Happiness is a new toy (literally)

[DIW35]

Since I was about 7 or 8 years old, I have always wanted a Scalextric, especially after having a go on the one owned by the lad across the road. Unfortunately, my parents weren't blessed with loads of spare cash, so I got a Minic Motorway set for Christmas (anyone old enough to remember those!?)

Let's just say that Minic Motorway wasn't a patch on Scalextric - damn you could even buy a roundabout for it; who the hell ever saw a roundabout in the middle of a race circuit!!?

Anyway many (many) years passed, and a few years ago I remember talking to my wife about it, and relating the tale above. One Christmas later I got a Scalextric set. Hurrah. Except........this was a Micro Scalextric, and whilst it was a definite improvement over the long defunct Minic Motorway, it was still lacking that certain 'je ne sais quoi!'

So, you can imagine my delight when for my birthday yesterday I eventually got a full size, full blooded, what I've always wanted, pukka Scalextric set. Digital no less!! Only some 40 odd years late, but it was sure worth the wait.

Yes, I am a happy little bunny right at this moment.

[OzzyR1]

Sounds cool, I loved my set when I was a kid, wonder where it is now... probably in the depths of my parent's attic aomewhere.

What is the "digital" bit all about??

[MK4 Slowride]

Class, I rememebr my first set, Metro 6R4 & the Audi Quattro. shame I trashed both cars.


DIW 35, isn't there a limited edition Lambo with that plate on?

[Simpo Two]

DIW35 said:

Unfortunately, my parents weren't blessed with loads of spare cash, so I got a Minic Motorway set for Christmas (anyone old enough to remember those!?)

I happen to have a boxful of it. Happy days

(The coach was always the fastest, for some reason)

http://www.tri-angrailways.com/Minic_motorway.htm

[Sciroccology]

I had the frankly inferior "Aurora" racing thingy and lusted after the real McCoy.

I hate you posh kids.

[Neil_H]

Being older does have it's advantages, I recently bought a 18 year old games console I always wanted when I was at school

I always wanted one of these but unfortunately they're even more expensive now than they used to be!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I've never really 'got' Scalextric myself, I always preferred R/C cars.

Edited by Neil_H on Monday 5th January 17:42

[RDE]

I had 'Firebird' - two Pontiac TransAms racing on an oval circuit. Seemed fine when I was young, but I would have liked the real thing even more.

[croyde]

You should check this Pistonheads thread out here and somewhere in it someone has posted pictures of a set up someone has in his garage. A mini Spa would you believe.

Direct link to pics

Edited by croyde on Monday 5th January 17:52

[Windsorphil]

For my 30th Birthday the then Mrs Windsorphil arranged for all my friends to pool their's and my scalextric sets in a large meeting room in a hotel and we had hours of fun building massive tracks (Le Mans layout was best) and drinking all day long....oh those salad days....

[XXVIII]

MK4 Slowride said:

Class, I rememebr my first set, Metro 6R4 & the Audi Quattro. shame I trashed both cars.


DIW 35, isn't there a limited edition Lambo with that plate on?

Happy birthday Derek - yet another slap in the gob for those who said you'd be lucky to see your next birthday when you got that VERY ORANGE GREAT BIG TOY!!

If your Scalextric escapades leave you mentally and physically exhausted, I can always give your now nothing more than just a cast-off VERY ORANGE GREAT BIG TOY!! the odd run out to sooth the poor VERY ORANGE GREAT BIG TOY!!'s distress...

Kids today eh?... Attention deficit problems and no idea when it comes to keeping the enthusiasm going after the first few playtimes... All the proper boxes in shreds, parental credit cards in meltdown, everything gets replaced with the next fad at the drop of a hat... For Xmas and birthday next year DIW 35 will be playing mostly with his new collection of turbocharged micro engines he'll be having made with straight through exhausts on the tiny-sized V12 and V8 or finally learning how to knit his own underpants with organic wheat and hand-made needles

Derek is just spoilt rotten if you ask me, I used to get a slightly lighter cuff around the head for Christmas if I was lucky... My birthday (coming up in the next few days, dear XXVIII fans...) would be the day I'd be allowed to hide in the coal bunker, with a (small) bit of lard to eat and a copy of the Radio Times, if the dog had been eaten for Hogmanay (again). Tell that tokids today and they just don't believe it...

[croyde]

I am always doing the "In my day" chat to my little 'uns like there were only 2 TV channels, childrens programmes were only an hour a day, my dad's car didn't have A/C or even a heater let alone a radio etc.

Although it was strange to say to them that in my day men walked on the moon, that stunned them.

[Nolar Dog]

Recently been thinking back to childhood and fancying a Scalextric (I had TCR when I was a lad).

Been looking at them on ebay recently but not really decided which to buy. Was looking for one with a couple of XR3's or Cosworths.

Got fed up of looking (for now!) and needed a new toy so I bought a BMX today instead.

[DIW35]

OzzyR1 said:

Sounds cool, I loved my set when I was a kid, wonder where it is now... probably in the depths of my parent's attic aomewhere.

What is the "digital" bit all about??

Ozzy, the new digital sets mean you can now change lanes, which is great for blocking your oppo from overtaking (until he changes lanes). It also means you can run up to 6 cars on a 2 lane circuit, though it would obviously be more fun on a 4 or 6 lane circuit with that many cars.

MK4 Slowride said:

DIW 35, isn't there a limited edition Lambo with that plate on?

Oh yes!! Refer to XVIII's post above.

[Lambochick]

XXVIII said:

Derek is just spoilt rotten if you ask me

If you can't spoil your man, then what can you do? Mind, the extra cars that have appeared today were a surprise to me!!! Bless his cottons...

Edited by Lambochick on Monday 5th January 21:46

[gifdy]

DIW35 said:

OzzyR1 said:

Sounds cool, I loved my set when I was a kid, wonder where it is now... probably in the depths of my parent's attic aomewhere.

What is the "digital" bit all about??

Ozzy, the new digital sets mean you can now change lanes, which is great for blocking your oppo from overtaking (until he changes lanes). It also means you can run up to 6 cars on a 2 lane circuit, though it would obviously be more fun on a 4 or 6 lane circuit with that many cars.

MK4 Slowride said:

DIW 35, isn't there a limited edition Lambo with that plate on?

Oh yes!! Refer to XVIII's post above.

We were given TCR as kids. Could lane change and there was a slow drone car that you had to overtake every few laps. Great stuff.

The Porsche I bought with pocket money was too powerful and would just spin it's wheels so I put lighter fluid on the track, set fire to it and tried to 'warm up' the tyres to get more traction. Just ended up with a blob of plastic

[Poledriver]

At Le Mans last year some guys had a huge scalextric layout in a marquee near us!

[Jonny_]

Awesome, think mine is still in my parents' loft (it bloody well better be!) - I had "Night Stages", banked figure-of-8 track with two Mk3 Escort XR3s complete with working lights

[Killer2005]

Can everyone stop mentioning Scalextric. I now want one but dont have the room for one

[Poledriver]

Killer2005 said:

Can everyone stop mentioning Scalextric. I now want one but dont have the room for one

Sorry about the Scalextric mentions! if you don't want us to mention Scalextric I'm sure that no one will mention Scalextric again!

HTH

[Romanymagic]

MK4 Slowride said:

Class, I rememebr my first set, Metro 6R4 & the Audi Quattro. shame I trashed both cars.


DIW 35, isn't there a limited edition Lambo with that plate on?

Aahh the Audi Quattro, and I loved how Scalextric represented the 4WD - an elastic band round both front and rear axles - simple but effective!