I've done a search and haven't found a whole lot. Does anyone know of a post, website or anything at all giving comparisons of the various HO type slot cars. I am still in the table building process but have gotten to a point where i need to order more track and do the underneath wiring. So i set up a track to play around with. I purchased 2 International sets for a base and I like the cars they come with, but they do not stick to the track very well, at least with me driving. I would like to also start getting better cars and parts but need the right info to make the right purchases. Any info is appreciated. Thank you.

There is car information on Greg Braun's site hoslotcarracing.com and some identification information on modelmotorist.com. Additionally, there is a chart comparing available track sections on Greg's site.

However, I suspect you're looking for reviews about what is the "best". Well, there is a wealth of information right here on the hobbytalk forum (and one other). Some folks like the non-mag cars while others like the magnet cars; some just play around with their kids and some take their racing seriously. There is a tremendous amount of information and experience shared on these forums; you'll have to sort through the opinions and decide for yourself. The hobby is all about what you like and what you want to do.

Here is a Hobby Talk thread that I saved many moons ago, where different car types are discussed.http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=155750&highlight=book

If a stock G doesn't have enough stick,check this site out for tips on modifying them.
Depending on how deep your pocket book is,you can turn them into a pretty radical car.
First question,are you still using stock power packs as power supplies,if so,you'll want to step up to a decent power supply and some jumpers before you start modifying the cars

http://www.ho-tips.org/

This site here is getting to have a rep as a G site,most of the better G builders hang around this site occasionally,so it's a good place to ask questions on modifying what you have

http://planetofspeed.net/BBS/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=7cfb2f4997e4be70815921ab56f42979

The cars from those sets will stick pretty good in stock form but there are a couple things you could consider.

1 -- Better rear tires is the cheapest way to improve grip but with the Super G+ cars in that set you'll have to get double flanged rims for slip on tires or a pair of dedicated silicone-coated sponge tires & hubs.

2 -- Stronger traction mags will cost a bit more but can be the best long-term fix for more grip, plus you won't need to replace the stock tires.

Either of these will improve grip and increase speed, which in turn will increase the severity of a crash when you have one. Work on your driving style along with your car prep and you'll be quicker and less prone to offs no matter what kind of chassis you are running.

My $.03 worth, adjusted for inflation. :)

AcesFull the tire thing is the first step with these cars. You don't need double flange rims specifically, Tomy Turbo/SRT rims will do fine for now, suited up with some SuperTires or other decent slip-on silicone tires. Super G+ cars are pretty good, to ask for better your gonna get into the Slottech/BSRT/Wizzard area and that's some $$$. Lotsa fun, but not for everyone. A great option for sticky cars would also be to pick up some of the Tomy SRT cars.

If you're just getting into (or back into) this hobby, you're best to start at the bottom and find your own driving style before you go sinking tons of $$$ into the cars mentioned above as you can build to suit your style and that gets expensive if you don't "know" your style. Also, if you start out "stuck" on driving magnets with wheels, you're likely to have a lot of difficulty enjoying the bulk of the products on the market.

For magnet cars I use only BSRT G3 cars.

BSRT http://scaleauto.com/

I don’t use Tyco, LifeLike, Wizzard or Tomy/AFX cars anymore because for me they are a waist of time and money.

For T-Jets, only Vintage Aurora cars with some of the performance parts from BSRT & RT-HO.

RT-HO http://rt-ho.com/

I think an upgrade to the stock controllers will help a lot! A good start is the parma econo controller (about 20 bucks) with the track wired for brakes. Super G+ are good cars and are fun to drive with a decent controller. Also, slip on silicon tires are a cheap up grade from the stock hard rubber tires. I imagine with your tracking being in the garage, the track is going to get slippery with all the dust that settles on the track. Use an old roll of masking tape.. pull out a strip long enough wrap the remainder of roll, and fold it back over so the stick side up. Same principle of a lint roller.. use it to clean the track and also clean the tires on the car. You'll be amazed how dirty the tires can get. Cars also expel carbon dust from the brushes on the motors.

-roffutt

Good info guys, thanks. I'll start with just some better tires on the current cars for now. See how I like it then possibly opt for the magnets. I still have a lot of work to do on the table/track to get it finished, but I laid out a track to play with while I order the rest of the track pieces, install and wire the power supply and drivers stations. Then I'll upgrade the controllers and look into better quality cars and parts for the tracks final configuration. It will take a while for me to get everything done, but the advantage is that I learn a driving style while waiting. I've attached a pic of the updated work done on the track (driver station tables installed with a temporary track laid out). Thoughts?

