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Post by steve1138 on Mar 10, 2015 23:23:03 GMT -7
The answer is money and time. Molds cost money and they are in a hurry to get product out to sell. I'm with you on the desire for all the nhra cars to look more correct but aw is not enterested in creating new molds that give the cars the correct wheels and tires, thus we get the stuff we've been getting, chassis that almost always need work out of the box and remanufactured stuff from 1974. I've spend a ton of cash trying to make all my cars look more like the real thing and spent hours cutting and gluing on the inside of each body to make them sit right. It's my own personal pet peeve that if your gonna make them do it right. But with the wheel tire combo these cars have from the factory, lowering is out of the question without modification. I wish the powers that be at auto world had an ear open to suggestion but this is the product. Look I am in love with the idea of drag racing ho cars and actual dedicated bodies for said racing but its a let down that a few things that would make these cars way more desirable are left out and you get IMHO a much poorer product. I think I answered your question back there somewhere during that rant. Sorry......
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 11, 2015 7:32:27 GMT -7
I have a little input as to why the car bodies arnt wider than what they are. I havnt been into slotcar racing very long, im fairly new, But what i see is if you take two funnycars and line them up there is not very much room between as it is... in fact i have a video on my phone of a race in slow motion showing how far a funny car burns out and fishtails at the start and its clear into the other lane. Rails are the same way... tires almost touch when sitting at the starting line, so widening them would mean changing something else... now you have to widen the track. One of the key selling points of the track and chassis are... snap a different body on, add some turns from an existing track and now you have a different style of racing all together... same chassis and same pieces of track.
I believe its made the way it is so you can use their things in a vast variety of ways and not feel like youve spent 200$ just to go straight. If they widened the cars.. widened the track, now you have cars that cant race anywhere but ON THAT track and a track you CANT connect to any other tracks you may have purchased in the past.
Marketing is all about selling to the majority, whats popular, what sells quick. I bought this for my kids... NHRA is a BIG deal and it makes a TON of money, i think the main goal was to market those people and give them a chance to share the sport with their kids, and lets face it... kids dont care about details, the light comes on they pull the trigger the cars take off like a bolt of lightning and a winner is shown... theres no timing system because they know kids dont really care what time they ran... they won and thats all that matters.
Besides if they came out of the box looking like a true funny car there would always be that ONE thing they left out or a " why didnt they do this ". Fact is were all here because we all like to customize, we all like to make them our own just as we do in real life...its what makes us human. And thats what keeps us in the hobby.
- Flat
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Post by Eagle Racing on Mar 11, 2015 9:12:04 GMT -7
Yes sir 100% correct in your statement IMHO, I am already working on a Modern Funny Car that will be dropped and wheels tucked. It will be for the 2015 Summer Nationals. It will also be an inline, should be fun.
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Post by steve1138 on Mar 11, 2015 9:43:00 GMT -7
Flat, I get your point but I disagree with you on the part about this being a kids toy. Aw has marketed this product to adults, look at the pakaging, look at the detail put into the decaling of the cars. Kid stuff doesn't look like this, now aw is happy that kids will like it too, having parents that remember drag racing introducing it to their kids. Buts obvious where they put their money in this endeavor, bodies and adding magnets to this chassis. You and I and a lot of other guys on this sight have fond memories of drag racing in the 60's -90's, our dad's sharing that with us and a love of the cars and the liveries. Aw has banked on that to sell, they just hope you won't notice the cars don't quite look like funny cars or pro stocks. I'm ok with using standard track, it makes sense but really the cars are the stars of these sets. If they aren't right then it's not right. Everyone has a level of exceptance. Mine might be too high but I don't think so because I know that if these cars had correct wheel and tires that sat under the fenders and looked like the real cars everyone on this site would go bat (bleep) crazy for them. Heck I already have over 50 cars (all modified to look more like the real thing) I'd have at least twice that many now. Scale is not the issue, aw using the existing parts bin from 1976 is. A modified rear wheel, an updated front wheel, not using wide tires for the front wheels. Look it's simple to me but I haven't read much on any forum that would agree with my position so I do my own thing.
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 11, 2015 9:59:42 GMT -7
I never said it was a kids toy, i said it was marketed towards the parents who like NHRA to have something to share with their kids was all.
Just by your statement you proved what i said corrected, you have a skewed point of view of how you personally want things to look. Marketing doesnt care about the 10s of guys that would like one thing changed... it looks at the 10s of thousands who will buy it a certain way because its what works. Im sure anyone who runs their own business will tell you the same, in the end its all about money. How often do you see people buy 50-200$ cars, Especially guys like me who havnt been into slotcars at all, i would bet half or less than half you see buying 20$ cars... to understand the game youve got to know the rules and when it comes to money Quantity will reign over Quality 90% of the time.
Half the fun... is building them into how you want them to look.
