by BIG E » Sun Sep 07, 2014 10:58 am
Been using parts and pieces from my two AW Drag Strip sets this summer at real (1/1 Scale) car shows as a promotional tool for the
Long Island Auto Replica Society (LIARS), getting the word out about the club and our annual Model Car Challenge show and swap meet Saturday November 8, 2014. This event has been going on for more than 20 years now, we get hundreds of models and even more spectators from all over the Northeast. I also distribute flyers and business cards to promote local slot car raceways and clubs.
I'll set up three 6ft. tables end to end, secure the track and wires neatly with blue painter's tape, and add a decorated "catch box" at the top end after 33 inches of shutdown track. I supply A/FX type muscle cars (mostly with the SRT/Turbo chassis) and a few other good pairings of specials for the little guys -- Lightning McQueen/Doc Hudson, General Lee/Police Car, ect -- and let people race free,
with my supervision. I'll let them pick the cars they want, and then I handle and stage the cars.
I found out the first time I did this that the stock AW plunger type controllers were not well suited for "public consumption" --
smaller hands could not get to full throttle, some kids and adults actually tried squeezing the green grip part to accelerate!
Problem easily solved -- not having a pair of AW or TOMY A/FX trigger controllers handy, I wired up four of the early A/FX full size yellow trigger controllers (the kind with the three screws, so they can be serviced easily) to the wires I cut off the four stock AW plunger controllers. Added some cool Hot Rod sponsor stickers to them and they've worked out great -- plus I now had two spares.
Using the new A/FX Tri Power supply, I was able to keep things under control, especially with the younger kids.
There were many times where I had smiling families and friends lined up for their turn to take a shot down the strip for a "grudge run"!
Just for kicks, every 15 minutes or so I'd send my Tyco Wheelie Corvette down the strip for a crowd pleasing "Exhibition Run".
It's been a lot of fun, I've put hundreds of fliers in people's hands, and there are still a few more shows left this summer.
Hope to be doin' some heads up runs with my buddies in the fall and winter season --
especially with all my Aurora Thunderjet 500 drag cars -- just for fun and cold beverages! -- Ernie :>)