The station decks look very nice. What if you made them slide out from under the table on drawer guides?

Hey Aces,

Just wanted to let you know that man I am in a real similar situation, hence all the questions about your table on the other thread, in that I've got my table built and I believe I actually have the layout I want setup already. My thing now is to complete the table so I can start making some neat modifications to the table itself, i.e.... signs, little people, infield, etc... (you see where this is going). Your table is definitely rockin' though that's for sure. After I saw how you had your table set I went out and bought more wood this past weekend so I could try to stabilize this thing as much as possible.

Hey question for ya on the border pieces (so the cars won't go flying off the track.) Did you use the 1"x 8" or is that 2"x8"?

Hey Aces,

Just wanted to let you know that man I am in a real similar situation, hence all the questions about your table on the other thread, in that I've got my table built and I believe I actually have the layout I want setup already. My thing now is to complete the table so I can start making some neat modifications to the table itself, i.e.... signs, little people, infield, etc... (you see where this is going). Your table is definitely rockin' though that's for sure. After I saw how you had your table set I went out and bought more wood this past weekend so I could try to stabilize this thing as much as possible.

Hey question for ya on the border pieces (so the cars won't go flying off the track.) Did you use the 1"x 8" or is that 2"x8"?

1"x12"x48"(6' cut down to 4') - my table is framed usinf 2"x6" lumber, so that leaves a 6" wall.

Aces, if you can't keep the SG+ cars on the track with what you have now I'd suggest waiting until you get your variable voltage power supply, a decent controller, and try running the track at 12V or less until you get the hang of it. Gradually work your way up until you are comfortable running at the full 18V used by all major race organizations.

I would concentrate on getting comfortable with driving box stock cars like Tomy Super G+, Tomy SRT, Tomy Turbo, Tyco 440-X2, and Life-Like Fast Trackers before even considering a move to purpose built race cars like Wizzard Storms, Slottech Ts, and BSRT G3s.

You could also consider designing a race course with fewer 6-inch turns if that is what's biting you.

Trust me, you will definitely get the hang of it and will feel comfortable with driving any box stock car on your track at 18V. Once you feel like you can reliably crank out laps with any box stock piece of equipment, then start thinking about moving up to aftermarket parts and the more expensive and higher maintenance racing stuff if you want to go to the next level. As much as I love the higher end stuff I think you would be doing yourself a disservice in the long run by not learning what it takes to get the most out of the wide variety of box stock cars that are out there. Working your way up and down through the whole range of different classes of HO slot cars can be part of the beauty of HO slot car racing. Heck, you may find you like the TJets and Magnatraction type cars that have little to no magnetic traction assist.

As always, it's up to you to decide what you want to get out of the hobby. Take your time, learn, and enjoy.

The Super G+ chassis is easy to throw from the track, and with a little practice, easy to get to stick to the track. My perspective, as I've only been running my SG+ cars on a track for roughly over a week, and after coming back to the hobby for the first time in two and a half decades. I'm running everything stock- track, cars, controllers, wall warts (I understand that's what they are, but I don't know why they're called that ;) ).

These cars just take some getting used to, just like any other chassis, and any type of layout you run. Comparing them to older chassis types, they're a breeze, and I can understand why they will have their detractors. "Purists" may view these cars as extremely fast but too easy to run, I would guess.

I'm going to be sticking with stock setups right now with power and controllers. The money I will spend in the immediate future will be on various types of cars / chassis to get a feel on what I enjoy.

The station decks look very nice. What if you made them slide out from under the table on drawer guides?

I wanted to do that at first, and still can, but since I'm puuting seperate variable power supplies at each station and some other items, it would create an interference. To get around that, I would have to mount the stations lower than I would prefer. nothing is permanent though, only a few screws away from a complete re-design. :thumbsup:

Aces, if you can't keep the SG+ cars on the track with what you have now I'd suggest waiting until you get your variable voltage power supply, a decent controller, and try running the track at 12V or less until you get the hang of it. Gradually work your way up until you are comfortable running at the full 18V used by all major race organizations.

I would concentrate on getting comfortable with driving box stock cars like Tomy Super G+, Tomy SRT, Tomy Turbo, Tyco 440-X2, and Life-Like Fast Trackers before even considering a move to purpose built race cars like Wizzard Storms, Slottech Ts, and BSRT G3s.