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Post by steve1138 on Mar 11, 2015 10:26:21 GMT -7
Eagle,
I love your stuff, beautiful but you are in the stratosphere of ho drag racing. Me and my buddies are keeping it 4 gear stock mostly and allowing hp2 cars too because the are of the same vintage. Eagle what I really wish you could do are wheels that look like they should. Your stuff is awesome and you know what's cool. I know it would be hard to become a manufacturer but it would be cool.
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Post by steve1138 on Mar 11, 2015 10:44:23 GMT -7
Flat,
I'm not arguing with you about it being a kids toy or trying to prove you wrong. Just like my reply to Tetsuo said, money and time. I have a business, and fully understand the marketplace. It can be tough and expensive, but this question come up every time a hobby item rides the line between realism and cost effectiveness. I like what I like, you the same but as I said I do a great deal of customizing to make them look like I would venture to guess alot guys on this site think is cool. I see your thread you are customizing too. Since the after market is small for slot cars in general it would be great if the cars were more correct from the manufacturer. I not complaining and waiting around for it to change, I'm doing my thing. But I answered a question on the forum with my opinion it's ok if we disagree. I'm not trying to day your wrong, I just disagree.
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 11, 2015 11:34:12 GMT -7
Steve im not in any way arguing, you asked why the cars wernt wider to slide over the chassis to make them appear more realistic and i gave you a reason why. I love to customize the cars, its just as fun as racing and i probably spend more time doing that than racing half the time. It sounds to me like this is just a sore subject for you and that could be why you think im arguing when im just answering questions. R/C racing for me got expensive and just wasnt fun anymore, i had well over 2 grand into a truck i paid 300 for off the shelf and i sold it all for 500 bucks to a kid who thought it was the coolest thing ever invented, i lost money but gave happiness to someone with something that was no longer bringing me THAT joy. If there ever comes a day where customizing cars and building them faster becomes more like work and is no longer fun that i take a step back for some time and find something else to do until i find the love again. My kids love it, I love it and I hope you and I continue to keep doing what we do and that is making these cars our own.
- Flat
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Post by steve1138 on Mar 11, 2015 11:41:05 GMT -7
At this point the thing that would add the most value to a was line would be a timing system, a real to the 1000th system but they haven't done that either. Any the drag car are just that, made for drag racing. Thus the audience will be those interested in drag racing. So do it right. Truthfully they don't need to make wider bodies, if the had made a modified rear wheel with half the flange it would have worked (not perfect but under the fenders. Tetsuo, I agree but we're not gonna get any response from aw on this. My hope is that they will respond to the body changes in the nhra and make some proper camaro funny car and pro stock bodies. I cant bring myself to buy the pro stock stuff they have out now.
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 11, 2015 12:00:14 GMT -7
Q:
If as you say widened bodies wouldn't work on regular straight track; How is it that Hairy Canary resin FC bodies are able to fit over a 4 gear chassis ? They sit properly low as they should; and have a realistic appearance that unfortunately the AW cars totally lack. So why couldn't AW do the same with injection molded bodies ?
A:
Simple... you answered this yourself pretty much, Hairy Canary does amazing work and each one is built to FIT the chassis. Youre comparing someone who strives for realism and makes a handful to a multi-million dollar company which mass produces thousands of these daily.
Q:
As for funny cars not being able to run on tracks with curves because they sit too low; do real funny cars race on road or street courses, I think not. How is this any different than the AW dragsters ? You can't run them properly on a course with curves due to their length. Why doesn't AW shorten the dragsters so they can be easily used with other cars if you don't have a dragstrip ? Specialty cars such as dragsters, funny cars, and super stocks are meant for straight track racing only.
A:
Re-read what i said. I said that the cars and track you buy can be utilized with a set that you may previously own ( given you also have the different bodies from said track ). Widening the cars and Track would severely limit its use with other sets, the AW Dragster set can be used with various types from what ive seen... the chassis are the same as a road coarse chassis, simply change the body and your lengthy dragster has now transformed into a NASCAR. Theres no need to shorten a dragster... simply change the removable body. Race the dragster/funny car/ super stock bodies with a straight track. Remove the dragster starting line but keep the finish line and add turns and twists and maybe even a goodyear bridge and Wa-La... NASCAR... And you still get to see who makes it to the finish line.
Q:
It's always a bad idea to mix things that don't go well together. A good example is Tyco's stupid trains that ran on slot car tracks. They not only looked ridiculous but served no purpose what-so-ever. The same can be said for Marchon's stupid fighter jets that ran on a slot track. Or the Harry potter figures plopped on a car chassis looking like parade floats racing each other. Anything that defies logic is usually a bad idea.
A:
All in the Eye of the Beer Holder, scale trains and HO train sets And even Harry Potter stuff sells for millions a year, remember to look through the eyes of a company. Like i said before its not about the 10s that Dont like it... but about the 10s of thousands that DO. In the end it boils down to money.
