My brother got a t-jet set for Christmas in 1968. I was 5 so it was a few years before I was able to play with them myself. But by then, 1973-74, the early t-jets were out of production, and I never much liked the AFX line. They were a bit bigger, and so fast they were hard to control. Also, all their cars were tricked-out racers and funny cars. I wanted ordinary (more realistic) cars, what the t-jet line originally was. I used to look at the the original Aurora manual fantasizing about the great accessories they used to have, like junctions and railroad crossings. It's so nice to be grown up and be able to buy all the toys I want, Ebay has all the great stuff I always wanted.

It seems like I got an Aurora slot car set every year for Christmas. I would go to my friends and race on a track built on a ping pong table. Such good times. I still have some and race them whenever I can. I guess it’s in our blood. I never grow tired of them. Thanks for the video. Informative and fun!

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Its great to have memories like that

I love the smell of slot cars!! The old cars are great.

Back in the old days I learned how to do electroplating, with varying success. We would basically stick a dime on one end and the shoe on the other end and the silver would transfer to the shoe. Then we would solder a pigtail from the shoe to the chassis for better contact. Loved working on these when I was a kid.

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this awesome tip!

My family has been racing T-Jets since 1962. Currently building a layout that fills out my 2 car garage. We only race T-JETs and AFX. Just love those cars. Thanks for this great video. I got a real kick out of it.

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

T-jet racing is some of the best!n Thanks for watching and commenting

@timmccartney6078

Жыл бұрын

Please keep us posted. we would like to see your layout and racing.

I had one of the original Aurora sets. Made a dragstrip by screwing it down to a piece of plywood. I remember the plastic clips that held the track together would break sometimes. We would use an eraser to clean the contacts on the track.

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

HAHAH the good old days! Thanks for watching and commenting!

@d.e.b.b5788

2 жыл бұрын

Yep! We started with pencil erasers, and found ink erasers worked even better. Kept the rails AND the contacts on the car itself beautifully clean.

Our Hobby Shop had loads of great toys, models, model rockets, puzzles, and great fun toys for kids to tinker around with, build and of course enjoy playing with too ! Thanks for a great video, amazing how many of these toys still work after all these years. :-)

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for sharing and we all need to support hobby shops they are the best time and great hidden gems

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

In my experience kids hardly play with toys anymore and are not interested in building anything or doing any hobbies and crafts. Unfortunately, I think hobby shops excite geezers like me more than the kids thanks to video games and internet.

By '71-'72 you should have been messing with AFXs or you were behind the times haha. I remember a Christmas morning in '70 or '71 when my friend came over and wanted me to bring my cars over to run on his new track. I had a real good running Thunderjet or two which cost about two and a half bucks at the time and a hop-up kit was about a dollar. The hot setup was a set of AJs screw on wheels/tires, and axles. I also had a couple "TuffOnes" series cars that were the latest and last incarnation of the TJ. A good TuffOnes car was REAL fast. I was very confident that his new cars would be no contest for my hot Thunderjets. When I got to my friend's house and seen his new Aurora track my jaw dropped. His parents bought him and his brothers three or four AFX sets. I had never even seen or heard of Aurora AFX cars or track until then. The track snapped together instead of using the pin & clips. The transformer was a wallpack type instead of the old metal housed transformer with chaotic wires connecting it to the track and controllers. The completely new cars with mag wheels and fat tires were so cool that I was bummed out about my outdated TJs. Worse yet my TJs were no match for the new AFX cars in speed. They had a HUGE oval track set up and easily beat my cars. Later of course I got my own AFX cars, and later after that the newer Magnatraction type AFXs. I never really developed much interest in them, though. I still liked Thunderjets best even though they weren't as fast. In the late 1970s I became friends with a fellow car and motorcycle enthusiast who coincidentally also loved Thunderjets. For some years it was very hard to find TJs & tune up parts for them. Mine & my friend's cars had holes worn clear through our pickup shoes and nearly paper thin brushes. My friend even had pickup shoe springs in place of the commutator brushes in a couple of his cars. We had some adventures hunting TJs & parts. We started going to toy and model car conventions to look mainly for ANYTHING Thunderjet. I think it might have been about the mid 1980s when rumors of boxcar loads of unsold Thunderjets were discovered. Brand new Thunderjets were available again! We were buying them under the American Lines brand name for about five dollars apiece. Unfortunately, they didn't come with original Aurora bodies but some Atlas (I think) re-pops and only a few body styles but we weren't that concerned about the bodies anyway. We liked fixing and customizing old bodies and making bodies. After all these years we still do the same thing but there is a lot of new stuff and options now. Long live the pancakes- especially the REAL Thunderjets.