You could also consider designing a race course with fewer 6-inch turns if that is what's biting you.

Trust me, you will definitely get the hang of it and will feel comfortable with driving any box stock car on your track at 18V. Once you feel like you can reliably crank out laps with any box stock piece of equipment, then start thinking about moving up to aftermarket parts and the more expensive and higher maintenance racing stuff if you want to go to the next level. As much as I love the higher end stuff I think you would be doing yourself a disservice in the long run by not learning what it takes to get the most out of the wide variety of box stock cars that are out there. Working your way up and down through the whole range of different classes of HO slot cars can be part of the beauty of HO slot car racing. Heck, you may find you like the TJets and Magnatraction type cars that have little to no magnetic traction assist.

As always, it's up to you to decide what you want to get out of the hobby. Take your time, learn, and enjoy.

I have most all of the components for the variable supplies. Once I build those and the rest of the driver stations, then I can begin buying the rest of the track pieces and controllers I need. The track I'm building is the Scenic 70 from hoslotcarracing.com, which doesn't have much for "technical" driving. Truth be told, I'm just excited and impatient as well as impulsive. Oh well, still having fun.

I have most all of the components for the variable supplies. Once I build those and the rest of the driver stations, then I can begin buying the rest of the track pieces and controllers I need. The track I'm building is the Scenic 70 from hoslotcarracing.com, which doesn't have much for "technical" driving. Truth be told, I'm just excited and impatient as well as impulsive. Oh well, still having fun.


Aces.... I'm right there with you on the impatient thing. I built my table and for like 2 weeks all I did was race on it. :p I'm slowly starting to finish the table the way it needs to be done. I'm hoping my setup will end up even half as nice as what you're doing. That table is just awesome and looks very professional. I'm hoping to emulate what you've done there. I mean shoot man your driver's stations (to me at least) look so professional it ain't funny. How did you make those?

I put the lower shelf as well as 4 more 2x4s in to support the shelf and thus give the entire table a bit more stability. I will probably end up like you with a table that is just way overbuilt. I'd rather have it as stable and nice looking as possible though.

As Mr. Creosole said "Don't skimp on the patte" and he subsequently exploded from overindulgence. (Monty Python and the meaning of life) I'm applying this theory, the don't skimp on making a good table that is, to my table. :thumbsup:

Cheers,
Xence

Aces.... I'm right there with you on the impatient thing. I built my table and for like 2 weeks all I did was race on it. :p I'm slowly starting to finish the table the way it needs to be done. I'm hoping my setup will end up even half as nice as what you're doing. That table is just awesome and looks very professional. I'm hoping to emulate what you've done there. I mean shoot man your driver's stations (to me at least) look so professional it ain't funny. How did you make those?

I put the lower shelf as well as 4 more 2x4s in to support the shelf and thus give the entire table a bit more stability. I will probably end up like you with a table that is just way overbuilt. I'd rather have it as stable and nice looking as possible though.

As Mr. Creosole said "Don't skimp on the patte" and he subsequently exploded from overindulgence. (Monty Python and the meaning of life) I'm applying this theory, the don't skimp on making a good table that is, to my table. :thumbsup:

Cheers,
Xence

For driver station tables, I used a 1"x8"x24" laminated particle board shelf and did the edges with 1"x2" craft. Used #6 countersink woodscrews. Pre-mesured everything and drilled countersunk pilot holes for a nice finish. This table is far from professional, as a matter of fact, it's the first thing I've ever built out of wood. I do run a mechanical/electrical R&D lab for an equipment engineering company though, so I do have the know how, just never used wood before. Really having fun with it though :thumbsup:

It will be interesting to observe Ace's progress as he builds up his layout. He's loaded with gusto, and has the ability to execute on his plans. Maybe, just maybe, I can be motivated to move away from a stock power setup.

It will be interesting to observe Ace's progress as he builds up his layout. He's loaded with gusto, and has the ability to execute on his plans. Maybe, just maybe, I can be motivated to move away from a stock power setup.

Progress will now slow down a bit as finances will be my major hurdle. I still have to support my wife and 4 kids, maybe a fifth on the way, and they still prefer to eat 7 days a week, go figure :) . Luckily OT is is unlimited for me right now so I can bring in a few extra bucks. :thumbsup: