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Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - JAA17 - 28th-Aug-26

I am in the UK. I am searching around and I am having trouble finding what NEW IN SHRINK stuff is for sale and where I can get it. Could someone please help with that? I am in deepest darkest Wiltshire, so about a million miles from anywhere, but I do not mind buying online providing the price is good.

I was looking for the AFX 1:64 stuff, but cannot find anything new in the UK. Space is an issue, I am in a small bungalow.

I was looking for the Carrera 1:43 stuff as they say even though it is bigger it takes up roughly the same space as AFX. BUT, I cannot find any of that in the UK new in shrink.

If I was going to go for Carrera 1:43, do you have to buy a track pack(s) and then buy cars and controls separately? Are there any all-in-one boxes.

The new Carrera Hybrid stuff looks good, but it appears to need both racers having one of them new fangled smart-phone thingies. Is there any chance in the future that Carrera could do a non smart phone version for people who are 'smart' enough not to have bought into the smart-phone craze?

The one that looks the ****best**** to me by a mile is the Carrera 1:32. It looks fantastic, but after having seeing some videos, I would have to build another wing to my bungalow. The neighbours are not going to be happy about that, as their garage next to us will have to come a cropper.

One thing I should add, is we not be having a fixed build if that is important. We will be putting it up and packing it away, every time we play.

As for style, I think I would like some sort of porshe or posh car, or touring car, or NASCAR, that kind of style. Are there any box sets with that?

So, any advice, especially where to get this stuff in the UK at a decent price will be very helpful. Are there any shops in the UK that sell AFX, Carrera or Scalectrix?

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - Kevan - 28th-Aug-26

Welcome aboard!

(28th-Aug-26, 09:07 AM)JAA17 Wrote:  The new Carrera Hybrid stuff looks good, but it appears to need both racers having one of them new fangled smart-phone thingies. Is there any chance in the future that Carrera could do a non smart phone version for people who are 'smart' enough not to have bought into the smart-phone craze?

Carrera Hybrid is RC cars not Slot cars and you need a smart phone to set the computer game type controller up.  
...in the future, people who aren't 'smart' enough to use a smart phone will have died off so I don't see Carrera pandering to a diminishing market.

Google can supply a list of UK Slot car sellers - List of UK Slot car sellers

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - Mazda - 28th-Aug-26

Hi, welcome to the forum. Wavegreen
I have been collecting building and racing AFX cars for over thirty years. I am afraid that the cars and parts are only available from slotcarsdirect.com in this country apart from the second hand market. I get a lot of my stuff from Jaghobbies in America.
PM sent.

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - woodcote - 28th-Aug-26

Welcome to SlotRacer JAA17  Wavegreen

My thoughts on AFX...

AFX is the premier HO scale track system and offers a lot for whatever your interests are. For me, HO is the basis of our local club (four lane AFX tracks), home drag racing and collecting. HO is also the perfect scale for small homes and for scenic landscaping. Almost all HO cars manufactured from the early 1960s to 2026 run on AFX track. 

Beyond the AFX cars, there is the UK-produced Bulldog chassis and a growing 3D-printed body shell market. Plus out-and-out racing chassis like Viper and Wizzard.

Europe and the UK has been a bit of a backwater for AFX since a failed distribution deal about 10 years ago. A new Europe-wide distribution deal in now in place and the final hurdles are being navigated. Expect to see AFX sets, cars and accessories available soon-ish. Maybe by Christmas?

Until then, the sole UK seller of AFX, Bulldog and other HO products is Barry Johnson at Slot Cars Direct. He does not sell sets.

Original Tomy AFX sets from the late 1980s and 90s can be found in the UK. These use the same track as the current sets and generally work fine. 90% of our track at Worthing HO Racing is of this vintage. Don't pay more than £25-40 for a set, for example this one would be a cheap way to see if AFX work for you.

And 1:43 scale...

This scale typically offers sets for younger racers to enjoy until they are old enough to move up to the 1:32 and 1:24 scale 'hobby-grade' systems. However, there is a small but enthusiastic 1:43 scale hobbyists scene across Europe and North America. The layouts have a bigger footprint than AFX, but smaller than Scalextric etc. They aren't anywhere near as versatile as AFX - eg not as many different track pieces or as big an 'aftermarket' scene for compatible cars and accessories.

Carrera 1:43 (aka Carrera Go!!!) is available new in the UK, mostly sets in toy shops and individual cars from slot car retailers like Pendles and Jadlams. There are some nice accessories, although you'll have to import them from Germany. Other 1:43 cars don't always work on Carrera tracks and vice versa.

A slightly more hobby-grade 1:43 scale option is SCX Compact. The sets can be upgraded with aftermarket controllers etc and there are loads of racing and rally-themed cars available, including modern GT3, F1 and WRC cars. The prices are similar to Carrera Go!!! but I think you get better value with SCX Compact.

