Okay, let me tell you about diving back into 1960’s slot car racing recently. It all started when I stumbled upon an old box in the garage, packed away years ago. Curiosity got the better of me, so I dragged it out and opened it up.
Getting Started
Inside was a classic Strombecker track set, complete with a couple of cars that looked like they’d seen better days. The track pieces were dusty, some a bit warped. First thing I did was lay everything out on the floor. I took a damp cloth and wiped down every single piece of track. You have to get the rails clean for good contact, you know. Some connectors looked a bit tarnished, so I gave them a light scrub with a small wire brush I had lying around. Took a while, but it felt good bringing it back to life.
Then came the cars. Tiny little things. One was a Jag, the other a Ferrari, I think. They were pretty grimy. I carefully took them apart – just the body off the chassis usually. Used an old toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol to gently clean the chassis, especially around the motor and gears. The pickup braids underneath, those little copper things that touch the track rails, were flattened and dirty. I carefully fluffed them up a bit and cleaned them too. Didn’t do much else at first, just wanted to see if they’d even run.
The First Laps (and Crashes)
Assembling the track was next. Snapping those old plastic pieces together, trying to get a decent layout that fit the space I had. Finally got an oval shape going. Plugged in the power pack – thankfully it still worked – and connected the plunger-style controllers. These aren’t like modern controllers, they’re super basic. Push down, car goes.
I placed the Jag on the track, making sure the braids were touching the rails. Took a deep breath and pushed the plunger. The little motor whined! It sputtered forward a bit, then stopped. Nudged it, tried again. This time it took off… straight into the first corner and flew off the track! Classic slot car stuff. Same story with the Ferrari. It was tricky finding that sweet spot on the controller – too little power and they stalled, too much and they were airborne.
Tinkering and Tuning
Okay, so they ran, but badly. This is where the real fun started for me. I went back to the cars.
- Cleaned the commutators on the motors with a pencil eraser.
- Put a tiny, tiny drop of light oil on the axle points and motor bearings.
- Made sure the gears meshed okay, cleaned out any old fluff or hair.
- Spent more time adjusting those pickup braids – getting the angle and pressure right is key.
- Cleaned the tires with tape to get dust off, trying to improve grip.
It was fiddly work. My fingers felt huge trying to handle those small parts. But it was satisfying, working through the problems.
Smoother Racing
Put the cars back on the cleaned track after the tinkering session. What a difference! They ran much smoother. Still easy to crash if you gunned it too hard in the corners, but way more controllable. We could actually get some laps going, listening to that distinctive high-pitched whine of the motors. There’s a certain smell too, a faint ozone scent from the motors, that just screams vintage slot cars.
It’s not about high-tech perfection. It’s about the hands-on feel, the direct connection between your thumb on that simple plunger and the little car zooming (or flying off) the track. It’s noisy, requires constant tinkering, and the cars deslot all the time. But honestly, that’s the charm. Spent a whole afternoon just running laps, cleaning braids, putting cars back on track. Simple, mechanical fun from a different era. Loved it.
