if I can wait until the spring to host the 3rd...

 

I have three scaly MINI's and a Hornby static MINI Cooper that I painted up to match MIB.
[OK the Hornby static is a RHD and MIB is LHD...]

Anyone run on a MDF Routed track? You can build a routed track for FAR less than what Carerra / Scaly / Ninco
want for plastic track. I wrote an article on how to route a track here. True that you don't get cars or a controller,
but the controllers in the sets are very lacking and you get better control out of a Parma or Professor Motor controller
than anything offered in a set!

Think of digital slot cars as a limited form of Radio Control. You have the ability to change lanes but you still have to
follow the slot. The major problem with Digital is that unlike analog, they are not compatable. You can not run
Carerra digital on Scaly digital or SCX Digital. SCX digital track is not compatable with SCX analog.
Heck Ninco still hasn't released their digital format.

Analog Slot cars can run on any brand track. As long as two cars can fit on it. You can't run two 1/24 scale Carerras
on Scaly track. Simply won't fit.

The slot car hobby could learn a huge lesson from model railroading. A universal standard was agreed upon and all
manufacturers use it. Thus any DCC locomotive will work with any DCC throttle station.

 

Those cars are available individually in both analog and digital formats

 

I was told these were European releases, not distributed in the US. So, I bought these 2 cars from a vendor in the UK, via eBay. A number of my Scalextric cars came from UK eBay vendors. I also bought the red/white/blue Italian-Job-Like Micro-Scalextric cars the same way.

Normally I buy my slot stuff from New Jersey Nostalgia Hobby ( http://www.geocities.com/njhobby/ ) - the owner Joe Corea is a great guy and he keeps up with everything that's going on in the hobby as much as he can. I often ask him if certain stuff is coming to the US, and if he tells me "no", I go get it on eBay from the UK vendors. If you are patient, and careful how you bid, it wont cost you much more than if you bought from a US vendor.

BTW, NJNH also does mail order - so if you're not in NJ and you're looking for anything slot related, drop Joe a note, he'll let you know if he has it or not...

 

I agree...I think everybody is hoping this will happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

I came to slots from Radio Control so frankly, digital does nothing for me. RC offers the freedom to pass on any
point of the track, rather than a couple of places where the sensors and lane changers are. Again there is a
limitation to the layout design because sensors can only be so far from the lane change.

Scalextric is the ony brand that I know of is that offers both straight away changes and turn changes. Carerra is
straights only. And Scaly is the only one that offers retrofit setups to retrofit into any brand of car. Slot It also
has designed sensors that work with Scaly track but fit the Slot it Chassis. Fantastic if you prefer the IMSA GTP and
FIA sportscars from the late 1980's through early 1990's.

I had tycco HO slot and slotless back in the 1970's slotless was a pain. Inside cars always drifted to the outside
lane for turns. And when you would add a jammer car, the voltage was not enough to get a clean pass.

 

An early report...will find out more in a few days. Among Scaleys new 2007 offerings:

C2807 Mini Cooper classic
C2773 BMW Mini
C2805 BMW Mini Cooper (one piece body)

and if you're interested...

C2814 Mercedes 300 SLR Fangio

 

Please post pics if/when you can!

 

For those desperate for info, here's the brand new 2007 Scalextric link. It's Scalextric's 50th anniversary....pretty cool!!!

New sets:

A two-MINI set with "impact resistant" MINIs. Great for kids and other crazy drivers.


A larger two-MINI digital set.



Individual cars:

Classic Mini '67 Monte winner


#50 MCS driven by S. G. Dawson


Light-weight, impact-resistant MINI


And....OT......very excited about this from Scaley:

Mercedes 300 SLR - Fangio


Lots of other cool stuff for other interests at the link above.