[Slot Trumps]

My Ari Vatanen Mk2 Escort was lapping the track to neatly, it just didn't look enough like a real Mk2 escort rally car so I took the magnet out and now I can "drive" it in the same spirit as Ari Vatanen did, plenty of rear end slides out the corners! Much better.

This made me feel all nostalgic and reminded me of being a kid in the 1990's when the cars didn't have such strong magnets in them as they do now and I'd spend hours learning to control the cars whilst also trying to be fast.

I have now started removing the magnets from my collection and there is some fettling and work needed to make them fast again but it's the tinkering that's just as much fun as the racing for me so I'm okay with that and tyre cleaner is making a big difference here. 

I was surprised by how good the Scalextric BMW E30 M3 is without the magnet, no fettling required at all to get the car to run nicely, it just took off like a scalded cat and stuck to the track like glue in the corners still. Okay so it's not lapping quite as fast as it did with the magnet in but it's still quick enough and is certainly a lot more stable in the corners than the Mk2 Escort, a set of slot.it c1's or Wasp tyres will probably make a massive difference over the standard scalextric tyre. 

      

Even the classic F1 cars are much more fun to race, without the magnet in I'm not constantly catching the other lanes rail and having a pendulum effect spin, they are much easier to control now. The slides can be controlled they are much more progressive and the cars look more like the real cars exiting the corners with a bit of slide just like they did in the 1970's. 

       

Anyway if you've read this far thanks for keeping an interest, I just wanted to share some of my experiences from the last couple of days. I've got a lot to learn still especially if I want to get my big GT cars as fast as possible without the magnets.

[Kevan]

Adding ballast in the way of pieces of lead to the top of the chassis (or under the chassis if clearance is enough) will start to get your previous handling back and reduce rollovers.

[nkarres]

Tungsten putty for adding weight in small spaces, highly recommended!!!!!!


Nico

[Gpa113]

You've got it Slot Trumps 

Slot cars are so much more fun with the magnet removed.  All my cars go without magnets,  some do require a  bit of setting up,but plenty of them go just fine with body screws slackened, and some better rear tyres.  We use WASP Slot urethanes,  and find them great, as is Wayne's service. 

Our main club class is Scalextric GT CUP,  all modern GT3 type machines.  Brilliant fun with no magnet,  on both routed and plastic track layouts. 

Enjoy your racing.

[Nonfractal]

If you want to learn the ins and outs of tuning , try to visit your local club.
Uk clubs generally run magless and have lots of racers with lots of expertise.
Ps which county are you in?
AlanW

[Slot Trumps]

If you want to learn the ins and outs of tuning , try to visit your local club.
Uk clubs generally run magless and have lots of racers with lots of expertise.
Ps which county are you in?
AlanW

Hi Alan, I am looking at getting more involved in slot racing and would like to find a club to join. I used to race RC cars at a club and I miss the social and competitive side of it all.

I live in Leicestershire not sure what's around here club wise, it would be good to race on a proper circuit and tap into the knowledge of experts. 

Dan.

[CMOTD]

As far as I know there is only one active hard body slot club in Leicestershire at Melton Mowbray. LINK

There used to be two BSCRA clubs in Leicester itself but I think they may be defunct as their websites no longer work.

Depending on which part of the county you live in Rockingham club in Northamptonshire may be your nearest. LINK

Incidentally, unless you race on a copper taped wooden track there is no such thing as non-magnet racing. Electric motors contain magnets which will provide a degree of attraction to the steel rails of plastic track and some motors have very strong ones indeed thus provoking much discussion at a few clubs which think they have banned magnets. 

[DPJ]

I'm reading the OP and looking at the pictures, and say to myself - I love those old F1 cars!! Then I look at mine and see they are different from the OP's. Mine are from the Limited Edition Scalextric box set Classic Grand Prix, Formula One 1976. @Slot Trumps where did you get those?
Here's a couple pics.

           

[Slot Trumps]

I'm reading the OP and looking at the pictures, and say to myself - I love those old F1 cars!! Then I look at mine and see they are different from the OP's. Mine are from the Limited Edition Scalextric box set Classic Grand Prix, Formula One 1976. @Slot Trumps where did you get those?
Here's a couple pics.

Hi buddy, mine are from the more recent 76 British Grand Prix Legends set. There's a few subtle differences, like my Ferrari doesn't have any Prancing Horse logos presumably the rights for the ferrari logo had gone up on price, and my McLaren has a different rear wing colour design. I'm still undecided on leaving them standard or applying some transfers and Marlboro sponsors. 

   

[Kevan]

There's a few ex rc guys here, I raced 1/12th and 1/10th for 37 years until visiting the local slot car club in 2015...not been back to the rc club since. 
I think Alan is an ex rc guy also.