Dads Slot Cars in Des Plaines created memories for families

The children of Thomas and Reba Pelletiere grew up around slot cars — their dad’s way of keeping them on the straight and narrow.

“My dad didn’t want his five kids hanging out at bowling alleys and pool halls,” said Sue Almerigi of Des Plaines. “He always had a hand in business, so he decided to look for a place and open up a slot car track.”

Thomas bought the building at 700 Lee St., former home to Lee Dry Goods and later Muench Pharmacy, and opened Dads Slot Cars in November 1992. Then he set about creating memories for local kids. He even molded and painted his own line of custom car shells, which he sold at the counter.

“He did all of the graphics on the walls and painted everything himself,” Sue said. “He had someone make the track for him — building replicas of 1960s tracks he had seen, including the Tom Thumb Hobby Shop in Evanston.”

There eventually were three tracks — hand built by slot car enthusiast Chris Dadds ­— dubbed the American Orange, the Reverse Banks Tri-Oval and a 55-foot, quarter-mile scale drag strip where cars could reach 90 mph. The two, more traditional tracks could accommodate 1/24- and 1/32-scale cars, which young drivers could rent at Dads for $15 for a half hour. Bring your own car and track time dropped to a mere $8 for 30 minutes.

“There were no age restrictions,” said Margaret Pelletiere. “My dad’s thing was if they want to play let them play. If you break it, I’ll fix it.”

Margaret is proud that her daughters — Charlotte, 8, and Emily, 12 ­— can take a car apart and put it together with the dexterity of a seasoned professional. After all, they learned from their mom and she learned from her father. Margaret inherited his mechanical gene.

“I was a daddy’s girl. I loved to help out and learn about slot cars,” Margaret said. “Even to this day, if I don’t know how to do something I’ll figure it out.”

Thomas owned Tin Lizzie Antique Auto Parts in downtown Des Plaines, near Ellinwood and Pearson streets, where he restored antique cars and motorcycles. He continually had projects going on in the backyard of the family’s Woodlawn Avenue home.

Thomas met Reba in 1968 at ITWFastex in Des Plaines, where he worked as a tool and die maker and engineer. Reba delivered the mail. They married in February and began raising a family. All of the Pelletiere kids — Tom Jr., 50; Sue, 48; Mary, 43; Vito, 41; and Margaret, 37 ­— worked at one time or another in the store.

“We learned all about gear ratios and embankments,” Sue said with a laugh.

Kids could be kids. No wonder people came from as far away as Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. And they are still coming. Devoted customer John Frank of Evanston arrived with his family Feb. 23 and intended to come back for one last race on Feb. 25, before the business closed.

“I’m going to miss this place so much,” said the Brooklyn native, who grew up racing cars at the celebrated Buzz-A-Rama. “I started racing cars when I was 12, and I’m 71 now. Whenever I came here I could be a kid again.”

“It was amazing,” Sue said. “It catered to generations of people. Dads would come in with their young kids, then dads with teenagers, then teenagers with girlfriends. Now their children are bringing their children.”

My wife and I took our grandson to Dads, as part of a day that featured his first train ride and a trip — of course — to The Choo Choo. That was close to 20 years ago.

“When I think back, it was my dad’s personality — him being there — that set it apart. You felt happy and relaxed. There was no tension. There was no screens, no Wi-Fi. There was no reason for it. It was about being one with the family,” Margaret said. “It transported you back in time.”

Thomas died in 2018 at age 75. Margaret began helping her mom, working the weekends when demand was at its highest. But then Reba passed away in 2022, it became harder to juggle work responsibilities and run the store. They cut hours from six days a week to weekends only.

“After my parents died it was a place where I could go and still feel close to him, still feel close to my dad,” Margaret said. “I’ve been here for a huge part of my life.”

But on Feb. 25, after nearly 32 years in business, Dads Slot Cars closed for good. The 2,500-square-foot building is in the process of being sold. The tracks, ice cream parlor paraphernalia, signature neon sign and other items are up for sale. For information, contact Margaret at (224) 217-7630.

“It was a rough one. It was a very, very hard decision to sell,” Margaret said. “I’ll miss everything — as weird as that sounds: The artwork, the smell of burning motors, the music; the cars, themselves. And, being there so long, I developed relationships with many of the customers. Lately, there have been all of these people dropping by to reminisce. It was amazing. I’ll miss hearing the stories forever.”

History Center wants your ideas

Make sure to drop by the Des Plaines History Center from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, to share your ideas and dreams for your historical society moving forward. Connect with me in person and share your knowledge about local history. Remember, we are your resource.

Then return to the Visitor Center, 781 Pearson St. in Des Plaines, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, when we welcome George Savage of the Ho-Chunk Nation. His “A Brief History of the Reintroduction of the Native Americans into Illinois” introduces participants to the culture and history of the Ho-Chunk nation, the history of tribal territory and settlements, and how his family was relocated to Starved Rock. A $3 donation is requested.

• Kurt Begalka is the executive director of the Des Plaines History Center. Email him at kbegalka@desplaineshistory.org.