Issue #58 of Slot Car Magazine - the 2020 Christmas Edition - has just been published. The magazine is currently wending its way from the printers to Pendle Slot Racing, but the ebook version is available now from Lulu here.


This is the festive feast awaiting readers...

• 02 RaceWarsUK by Marc Abbott & Gary Cannell - Our two intrepid (and clubless) reporters and their friends are off in search of somewhere to race.
  
• 06 Avant Slot Opel Manta by Hub Habets - Not the most nimble machine, but a fan favourite nonetheless. Hub Habets assesses Avant Slot’s new offering.
  
• 10 Scalextric Capri Mk3 by Andy Player - Our very own Essex boy has a look at the latest dose of nostalgia from Scalextric. Splash it all over, Andy!
  
• 13 Cold Turkey by Andy Player - No, not some festive left-overs! Andy Player and his colleagues have been hard at work with the socially-distanced slotting.
  
• 15 Bodyshells BC by Gary Cannell - Derek Cooper was a top racer fifty years ago. Gary Cannell shows us a fascinating and historical horde.
  
• 20 SRC Lancia Delta S4 by Hub Habets - Full of detail, but still with plenty of performance? Is that possible? Hub Habets gets to grips with the iconic S4.
  
• 25 Think Scalextric by Tony Di Pastena - A sign of the times, perhaps… Tony Di Pastena sheds the light on Magnetic Racing and some beautiful billboards.
  
• 27 Ready, Teddy, Go! by Ric Woods - King Edward; not just a sort of potato, but the UK’s King 1901-1910. Marc and Ric tackle George Turner’s new smash hit kits from this era.
  
• 30 Ferrari F1/87 by Marc Abbott - Our Marc loves F1 Ferraris and the work of Kostas Dzingovic. Put the two together and he’s suddenly in a very happy place.
  
• 32 Ostorero Maserati 8CTFs by Ric Woods - Underwhelming in Europe but very successful in the USA, the 8CTF was the opposite of Cliff Richard. Two new beauties from Ostorero.
  
• 34 Neuhierl’s Bequest – Carrera Profi by Andy Pinchock - More fascinating delving into the European slot scene history, with triumph, tragedy and intrigue at every turn.
  
• 38 The Three Amigos by Tony Di Pastena- BRM’s 1/24 small saloons have been causing quite a stir in these pages of late. Let’s settle things once and for all with a big fight!
  
• IBC Dilworth - Modern Life Is Rubbish. Coxie finds out the hard way.
  

When available at Pendles (keep an eye out here), the magazine will set you back £4.50. The ebook (here) is a mere £1.55.

It seems that we may have a buyer for our house. Not getting too exited at this stage as things in France move exceedingly slowly and there are loads of reports to get before pen touches paper.

However, it has prompted me to start thinking about the amount of junk in the place. The local dump is getting used to me turning up every day but I'm getting round to the track room now. I see no point in hanging onto stuff that isn't being used and is either in boxes or stuck at the back of a shelf somewhere so I wonder if there is any interest in this sort of stuff.

Kentoys, Scalex slot related and some 43rd Minichamps F1 cars. I'd quite forgotten they were there! No idea what they are worth - if anything - eBay seems like too much faff right now but if anyone wants them, we could discuss it by PM no doubt. Postage around here is a bit hit and miss so they might not get posted in too much of a hurry.

       

You can see how seriously I take the crowds in the stand!
   

The Ferrari 312 Berlinetta is a unique car. There were only a few real ones made. Almost every one was red.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I didn't like the black inserts in the end, so I changed them for Ferrari proper. Looks much better now.

   
   
   

Thank you very kindly for looking.

I guess Lewis has had such a strong season that there has been an air of inevitability about him winning his seventh world championship.

But that really is quite an achievement, and it makes him the most succesful F1 driver ever.  

His drive yesterday was a fitting way to win it too. Whilst Max got angry and drove too aggresively and span, whilst his team mate finished 14th, and a lap down, Lewis drove impeccably, showed patience, and had the experience to call his own pit stops.

I'd also say that Hamilton has been, for the most part, a fair driver, without the incedents which slightly tarnished Michael's reputation.

I know a lot of people aren't keen on Mercedes' domination, or Lewis himself, but I think it would be churlish not to recognise the world beating quality of what they have achieved.

Looking forward to number eight next year.

