There’s no doubt that slot cars are great fun, and with eBay it’s easier than ever to get a huge range of slot cars or bodyshells to go around your track. Of course it’s possible to modify static model car kits but there’s something else you should know about; you can motorise trucks too.

Scalextric made trucks back in the ’80s, but they were to a smaller scale, there are plenty of 1:32 truck models just crying out for some big rig action.

I started with a Revell Freightliner

This is where chase-cars comes to the rescue, the kit includes a motor pod with low enough gearing to pull your truck, a steering front axle, bogey wheels for the rig and a pivoting set of wheels for the trailer.

The front end is just a wider version of the 012-604 steering.

Here’s what’s in the rest of the kit.

The first thing is to paint it matt black as it’s quite visible from outside.

You’ll need a motor like this, solder loooooooong wires onto it.

Thread one wire through the hole so you can push the motor into position.

Push the back end of the motor in first.

Then push the front end of the motor in.  You’ll have to push hard, but don’t be afraid!  You don’t want it jumping out with all that torque.

This system uses a Pioneer sidewinder gear set for the first stage.  Cut a length of 3/32″ axle 46mm long, but you need to get a 2mm pinion on the other end which means drilling the pinion bore from 2mm to 3/32″.  Fit 2 bearings on between the gears as shown but don’t glue the gears in position until you’ve tried them for fit!

Next, make up the rear axle to suit your own truck.  This one has twin rear wheels so is very wide.

Clip the first axle into place, get the bearings for the second axle in and try it for fit.  As you can see, the pinion needs to move a little further up the axle.

See, that’s better.  Now you can glue the Pioneer gears into place, and the Scalextric pinion too.

As this truck has a pair of trailing wheels behind the drive wheels, you can make them as shown below.  The wheels can be glued on or held with an M2 grubscrew.  It’s best to let the inner wheels rotate freely and just hold the outer pair in place.

Fit the tyres, these are Avant Slot tyres from their Dakar trucks.

Use an additional pair of bearings to clip this bogey set onto the main wheels.

Finally, fit the driven wheels on.  It’s best to glue or screw all 4 into place, but make sure there’s enough clearance between wheels and bearings.

Glue some resin body posts into position to support the running gear.

If you want to tow a trailer, you can use this SLS part with a 3/32 pin that fits under the chrome 5th wheel.  Then drill a hole under the trailer which will pivot smoothly.

For the trailer, I wanted the wheels to stay on the track rather than fall off the inside.  So the whole set of trailer wheels can pivot.  This is how you build them up.

Push the brass 3/32″ rivet through the bogey and into the chassis mount.  It should be glued in position so the bogey can rotate freely.

Here you can see the 4 stub axles in position.

Fit the running gear into position on the truck chassis.

And this is how it should drive, and once you get the rest of the car, you can do your own version of this!