Long Time, No Updates...

I've slowly been working on scenery items and deciding how I want to do those scenery items. I finished painting the table top green. I decided on a Carrera Grandstand. The double decker with the VIP Box up top. I've figured out where the pits are going to eventually be and will be aquiring the double door Carrera Garages and the VIP Boxes that fit on top of them down the road.

I got lucky with the bottom 1/2 since it was given to me by my buddy Shawn and the top 1/2 was a great deal at $25 shipped. I had planned on painting them because they're just too white for my tastes. Luckily, Shawn had already painted the one he gave me grey as I planned on do them to begin with. However, he used the small can of Testors primer to do it. So, I had to either repaint it or bite the bullet and match it with the Testors at $4.00 a can. I hit Michael's 3 nights in a row coming home from work with one of their 40% off coupons each time. Every dollar saved adds up in the long run. I also lucked into about 5 cans of Testors in various colors in the clearance section at $1.49 each. Bonus!!!


Moving on to the issue with these Grandstands. I hate the seat stickers that came with them and Shawn's had faded big time and wouldn't have matched the new section. Plus, I don't have too many people. (Thanks Matt for what I do have) So, how can I jazz them up with a smaller crowd? I went to the real world for inspiration or madness depending upon your outlook. I purchased some white self stick vinyl for the Cricut machine the Mrs. has with the thinking it was going to do the cutting of 178 1 inch squares for me. She already had the black vinyl. Figured out where this is heading yet? Checkered flag seats!!!

The problem was that the cutting blade and matt that holds the vinyl in place needed to be replaced and that was another $20. I opted and chose to do it by hand. So, using the straight line cutter she had for her crafting projects I cut the 178 squares. I then had to remove the stickers from the one Shawn gave me and it was a pain in the ass. Then out came the tweezers and a very sharp Xacto knife to cut the vinyl from around the stair section. 2 days and who knows how many hours later, I ended up with this.

I still need to paint the sides of the roof grey to match and I'm thinking about paint the roof a flat red. It will need custom Welcome to Legion Region Speedway stickers for the advertising space too. Plus, all the little people I still have to paint by hand...UGH!!!

Then with the help of my Dad these came into play next. What are they? A little support, that's what they are. I have Ninco walls with the fencing and wanted to add them to my layout. They look great, but more importantly they work. The problem is that I'm running Scaley Sport track. So, the tabs that lock them into place don't work. I also, didn't want to damage the walls with nails or screws to hold them in place.

So, we came up with the wooden supports that have a groove that allows 2 wall ends to slide into the groove and be held in place by clear silicone. Then it was just a matter of screwing the support to the table.

Tell me that doesn't look cool. I dare you!!!

It will look even better once the trees are put behind it.

Layering = Visual Depth...pure and simple.

Here's the overall shot as it looks today. I still need to decide on how I'm going to make my other walls around the track. I want to paint a track logo in the big open green area in front of the grandstand. The monitor is where the grandstand will end up once it's replace with a LCD TV/Monitor. It's slowly getting there folks.

Wiring Finally...

Tomorrow with the aid of our newest club member my track will start getting wired. It's been a long wait for this step due to illness, doctor visits and money going to medicines. So, if all goes well I'll be fully powered by the end of weekend. Then it will be onto the borders, guardrailing, tire walls and all the other things to help keep the cars off the concrete floor.

I have been doing some serious car trading. I've been aquiring various Ninco brand cars since I've come to love how they run non-mag. Just add a bit of weight here and there and they are burning up the track.

Above, is Ninco 1st Lightning Series release. The Vortrom Mosler!!! Simply a beautifully finished car and with all the Pro Parts needed for a smooth and fast driving slot car. This car's chassis is actually molded in a white plastic instead of black like normal release cars. I made a killer trade to get this beast and it out performs my NSR Mosler on my track, as well as, the local commerial wood track.

Below, is the Ninco Patron Acura LMP that I've been wanting for a long time and couldn't find anyone wanting to trade for it. I ended up settling for the Lowe's version in an early trade made with the same member of our club that traded me the Vortrom.

It is actually modified with Slot It axles, wheels, tires and a yellow crown gear. It was already set up like this when I traded for it. This car is super smooth and is currently the fastest non-mag car that I own.

I highly recommend the Ninco Acuras. There is also a XM Radio Lightning version. I could of had it instead of the Patron, but I think the Patron car is the best looking of the 3. I wish Ninco would release some newer version LMP cars to pair with the Acuras.

I've Been Lazy...

Well, no real progress on the track. However, at the first race at one of our club memeber's new 3 lane woodie I finally got the "missing" R4 curve to complete the layout. I still have no idea where it disappeared to in the basement.

I plan on getting the parts list together this week for the wiring. Then it's getting the cash from the Boss to buy it all. I can also do it now since the landlord was nice enough to get power outlets installed in the basement for me this week. 20 amps...I think I'll be covered.

I can however, post a picture of what I've been doing the past month. I've been wheeling and dealing like crazy to get cars I've been wanting and some that I didn't want but were presented and I agreed to taking in trade. I've been on a Ninco kick...big time. They are great non-magnet runners with just a little weight behind the front axle and some sanding and profiling of the rear wheels. I still can't afford to by them, but trading is a whole other ballgame.

