My first Scalextric car(s)

[gordon]

Back in December 1965 when I was a 12-year-old lad, I got my first ever slot car set, a Scalextric set with two front-wheel-drive Mini Coopers, one green, the other red. They were tons of fun to drive and I spent hours driving them with friends and family. Of course, not knowing anything about how to adjust the guide flag to keep the front wheels planted on the track (a simple matter of bending the brass/copper strips on which it was mounted), when one of the Minis started spinning the front wheels after a particularly hard crash, we just kept driving it flat out till the motor overheated and burnt out.

Well now, fifty-four years later, I wish I still had the cars. I had forgotten the details of how the cars looked and were built, but thanks to the internet and a few people who had preserved their own, I was able to find some pics of what they looked like, including these two. The first shows the car as it would look on the track, the second, its mechanical and electrical components.





Weren't they cool?

[steveaca]

Keith and I had one of those (or maybe two). Were given to us with a whole bunch of other old cars and stuff from before our time by . Could have been O'Brie's father-in-law (Alan Scott-Fleming) or Steve Castagne who gave us the stuff.

[gordon]

Steve, if it was Steve Castagne, the Minis were probably mine. He got all but one of my slot cars in exchange for a tyre for my race car. I never saw anyone else with those FWD Minis back then.

[obrie]

Nice piece of nostalgia there G. Make me think back to my first and the best I can recollect is a Cooper and a Vanwall. There was a D type Jag and a Lotus in there as well but I cant remember if they were mine or my brothers??? That was the start of our “involvement” with Slot Cars and the long hours we enjoyed. We still enjoy it and with any luck can look forward to many years still to come

[steveaca]

I remember getting a Vanwall at some point as well.

[Luke]

I was looking over this intriguing topic Gordon and was very surprised - how I did not reply and after all this time ... would like to now respond

Well, back in 1965 I was just a 2-year-old toddler and with a brief story - the firstborn of new-blood in the family ...

Sure you know the saying with new-blood, comes new blessings because in growing up was told stories of how life's situations changed for the better with my immediate family members - starting with my Grand-Mother on my Mother's side

That said - like you, got my first Scalextric Set Christmas Day (1974) at 11 years, with two RWD Mini Clubman Models ... one yellow, one red.

I never forgot the checkered markings on the rooftops of those 2 Minis while racing & how much excitement and thrills it caused because seemed like we raced for days (on-end) and straight into 1975

Anyway .. your second pic of the underside of green Mini is very technical looking (epically with the guide pin setup) compared to the Minis I had - remembered they weren't so hi-tech looking but a more compact motor style / setup that fitted on the inside of the chassis, which was then clipped on to Mini's body.

To help understand what I'm explaining with setup - here's a link ... http://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/pdf/S ... %20TR7.pdf ... of motor configuration.

Some months later in 1971 (probably for my 8th. birthday) got a Ford Escort (White) MK1 model

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... -753559237

Same as you Gordon, wish I still had those Minis & Escort models today

Post No.2149