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A recent FB Marketplace purchase was the blue pre-owned BRM Escort, built from a white kit.

   
 
It arrived while I was on holiday so I couldn't check it out but I was expecting it to need a complete rebuild. 'Unboxing' it on my return prompted the second purchase, again pre-owned but this time a TTS factory built British Airways version, from 'the other slot car forum'.

   

I was expecting them to be identical parts-wise except for the makers name. However, the motor platforms were subtly different, while the front end of the factory TTS version also seems to have radically more camber.

          

As already mentioned I was expecting the kit version to need significant work, so I tackled that first. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find it fired up straight away on a 9v battery. Noisy, as expected but otherwise fine. I did check the body and interior but it had all been neatly and carefully assembled and didn't even need the usual clean. It came with a little bag of parts - real metal 'disk brakes', wheel inserts already painted a dark metallic graphite, bonnet and boot straps, wing mirrors and the original rear wheels fitted with the stock BRM tyres. (Out back it was running glued and trued sponges on a second pair of alloys - bonus!)

Apart from the above, all I've done so far is paint the wheel inserts 'aluminium' and one side of the brake discs matt black and fitted them. The black Minilite inserts just didn't look right to me. I've still to decide on the door mirrors. Black or silver? Mm?

The British Airways factory built DIDN'T run from the 9v battery. Just a flash of sparks at the braids when touched to the terminals. A shorted out motor? Mm? Maybe - but the seller had said it had been fitted with the higher performance TTS one so unlikely. Turning the back wheels by hand the gears were VERY tight Whipping the back axle out seemed to be the next step - but again, the axle was tight in its bearings. The whole back end geometry seemed to be wrong.

          

Anyway, wheels, axle and sidewinder gear out and the motor span like a good 'un, so ... The bearing blocks were loosened off and the axle fed through them until it could be moved in and out freely. At that point the blocks were tightened up and the whole back axle reassembled. Things were better as the motor would now drive the back axle but it was still a bit tight. Final adjustment came with the motor mounting block. It took a lot of fiddling to get it all moving freely but I eventually found the sweet spot, so it's now running - quietly, as well as quickly too!

Attention turned to the body and interior. The latter being loose it was removed and the whole lot given a bath in warm soapy water. The windows were cleaned on the inside before gluing the interior in place. Before wax polishing the body some fine detailing pens were used to restore the damaged rear number plate and a couple of paint chips in the window surrounds.

          

Having sorted the back end, at some point I need to check out that severe front end camber, then do the same running gear/front end treatment on the blue Escort, although that seems less pressing.

P.S. Just remembered, comparing ride height I found the blue kit car needed lowering to match the factory build. BRM's rubber post caps were removed and replaced by some 1mm o-rings to dampen the chassis. Now they both sit at the same height.  Thumbup

P.P.S. The B.A. car is shown in retailer's ad's as having blue spoked Minilites. I guess the previous owner re-did them in silver. No worries. I prefer them that way.

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[Image: V3TJMxv.jpg]

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We're back at the Barn next Wednesday for the second round of the WHO/digital GT Championship 2024. GT team endurance racing is an exciting part of our digital racing calendar and a big step-up from the Nascar & Legends nights in terms of speed, tactics and software simulations. It is important you have completed at least one Nascar & Legends event to qualify as a GT driver.

   

We’ll be racing on one of Mike’s classic WHO digital layouts, first used in February 2018. If you can help us build the track, we’ll be at the Barn from 4.30pm.

Our GT Championship comprises four events - three Wednesday evenings and a full-day Saturday in June. The six Gold-rated drivers - Alex, Mike, Ryan, Andy, Oliver & Jeremy - captain the Pro-Am teams and adopt a deputy (or two) to help prepare and run the cars. All other drivers are allocated at each event, with every team requiring at least one Bronze-rated driver...

   

The evenings start with half an hour of practice, followed by a 2-minute Super-Pole qualifying session and then a two-hour race featuring fuel, tyre and weather simulations. Driver change windows open every 20 minutes and last for 2 minutes - the driver change must take place in the pits. The 500 lap  race should last two hours and so has six stints - three-driver teams must race two stints each, four or five-driver teams must have at least three stints driven by Bronze-rated drivers. No driver may complete more than two stints in total.

