Easy Ways to Pimp Your Scalextric
Scalextric slot car racing is a popular hobby that continues to grow in popularity. Scalextric and slot car hobbyists soon start to look for ways to get the most speed from their systems. Here I will outline a few simple techniques that you can use to make your Scalextric cars literally fly around the track.
The principles that apply to slot cars are the same as those that apply to real life F1 racing cars and rally cars. To get more speed you can improve the engine, use more appropriate tires to get better traction and adjust the weight and weight distribution. Optimising Scalextric cars can be very educational.
Let’s first think about the Scalextric car’s engine. Of course they don’t use petrol engines they use tiny little motors and these can be replaced. You can readily find high performance Scalextric car motors that provide higher revs per minute (rpm) than those that are fitted as standard in most cars. Upgrading your cars motor will give you an immediate improvement in speed.
Increasing your speed means that it is more likely that your car will fly off the track when it gets to a bend. Your car is held on the track using a magnet. Upgrading the magnet will help to keep your car on the track.
Another simple improvement is to fit a new set of tires. Better grip with the track will help your car to fly around the track.
So your Scalextric car is fully pimped and ready to break the world land speed record. But what about the track? There are a few simple tweaks that can make all the difference. I recommend that you first try this enhancements on one of your two lanes so that you can compare the difference with the unmodified track.
Start by cleaning the Scalextric track. Any dirt, dust or grease on the track will lower friction and result in poor performance. Next, clean out the slot. The slots in your track will inevitabley gather dust and dirt. This will inevitable impede the movement of your car. Ensuring your slots are free from dust and debris will bring significant performance improvements.
Finish up by ensuring that all electrical connections in your system are as good as they can be. Clean all the electrical connectors and make certain taht your car contacts are as clean as possible.
Your car should now be flying around the track. Now’s the time to find a challenger for a race.
