[RickD]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to first say that I've been following this board for months, and I believe it is the most active(english speaking) board out there. I'd also thank everyone for their ideas and info, much of which has helped me immensely.

I am a very avid slotter, and have to this point aquired, at last count count, 235 cars of all makes and types. I never got into this for the collecting aspect at all.I regularly run my cars, and have bought boxed sets in order to get cars in liveries not otherwise available. So, my question is, Am I nuts to open my David Piper Porsche set, the Alex Soler Roig Porsche and the LeMans Test car set among others, in order to use them and not store them away. After all this is a racing hobby and not a collecting one, right?

Just wondering what you guys think about it.

I also just picked up 3 Team Slot cars. The AlfaGTA LLovera, the Fiat 131 Abarth de corsa LTD ED, and the Lancia Fulvia Monte Carlo LTD ED. As these are my first Team slot cars I have gotten since the Nissan GTP, I have very little experience with the brand. The Alfa seems to run fine except for a noisy gear mesh which is getting better, but both the Fiat and Lancia are not only noisy, but exhibit a nasty wheel hop that I've not seen in any other car I own. Does anyone have any thoughts on a fix, or are these cars only for show.

Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

[darainbow]

Depends how much money you have and whether you bought them to collect or race. Not crazy, just your own personal economics.

 

[Wankel Ickx]

Welcome out of the shadows, Rick.

My theory is that if Raphael put motors in them then they should be on the track - diecasts are for collectors, slots are for racers. But if you paid top dollar for the sets then when you break the first wing or mirror you might kick yourself.

[Edit]
Sorry, ignored your Team Slot question. Only fix for a Team Slot car that I know of requires an air pistol. Yeah, I'm still not over that awful Team Slut Skyline.

 

[PeteN]

Hi Rick, I'd run'em, if you are worried about your investment, you bought the wrong thing anyway. On the Teamslot, I have just one, but it required quite a bit of tuning to run well. If you have some Fly cars, I'm sure you must be familiar with tuning!? Mine had a lot of slop in the axles, the gears barely meshed! If you do some tuning they run pretty well and quiet down.

 

[BEEJAY7]

Hi Rick

Run them....That's what they are for. I can't see the point of locking them away or just putting them on a shelf.

As for the Team Slot cars, they are very variable at best!. I strip mine down when I get them and reassemble properly, they are pretty fair cars then... The gears are a little on the loud side but settle down after a while, try applying some toothpaste to them until they wear in correctly. If you're still not happy swap them out for Slot.it components.

Regards

Alan

 

[Jamie]

Wheel hop can be counteracted in two ways, drive around the problem, accelerate more smoothly to prevent the amount of wheel hop; which usually occurs due to accelerating too harshly. Alternatively, remove the tyres & check the hubs for out of round wheels, sand off any lumps on the wheel rims, sand the tyres so that the maximum contact patch touches the track - worse case scenario the rear axle is bent.

Team Slot cars have tremendous braking in my view and reward the aggressive driver; grab it buy the scruff of the neck; on-off approach, all or nothing to the driving, the cars thrive by this style.

I learnt this technique at my local club during a race, I was racing an SCX (very similar IMHO) and they were marshalling mentioned that I was braking to early...

Jamie

 

[astro]

Many people who own literally priceless original 1:1 vintage racing cars have the real things raced at goodwood and other events. If they can do that with historical motor vehicals, then a label saying'limited edition' shouldn't stop us from racing nice slot cars!

 

[GT40MKII]

Too each his own. If your buying limited editions as an investment? I do not know anyone who can see into the future! But obviously if their run or broken the perceived future value will be affected. If they are broken it could help boost the remaining mint ones. If they are deemed rare in the future. I am as you have guest a collector. And I buy because I like the particular car. You pay your money and do what you like with your cars. As for 1:1 vaulable cars being raced at Goodwood there are a lot of replicas as well. Just because a model has a motor it does not have to be raced it entirely up to it's purchaser.
Regards Allan

 

[darainbow]

Of course all the guys who have copies hidden in their closets are going to tell you to run them!

I say hold on to them. Why pay more for boxed cars to run when you can get standard issue cars that run as well for less?

 

[alfetta]

Rick
When all of us have expressed our own opinions, you are still going to have to answer your own question. What do you feel is right. If it feels OK to you then that is the right answer for you.
Alfetta

 

[Eno Dog]

I'm very much of the "buy 'em - race 'em" school of thought.. it's just my son & myself have different approaches for different cars.

