I just learned a valuable lesson...

[Austin]

Sorry to hear that

When my sons friends come all they use the black window scalextrix cars, If they can handle that then they can move up. If they do break anything they need to tell me or my son right away so it can be repaired. If I find it later all hell comes to visit.

[choc-ice]

I had something similar when I was displaying my cars at a trade show. Cars that the night before I was sweating blood over to get it looking just right...

I had a variable power supply for the track and for some kids it was at 7V so they could do the whole lap flat out!

Start off slow and let them earn the right to get faster. Is advice I wish I'd taken at the start of the show :(

[TsgtRet]

"These are just this old guys toys, not like it's an Xbox or something like that....." Unfortunately, a pretty common attitude. I would explain to Dad in son's presence exactly what the situation is and the time and cost invested and at that point tell them son is banished from Palmer Divide.

Alternatively you could take son out behind the barn but 20 years to life is a high price to pay for a few minutes fun!

[SpeedyNH]

don't forget to ground the bucket!

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I like the "boss" voltage adjustment on each lane idea. That's worth doing and easy.

Like David, I keep a box of visitor cars that are indestructible, but fun looking. Those indestructible Scalextrics are great to repaint for this purpose.

The worst we had was a drunk slopping a drink on the track and snatching up cars for "cleaning the tires" on the cars almost every lap during an enduro.

[ElectricDreamsTech]

Call Bob at Pioneer USA. (253)820-9017. He usually has extra bodies and who knows what else lying around from cars that have been taken apart for one reason or another. BTW, we understand they think they will get the new Camaro sometime next month.

ED Tech

[dreinecke]

I have adjustable voltage and had turned it down, but there was no fixing the driver. We stopped early as his dad was embarrassed and I was pretty hot. If he ever wants to drive again, he'll have to bring cars AND abide by my rules or I'll be done with him. I'd thought of a track call button, but have NEVER needed it before.

Thanks for the tip on the bodies, I'll give them a shout.

[balsaworks]

Sometimes I wonder if all the things that are available to download for free over the net today give kids a distorted view of the time, money and effort that is actually involved in producing anything of any worth.

Another thing; when you repair that car - just think how lucky you are to be able to keep that kid out of your basement - imagine being forced to deal with him on a daily basis, like his parents have to...

[ElSecundo]

A good phrase for it might be "simulation sickness". These kids are raised on the 'reset/do over' button, and there's no permanence to their actions. If you crash in Forza or Gran Turismo, your car is magically restored to health once the race is over.

Was he doing stuff like ramming cars after they came off?

[ElSecundo]

Sometimes the solution (might even be less expensive) is to give him a car. Just give it to him. Let him care about the mirrors and the wing on his car, and you might see him change his tune (without damaging the relationship).

[SpeedyNH]

yeah, unfortunately, as i find out all too often, there is no <CTL>-<Z> in real life... what a shame.
speedy

[Burglar]

I'd just take his phone as a deposit next time, and tell him that if he deliberately breaks your cars or anything else you will simply shove it down the front of your underwear. That would seem to be enough of a threat to put a teenager on best behaviour. They only understand 'gross'

[Nor Cal Mike]

I am afraid that there wouldn't be a next time around here for behaviour that egregious. Another tactic for me is that I have saved a pretty decent number of Artin cars that I put out for the kids. Those old Artin GT and DTM cars are pretty bulletproof. I also use SCX Nascars for much the same reason. I keep only enough SCX cars to fill each lane plus one spare for guest purposes and no more.

[bkrownd]