Are you a first-time slot car buyer? If yes, then we can help you decide the best slot car for you! Not just that, we can also help you get parts to build improved and faster slot cars. These parts can make your car look much better with an upgrade in the performance of your existing one.
Most of us must have heard about slot cars and know what they are, but some of us don’t! Since the 1930s, slot cars are a great way of amusement. While the popularity and craze for these cars and racing them have risen as well as dropped in several years, there is a large community of enthusiasts whose love racing with these miniatures or small-scale vehicles have never decreased.
Some collectors consider slot cars as “classics” and therefore of great value. Slot car miniatures are modeled after real-life vehicles with a very high level of detailing and the craftsmanship involved in making them is exceptional and valuable.
Slot car racing is perhaps the best and the most exciting hobby of those who love cars, speed, and competition and can’t race or collect real vehicles. Many drivers follow both slot car racing & real car racing as their hobbies. It is an alternative to video games as both of them require similar skills sets of skills to play, such as hand-eye coordination, competition analysis, and risk-reward thinking, but the plus side of slot car racing is the creativity and craftsmanship involved in building and the fact that one interacts with real materials and tools.
Everything about slot cars-
A slot car is a small-sized automobile that gets its power to run from a small electric motor. Scale included are 1/24, 1/28, 1/32, 1/42 and 1/64 or HO. These miniature cars are run and raced on small designed car tracks. It is recommended to buy your slot car from our slot car shop as we have experience in making slot cars and offers an extensive range of replacement/add on parts.
Functioning of slot cars-
The word “slot” in the name comes from grooves or shallow channels that are present in the race tracks which guide the slot car through the path, made upturns as well as straight sections, just like real race tracks.
The grooves are positioned in between, to separate the two metal rails (Braided copper) which supply the cars with power needed to drive the motors. The slot cars have specially designed moveable guides or blades fitted with electrical connectors. These are attached to the bottom which rest in the groove. The electrical power to run the cars is picked up by the “guide flag,” via the braid /connector.
A hand-held analog speed controller helps to control the slot car. So more the speed controller is pressed, the faster your car will run. The analog slot car controller allows the vehicle to move or accelerate depending on the distribution of the desired amount of voltage.
Significant parts of a slot car-
Body/Shell – The outer cover of a slot car is molded and scaled according to real-life cars. Unlike real vehicles, the body or shape of a slot car does not have much of an influence on the performance. The mass, weight distribution, and the center of gravity have a significant impact on the car’s performance. We make lightweight, high detail bodies which are hand laminated in fiberglass.
Interior – The interior features go from very simple to highly detailed, which is very similar to the real car features. Built with lightweight Lexan or molded/injected plastic, the interior of a slot car is of high importance. The driver and other cockpit features are positioned just like in real cars but moved upwards to allow for space for the chassis parts and the placement of the motor, which fixed to the chassis.
Chassis – The lower or the bottom part of a slot car is called the chassis. This is a MULTI-piece construction made from various materials. Our chassis is created with a separate motor pod section.
Motor – The motor can be considered as the powerhouse of the slot car. It is placed towards the rear end of the vehicle in an inclined or perpendicular position, depending on its size and other features. Just like an actual car, small gears are used for the transmission of power to the axle from the motor.
Axle – It is the rod which is used for the attachment of the wheels to the slot car. Materials used for axle are steel, carbon, and titanium.
Guide Flag – A guide flag is a plastic fin which attached to the chassis and is placed in the slot of the track it guides the slot car and carries the contact braids
Braids – By making contact with the rails, copper braids are used to provide power to the slot car on the track. It is essential to adjust them in a proper manner and adjustment for optimal car performance.
Type of slot cars best for beginners-
Most beginners, who do not have advanced racing skills, can start with 1/32 or 1/24 standard plastic cars with plastic chassis. These kinds of vehicles are not as fast but are more durable.
Once confident about the acquired skills, the next step is to opt for cars with more performance that have metal chassis and bodies made from composite materials.
Slot car racing is a wonderfully diverse hobby that has fans of every age group. And the feeling of making your cars run can stay with you forever, which you can cherish for a lifetime. Not just that, the enthusiasm of slot car racing has been shared and passed on by generation after generation. Whether you are one of the beginners or a seasoned pro, there are a lot of things for you in slot car racing where you can keep your gears high.
So, what are you waiting for? Buy your slot cars from our slot cars shop at attractive prices!