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing! Very interesting

I just found 3 vintage T-Jets from the 60's in my aunts attic as I was cleaning it out. They are in great shape too but need cleaning/tuning. This is perfect.

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

Awesome to hear!

Thanks for creating this original Aurora versus Auto World series of videos. you have a fun yet informative style that's enjoyable to watch. Here's some additional history. Aurora created a line of Tuff Ones cars in response to the Tyco Pro which was must faster than the stock Thunderjet. The "Tuffy" featured a lower ohm armature, stronger magnets, sliver plated pickup shoes, silver plated chassis electrical components, silver content commutator brushes, wider rear tires and an independent front axle/wheel set. It also replaced the 9 tooth pinion gear with a 14 tooth version. These changes brought the car closer to the Tyco's performance. The non-magnatraction AF/X chassis was Aurora's second attempt to match the competition and IMHO, it was superior to the Tyco Pro. Aurora introduced the notched commutator brushes in the AF/X chassis. The original Playing Mantis/Johnny Lightning cars were based on the Tuff Ones. They replaced the driven gear, cluster gear shaft and pinion gear with a one piece part. The new chassis does not have a hole for the cluster gear shaft so you can't drop a complete armature plate assembly into the JL/AW chassis. The new chassis wheel base is slightly longer than the Aurora chassis so the front axle rubs against the front mounting post on some of the original Aurora bodies in the long wheel base set up. The JL magnets are stronger and the armature has lower ohms than the Aurora car's parts. The Auto World cars introduced a wider front tire to address tire retention issues. Later, they added a traction magnet. They also increased the width of the pick up shoes. There are probably other changes that I've missed.

I remember that sliding round too! Wow! I bought some bodies around 2000 even though my Tjets were all put up. Kids had AFX Tyco.

Excellent basics video....especially regarding the track connection. A track that is smooth and has good electrical connection is HALF the battle and will provide lots of enjoyment.

@gmansard641

Жыл бұрын

I take the metal clips that were original intended for the single lane tracks and use them for all track connections, rendering the white plastic U-clips non-functional. A dramatic improvement, and they're readily available on Ebay.

@dancalmpeaceful3903

Жыл бұрын

@@gmansard641 Thanks for the tip!

Great video, getting ready to set up my vintage jet aurora track

Kudos Bryan you did well I have been buying selling and restoring Thunderjets and AFX cars for 30 years great video!!!

Good video on basic tjet maintenance . One note I would add is be very careful how much oil you put on the bottom armature hole. If you use too much oil on the bottom armature hole the oil can get on the brushes and commutator. This will negatively affect the performance of your car.

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

The brushes sometimes get saturated with oil but no problem. Put some isopropyl (common rubbing) alcohol on a piece of paper towel and roll the brush around in it between your fingers- good as new.

26:13 I would love to have magnetless slot cars, looks more fun seeing them sliding around the corner! Count me in Bryan!!

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Agree I love the sliding! Looks real feels real way more skill

@garybourke468

3 жыл бұрын

Non-mag HOs will never get old.

ThunderJet 500's had copper pick-up shoes. A-F/X had silver plated copper. Those odd-brand shoes may use Nickel plated for better wear resistance, although they have higher resistance.

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Ohhh thank you for sharing! Great addition

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

TuffOnes Thunderjets had silver plate, too. I never liked the silver plated TuffOnes chassis because the brush springs are too stiff and hard to adjust. The silver brushes along with the stiff brush springs also wore the commutator much faster. As the brushes wore they needed constant adjustment to the point that the brush springs got mangled or broke. I liked swapping the TuffOnes parts into the copper chassis.

For all the gravity racing fans out there, the new modern traction magnet cars now have replacement weight kits available that replace the traction magnets with weights and come with a full set designed to fit front and rear. You want some wild sliding, hanging-it-all-out-there driving, those high speed, high torque in-line motors combined with gravity performance bring back that old T-Jet feel even in the new chassis. Wizzard also now makes a "modern" T-Jet chassis that's 100% faithful to the original Aurora design but made with better quality materials.

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

I haven't seen the Wizzard version but sounds good. Anxious to see.

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

Thunder Storm & Brass Fusion- ok. Thanks.

