Lighter Fluid & Slot cars? HUH????

[Sixx]

One of my co-workers wants to buy a model from me to use as a slot car.

He asked me, "what kind of clear do I use, I need something to stand up to lighter fluid."

I use Urethane, but don't know if it would stand up to lighter fluid. And what does lighter fluid and slot car racing have in common?

Do the cars get cleaned with lighter fluid?
Does anyone know the answer to this

[rsxse240]

They may use it for traction compound.

[MPWR]

That's the only thing I can think of. Rub it on the tyres to make em stickier.

Lighter fluid is fantastic for destroying paint. For that matter, it will soften plastic too. Urethane or 2K might or might not stand up to it if occasionally splashed, but I wouldn't really care to try.

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by MPWR

That's the only thing I can think of. Rub it on the tyres to make em stickier.

That was my thinking also. I know that slot car racers are into "sticky" tires.
(that's probably the reason I always used to fly off at the corners when I was akid - non sticky tires )

[Sixx]

well, what I have found out so far is once the engine and chassis is attached, the guys are using lighter fluid to clean the motors to keep em' running quick.
Now, whether or not urethane will hold up to lighter fluid, I'm gonna go get some lighter fluid from the store and test it out on one of my test models.
I'll let ya know how it works out! ha ha

[freakray]

There is a clear made for slot cars which is made to coat the inside of the lexan bodies to protect them from the fuel from the engine in the gas powered cars - try to find some of this to coat the body.

[Layla's Keeper]

Actually, what we 1/24th scale racing types use good 'ol Zippo lighter fluid for is cleaning our tires.

You see, the commercial wooden tracks we race on use a very fine track-glue so that foam rubber tires hook up better on the surface. However, too much glue (like when the track has been freshly cleaned and resprayed) makes for a car that actually bites too hard and tips itself out of the slot.

So, until the glue has been "run in" we racers clean it off of our tires by dousing them with lighter fluid (to break up the glue) and then wiping them down with an old piece of t-shirt.

[nitrojunkie]

Urethane clear will hold up to lighter fluid it is not any stronger than a commercially available bug and tar remover.and yes it is used for cleaning tires in road racing and sometimes in Drag racing also,although in dragracing it sometimes leads to a "fire" burnout if you are not carefull.We have also used campstove fuel which is the thinning agent in track spray glue.