31 replies to this topic

[Martin]

I just picked up a Champion Factory car? The Red Ball special.

Some of the features I like, taper lock gear and rear wheels.Painted cigar bodies,light weight nickle frames and those cool pin wheels.

 

It's in nice shape (pic as bought) but the interior/driver is missing large parts (and not saveable). Does anyone know where I can buy the Champion driver that came in these "Ready To Win" cars?

 

I do love this range of cars. I have manged to find and restore the Ferrari and the Harrison Indy and now the Red Ball Special.Not on the pages of the catalog, that I could find, so is the Red Ball a factory car?

It is shown as a pre-painted body page, see below.

 

Please share any info and all cars you have in your stash.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[don.siegel]

Just a quick check of Philippe's listing: the Red Ball Special is not listed as a complete car, but Champion offered a lot of sports and F1 kits with their choice of body... 

 

I'll see what I have in the Champion photo library – the Ferrari for sure, that must have been the most popular of these. 

 

Don 

[Eddie Fleming]

Cool cars, but oh so fragile.

[Martin]

I wonder if was a situation where the track owner would put cars together from Champion rollers and then pick from their pre- painted bodies?

 

Yes, one good hit and these cars would be pretzels. Apart from the driver disintegrating (from age) the car looks to have avoided the wall.

[mjsh]

My older brother Doug bought the Harrison Indy with a 607 motor painted  gold just like the car above. Made it all the way over the humps on a red track, did not make it through the deadman.

[Martin]

That's a shame, hope you did something good with the 607 motor. My gold car has the 601.

[Eddie Fleming]

My older brother Doug bought the Harrison Indy with a 607 motor painted  gold just like the car above.  Made it all the way over the humps on a red Ttack, did not make it through the deadman.

 

I wonder how many people bought these, crashed them and never came back to the track? 

[Martin]

Eddie, what was you and your brother involvement after that day on the red track, was that the end for you both?

[Eddie Fleming]

Not me, that was Mike Shepard and his brother. But no they did not quit.

[mjsh]

Shortly after my brother got to tour Vietnam as a Marine, we met some great guys that  loved racing as much as we do.  As a group we hope to celebrate over 50 years racing together at the Viper Pit on November 11.

[Martin]

That's great to hear Mike race on.

 

Sorry about my confusion guys.

[Old Pilot]

Hi,

The Red Ball Special is the Lola T90 winner in 1966 of Indy 500 with graham Hill. The body is by Pactra, and Pactra issued as the real T90. Champion used this body and decals but other colours.

Cheers.

[don.siegel]

A couple more Champion Ready to Win cars, at least I think they could be included, but not sure if sold as such. 

 

Chappy 2D with a Snuggler chassis and Lotus 40 with the straight jaildoor. 

 

 

 

 

 

Don 

[Paul Menkens]

Cool cars, but oh so fragile.

 

These frames were not popular with the serious racers at the local raceway near my home at the time they came out. Those guys always preferred Dynamic frames until the anglewinder revolution and when the magazines first started writing about the anglewinders they still swore they would never switch, they did though within a few months.

 

Little 12-year Paul bought one of these Champion frames (the 16D one) in mint condition from one of them for $1 soon after they came out and he thought he had really put one over on me. And I still have it, still in excellent shape.

[Martin]

The Red Ball Special is the Lola T90 winner in 1966 of Indy 500 with Graham Hill. The body is by Pactra, and Pactra issued as the real T90. Champion used this body and decals but other colours.

 

Thanks, Jesus, I have the same body with the Pactra label, so I assumed Champion bought these from Pactra? Its a great looking body. Used by Testor, too.

[Martin]

Found this magazine article about this car, Paul. It sure got its share of print.

 

 

 

 

[Martin]

Don, your Lotus could be in this family (found this ad) it was sold with painted and unpainted body.

I did restore this one some time ago. You may remember?

 

It's hard to put my finger on it, but right now I think Champion is my favorite brand. That could change at any time though, but they did make some really nice products.

 

 

 

[Martin]

Fun fact, this Ferrari as tested by Model Car Racing magazine cost $19.95 forgetting tax. We are looking at a $200 car today with tax. How much was $19.95 in 1966?

 

 

Value of $19.95 from 1966 to 2023.

$19.95 in 1966 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $189.52 today, an increase of $169.57 over 57 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 4.03% per year between 1966 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 849.97%.

 

Shown here, I repaired the torn body pin holes cleaned up the chassis, now just need to find a driver.

 

 

[Ramcatlarry]

I think your interior is one that used a separate head in the vac-formed interior. Never know if that mold will turn up at the Parma warehouse, but I think the Can-Am one already did. The current Champion molded F1/GTP interior will work until it does.

[Martin]

Thanks, Larry. Yes, you are correct; it is a separate head mold. Where could I see the current Champion molded F1/GTP interior?

 

This is what I have, the broken one in silver (bottom right) is what I want to replace.

 

[Flathead]

Ace Hobbies in Australia do something very similar (probably a Lancer copy like a lot of their interiors)

[Martin]

Thanks, Lee, for the info.

 

Top pic is the Lancer and the bottom pic is the Dynamic. Both of which I have and would gladly trade both (and more) for the Champion one.

 

As with most restorations, I learn something. In this case the Champion cars have a very unique driver.

 

I took some pics of the driver in the Ferrari. The front dash area has a round hump which fits the body perfect.

The other pic is what is left of the driver that came with the Red Ball car. Trying to glue it back together was like trying to fix broken butterfly wings. Brittle and fragile.

Its most like the Russkit Eagle interior ( that the long one with full motor detail ) but would have a box at the drivers back to cover the front of the 601 motor.

If I cannot find the correct driver, I will resort to cutting and splicing.

 

Thanks again for all and any help.

 

 

 

[Martin]

Drivers I have to try.

 

 

 

[Martin]

I did try a couple of variations. First attempt sits the driver up too high. That does not look correct IMO, see pic. Remember this gold car has a 26D motor and the Ferrari has a 16D. So I am not even sure that the interior that came with the car ever worked. This could explain why it was broken? Maybe that was the only way it did fit?

 

I did cut the Russkit Eagle up. But it was just too crowed to fit correct.

 

These are some drivers I have to play with to find the most natural looking fit.

 

 

 

[Martin]

Had to let the black enamel paint dry on the helmet but finally found a driver/with a motor box interior that sat the driver nice and low. Like I like em.

Here are a couple of pics of the finished Red Ball car sitting next to it stable mate, the Ferrari.

 

 

 

Attached Images

• 
•