Hello,

I used to race Tjets in the sixty's but I stopped about the time the AFX line came out. I remember only having one AFX car. Recently, I got back into slot cars and I have a question about the AFX chassis.

I have an original AFX and an AFX magnatraction speciality chassis that have what looks like a diode soldered to them. None of the info and pictures I can find show this and I would like to know what it is and what it is for. I have several lighted chassis so I know it is not a light and would like any information you might be able to provide.

Also, I have a question about TJet chassis. I am not clear on the difference between the Hot Rod, Dune Buggy and truck chassis. Is the only difference between these in the size and type of wheels and tires? I think I read somewhere once that one of them may be taller than the other two.

Thanks for any info you can provide. Along with trying to pick up Aurora cars in general I also want to have at least one of each type of chassis that Aurora made except for maybe the Super II. They only Super II's I have seen are rather expensive.

Thanks
Mack

rdavis, the diode you're seeing on that one car may be evidence that you found either a "euro" AFX or that someone installed one of the "noise suppressor" diodes that many euro slot cars (including Tyco up through the 90's) had on them to reduce electronic noise created by the slot car motors.

It's a capacitor to reduce radio frequency interference.

Here's some background info on AFX chassis: http://members.aol.com/hifisapien/afxchas.htm

I too would like to get at least one of every AFX chassis. I think I have the common ones covered except for the Super Magnatraction (SMT). I've seen these for sale but the prices are kinda hefty and parts are harder to find than just about all of the other AFXs. There was also another AFX chassis I'm missing that some folks refer to as the Super III. It was a cost reduced non-mag AFX that brought in some of the Super II features like lexan body but used the blue dragster arm instead of the quadralam. It had a much smaller pan. I think Aurora dumped them all but an enterprising dumpster diver rescued quite a few and is probably saving them for his retirement fund.

The really cool thing about Aurora, and to a slightly lesser extent Tyco, was that they were always trying out new ideas and trying to deliver both performance and value for both seasoned slot car veterans and entry level hobbyists. They set a standard for supporting and growing the HO slot car hobby that's never been equaled since their demise. The current crop of manufacturers do tend to do one or two things well. Aurora and Tyco tried to do everything well, and for the most part they succeeded.

Thanks EBasil and AfxToo. That was the information I was looking for. It was driving me crazy trying to find out what that capacitor was for. I thought it might be a diode and couldn't imagine what it might do.

AfxToo, Thank you for the info on the additional chassis. I will keep my eyes open. The website that you gave me was already one of my favorites. It has good information and pictures of the various chassis. It also has a good body gallery. I have most of the common chassis also in both TJet and AFX. I will pick up JL, Tyco, Marchon and others when I can but Aurora will always be my favorite because I have memories of Aurora when I was a kid. I remember setting up the L & J track and taking the cars apart and working on them. I remember begging my parents to take me to the hobby shop to by more track, parts and cars. I still love the yellow and blue Aurora boxes the track came in. I just started collecting again and I have a lot of catching up to do. Apparently, only 3 TJet bodies and 2 TJet chassis survived my childhood but I haven't given up looking for the others yet.

Thanks
Mack

That SuperMagnatraction is a great car, but with one significant weakness: the split front axle design. That's very light, but prone to crash damage. The SMT is an inline-motored car, and the two that I have are very fast, very well handling cars. Sort of a G-Plus-lite...

Hey AFXTOO,
you mentioned here the Super III, and I was searching the net for pictures of that car. I remember to haver seen some, but not where!
As far as I recall this chassis has a black steel weight and body mount in one pice instead of the two piece lead thing on the version "II". (BTW, was there ever a Super I?).
I got two of such black pieces in an auction lately, and wondered whether these were THE parts to built a Super III......
Do you have any more information on this chassis? Especially on its originality!

Thanks
Michael

Sorry Michael but I can't recall where I saw the pictures of the Super III (which may not even be an Aurora designation) but they were exactly as you described, a single black pan/body mount thing. Maybe SCJ has some in his inventory? If you have the pans and blue dragster arms I guess you can recreate a Super III. I'm not sure if the III chassis is the brush cup Super II style.

I don't know of a Super I but it does pose an interesting question as to why Aurora started with the II in the name. I guess you could say that if you use the brush cup equipped high performance chassis that was sold as an upgrade part, coupled with a mean green arm, and the blue & yellow magnets you would have something worthy of that designation. Aurora sold the brush cup equipped chassis, the mean greens, and the blue & yellow magnets as performance upgrade parts that did not have any Super II designation on the packaging. The plating on the upgrade chassis that I have are nowhere near as nice as the gold plating on the Super II chassis. But they have the slots for the Super II weight kit.

I've been having a hard time finding the blue dragster arms at a decent price. I'd like to get my hands on a half dozen or so of those babies.

Thanks AfxToo! SO I will have to check my harddisk at home for the pictures, probably I have them saved anywhere.
I surely would like to try and "copy" this chassis as close as possible, so the pictures would be essential. I suppose these steel parts would be the hardest to come by, and these I have! SO I need to know only which other parts they used. I would think they have used the Super II chassis, since legend tells they had plenty available since the Super II did not sell too good. This is why they offered the S II parts as hop-up parts also....

Now to SCJ: Any more information on that one? WOuld appreciate any on detail and history of course!
Thanks
Michael

Found a picture on my harddisc:

http://pic13.picturetrail.com/VOL489/2222574/6545964/86312410.jpg

Its not my car, I suppose I snapped this picture from an ebay auction. At least there is the part mounted that I was referring to. Interresting about this piece is a sticker on the bottom side, mentioning "Made in Singapore".
Wasn't there also an Aurora plant?

Michael

Hey guys, Maybe Tony Porcelli's original version of the Super II was named Super A/FX. I read in a book that his version differed from the Super II. Changes were made to make the car easier to mass produce. As for the Super III, I thought that was a creation of Alan Galinko? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I have some pictures printed of Alan's cars somewhere. Got a link to them from SCCBB. Randy.