Hello Reader,

I am new to this forum and I always played with Fleischmann Auto-Rallye slotrace system as a child and now we have nice big space where the idea is that we will realize a big wooden track with Oxigen control system. Father and son are looking for a nice hobby. My son also had the idea to set up a local club. Well every now and then you have to do something crazy and we have the space. So let's build a large wooden slot racetrack and who knows, a club will emerge.

After a lot of reading on the internet I naturally came across slot.it. For 99% I'm going for the great slot.it solution. Or someone should share good reasons for not doing this and give feedback on a better plan.

Anyway, below you will find an image of the available space. I could use the light gray area entirety. But one requirement is to place a desk in this room. The plan I have now I use the green areas a slot race area, but as written this is just an idea.

Click for large image:

 
I think the J-Trak system is brilliant because it is so beautifully portable (modular system).
·         http://phantomdrum.co.uk/scalexracer/j-trak/
·         https://slotracer.online/plan/j-trak/
 
Not that I want to take the track modules outside the room. But I would love if and could change the track every now and then because it's modular. I would like to drive 1/32 but also every now and then with 1/24 cars. The slot track width like Scalextric Sport and Digital tracks are not suitable for this. That's why I'm thinking of a 10 cm slot to slot width. I could realize this (if I go for plastic parts) with ScaleAuto. I did some testing to see if I can somehow scale/translate the track dimensions and bend radius of corners from ScaleAuto to J-Trak approach which is based on Scalextric Sport and Digital tracks. Unfortunately, this was not as easy as I secretly hoped, but it was expected given the different sizes.
 
Now I am curious if anyone has tips for realizing a wooden track that is also built according to the principles of the J-track modular system? Maybe samples are available? I am open to any feedback.
 
Thank you very much for your response.

With kind regards,

Neptunus

Hey y`all,
                    Let me first thank anyone on this forum who takes the time to read my post, and reply!

Setting the stage for who I am, and why I`ve come here:
I`m a hobbyist myself (basketball card collector), and I know from my experience in the hobby......these forums tend to be the best place to get answers.
I recently purchased a home, the previous owner had passed and was a huge motor-head!
I know, because everything that was in the house came along with the purchase of the property.

Besides having enough cars in the garages to start a small used car lot, I came across a large quantity of vintage slot cars and complete race track sets. Many of them being unopened in original packaging.
Seems most of the cars in packaging are from "Aurora" (AFX G-Plus or Magna Traction), or "Tyco / Tyco Pro".
I almost have no Idea what I`m looking at with the cars that aren`t in packaging (hundreds).

I`m no stranger to the online marketplace (eBay, etc....), being in a hobby myself, I know this is a general "price guide" of the value I might expect to be placed on everything. Unless I discover another outlet from information potentially received here, everything will likely end up on eBay.

So, everything in original packaging (I would think) should be easy enough to list online.
However, with all of this loose inventory.......stuff that I have absolutely no clue on how to even properly identify or list properly....what is my best option to unload this stuff?
I pride myself in a solid reputation as a seller on eBay (been doing the sports card thing for years), so the last thing I want to do is misrepresent something that could either have the buyer upset at paying for something that wasn`t described properly, or have the seller (me) disappointed because he accidentally listed an item improperly that led to an undervaluation in the sale.

Not being in the slot car hobby, I don`t personally know anyone, or know of any place locally I can go to have this stuff evaluated.
I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia).

Wish money didn`t matter and I could just sell this stuff for whatever and not think about it, but I could use as much finacial help as possible from the sale of the contents of this house.........peeling away the layers of stuff has revealed some unexpected and costly issues.

Apologies for the long read here, but I didn`t know where else to start.
I appreciate any help / direction anyone can give.

Being a new user, don`t think I can post pictures. Can an admin confirm this please?

Thanks again for reading, and any help anyone can offer.
Josh


edit: If I posted this in an improper sub-forum, please excuse my rookie mistake and relocate the posting to the proper spot.....thanks admins!!!

