New user looking for no-mag car recommendation

[JeremyC]

This is my first post on the forum, hello!

I recently became interested in slot cars and purchased a used Analog Carrera Evolution track with two of the stock cars. I installed Paul Gage tires along with performing a basic tune-up and everything is running very well.

However, I would like an additional car and want to purchase something with a higher performance chassis to run with no magnet. Next car wish-list:

* full bodied car that won't look totally silly racing a C7R or Ford GT
* can be tuned to run well with no magnet
* competitive chassis/body for "silvercan" box-stock type racing
* around $50 or less
* 1/32 scale

Some examples I'm considering: "Policar CAR06a 330 P4 Le Mans" ($55) or "Scalextric C3951 Ford GT MK IV" ($40)

Thank you!

[scatman]

Welcome. Can’t go wrong with Scalex. Great price point and gear mesh is pretty smooth. My best advice, when you run cars with others, try to run cars by the same company. You will save money and spend more time on the track. Also trying to stay Box stock with aftermarket tires is rewarding. Don’t get wrong, I have plenty of cars with complete overhaul with new parts and some sitting on my bench incomplete. So, keep it simple and enjoy.

Tony

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I agree. Be careful getting the magnet out, some of them are a bear the first time. It couldn't hurt to add a little weight to compensate.

[BRS Hobbies]

You should also try running your Carrera slot cars without the traction magnets. They should run pretty good with the Paul Gage tires. Generally, the higher performance brands are a little lighter which helps them to handle slightly better but pretty much any brand can be made to run well.

[Giddyup]

My two cents...

Yes, almost every car can’t be made to run well no mag, provided you have the tuning experience to know what to do. As it’s is you’re first post, I can’t tell your comfort level and/or what your tuning experience may be.

What I would recommend is trying a higher quality brand. One than doesn’t require as much effort or switching out of parts to get it to run well. I would look for properly motored (i.e., not crazy torque), higher quality gears, rear metal wheels, a podded chassis and an ability to set front axle ride height.

For the price range you quoted ($55), other than the Policar Ferrari you mentioned (which will be a great choice) - Slot.it Cars fall within that range. Slot.it cars check all the boxes in terms of parts I mentioned above. I know LEB Hobbies has a summer sale on right now for some at around just $42. That’s a steal!

There are other quality enthusiast brands, which differ from what I would call the entry level based ones like Scalextric and Carrera. Brands like Scaleauto are good, but require more fidddling to find the sweet spot but are going to be another $10-15 on top of the usual $55 price point. NSR may be your best bet once you get into the $70 range. They (along with Thunderslot) may be the best cars right out of the box, and again check the boxes for what needed. I would strongly recommend the NSR Corvette C6R or C7R or their new Mercedes AMG. Again, check out LEB Hobbies, they are selling NSR’s for $69. Thunderslot and Revoslot are also very good, with less tuning to do out of the box, but again more $ beyond a NSR, where it becomes diminishing returns for your extra money spent in my opinion - unless there’s a car you’d just have to have LOL.

Not trying to push you out of your price range, but once you’ve had a taste of how a slot car SHOULD feel, it’s hard to go back! And as someone who started out with Carrera, Scaley and Fly, and have moved along the spectrum of manufacturers, I’d really recommend spending just a little more $ on a Slot.it (or even a NSR), you’ll never regret it....especially the enjoyment factor. Those are my go to cars I put on track when I just want to run laps.

Happy slotting, eh!
:auto-driving:

[JeremyC]

[JeremyC]

[Dangermouse]

Slot.it owns Policar - I am not sure of the reason why some cars come out under Policar brand over slot.it - they share common parts but there are differences. ie plastic wheels vs metal wheels in saying that their plastic wheels are some of the best available so all good there.
As you are leaning towards a classic car I would recommend the Policar Ferrari over the Scalextirc Ford MKIV my experience with the Scalextric would suggest you would need to do a fair bit of tuning to get it running well non mag. The Policar will need some basic tuning as well but I think it would be a better runner.

[chappyman66]

Policar and Slot.It are basically the same (see Ferrari F40 from both labels....same car, just different rear wheels, basically). Great cars, great performance out of the box, great details for the price. My opinion is that they are the best option in the value/performance trade off. The Policar brand has plastic wheels, but they are true unlike many other brands (I use them in builds). Loosen the pod, change the tires (we run silicone) and go.
Can't go wrong with the Group C cars....lots of options and reasonable prices.

[slothead]

Before getting my first Policar I was told it has Slot.It running gear and was a good brand. I agree and now have 3 of them. But, if you can get a Slot.It for the same price then why not and it's just a matter of which car make, model, and paint scheme suites you best.

Whichever way you go the new car should be a step above the Carrera cars that came with the set and not something the other racers will want to take on. They may end up having to get something similar to what you get to stay competitive.

[scatman]

When I first started without magnets, I used a lot of lead. After time I used less and less and with Carrera, none. Car is heavy enough. It all comes down to getting use to driving without magnets. Reduce the voltage between 11-12 and have fun. Work on entering and exiting the turns and you will see the difference. Smooth laps are fast laps. Well, that goes out the window when I'm racing Blake. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[waaytoomuchintothis]

One more thing... You have some advice here talking about Scaley and Carrera as "starter" cars. NONSENSE. Blindingly fast is not a quality assurance. This forum is called "HOME Racing World", not Commercial track, crazy fast, what-fun-is-it-if-you-can't-see-it Racing World. You get what you want and we'll be happy to help with what you do with it. Many times, here on HRW, Slot.it, NSR, and other very fast cars have been beaten by old Fly cars with very little tuning, and that goes for Scaleys, Carreras, SCX, and others. First of all and most important, the fastest car seldom wins the race, and that's a fact. The best driver wins the race. Secondly, tracks aren't all the same, and that makes a huge difference. And personally, a nicely done scale car with realistic speed and handling is 10 times more fun, regardless of overcompetitive people I might race with.

[chappyman66]

The important thing is racing similar cars. Carrera vs Carrera is still fun. Brass bushings and bullet proof bodies make for good starter cars. I race no magnet, so I swap motors in Carrera cars....but as previously stated, that depends on your track. Cars drive differently so you have to learn each kind. Lots of good advice. If the cars are well matched, that's the most fun with home racing.

[Mickey thumbs]

When I started about 9 months ago, I chose to go with slot.it cars with Paul Gage urethanes and lead weight. Silicones didn’t work well on my wood track. I have one of each model Classic (sidewinder), a few Group C (in-line) and a few LMP cars ( anglewinder). They run great this way and provide a good platform for further hop-up if I decide to go there in the future. Welcome aboard!

[Giddyup]

Hi Jeremy,

If it were me, I’d choose Slot.it just due to selection and variety to choose from. Policar ar basically Slot.it cars, except for rear plastic wheels if only recall, just fewer to choose from.

As for the comment by Waytoomuch... if you can sort out a stock Carrera or a Fly to outflank a stock NSR or Slot.it, can you bottle that voodoo and sell me some?! I blueprint all my cars and tune them, and even my best Fly, say 908/3 is 2/3’s of a second slower on same tires (Paul Gage) on my rotted wooden track (50’+ lap). I realize you said different drivers and abilities but that’s not apples to apples then isn’t it? And as Chappy said, as long as you run similar cars together they are enjoyable and I never said they (Scaley, Carrera, Fly etc) can’t be made to run well, quite the opposite, only that running a well sorted Slot.it (in the price range that Jeremy quoted) is the cats meow without having to change out running gear, bushings, motor etc. and IMHO a worthwhile buy.

Cheers, eh!