# Different types of AFX/Aurora cars.



## thenazz44 (May 11, 2020)

Can someone please explain all the different types please? Pancake motor, 4 gear pancake, Mega-traction, Mega G, Mega G+, Super Mega G. Thanks.


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

It would take a very long post with a lot of pictures to cover all of those cars. A few months ago you could have gone to the Model Motorist site that had top bottom and side pictures of them all. Model Motorist has been shut down, but there is still an archived version that seems to be incomplete. How to Identify HO Scale Slot and Slotless Car Chassis
There is a lot of information on the Aurora cars in Bob Beers book "The Complete Color Guide to Aurora H.O. Slot Cars". There is also some historical information on the AFX Racing site. The Slot Car Central site has a Guide section with a lot of pictures.
This is the short version of the history. Playcraft came out with the original vibrator cars and Aurora bought the US rights to those in 1959, after year or so Playcraft dropped out if the business. In 1963 Aurora introduced the Thunderjet car, which was the first pancake type. In 1971 Aurora introduced an improved pancake style car called the A/FX and in 1973 the was a slotless version of the older chassis called the XLerator , in 1974 the Magnatraction cars came out later followed by the Specialty (4 Gear) cars. In 1976 the G+ cars came out, those were the first Aurora cars with a modern inline motor. There were a number of novelty variations of the inline chassis including the Power Shifters, Magna Steering, Cat's Eyes and Blazin' Brakes. 
Aurora folded in 1983, their inventory was mostly bought by REH. Tomy bought the rights to the last of the Aurora inline cars and sold those under the AFX name. Some time later the Tomy Turbo cars with open frame motors were introduced, followed by the Super G+. Eventually Tomy lost interest in slot cars and Racemasters took over the US business using the AFX trademark. The first car from AFX/Racemasters was the Mega G. Due to various regulations concerning child safety and RFI emissions the Mega G+ was introduced.


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## thenazz44 (May 11, 2020)

So they cars with the enclosed motor and little circuit board are an older design than the open motor type?


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

The Mega G+ uses the closed can motor and a circuit board with RFI suppression components, it is the latest design. I am not aware of any other set type car that has used a motor of that sort, but they are commonly used with Gravity type cars.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

I think Rich is correct about the RFI suppression circuit board.
we have used small capacitors between the pick up shoes for similar to avoid false readings on timing systems.
it is funny because early Aurora "vibrator" HO slot cars played havoc with TV and radio when they ran, but that was over 50 years ago and all that happened then was a lot of parents shouting at the kids to "turn that damn thing off!" !
there are some "garage manufacturers" ( https://eagleracing.us/carbon-fiber-chassis ) & others that are making chassis for those small narrow (enclosed) can motors .


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