# slot car racing **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 18, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717 "2008-12-18T06:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/1 "2008-12-18T06:51:36Z")
I guess it’s too late now, but I bought a slot car racing set for Mr. HP. He’s always talked about how he loved slot car racing as a kid. I remember back in the 60’s, you would see slot car ‘parlors’ in all the strip malls. I guess my question is–would any of you mature guys feel insulted or stupid to get a slot car set at your current age? Mr. HP is 57. I hope he won’t just laugh at me. I just wanted to get him something he’d enjoy. Tell me how you’d feel about it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/2 "2008-12-18T07:34:39Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > I guess it’s too late now, but I bought a slot car racing set for Mr. HP. He’s always talked about how he loved slot car racing as a kid. I remember back in the 60’s, you would see slot car ‘parlors’ in all the strip malls. I guess my question is–would any of you mature guys feel insulted or stupid to get a slot car set at your current age? Mr. HP is 57. I hope he won’t just laugh at me. I just wanted to get him something he’d enjoy. Tell me how you’d feel about it. :smack: I’d like it. But I’m only 22, and would hardly consider myself “mature”. I assume I’m not alone in thinking that toy shops still have lots of interesting things in them. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/3 "2008-12-18T07:46:43Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > I guess it’s too late now, but I bought a slot car racing set for Mr. HP. He’s always talked about how he loved slot car racing as a kid. I remember back in the 60’s, you would see slot car ‘parlors’ in all the strip malls. I guess my question is–would any of you mature guys feel insulted or stupid to get a slot car set at your current age? Mr. HP is 57. I hope he won’t just laugh at me. I just wanted to get him something he’d enjoy. Tell me how you’d feel about it. :smack: I’m sixty and I used to race slot cars in the sixties. I’d probably laugh, but with affection and appreciation and amusement. Then I’d play with the set for a little while till I got the memory experience out of my system, and then I’d probably put it away somewhere and more or less forget about it. But I’d continue to appreciate/love you for the thought. 🙂 P.S. - And I most definately would not feel insulted or stupid. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/4 "2008-12-18T17:25:50Z")
Thanks so much for your replies. I feel better now!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/5 "2008-12-18T17:33:55Z")
I’m sure he will love the thought, I would (53). The parlor I went to as kid had a track that was about 30 feet long. Now if you got him one of those I’m sure he’ll go nuts! ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/6 "2008-12-18T17:59:31Z")
My local hobby store has a huge slot car set up in a side room where you can race your car(s). Let me tell you, guys over the age of 40 outnumber the kids in there by about 10 to 1. I don’t do it myself but it seems like there is a pretty active community who meet there on a fairly regular basis. I would guess that if he liked it as a kid, he’d love it as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/7 "2008-12-18T22:07:37Z")
There used to one of those parlors near us, and I don’t mean in the '60s. This was, like, 5 years ago. I’m almost 40 and would think it was a fun gift. In fact I can’t wait for my son to get old enough to want one, so I can buy it for [del]myself[/del] him. But then again, I play with electric trains, so I may not be a good one to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/8 "2008-12-18T22:12:42Z")
He’s a guy. Guys like toys. Toys with nostalgia value, like slot cars, are likely to be the “big hit” of Christmas among all the male members of your tribe/gathering. Do not be surprised if, as soon as practical after the gift exchange deal, all male members of same dissappear to assemble, examine, and most importantly, play with, said slot car set. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/9 "2008-12-19T03:30:05Z")
> [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](#): > > I’m sure he will love the thought, I would (53). The parlor I went to as kid had a track that was about 30 feet long. Now if you got him one of those I’m sure he’ll go nuts! It has a 45 ft. track! We’ve downsized into a smaller home. I think about the only place he can set it up is on the pool table! It has lots of curves and elevated ramps–the box says it’s about 8’ x 4’ set up. Ya–no billiards for a little while. Thanks guys! Happy holidays!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/10 "2008-12-19T12:52:57Z")
Its a very cool gift! He’ll love you for it. He’ll need someone to play with though, so you may want to brush up on your slot-car skills. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/11 "2008-12-19T16:26:34Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > He’s a guy. > > Guys like toys That’s pretty much it your answer there 🙂 If I received a box of Technic Lego for Christmas, I’d disappear off for a while with it, no insult perceived or taken. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/12 "2008-12-19T16:50:35Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > It has a 45 ft. track! We’ve downsized into a smaller home. I think about the only place he can set it up is on the pool table! It has lots of curves and elevated ramps–the box says it’s about 8’ x 4’ set up. Ya–no billiards for a little while. Thanks guys! Happy holidays!😃 Buy him a sheet of plywood. He can mount the track on it and store it on end when he’s not using it. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/13 "2008-12-19T16:53:15Z")
Can you link to the actual set? You need to set the entire track up while he is asleep. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/14 "2008-12-30T04:57:38Z")
ok, guys! i didn’t set it up beforehand. we were able to set it up on the pool table (8’ x 4’). He was thrilled!! I was actually better than he at racing the cars!! We decided that this would be a new holiday tradition. As we have grandbabies–they can race cars with papaw hellpaso every xmas. thank you all so much for your input. Zebra–I got it off Amazon–it’s called “walther’s ultimate road course”. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/15 "2008-12-30T05:00:34Z")
Great! Thanks for the update. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/16 "2008-12-30T05:33:21Z")
That’s great. I like the idea of the grandbabies playing with the set with papaw. Although it sounds like they might all have to look out for mamaw hellpaso; she might be the one to beat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/17 "2008-12-30T14:42:34Z")
Sweet! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slot-car-racing/477717/18 "2008-12-30T15:54:58Z")
> [@hellpaso](#): > > ok, guys! i didn’t set it up beforehand. we were able to set it up on the pool table (8’ x 4’). He was thrilled!! I was actually better than he at racing the cars!! We decided that this would be a new holiday tradition. As we have grandbabies–they can race cars with papaw hellpaso every xmas. thank you all so much for your input. Zebra–I got it off Amazon–it’s called “walther’s ultimate road course”. [This one?](http://www.amazon.com/Life-NASCAR-Ultimate-Coarse-Electric/dp/B0017RSYGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1230652307&sr=8-1) You are an awesome wife. And be glad you didn’t set it up for him - half the fun of racing sets is setting it up. I’d have been crushed if my parents put my toys together the night before Christmas.