   

Le Mans Miniatures 132088-1M Inaltéra GTP #1 Le Mans 1976 - Henri Pescarolo & Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Le Mans Miniatures 132088-1M Inaltéra GTP #2 Le Mans 1976 - Jean Rondeau, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud & Christine Beckers

French artisan model makers Le Mans Miniatures have just a released a new car to add to a growing 1976 Le Mans 24-hour grid. The Inaltéra was the first car produced by Jean Rondeau to race at Le Mans. Sponsorship from the Lyonnias wallpaper company Inaltéra was the crucial factor in getting Rondeau's career as a sports prototype manufacturer started. He designed the car around the 3-litre Ford DFV V8 engine and eventually built six cars to compete in the new Le Mans GT Prototype class - winning class honours in 1976 and 1977 with Vic Elford as team manager. From 1978, Rondeau's cars raced under his own name with Otis sponsorship. For anyone with memories of Le Mans in the late 70s and early 80s, the name Rondeau is synonymous with the event.

   
Ex-Matra drivers Henri Pescarolo and Jean-Pierre Beltoise shared the #1 car, qualifying twelfth and - after early teething problems with an oil leak - drove a steady race to eighth overall and first in the GTP class.
       

The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class was new for 1976: closed-topped cars that were heavier than the Group 6 prototypes and did not have rear wings. The cars also needed to be 100 cm high. The GTP regulations were the forerunner of Group C.


   
The #2 car - driven by Rondeau himself, alongside Jean-Pierre Jaussaud & Christine Beckers - qualified in seventeenth and also had early problems in the race. Lengthy pit stops - including two to change shock absorbers - dropped the second car back, eventually finishing in twenty-first place.
       


   

The Le Mans Miniatures models are - as always - works of art. Cast in polyurethane resin and hand-finished, it would be understandable if the cars remained in their boxes. However, underneath is an injection-moulded racing chassis with Slot.it components, including aluminium hubs at the rear...

       

Although rather more expensive than a Scalextric or Carrera car, you get what you pay for. The two 1976 Inaltéra are priced at £110, although Pendle Slot racing have them for £99.95 and MRE's Club Price (exclusive to SlotRacer Online members) is £93.50. They are available now.

My dad owned an all original 1931 Ford for a few years. I thought sitting in the rumble seat was hilarious. We used the car to go for ice cream on a sunny Sunday afternoon. There was no such thing as seat belts.

The main difference between a 31 and a 32 was the availability of a flathead V8. Another difference was, the sheet metal at the edge of the doors on a 1931 overlapped the body upon closing. The 1932 cars were upgraded to the type of body seams (shut lines) we're all used to seeing now.

I made this car in my dad's honour. He passed away last year at age 86.

This typical 32-Ford Hotrod started out with a Lifelike dollar store kit.

   
   

I'm going to start this off with an apology. This was one of my first builds. It has many mistakes. The main one being that I didn't realize the track width limitations before staring this car. The body is too wide to fit between the rear wheels so I had to jack the back of the car up much higher than desired. It exposes the chassis too much.

But on the bright side. The only rules in our club for the Hotrod class is wheel size (14x5), track width (52mm), and motor (BWMS 050 - 14k slimline slow motor). Anything else goes.

I made the chassis with a specific goal in mind. All the other Hotrods in our club have the guide exposed and sticking way out in front of the body. I plan to hide the guide so it looks like it isn't even there. That meant putting it behind the front axle (ouch). Winning races was obviously a secondary thought.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

The colour of my dad's car was a simple red. I chose to experiment on this Hotrod with a base-coat/clear-coat candy apple red. I sprayed the chassis as a test in base gold followed by clear red.

   

Looks good enough to try on the body.

   
   
   

A 2mm Molotow chrome pen did wonders on the front grill! Truly an impressive invention.

   

The parts are coming together.

   
   
   
   

The roof is just sitting in place for the photo. I didn't want it there for the race.

   

I had to use a dremel to hollow out behind the front grill in order to get full movement from the guide. The distance from the guide to the grill is barely thick enough for a thin sheet of paper. It could not be closer. But the guide is almost completely hidden. Mission accomplished.

   
   
   
   
   
   

My father was a tall man with black hair. There he is behind the wheel in car #29. He's already won a few races.  

   
   

Thank you very kindly for looking.

   
SCX U10318 "MG A 1955 Le Mans". Available now. RRP £39.95

SCX - Scalextric España - have served up another November treat: the release of an updated version of their MG MGA. The model is of one of three MG EX 182 prototypes entered into the 1955 Le Mans 24 hour race. These prototypes were very close to the first production version of the MGA, unveiled later in the year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The #41 car modelled by SCX was driven to twelfth place overall at Le Mans by Ken Miles and John Lockett...

