I haven't done much with the Ford since I took the Ruckstell out in September. It's going slowly, as I'm saving up the $ to buy new parts. I haven't been out of cars altogether and thought I'd share an affordable project with you.

Over Christmas, I dug out my old AFX slotless Speed Steer set to race with my 7-yr old daughter. I got it for my 11th birthday in 1979. Only one of the six cars ran well, if that, and most of the parts were worn and old - tires, pick-up shoes, etc. Thankfully, there is a site dedicated to this system: www.tycotcrracing.com. This guy has it down to a science!

I bought new pickup shoes, tires and brushes (www.slotcarcentral.com) and I followed the guys's performance tips closely - breaking in new brushes, lapping the gears, etc. Needless to say, I got 6/7 cars running quite well and the other has an issue with the chassis - probably a twisted frame from too many crashes.
I also picked up four new chassis and bodies to add to my collection. Wow, do the new cars change lanes well.

I had a bit of fun last night wiring the LEDs into two of my cars that had a place for headlights. I also added a rare earth magnet to the front of the car, which helped keep it from flying off the track and handle the corners better.