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HO Slot Car FAQ's *This information was compiled from an extinct Web Site. It has been reproduced in order to preserve it's informative content. Some of it has been updated with recent FAQ's. Page Updated: 11/13/01
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What is HO scale? Depends on who you ask. In HO slots, HO can mean anything from 1/64 to 1/87. Train Modelers insist that HO is 1/87, and nothing else. In the 60's, cars like the T-Jet and Vibes were originally
designed as accessories to HO Trains, so they are 1/87 scale. Once they became their own entity, the cars were eventually scaled up to 1/64 to provide a better platform for speed and handling, but are still called HO. I believe
Tyco started the 1/64 scale, with their TYCO/PROS line around 1971. Some refer to 1/64 scale as 'S' scale. (Maybe for speed?..) I've heard somewhere that HO actually stands for 'Half O', referring to 'O' scale(1/43). Some of the
later Marchon stock cars are practically 1/43 scale. Most modern HO scale formulas use 1/64 to figure out scale sizes and speed ratios • Which controller should I use? Most people seem to like the after market Parma controllers. They are fairly inexpensive, starting around $15. Look around hobby stores and swap meets, and you may find used
ones even cheaper. Stock type controllers are pretty cheap in construction, and unreliable for constant racing. Plus they heat up after moderate use. The old Aurora/AFX Pro Controller was as big as a Parma, but still had budget
components inside. None of the stock controllers offer brake circuitry. • Which controller resistance is best? Depends on the car you are using. For older T-Jets, Vibes,
Magnatraction, and cars with limited down force, 45 to 60 ohm resistors are the best. (Most stock controllers are around 60 to 75 ohms.) For box stock cars with good traction magnets, like Tyco X2, SG+, and Life-Like, 25 to 45
should be good. The magnetic down force adds resistance, so you need less at the gun. Modified cars work well with 15 to 25 ohms. Unlimited cars need much less, like 5 to 7, and these cars demand the ultimate in performance from a
controller. Electronic, solid state controllers, with proportional braking, and self adjusting resistors are the norm here. These controllers can run in the hundreds of dollars. •
Are electronic controllers good? They are, but are extreme overkill for anyone but serious racers. Although, if you have a lot of money to burn, plus you run/race a variety of cars, they may be worth looking into. The
electronic controllers can adapt to many types of cars, and will run anything from Vibes to Unlimited's. • Which cars are the fastest 'out of the box'? Out of the box, Tomy Super G +
are the fastest. They offer hotter armatures, lube-free brass arm bushings, cobalt magnets, adjustable timing, and hollow rear tires, plus a few other extra features that most of the competition doesn't. Life-Like and Tyco
are almost equal in speed and handling, although their designs are very different from each other. There's a lot of debate here, kind of like the Ford-Chevy, or Mac-PC thing, but everyone can find a brand to suit their needs. Any
car can be modified to run much faster. • I heard Tomy/AFX went out of business in the U.S. Is this true? Tomy is out of business in America, for now (01/98), But imports should still be available. There is good news for the U.S.
