Whats that orange bit for?

It's a capacitor if it is across the motor terminals (Scalextric and SCX) and it is a resistor if it is inline with one of the leads (Ninco).

Neither makes any difference to the running of the cars, but are there to reduce electrical interferance produced by the cars. They were introduced so that Scalextric cars could be run in the same room as a TV. Without them when the motor runs, it starts snowing on the tele.

McLaren

Nope, sorry.

Can't think what the problem is if you have swapped everything but the body and chassis...

Maybe the chassis is warped or you have contact problems between the braids and the motor?

McLaren

If the slow one has a cap, remove it. If it has blown then it will slow the motor down.

McLaren

My second one got deleted before I even managed my first post. Boy, Nuro was on the ball that day...

McLaren