Why are magnets viewed so negatively?

3194 Views 43 Replies 26 Participants Last post by a Bill, Aug 27, 2004

moped rider

Discussion Starter · Aug 23, 2004 (Edited by Moderator)

Our Spanish friend has stated that 99% of club racing in Spain in raced with cars that have magnets removed. Rally car racing is very popular in Spain by all accounts and so this may have something to do with this very high percentage. I have yet to visit any club in Britain that caters for rally cars or has a circuit purpose built for rallying. The closest I have seen is Matt Tuckers time trial circuit at the Phoenis GT day.

Time and time again members at Slotforum say cars should run properly without magnets and that racing with magnets is for beginners as the magnets act as an aid like stabalisers on a bicycle.

What is wrong with racing with magnets?

What is wrong with manufacturers building cars that have magnets as an aid?

Basically I cannot see anything wrong with either so why continue to condemn those folk who enjoy racing with magnets, or those manufacturers who design to a standard with a magnet fitted. If a magnet makes manufacturers lazy then so what!

If the car runs OK out of the box with the magnet then surely that is what it is all about at the end of the day.

If anything a magnet acts as model downforce which adds realism to the handling of a car.

If folk choose to remove the magnet then surely those same folk cannot condemn the manufacturer for making cars that subsequently wobble and require work (in their opinion). It seems a very silly thing to do when you think about!

Ultimately cars have had magnets for many years and wobbling wheels. Nothing here has changed. Yet the hobby has grown over this time.

What has caused this growth?

Certainly not improved mechanicals as these are constantly condemned by those who know best.

Maybe its the detail and the better looking cars?

Improved mechanicals do not appear to have grown the hobby but better looking cars have. And strangely during this period of growth magnets have got stronger.

And through all this time we have heard the cries of "manufacturers should build cars with a decent chassis".

Bunkum!

Moped

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moped rider

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 23, 2004 (Edited by Moderator)

I am not dragging up the magnet debate.

And I only mention rally cars as an explanation for the high percentage of racing in Spain that runs without magnets. I do understand why you would not want a magnet in a rally car although of course on a tarmac stage then you might.

It is dragged up everytime somebody says manufactures should build cars that run without magnets and so others stand accused of sponsoring this thread.

The magnet debate will end as soon as folk stop making this pie in the sky request.

Even Slot.It cars need work doing to get the cars to run as these fusspots demand!

Get practical people. Magnets are here to stay and will always form part of the total handling specification offered by the mass manufacturers.

As already stated, if you choose to remove the magnet then you cannot at the same time condemn the manufacturer for running gear that does not meet with your approval.

Purchase a car without a magnet and then of course you have every right to condemn the manufacturer if the car runs pants. But these cars cost more don't they?

Moped

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moped rider

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 24, 2004 (Edited by Moderator)

I don't see how this answers the question which is why do mainly club slot car racers keep saying that manufacturers should improve their chassis.

To repeat, the cars run acceptably with magnets as designed. If a slot car racer wishes to remove the magnet and then chooses to race without this magnet, then the racer starts to look foolish when requesting that manufacturers should work on the chassis to make it run better without magnets.

If the manufacturers did this then the racer would not have to do any work to the cars and much of the enjoyment of working on the cars for some racers would be lost.

I am not saying that one form of racing is better or more enjoyable than another.

I am simply requesting that experianced players at Slotforum should get real as I for one do not want to spend extra money on cars that run perfectly well with magnets because a very small and vocal minority at Slotforum want cars that run as they want them to without magnets.

Considering that the Spanish (the worlds largest slot car market) run 99% of their club races without magnets if improvements could be made do you not think they would have been made by now!

If I want to spend extra money on a chassis upgrade then I would prefer that to be an option rather than a compulsion. The Fly racer at £40 or the Slot.It cars at £30-£35 surely satisfies those who require a perfect chassis at the expense of other qualities that for me take a higher priority.

So please leave the poor old manufacturer and his magnets alone. He is doing a good job broadly speaking.

Moped

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moped rider

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 24, 2004

Fly charge £40, yet they have an army of fans.

Why do Scalextric have to make these cars? I did not mention Scalextric?

Moped

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