still; Rumor has it that Jim Russell, formerly of Tomy, formerly of Aurora and inventor of the RussKit controller along with Gary Beedle of Scale Auto have formed a new company by the name of RACEMASTERS. RACEMASTERS will be the
exclusive distributor of the Tomy/AFX line in the United States. Hopefully the SG+ won't die in the U.S. *Update (9/98): Scale Auto is now the exclusive distributor of Tomy/AFX in the U.S. The '98 Tomy line up is the same
as '97. There is a RACEMASTERS Web site, but nothing ever became of it. SCALE AUTO LINK FOR TOMY CARS: • How do I clean the rails/contacts on my track? Some people have reported great
success with 409, or WD-40. If the rails are rusty or corroded, they should be replaced. Don't sand them. It will make them sharp, and eventually wear them down. Use a track cleaning eraser, or a flat ink eraser to clean dirty
rails. You will probably notice more dirt on the rails at the beginning of straightaways. This is caused by higher arcing of the shoes, while the motor is pulling for acceleration. Go over the track with a clean rag after cleaning
the rails. Don't EVER use steel wool. Steel wool breaks into little pieces, and will destroy your cars when they pick up the shavings! There is another good product called Pacer Rail Zip, that prevents corrosion on the rails. Also
try this; Clean and deoxidize your metal track rails using WD-40 sprayed onto a small section of very fine grade 3M Scotch Brite pad. Use a fine rubbing motion. This will restore electrical conductivity to the rails. Clean the
track itself with a clean rag afterwards, or 409. For a final treatment, use Pacer Rail Zip available in hobby shops'. This will retard oxidation for months •
How do I keep my copper pickup shoes clean and prevent oxidation? Copper pickup shoes oxidize quickly and lose peak performance. They can be restored to their original electrical conductivity and luster by soaking them in
a solution of table salt and white vinegar for about a 1/2 hour. Then polish them with a fine metal polish like Simichrome. Rinse in vinegar and set aside to dry. A drop of Rail Zip afterward is optional. (Great for your display
cars) • Do I have to use a Tyco 440-X2 power supply? No. You can use a power supply from most any track. Just make sure it supplies as much voltage and amps as the Tyco pack. • What is the best way to mark/color the lanes on my track? Testor's Paint Markers are probably the best for this. Mark your lane colors in small sections, if you're into realism. Make small
arrows or boxes every so often, like in turns, or places where cars crash a lot. A constant stripe around the track may take away from the realism, if that's what you're going for. Paint markers, or pin striping tape works well for
complete lane striping. You can build a small jig from a chassis for holding a paint marker. This will give you a nice even line around the track. Paint markers are also very useful for realistic looking track edge marking and
caution zones and such. Pin striping tape looks good, but can peel up after a while. There are also pin striping pens available for automotive use. They use small wheels of different widths to lay out paint in a stripe. These can
be quite pricey though. •
How do you get started building accurate looking realistic scenery on an HO race track? The best method we have found is to watch racing on TV, or in person. Observe the outside activities and landscaping the next time
you watch a race. Video tape races so you can go back and review scenery. Photographs are good start as well. It's hard to ignore a good race, but force yourself to watch the backgrounds to get a real feel for how a real track
looks. Once you have an idea of the look you want, write it all down, or do sketches if you can draw. Planning is the best method for a realistic looking HO track. If you're unsure of how to fill an area, just cover it with grass
or dirt, and you can go back later to add a scene if you want. Designing and building a realistic and functional HO track can be time consuming, yet very rewarding. Many items from HO railroading can be adapted for HO racing. There
are some older HO racing structures still available through swap meets, and on the Web. Buy books on Train related landscaping and construction. Let your imagination go. There are no limits. Some of the older Aurora Hop up books
have some great tips on building realistic layouts. Get involved in some HO racing related Bulletin Boards. Right now (9/98) there are over a half dozen HO BBS's out on the Web, that are very popular, and the beginner can get
involved in discussions with experienced HO people, and find tons of information for getting started. • Here are a couple of sites to check out for realistic HO tracks:
• Here are some HO Racing and Collector's Bulletin Board Systems to check out:Planet of Speed Bench Racing Forums The Old Weird Harold BBS (OWH)Hobby Pros BBSHO Drag Racing AssociationHOFFRA & Tri-State BBSSlot Car Garage
Retired Slot Car Bulletin Boards:
The FastLane HO BBS (retired)SlotSide HO BBS (retired)
North Coast Performance Hobbies HO BBS
(retired)ScaleAuto HO BBS
(retired)American Racing Congress BBS (All scales)
(retired)TOP •
What voltage should I run on? Go with manufacturers' recommendations. In most cases, 18-22 volts will work fine. If you go too low, your cars will slow down. If you go too high, your motor will burn up. Running newer cars
on low amp power packs can cause heat in the motor, and eventual brush and comm failure. Drag racers will often go as high as 30-35 volts, but the motors only run for a couple of seconds at a time. I would suggest using 24 volts
MAX. As you go lower, your cars will require more amperage to attain the same top speed. Many people have reported great success running 14-16V at higher amperage. Running older T-Jets on a power pack larger than 18 volts may
eventually burn out your cars, as well as lights on a given car. If you run newer wall packs, in the 20 to 22 volt range, and you want to race T-Jets, and Magnatractions along with newer cars, you might consider adding a switch and
circuitry for lower voltage for the older chassis's. • How many amps do the cars need? Stock cars only need about 1-2 amps, modifieds need around 3-4, and unlimiteds need 6 or more. • How do I wire up the power packs in parallel? Parallel is positive to positive, negative to negative. Series is positive to negative, like batteries in a flashlight. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
RUN POWER PACKS IN SERIES. Wiring in series will multiply voltage, and will give way too much power for your HO cars. Running in parallel will multiply amperage, while attaining the same voltage. More amperage will give you more
acceleration/torque. Wire the positive leads to positive, and negative leads to negative. Then wire as normal to the track with the positive and negative lead. Don't go higher than 2 packs for 2 lanes, 4 for 4 lanes, etc., or you
will have a hard time keeping the car in the turns, and will have to experiment with resistor changes in your controller, if you haven't already. • Does magnet zapping help?
