New AMT 1/25th Scale Slot Cars

[Fitzy]

[goosenapper]

Considering the last cars that they released ended up being liquidated at Ollie's, this is shocking news. :o

[mattb]

They must have a warehouse full of the one off slot car parts they had made somewhere in Mexico. What a waste of money and time. If only they had a few slot car people involved in the design stages.

[Mseitz]

That is astounding news! I would agree the old series kits could have been done much better but with a soldered in guide tongue, PG tires on the aluminum wheel versions, they could be made to run ok. Working on one right now, actually. The Ollies special was the deal of the century for scratch-builders. Lots of usable parts for not much money.
Keep 'em coming!

[Z-carfan]

Missed out on the Ollies here for that deal. Looks to be a sharp car.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Yep. The model was a great one, and I think they are still around with a different name on the box.

But this series, although not nearly as laughably awful as they were when first offered, is still pretty much a joke. Here's a couple of punchlines...

" AMT’s robust, pre-assembled, tested and ready-to-race metal chassis"-- that would be the very soft metal chassis that refuses to hold adjustment and bends so easily you have to straighten it after every deslot, and was designed originally for a different shaped motor, hence the goofy and often ill-fitting "nosepiece" screwed to the front of the supplied motor.

"Premium boutique packaging"-- that would be the same box that they have used since the first offering- boutique? really?.

[mattb]

The oilites fit the one off sized axles they use, but they don't fit 1/8 inch axles. I have used the frames by soldering them to a flat brass plate. For a reasonable life, We also have added braces to the rear axle areas and we have used new guides and run the guide thru the brass plate and not the weak a** frame. Motors are pretty decent. For the price of the kit you get a decent motor, a weak front axle mount, a weak rear axle/motor bracket and nice body. This is how we have used the AMT frames.
lola t 70.JPG
A $10 womp chassis does the same thing or a forged motor bracket soldered to a piece of brass with a KalKar front axle/guide bracket. Here is a modified Womp.
P1010007.JPG
For $15 or so I will buy a few, but then again, maybe not. It is really easier just to build a frame from scratch.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Looks good, matt. I remember some guys reinforced those things.

[noddaz]

Thank you for the topic on this. And I noticed this bit of information in the description. "The SLOT STARS line of 1/25 electric slot cars has been re-imagined for 2016!" Ok, I am with it! :lol:
BTW, the price point at Ollies was perfect...

Scott

[Mayberryman]

[quote="mattb"]They must have a warehouse full of the one off slot car parts they had made somewhere in Mexico. What a waste of money and time.

I could not see any serious slot car people paying $5.00 a car. Why anybody who either bought or raced one of the first run would buy one of the current run is beyond me. I guess the body would be OK for hard body 1/24th racing.

[mattb]

I'd give $5 for the body and the motor, throw away the rest of it. The motors actually seem OK and must be 15,000 or a little more. The 70 style Camaro builds a nice trans am sedan hard body. Maybe this round 2 will include something more in demand like a 69 Camaro or 65 Mustang fastback. The body style may sell a few of those kits. I doubt if the major online shops will waste much of their inventory dollars buying any of this release.

It's a real shame as they could have easily put together a decent kit by using existing engineering and standard parts. A stamped one piece Womp style frame, axle holes for different wheelbase bodies. 1/8 axles and set screw wheels, standard guide flag and decent gears. Amazingly easy to make a reasonably cheap fair running slot car using this design and technology.