El cheapo cars get bought out when we feel that Russ "The Enforcer" Ingall rules are the order if the day. The more rare boxed things are more for "Gentleman" Jim days where we just want to see something attractive driving around the track. Of course you still occasionally hit a Kangaroo..

Oh - forgot which forum I was in as I wrote this. Lucky I went to get a coffee. I'm referring to the Aussie V8's. The guy's nicknames give you an idea of their driving styles.. but it was Jim Richards who totalled his car at Bathurst - hitting a hoppy running up into the cutting.

 

[Scott B]

A few years back there was an artist who took everything he owned - including originals by famous artists, his car, furniture and all - and had it shredded, destroyed, crushed. At the end of the day he had only what he was standing up in, nothing else. It was a very powerful statement.

Should you run or collect? I guess it depends upon what will give you most pleasure; playing with them or making a profit. Neither is better, wiser or more worthy than the other, just different ways to enjoy the things you have.

 

[RickD]

Actually, my question/statement was more to see others opinions. I already know what I will and in fact have done, and that is to run them. I figure if I have 6 boxed sets that might be valued 150 dollars, held on and they doubled in a few years(Doubtful), it wouldn't change my standard of living at all, so I play with them. My only regret is paying more to get some beautiful cars that aren't sold any other way, but such is the price of desire. I've been a car nut, real and scale, since I was kid, and I'm now 44 years old and still feel like a kid when I race with my buds or alone.
I don't think I'd get the same enjoyment looking at them on a shelf.

As for the Team Slot cars, I did a dissassembly on the Lancia, and found the pinion too far out on the shaft that it was rubbing the crown gear hub. Plus the plastic wheels were very out of round. After sanding the rear wheels, adjusting the pinion down the shaft a bit, it ran OK, a little dissapointing for it's cost, but they do look great.

Anyway, thanks for the responses.

Rick

 

[McLaren]

You are a crazy fool!

Not because you run boxed set cars, but because you even have to ask!

They are there to enjoy, and so long as they provide entertainment, keep on racein'

Welcome to the forum,

McLaren

 

[sacesta]

If you're concerned about damaging your beautiful, expensive collectibles, but on the other hand can't resist seeing them race around your track, then if your finances allow, BUY TWO!!

Crazy? Hell, at one point I had 8 or 9 Fly #6 Sunoco Lola MKIII cars!

What? What's that?

"OK, OK, OK, just a little pin prick. They'll be no more... ahhh!"

Comfortably Numb,
Steve

 

[RMMseven]

I think there's nothing wrong with enjoying your cars whether they sit on a shelf (or in the back of a closet) or you run them on the track and possibly suffer some damage- just enjoy them. I too have run many cars that others would not dare to. It is too easy to avoid having fun with your slot cars because of some unlikely potential that the value could rise over time. Do not look at your slot cars as finacial investments, there are many better investment oppurtunities.

We are just lucky that slots cars are relatively inexpensive as compared to some of the other hobbies that my buddies are into.

Most of the real collectable slot cars are items that everyone had or everyone remembers but are now all used up from racing and having fun with. Most of the more expensive boxed sets will still be boxed and unused ten years from now. It'll be the supply and demand equation, so I don't expect these sets to rise greatly in value. However the cars that see a lot of use will bring back fond memories and will be desireable. I think cars such as the epochal first series of FLY Vipers and the in-line Scalextric NASCARS will be in demand.

 

[CMOTD]

Consider - if you never played with your toys as a child but kept them all mint in their boxes - by the time you are 50 you can retire on the proceeds.

On the other hand - if everybody did this then childhood would be extremely sad and mint boxed toys would be worth the best part of bugger all! Old toys are only worth something because most are destroyed.

My own approach is simple - I buy the cars I like to look at and display on the shelf. If they appreciate in value - fine. If not, I still have the pleasure of owning them.

If I want to play with some of them then I buy two - one to collect and one to trash!

Brian

 

[Neil D]

Hi,

Slot cars are meant to be run run and further more run!.

Even if its one of 2 left..RACE IT!

Let them go to Slot Car heaven happy!

 

[Wankel Ickx]

@ sacesta

He is crazy. Over the rainbow. He is crazy, truely gone fishing.

 

[Jamie]

Nothing worse than making a decision to run a really nice car only to find it drives rubbish without loads of work.

I knew I should have left it on the shelf...

Jamie