HO to 1/32 switch, any regret?

[WaltB]

So I have toyed with HO on and off since I was a kid in the 60's. As I get older I find 1/32 more appealing for car selection and detail / realism. Not to mention the relative ease of doing a routed track.

Right now I have a couple hundred HO and lots of track, I also have about 35 1/32 and a couple Carrera tracks. I'm thinking keep a handful of the older HO and some track, sell the rest and dive deeper into 1/32. Routed, scenicked, "historic" road course type stuff.

I'm not a racer, just collect and run cars with my grandson on occasion. Will have the space to do a permanent layout in the not to distant future.

Anyone go down this road and what are your thoughts if you did?

Thanks, Walt

[waaytoomuchintothis]

That's pretty close to my story, Walt. In fact, I made a little attachment for a controller to hold a constant speed so I could watch the car go by the way you watch a model train go by. Its nice to race against it, too.

As for the step up in scale, I had all scales for a long time, but more HO than anything, then as I aged, my fingers just won't do right in HO anymore. The larger scale gives the fun back. Besides, the detailing opportunities for the larger two scales are just about endless.

[Mitch58]

Though I've just routed a 69' three lane 1/32 track I still have a box full of HO track and cars. We have a couple of HO scale club tracks in our group here in Portland where we race T-jets, and every time we race the it makes me want to go home and pull it all out. As I've gotten older it is easier to work on the 1/32 & 1/24 scale cars. After 40 years in construction these fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be.

[Austin]

We are moving to a smaller place with no place for a track but under the bed and will be camping most of the summer. A small track at camp will be nice. So I am switching from 1/32 to HO scale. I will be keeping some of the cars but plan on selling off 100 of them. Will I regret it, yes but must be done.

[HomeRacingWorld]

No regrets.

[BRS Hobbies]

I truly feel that you can have a ton of fun in any of the available slot car scales. Generally, the number one factor in choosing which scale would be the available space.

Brian

[docdoom]

[noddaz]

Run 1/24 also! No regrets! lol

Scott

[FC47]

Same boat, if we'd not given all our younger cousins now long lost aurora and AFX, I'd be pulling it out too. 32's and 24's here!

[WaltB]

Thanks for the input, 'bout spit my drink on the "club" comment! Likewise my fingers and eyesight don't work like they used to, and most of the chassis are too fast for my taste. I'm really looking for more realistic cars, speed, track , scenery - think Palmer Divide, Overlook Park, a couple others and the Nürburgring in a blender.

I'll likely keep some AFX & Tyco pro and a reasonable amount of track, but focus on 1/32 in the era/classes I like( subject for a new thread)

I'll end up with a room about 19' x 17' so that should allow a decent 2 or 3 lane 1/32 road course and a smaller HO. I'm not venturing down the 24 highway, won't even look. I mostly run alone with the occasional grandkid visit, but no local clubs or people active that I know of.

I guess I'll see where it ends up, it will be awhile before I'm ready to start a track build, lots to do before that can happen.

[Nevadazielmeister]

I raced Tyco as a kid in the late 70's and 80's. Loved it and as space was an issue, could only go with HO. It just made sense always living in an apartment with my single mom. She worked hard to support my hobby and I admired her for her sacrifice.

Fast forward 30 years and my friend, whom we'll call "Steve", and I was chatting after a mountain bike ride. We both learned of our love for Formula 1 racing. We did get togethers at each other houses while watching the races. Then one day, I ask him what he does for a living and he hands me his business card. It read "AFX Racemasters - Chief Cook and Bottle Washer". Quite the coincidence to meet the owner of AFX, frankly.

So I bought a set from him and enjoyed it, bringing back some memories, but my kids (ages 6 and 7) didn't enjoy the cars as much. They were way too fast. I decided to switch to a Scalextric ARC PRO set and will try that out. Excited about 1/32 since the cars look nicer and seem to drive more realistic. I also like the idea of racing in the digital era. The HO stuff was just too fast for my liking, especially on the smaller tracks.

Now I have planned out a 4x11 foot track layout and am looking forward to learning a lot. So there, my first post everyone. I thank everyone already in this forum for all of the information I have learned to date.

[rolo9th]

I made the switch from HO to 1/32 about 12 years ago or so...mainly because I really enjoy the digital experience. Sold off all of my HO except for a few sentimental cars, and have focused exclusively on 1/32 since. I had not had room in our townhouse for a track, so I spent years collecting cars (about 500 now), and scenery items for an eventual build.

Recently moved to a new home with a large basement that will allow me to build my dream 36X8 track. Last year, I upgraded to the Scalextric ARC PRO system, and with the MAGIC race control app, I am very happy after trying it out on a temporary track I set up. The nice thing about the ARC PRO system is you can run analog if you desire with just the flip of a switch. I really like the features that digital offers, changing lanes, pit stops for fuel/tires, and the ease of the ARC PRO system is great for a non-technical guy like me.

I just find the 1/32 scale to offer more variety of the types of cars I like (mid-60's to 80's F1, Trans Am, Sports/Endurance), and the slower speeds are more to my liking. No regrets on my part.

Not to bag on HO stuff, it's where I got my start in the 70's as a kid, and different strokes for different folks, but for me, 1/32 is the way to go.

[RichD]

I have not had to make a choice. In the past I have run and raced HO, 1/43rd, 1/32nd and 1/24th cars. Today there are no 1/24th tracks near me, so that is out, although I still have the cars. My own track is HO, I enter organized races and run on a regional basis with one or two races a year being at my place. I race 1/32nd cars mostly locally, my club has five or six tracks that are used regularly plus a number of others that are used from time to time. My club hosts proxy races as well.
I find HO cars to be the most difficult to drive, in HO the scale speeds tend to be much higher. For many people the scale that they run will be dictated by the amount of space that they have available.

[ccobra]

I switched over from the HO to the 1/32 many years ago due to parts availability and reliability. I had started with the Aurora oval with the steering wheel controllers and buzz-box motors. There was a Hobby shop twenty-five miles away but I wasn't allowed to ride my bicycle that far away and it was difficult to talk the parents into going downtown to the Hobby Shop due to parking being an issue. But the 1/32 scale was easier to obtain since the model car kits were obtainable in town and the remaining parts were available by mail only requiring a postal money order. So I've been hooked ever since mainly due to having a 1/32 scale track since that time when the variety store uptown had a set for just $12.95 back then.