   

Each team is responsible for a designated marshalling post on the circuit during qualifying and the race. Penalties may be awarded for desertion of the post. Rear wings must be fitted at all times. If a wing falls off, the team has five laps to repair or fix a new one via a pit stop, otherwise penalties may be awarded. Race Control may also penalise persistently poor driving standards.

From this race, success penalties also apply. The first, second and third place teams from the previous race have 60, 40 and 20 seconds added to their pit stops. So that's about a 5 lap penalty for Gearzilla Racing - which might be significant at the end of the 2 hours.

As always, we ask that all racers aged 13 or younger bring a responsible adult with them. Race fees are £3 for adults, £2 for under-16s. We now have cashless payment options.

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East Lancs Slot Racing Club will be hosting their first Open Meeting on the 5/6th October 2024.
Saturday will be a round of the British Championship for Standard Policar Classic F1's
Track will be open at 8AM for practice, racing starts at 11. Qualifying heats followed by step up finals. 
Souvenir prizes for the top 3 finishers.
Hopefully racing will be completed around 4 pm, followed by at least 2 hours practice for the following day's event.
Sunday will be a Non Championship round of the Wales & West Championship (If such a thing is possible !)
Racing for standard NSR Classic Sports Cars in the morning
Racing for Open GT3 cars in the afternoon.
Both classes will be a total of 4 heats, one run on each lane. Length of heats to be determined by size of entry.
Souvenir prizes for the top 3 finishers in each class.

East Lancs Club has a 104 foot permanent Policar track
Lap times with Policar and NSR Classics around 8 seconds, Open Gt3 around 7.5 secs
We have full Race Co-ordinator software with 3 info screens around the clubroom.
Each lane has it's own power source.
The clubroom has plenty of pit space, has excellent heating and lighting.
There is parking adjacent to the building, and it is close to all Colne's amenities.
The Clubroom is in a entertainments complex and there are food outlets on site.

We may organise an evening meal on the Saturday evening if there is sufficient interest.

If club secs. could print off the attached sheet and pin on notice boards I would be most grateful.

East Lancs Slot Racing Club
The Fun House
Dockray Street
Colne
BB89HU    


Jeff Norton

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Has anyone managed to get a Scalextric VW Beetle (C3361, C3484, C3642, etc, etc) to run mag-free?

I've tried all sorts with mine, short of a 3dp chassis......
Loads of weight, anywhere it will fit - including low down in the interior.
PSR 16k motor.
Scaleauto guide.
Paul Gage tyres.

......... and still it rolls out of the slot on just about every corner.

Unless anyone has any other suggestions, I'm going to give-up on this one.   Tappingfoot

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https://slotracer.online/community/showt...50&page=18

   

Couldn't resist adding this photo of some of Vic's George Turner saloons too, some of which might make an appearance on the 13th.

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Due to a change in direction of my hobbies, I am selling all my Slot Car stuff.
I will start with "Roughwood", My routed track.

This will be available from the end of April.

I made this around 4 years ago, and it comprises of 2x 8'X4' (2440x1220 mm) boards with a 2'6" x 4 extension.
It is 12mm MDF screwed on on timber 63x36 ish mm frames, it is partially relying on my furniture as legs, so will need to have them added.
The vehicles and all of the Homies are on "loan" so they are not included, all of the buildings and fencing is.
All joins are wired underneath, as well as at points in the middle to keep connectivity should there be any break in the copper tape (which there isn't at the time of typing).
Timing is via UV led using an Arduino clone connected to SFF PC running windows 8 and displayed on a 30" Flat panel monitor.
The build thread is here: Roughwood (slotracer.online) 

and here is a video of A modified Fly Truck running around:



I am willing to sell it as a whole including the timing PC/ monitor, or just as the boards and wiring.

It would need to be collected (in a good sized vehicle or trailer obviously) from near Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK.

I am looking for £800 for the track and timing including PC and monitor, or £600 without the pc/monitor.
Feel free to PM any questions, I am open to some price negotiation, but not huge amounts.

Thanks for looking.

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Hopefully you will find a full report of the Wirral GP for Classic Policar F1 .

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