Jadlams in Glastonbury (near you?) have some SCX Compact sets from £56 to £106 here. Gaugemaster distribute SCX in the UK and you can see (and buy) the full Compact range on their site.

In conclusion: 

In my opinion, AFX is the basis of a fully-fledged hobby in a smaller scale than Scalextric (and Carrera), which makes it more practical for a small home. A decent track can fit on a board under a single bed or behind a door. Loads of different track pieces, spares, accessories (including a huge aftermarket scene) means the possibilities are endless. One downside is that HO cars are very small and fiddly to work on. Another is that HO prices are more than 1:43, closer to 1:32.

The 1:43 scale systems are much more limited systems (an entry point for younger racers), although - with compromises - they can be the basis for a fun hobby. Sets and cars are cheap. The cars are much bigger than HO - just scaled-down down versions of 1:32 scale cars, but with less detail. They are easier to work on than HO cars, but only a few aftermarket accessories and hop-up parts are available. My preference in 1:43 scale would be SCX Compact over Carrera Go!!!

I hope that helps!

Here are some pictures...

[attachment=48201]

That's 1:32 (Scalextric) at the top, 1:43 in the middle (SCX Compact) and HO (Life Like) at the bottom.

Inside an HO car (AFX Mega-G+) and an SCX Compact car...

[attachment=48205] [attachment=48204]

And my old 1:43 track on a cut-down 6x3 door...

[attachment=48202]

I did use Carrera Go!!! track, but wired it up myself to take club controllers - so there are ways to make 1:43 more of a hobby than a toy  Sun

[attachment=48206] [attachment=48207]

And my HO home track with an even smaller footprint...

[attachment=48208]

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - JAA17 - 29th-Aug-26

Wow. Thanks everyone. This is a mountain of information, which I am going through right now. I think the Smart Phone requirement rules out Carrera Hybrid for me.

Some immediate questions arise:

1. Does 'Digital' mean the car can 'optionally' change lanes by using a switch/button on a controller?

2. AFX is single track use but with a scale 1:64 you can fit tons of track in a small space? It does not change lanes? Its only really available from slotcarsdirect.com in the UK? There are no sets, its a construct as you go. Some people have 4 slots all side-by-side.

3. Carrera GO and SCX Compact are both 1:43. SCX Compact appears to have a lane change road piece, but it appears to be a compulsory move and not an optional controller move. So I am guessing these are both non-Digital? Are there any future plans to move this to lane-changing/digital?

4. Digital only appears from 1:32 upwards in both Carrera, Scalectrix and possibly others? This means you can optionally change lanes on special track pieces using a controller. Cars can run in the same lane at the same time?

5. How do ghost cars work? Since they appear to be able to run in the same lane at the same time, I am guessing Digital is required? Are ghost cars defined by the car you buy, or is it some magic/witchcraft within the track pieces? How does the track/machinery know which car is a ghost or a player-car? How do the ghosts know how to drive and change lanes? Is the ability to run ghost cars a different bit of kit? If so, what is it called?

6. Is there any computer program that let's you design a track for Carrera/AFX/SCX-Compact/Scalectrix/Other where you can flip flop your tracks in-and-out-and-over-each-other in a compact space, where it tells you every bit of track you need, height-pieces and most importantly the exact dimensions in real life of the track you create?

7. Why are there so many loops in many sets? I do not know any real tracks with loops.

8. I read somewhere Scalectrix track rusts because it is not stainless steel. Is this true? What protocols are needed to keep the track and cars in good nick? Do you have to be a model engineer of some kind or can a Joe Average do this?

9. How do I view PMs on this forum?

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - JasonB - 29th-Aug-26


  1. Yes, where there is a lane change track piece.
  2. Yes
  3. Yes, no idea about future plans.
  4. Yes
  5. Haven't a clue
  6. Race Track Lab allows you to plan Carrera Go tracks, with SCX Compact and AFX listed as coming soon
  7. I love real tracks, most people don't
  8. Scalextric track is electro-coated with something, zinc or whatever. Unless you're storing it in a damp environment, you won't have a problem.
  9. Go to the Portal or Forum page and click Messages


RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - Top Down - 30th-Aug-26

Don't be afraid to buy AFX second hand. Our club track was in use for 28 years and had to be built and taken down piece by piece every three weeks throughout that period with only the need to clean it of storage dust each time. It's very durable and you could find and buy enough for a four lane track quite easily.

RE: Help For Newbie UK Slot Car Fan - Top Down - 30th-Aug-26

Are you prepared to travel to buy? This is on Facebook Marketplace in Taunton. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/27436285602659399/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Adad11979-a8cd-4246-b37c-e200a6427ae2

A HUGE quantity of Tomy AFX track and 11 cars plus all the necessary anciliaries for £75 but collect only. An absolute steal!