-Flat
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Post by steve1138 on Mar 11, 2015 12:09:23 GMT -7
I'm with ya flat. I'm passionate about the hobby for sure as I'm sure you are. These little cars are as close as I'll get to real drag racing and it is really fun. The modeler in me wants them to reflect the real thing.
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Post by FlatBlackCamaro on Mar 11, 2015 14:27:44 GMT -7
I as a kid was a avid modeler, its where i first learned to use an airbrush. The details you can put on a 1:24th scale is incredible... shrinking that detail to 1:64th is a challenge... almost like a picture, you can only zoom in so far before you loose detail.
I would like the cars to have as much detail in them as i put but i realize from a company stand point you cant make money doing that. We are all asking for a 100$ car but want it to cost 20$... i think weve gotten a fair trade for price paid. Ive bought all of my AW 4gears for 15$ or less each.. a STEAL when looking at what it cost to put into production, a body and chassis.
I agree with you steve on the timing, knowing an ET would be a sweet deal. But it all goes back to money, i believe i paid just under 200$ for the set... 13' of track with a working tree and a working finish line and two cars... divide that into track, what it cost to make the start and finish lines and cars... fair deal. You add nicer cars with more detail and now a timing system... were talking another $200-$400 and if its real intricate $1000+. Now take all that into consideration and compare it to the pro tracks ( Slot Dragon and ect. ) what would you buy... youd buy the pro version because when theres not much of a cost difference we all tend to go for best quality.
I want a slot dragon or something more pro scale, but i cant right now put forth that money into this hobby, and THAT is who they market... you and me =)
Well Played AutoWorld...
Well Played.
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Post by dave632 on Mar 11, 2015 18:07:42 GMT -7
I think part of the problem the cars are what they are is that the track is not wide enough.
When originally produced the cars were supposed to be 1/87 or actual HO size. They made them 1/78 which was of course a little bigger, then 1/64, bigger yet.
Two 1/64 cars are right on top of each other on the track. If there is any fishtailing with the 1/64 they tend to hit each other on the straight, let alone any curves.
In my opinion the track should have been redesigned a long time ago and made at least an inch or better yet two inches wider, yet they still use the original far to narrow track design.
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Post by pceng on Mar 11, 2015 18:21:44 GMT -7
I as a kid was a avid modeler, its where i first learned to use an airbrush. The details you can put on a 1:24th scale is incredible... shrinking that detail to 1:64th is a challenge... almost like a picture, you can only zoom in so far before you loose detail. I would like the cars to have as much detail in them as i put but i realize from a company stand point you cant make money doing that. We are all asking for a 100$ car but want it to cost 20$... i think weve gotten a fair trade for price paid. Ive bought all of my AW 4gears for 15$ or less each.. a STEAL when looking at what it cost to put into production, a body and chassis. I agree with you steve on the timing, knowing an ET would be a sweet deal. But it all goes back to money, i believe i paid just under 200$ for the set... 13' of track with a working tree and a working finish line and two cars... divide that into track, what it cost to make the start and finish lines and cars... fair deal. You add nicer cars with more detail and now a timing system... were talking another $200-$400 and if its real intricate $1000+. Now take all that into consideration and compare it to the pro tracks ( Slot Dragon and ect. ) what would you buy... youd buy the pro version because when theres not much of a cost difference we all tend to go for best quality. I want a slot dragon or something more pro scale, but i cant right now put forth that money into this hobby, and THAT is who they market... you and me =) Well Played AutoWorld... Well Played. I disagree completely that a quality product requires that it necessarily cost more to produce. The problem exists with the company and its lackadaisical attitude towards producing anything of substance. If this were a Japanese rather than an american company they would want to produce the best product possible. American companies are lazy from top to bottom. It's only about making money and they'll cut whatever corners possible. It's an attitude of no honor; and unlimited greed !  Tetsuo. Keeping this to just slot cars....... American slot cars companies other than AW. Scale Auto (BSRT) , Wizard , Slottech ........ may be the pinnacle of slot cars ! H E L L O Statements made linking all American companies together in operating standards....... sounds like Japanese anime. |
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Post by dave632 on Mar 11, 2015 19:44:14 GMT -7
I have to admit this once great country is sliding quickly. Our heyday was in the 1950s when anything not made here was considered 2nd rate. Now almost everything comes from China where their economy is booming like never before. #1 producer of cars in the world last year and I have never even seen a Chinese car. They just copy some one else's product and there is nothing you can do about it. Greedy business men and politicians are high on the list of who to blame. Wal Mart was paramount in starting that trend and is a leading user of Chinese products.  Don't like to get on a soap box here as this is supposed to be a fun site but I guess we all rant some times. |
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Tetsuo.