Left Row

Slot It Totip F40 Ferrari (super smooth runner)

Ninco Gulf Mosler (stock)

Ninco Lambo (NC2 / I love this car)

Middle Row

Ninco BMW V12 "Art Car" (I posted this one already)

Racer DP (b-e-a-utiful)

Slot It Audi RAW "Racing Version" (putting it together was a pain..small parts vs big fingers)

Right Row

Fly Ferrari 512 (I posted this already...unicorn captured)

Ninco Lowes Acura LMP (I wanted the Patron, but this will due for now)

MRRC Chappy (need to find new rears, but a great looking car)

I still got a Ninco Vortrom "Lightening" Mosler coming and another car yet to be determinded from a member of our local club.

I've been a Ninco whore...wonder what brand we'll be running on my track when it's done? More posts to come sooner than later. I promise.

In the beginning...

I got into slot cars around 5 yrs ago and by accident. While searching the web I came across a website that sold 1/32 scale slot cars. It was a flashback to my childhood of playing with my AFX HO track set. I started searching for as much info about them as I could and eventually made the decision to buy a track set.

I went to eBay in search of a good deal. I ended up having the winning bid on a Scalextric Classic track set. However, I didn't bother to consider it's overall size when it was set up. A quick measurement of the area I planned to make its home showed the error of my ways. Luckily, the seller was very understanding and offered 2 other sets he had of equal value and that had a smaller footprint.

I had just become a fan of the WRC or World Rally Championship while flipping past the Speed Channel late one night. After watching that first night I was hooked and watched every single race religiously going forward. So, I chose a Scalextric Sport Rally set pictured at the top of this post.

It was great getting that package in the mail. It didn't take long to get it set up on the floor and the cars speeding around the elongated figure 8 layout. Thus, the addiction was born and

I started hunting eBay for slot car deals.

Soon our lease was up and we started looking into getting a home of our own. However, we were not in a position to buy right away and decided to give the rent 2 own option a try. The wife found a home in a nice area, great school system and closer to work than where we were currently renting.

The deposit $ was paid and papers signed, knowing if it didn't work out it would all be lost. We had 30 days notice at the rental to insure getting the deposit back and we began collecting boxes for the move.

I had been battling a really bad cold prior to all this. I had been to the family doctor and I was sent for a chest x-ray to make sure my lungs were clear. The next day after I had a routine visit with my thyroid doctor since I had thyroid cancer 7 yrs prior. This all happened in the week leading up to the signing of the paperwork to move in with the intent to buy the home down the road.

1, 2, 3 days after the ink was dry I got a call at work. It was my family doctor with the results of the x-rays. "Are you having trouble breathing?" I replied, "No, why?" She responded, "I'm afraid there's a 10 cm. mass in your chest and it's either this type of cancer or this type of cancer depending on future testing."

That change everything. We tried to get out of the deal based on what we expected to come medically and they wouldn't budge. The upcoming weeks resulted in tests, scans, surgery to remove a growth in my neck and still having to pack and get ready for a move into the house.

The kicker...my first chemo treatment was 2 days before the move date. It knocked me on my ass and I basically sleep through the move. Luckily, family and friends made it all happen. I was down and out for 6 months and in and out of the hospital. However, we beat it and life started to get back to normal.

Sadly, the expense killed us and bills became a mountain. Our happy home was a prison for me the first 6 months and we lost the whole joy of trying to make it our home. At the end of the first year of renting we made the hard decision to take the loss and move into an apartment. The slot car room gone and now no room in the apartment...my track only saw the light of day when my nephew spent the night. We would stay up to 2 or 3 am racing each other on the living room floor and that time was still worth holding onto the track and cars.

We lived there for 3 yrs and I still held onto hope and collected cars and track to build "The Big One" somewhere down the road. I ended up coming across a website and in the For Sale section a guy was selling some cars. I asked if he was up for a trade and we decided on the deal. It turned out to be a local guy. I met Shawn at the local slot car track to make the swap.

He was quick to answer my questions and was the nicest guy someone could ever hope to meet for the first time. He told me about his site he did slot car reviews for...Slot Car Garage. I joined and got turned onto another site Home Racing World. I started showing up at the local track when he was able to get there himself, etc.

Long story short (as if this isn't long already)...we became good friends, I ran on his track when our schedules allowed, he gave me the inspiration to ask a local shop to give me cars to review on Shawn's site Slot Car Garage in turn for advertising and links to their website, he became my slot car mentor and eventually we joined forces with Harry the owner of Home Racing World were I continued my slot car reviews.

(queue the music and fade to black)

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We ended up moving into a duplex with the one requirement I needed...a basement. I came up with my 4 lane track design and started buying and trading for all the pieces I needed to make it. We've had more ups and downs combined with the economy (like everyone else) going into the toilet and it got to were I ended up selling 75% of my car collection off to keep up with things. It has been a long and rough road, but a year and a half after moving into the duplex...

IT HAS BEGUN....

Oh yeah, remember how I said I downsized my original track purchase because of size restraints...think 4 lanes of 1/32 glory spanning 7.5 feet by 18 feet. (queue the choir of angels and the beam of golden light shining down upon me and my basement)