It may, it may not. We really don't have any good proof, one way or the other. • Why don't the tires on my old cars grip anymore? They probably dried up, hard and brittle. If there is
severe cracking, replace them. If the surface has a 'shine' to it, and they are stock neoprene tires, scuff them on a piece of medium grit sand paper by suspending the tires above the sandpaper, and revving the car. Don't grind too
far, or you'll have chassis clearance problems. This procedure works well with stock Tyco and Super G+ tires. • What are Retro and Repro bodies? Retro is a new body modelled to look like an old car that was never produced as a slot body. A
repro is a 'reproduction' body. It is a new body that is a copy of an old slot body. This makes it much cheaper to acquire your favorite cars, or to acquire the expensive ones. •
How do I strip paint off of a body? You can get paint stripper at hobby stores; Scale-Coat paint remover works well. It's made for trains. Others have had success with Easy-Off oven cleaner. I've seen this used for
automotive paint removal as well, like pin striping and lettering. Spray the body with Easy-Off, seal it in a zip-lock bag for a half hour. Remove the body, and clean it with with warm soapy water. It shouldn't hurt chrome unless
it's already flaking. Safe for plastic. OTHER REPORTS: Spic-N-Span® - This will remove old paint and leave the factory paint If you don't feel confident in your own attempts, there is an HO Slot Car Paint Restoration Service on the Web: •
I often hear a car described as a C-10, C-9, C-6. What do these numbers mean? These are condition ratings for collectible cars: ************************************************ C-10: Brand new, never been run, still in the factory packaging. C-9: Brand new, never been run, out of the package. C-8: Almost new, generally used to describe a car that has been kept in a collection for a while, but has never really seen any track time. C-7: Minor track wear, generally used to describe a car that has seen a little track time, but the owner has made efforts to keep it in good shape. C-6: Scratched, bumpers worn, this car has seen quite a bit of track time. C-5: Quite worn, nicked in one or more spots. C-4: Cut wheel wells, but otherwise nice condition. In the early days of HO slotting, Aurora sold a hop-up kit that came with large tires and wheels. The instructions actually told you to enlarge the wheel wells to fit the big tires. Another Aurora/AFX hop-up catalog also told you to do this. There has been some controversy as to just how to rate some of these early cars with modified wheel wells. Some cars could be in mint condition, aside from the cut wheelwells, and considering that this was a factory offered hop-up, the value of the car could be considered higher. C-3: Badly cut, good as a runner. These are the cars that have the wheel wells hacked, instead of carefully trimmed and rounded. May also include cars that have been painted poorly, or other body parts cut. C-2: Shot, might be good for parts. C-1:
Not good for much of anything. Junk pile bound.TOP
• Where can I sell my old cars? Many people have had great success with an on-line auction service called EBAY. They will tell you
how to use the service in the Web Site. You can also try the many HO Bulletin Boards that are on the Internet. • Where can I get replacement bumpers, windshields, driver figures, etc? There are many reproduction places around. Also, check at the
local hobby shops and races, you may find something that you need there. Also check the DL. Here are a couple of places to try- |
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