[SAMPSON]

Hi,lets look at attempts by some manufacters to bring realism to the slot car race. In real life you would run out of gas at times during the race & so you had to make a pit stop. Well these 4 companies tried it but i dont think it was successful.

After all we want to go fast not stop for gas.

We hate it when we are in our real cars & have to stop for gas.

Plus when racing ,we dont like going off the track because it also interrupts the race.

1st we have the Scalextric version,their "fuel gauge".One might want these cars to come to a stop so you could see how pretty they were.

2nd we have the US company Gilbert. Here you take the car off the track & put it on the pit stop to refuel. I think even the young kids who played with these cars quickly grew bored with this accessory. They dint want anything to interrupt the car crashes.

3rd we have the nicest made pit stop of all by the German company Stabo.You wound up the gas pumps & the fuel gauges turned . Now i might even like stopping my race car just to operate this system.

4th & last we have the Carrera Tempo 1/60th scale pit stop. You simply put the fuel right in the car just like a real one & like your real car it slows you down toward your destination. Not to mention the cost.

 

[Aurora]

More fascinating toys Bernard!

The Scalextric gauge looks like a kitchen egg timer. Any car would look pretty stopped next to that, but your Alfa and Bentley look very pretty indeed.

The Gilbert device looks like something that Underdog's arch enemy, Simon Bar Sinister, would use to create a monster car. The oscilloscope is a nice touch.

The Stabo kit - does the track power down as the time runs out?

And the Carrera stuff looks similar to Hot Wheels Sizzlers. The garage is a nice version of the Juice Machine.

 

[SAMPSON]

Hi Thai racer,im not sure on the Stabo because the instructions are in German. But i think you are right about the power. There are little metal levers near the bottom of each gas pump which when pushed down moves the gauge at the top. The oscilloscope was necessary to impress on the children the advanced technology offered by Gilbert at that time.

Thanks,Bernard

 

[SL0TCAR]

Hi Bernard,

Love the pics you are always putting on here, are the Alfa & Bentley chromed? Were these a limited production? Never seen them anywhere before.

Regards, Billy

 

[SAMPSON]

Hi Billy,the Alfa & Bentley are chromed. I bought them MIB. The label on the box gives the color as chrome. The story is that there were 30 of each made as gifts for some employees for xmas. An employee stole the 30 Bentlys but not the Alfas. So the Alfas are even more rare because they werent stolen & then sold to the public. .These were not chrome trophys. Thanks,Bernard

 

[SL0TCAR]

Amazing story Bernard...gobsmacked by it.

Were you the 'employee?'

Do you have one to spare? hee hee.

Would really like one of those for my collection, but maybe not, it would completely put all my cars in the shade.

Keep up the good work Bernard. You're a star. More pic's of those cars please.

Billy

ps: Are the 30 Bentley's all accounted for? What about the Alpha's?

 

[SAMPSON]

I was told the Alfas rarely show up because the employees kept them. The Bentleys on the other hand have shown up on rare occasions on ebay. I bought mine from a reputable dealer & friend. I cant say if all have been accounted for ,im sure not,so keep an eye out.

You can also see them on my website(bernardsslotcarmuseum.com)Thanks,Bernard

 

[gar]

The Aurora Data Race computer was made around 1979 for 2 lane Aurora HO sets , counts laps, times laps to 1/10 of a second (if under 10 seconds), remembers each lanes fastest lap, counts down to start, deducts 1 lap if you jump the start, has an option for a sound module which has a gunshot sound for starting, and it has a program which gives each driver 90 gal. of fuel which is used up faster, the faster you drive. If you run out you no longer count laps until you pull into the pit lane and press a switch which refills your car.You need only fill as much fuel as you need to finish the race. It also has some sort of sound for the finish but I don't have a sound module yet. I fitted it to a Strombecker track 1/32- 1/24 .