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

Wiz-Jet- I only seen bare chassis(?)

@BigRalphSmith

Жыл бұрын

@@mickangio16 Wiz-Jet (or T-Jet) is a gravity car. Wizzard sells all the parts needed to build one (and all T-Jet parts are interchangeable). Don't know if they will be marketing a complete car yet.

I love both old and new thunder jets I'm still looking for a couple of aw 62 Impalas the red and white and blue and white

I remember running them soo long, I’d smoke the chassis!

@ProTinkerToys

10 ай бұрын

Thats right!

Let me thank you for your service in the Navy. My dad was on SS168, Nautilus during WW2 and saw action at Midway. The Silent Service holds a special place in my heart. In regards to the early Aurora HO slot cars, I remember a version that used a vibrating arm to turn the rear axle. They were noisy. Have you any information about them and how long they were in production. Can you tell me the title and author of that book that you showed?

Fine tweezers help with the brushes.

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

Correct!

you have some sort of newer snap track... is that newer than A-F/X? ThunderJet track only came with pins and joiners.

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Yes this is the AFX/ Auto World Track that snaps together

Do you sell the copper piece that is riveted to bottom for the brushes I need one and dont want non original t jet 500 parts?

Unfortunately I bought a super international 4 lane set before doing any real research, as far as I can tell there is no railroad crossing, made for this type of track, not to mention that this set is junk right out of the box, the middle tabs need to be filed a bit so that the track will fit together when connected, as of now it is hit and miss with those tabs in the middle sticking up unless you press them into place, which I did not know to do out of the box resulting in cars hitting the raised tab and coming off the track. Anyway I have a thunder jet 4 lane set coming, that looks fairly new, even the box is in really good shape for its age, I found railroad crossing for this type of track, oh and I actually had a t-jet set as a kid, but only remember taking the Jag XKE out of the box when my parents were not aware. That stuff was made during a time when quality was king, so even though my coming set is 60 years old I have no doubts when I carefully clean each of the track tabs making sure they are all there, and properly bent to connect with the next track section, and a good old eraser to clean the track itself, that my 60 year old set will blow the socks off of my new set which I am going to re-box and see if I can get something out of it, mega g+ what a joke. I had a set in my teens that I ran a lot, and never had to replace the pickup shoes, I have run the mega G+ cars less than an hour and the pickup shoes are already grooved, I doubt they will last 5 hours of run time before needing a "pit kit" to replace the shoes and since the "pit kits" come with a rear axle and crown gear I am assuming that it is going to need replacing when the pickup shoes do. But that is what you get when they use soft metal for the pickup shoes and I am assuming the plastic parts such as gears have also been made from soft plastic so that they will wear down much sooner than the old stuff. This is the age of built-in or planned obsolescence where things are designed to fail, not like the stuff when I was a kid that was designed to last a lifetime and they did that without computers. so seeing the pit kits and knowing about stuff being designed to fail, those are just cash cows to keep enthusiasts spending money to keep their cars going. Anyway if I can ever get everything like I want it, ill have two separate trains running with both integrated with the T-jet tracks and do my best to restore what I can and make it all work like I want it. Ill throw the trains and slot cars together with the crossings, and get some extra track to keep so that I can make a few differing layouts, and some diorama stuff and call it good, the whole point was to be able to walk in, turn it all on and watch it all run nicely for a bit, turn it off and go about my business. and with this t-jet set with the steering wheel controllers no spring loaded controller just set it and forget it. I had bought 4 of these and wired them up to the mega g+ so I could set and forget but I found that it was either to slow and would not run or so fast it ruined the idea of cars just taking a leisurely drive, hopefully with the original set made for these controllers the power supply will be just right and I can get the desired speed, and one of the 2 lanes running in one direction and the other two lanes running in the opposite directing, hoping I can use a couple of more modern semi truck/trailers as well. anyway that is the idea and end of my rant, after just getting back into this less than 6 months ago after a nearly 50 year hiatus.

when I wa a kiss I got a model modeling slot car set. four 90 degree corners and two 9 inch straights. I now have over 400 feet of track.

pro sir, afx aurora magnatr. i am not sure how to pull the rims from the front axle. they turn independetly great. is it just clicked on?

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

The rims are held on with pressure from the tightness of the plastic rim onto the axle a lot of times and can just be pushed off and pushed back on.

Can you get metal guide pins for the chassis? Plastic ones break easy.

