by BIG E » Fri Oct 05, 2018 12:24 am
Steve, my advice to you is to set up a layout to have some fun on, and experiment with different cars. Since you've got some space, give yourself at one long straight of 10-15 ft. in length so you can get a feel for the speed of the cars. There are many things to consider - power supplies, controllers, and of course the cars themselves.
The original Aurora Thunderjet 500, A/FX, and A/FX Magna Traction series cars are my all time favorites, and I've been into this thing well over 50 years. I have about 200 or so in my runner boxes. There is much to learn about them, the cost of getting some decent ones to start with being one of them. You've got to know what you're looking at before spending your hard earned $$$. Fortunately, the Auto World Thunderjet and X Traction series reproductions have improved over the years, and they can be had fairly cheaply. Many clubs are now using these chassis to keep costs down, competition close, and everyone has the same cars available to them. Yes, they are being modified. Slip on silicone rear tires (at the least) are the first thing you need to invest in to have fun running any type of HO cars, besides setting the cars up correctly in the first place.
We could go on for hours about all this, but starting with the TOMY AFX track is a good place to go. This forum is a good resource to ask questions, there are many talented HO slot car guys here willing to lend you advice. Don't know where you're located, but if you can travel to some of the better slot car shows, you can learn much from the attendees and vendors there, most of them are predominately HO guys.
Good luck, always great to hear of another racer coming over to the "smaller side" of the hobby. Enjoy! -- Ernie :>)
Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info on the shows, I've been a vendor since the late '70s. -- E