       

The entire event was overshadowed by the worst tragedy in motorsport history - the accident that took the lives of 83 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh. The race continued and Dick Jacobs - driver of the #42 MG prototype - nearly lost his life in a separate accident just after Levegh's crash. Thankfully, Jacobs survived his near-fatal chest injuries and had the unsettling experience of reading his obituary in the Evening Standard newspaper. He never raced again, but went on to become a successful private entrant of MGs.

Despite the lasting trauma of the race for the sport and for all those involved, MG continued developing the MGA for competition and it was a common sight for the next decade in most forms of motorsport around the world - even appearing at some Nascar Grand National races in the early '60s!

       

The SCX model has been reworked on top and underneath from previous 'pre-relaunch' versions. The cockpit and windscreen are the aerodynamic Le Mans type, with the third headlight recessed into the driver's side of the radiator grille. The only glaring omissions are a lack of bonnets fixing straps and the slim air intake at the top of the bonnet. With a brown helmet, the driver is presumably meant to be Ken Miles - he does need a pair of goggles though!

As with all the SCX 'relaunch' models, the chassis has been modified to take the new closed-can motor and has stub axles at the front to give room for the digital Advance module. The MG is currently available only in the analogue 'Original' range, but can be converted to digital 'Advance' using one of the two conversion modules - presumably the smaller 'Type A' version.

The SCX U10318 "MG A 1955 Le Mans" is available in the UK now and should be reaching retailers over the next few days. RRP is £39.95.

   
Scalextric C4155 Ford Sierra RS500 'Came 1st' - Bjørn Skogstad, European Rallycross Championship. Available now. RRP £40.99

The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth dominated Division 1 in FIA Rallycross competition for five years after the homologation of the RS500 in the summer of 1987. Back then, the former-WRC four-wheel-drive Group B Division 2 cars were the top competitors, but the two-wheel drive Group A Division 1 - mostly Volvos and Saabs - was still a prestigious title to win. It took time for the Sierra drivers to get to grips with the new car and find the perfect rallycross set-up, but Bjørn Skogstad took his yellow Sierra to victory in Spain, France, Belgium and Norway to win the 1988 European Division 1 title...

       

Skogstad is pictured alongside fellow Norwegian Martin Schanche - "Mr Rallycross" - who battled the likes of Will Gollop and Matti Alamäki in the Group B cars. It turned out 1988 would be Bjørn Skogstad's only European title, but he certainly was in the mix for more glory. In 1989, he won four races, losing out to Sierra-newcomer Kenneth Hansen - who would go on to win four straight European Division 1 crowns, Skogstad finishing runner-up each time.

Between 1988 and 1882, Sierras won 42 of 54 events in Division 1 and provided some incredibly exciting racing. Here's a typical first-lap scrap from 1989 - Roger Sandberg in the white and blue Sierra going on to win after putting Skogstad's car into the bank at Hämeenlinna...

       
       

Back to the Scalextric Sierra...

       

... it looks another great model. The 'Came 1st' is the precise logo seen on Skogstad's car from 1988 through to 1992. There's one early picture I've seen with what looks like 'Camel', but maybe the RJ Reynolds lawyers had a word after that? The Scalextric design team seem to have taken the archive picture above as their reference. I'm not entirely sure what year or event it is from. It was usual for the Division 1 cars to have numbers starting at 100 - the champion carrying #101, runner-up #102 etc. Skogstad had finished ninth in 1987 and carried #109 in his championship season. I have found one other picture (first one below) with what looks like the #104 on the 'Came 1st' car and it features Hansen's green BP Sierra with a yellow bumper. I'd guess that's the Belgian race in 1990 - which Skogstad won. But I'm probably wrong! The second pic is from 1992, when Skogstad had #102 on the car again.

       


It's great to see Scalextric go beyond the British, European and Australian touring car arenas to add a rallycross Sierra to the range. I do hope they follow up Bjørn Skogstad's car with at least one of Kenneth Hansen, Trevor Reeves and Evind Opland, who were the big winners with the Sierra. Despite the dominance of the car, only seven drivers won events with it - Roger Sandberg, Tom Einar Aaserud and Michael Jernberg were the others.

The C4155 Ford Sierra RS500 'Came 1st' is available now at all your favourite Scalextric retailers.