@gmansard641

Жыл бұрын

Auto World has them, but currently out of stock. They're not hard to make though, with some brass strips and hard wire soldered together.

caution was out do to oil on the track and you just brought out the black flag haha

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

hahaha!!! Thats great!!! Thanks for watching

i just got a bunch of these from my dad i have no idea on what they are....i like the white camino with the surf boards on it but they all say thunderjet 500 and model motoring

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

They are slot cars! Call if you have any questions we would be happy to help you out - 877-729-2099, ask for Bryan

I had the steering wheels!

I found a set from aurora that I can’t find anywhere. It’s a formula 1 set number 1943. Is this good?

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

It has to be!

I took a many apart. I think I could do it now, 50 years later, NP.

Hi Brian this is cal pearce I have a question on a test slot do the motor magnets attract or repel each other when installed properly

@mypearce8089

Жыл бұрын

Sorry t_jet slot car

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

They will attract to each other from what I have seen.

I bought a TJet car thinking it would be the same size as my 4Gear, and it was way smaller, so I'll only race Tjets with Tjets now. If I want something to match my 4Gear car, is the Xtraction series the same size as 4Gear, or is it closer to Tjet, or something else entirely? When we race for fun at home, I want the cars to look similar. Thank you as always, Mr. ProTinkerToys.

@ProTinkerToys

2 жыл бұрын

When we race we try to race the same car against the same car. Because like you said they are all different sizes and speeds. Tjet are just like the older ones and little slower they do have a magnet Xtraction are little bigger, little faster and magnet 4Gear are the fastest with two magnets to help hold it down and let it fly

@pdiz

2 жыл бұрын

@@ProTinkerToys Okay, I only have the 4Gears now, but will order some Xtraction cars from you! I wish they would come out with more of the Flamethrowers. Or better yet, if 4Gear had an equivalent to Flamethrowers (lighted headlights and/or chassis).

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

@@pdiz Aurora also had cars with headlights AND taillights. I forgot what they called them and which cars were available.

NEVER use Goo Gone on slot cars as it has acidic acid in it. Most of us dont want any kinds of acids in our cars. OIL of any kind is 100% smarter and better..heck , even vegetable o il would be better ., I'm cringing already - haha- the brushes(made out of carbon/or a combination of carbon /silver) were put back in upside down, but today there are no modern made Aurora Tune up kits(not needed) , but all parts are available -some originals and many types of aftermarket and high performance. Slide these shoes in from the side, not as shown actually to prevent spring from flying across the room if the shoe slips ! haha Buying and having Auto World is not due to them having nickel plated shoes and the cheap alloy other components, but due to the Aurora cars being much more expensive and the AW car less expensive and bodies are very nice looking and not bad quality and you can modify them in any way without destroying a vintage many times expensive and rare collectible. True , that if the gears were just a quality gear being higher quality plastic as well as better grade metal in the shafts and all shaft and axle holes so large, they would be better product. The new guide pin will most likely brake in minutes or a few laps so be prepared everyone to get good ones made out of good black plastic or Delrin . p.s. - the Aurora original track locks still work great after 50 years but some would and will break of course being an old hardened brittle type of plastic and if the track was handled poorly. good fun video.

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Wow Great insight! Thanks for sharing

do you have any flame-throwers?

@ProTinkerToys

3 жыл бұрын

Yes what ones are you looking for?

I am wondering if you know does anyone make a way that I can join my HO train track with my AFX Race Track i am looking for a cross over .

@johnreuter4916

Жыл бұрын

Aurora made a train/car crossing piece.

Hi Bryan! Swhere. Sn I buy an original thunder jet? thanks George

@mickangio16

Жыл бұрын

You can find them on ebay but you'll probably change your mind when you see the price.

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

We unfortunately don't have the original thunderjets :/

HELP...... trying to price out my collection of 135+ mint cars... lots of t-jet and other vintage cars all mint.

i have ben having a problem wit that to is this ben a problem wit these tracks

hey buddy! I have like 200 pieces of vintage aurora slot car track I inherited from my father and im looking to sell. no controllers no cars, just track in excellent condition . every possible combination of track, jumps, banks, pits, switchbacks and more. please share if you know anyone interested. thanks y'all

Go live for tim.." lol

@ProTinkerToys

Жыл бұрын

Where is Tim?

Well, I”ll be damned, no copper. Whats the world coming to?

Tim complaining in the background!!! Complaining old men are a dime a dozen!!! Believe me I am 58 I know!!!