16 replies to this topic

[Michele Bilancia]

Good morning, everyone,

I need help to identify this mid/late-'70s chassis. Looks very similar to the Trinity ones in this old post.

Thanks for the help.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Difalco]

Very nice example. The obvious first guess would be Tony P but I do not see his signature on it. I cut out a lot of Tony's center sections but never one with that rounded area in the front.

[Bill from NH]

Most, but not all of Tony's chassis were signed by him with his name & the small flower. I have a Camen steel pattern with the fronts rounded out like that, but that's not a Camen chassis.

[Mr. M]

This is clearly a “lifter” car and I thought they came around the early ‘80s. Any other thoughts on this?

[Bill from NH]

Chris, what's your definition of a "lifter" car? I mostly raced wing cars from '70 into the early '80s, but have not heard that term used.

[Larry Labounty]

Very nice example. The obvious first guess would be Tony P but I do not see his signature on it. I cut out a lot of Tony's center sections but never one with that rounded area in the front.

Jim Had a lot of Tony's steel chassis never saw any with the rounded front area. Do you think it may be done by Bob Emmot?

[Michele Bilancia]

I have been told, by the original owner, that this chassis was bought in the mid/late 70s in Switzerland in the Trinity "reseller" (the shop was owned by the brothers Marcel and Renè Vock). This chassis was bought together with two other "Trinity" chassis. They were all very similar, but not exactly the same. One of the three got lost over years, the second is still owned by a friend of mine, while my one is the third. I don't know if this story may help to identify the slot car...

[Mr. M]

Look at the front wheels that are hinged. There is a lever arm that goes back to around the plumber cross piece. With the front wheels touching and when the car leans into the corner, the weight of the pans is shifted for better cornering. Hence the term lifter. A top view of the whole car and studying the hinge points would help in seeing this. I don’t know when it first started, but my first time seeing it was the tear before the Centerville Nats. A lot of cars used this then. Can we see a top view showing everything?

[Mr. M]

On second inspection, it may not be, would need to see a more complete top view. One of the back hinge points for this may be missing. That may be just a spring on the front wheel piano wire.

[Michele Bilancia]

Hi, the long bars you see on the front wheels arms are simply springs (soldered to the central section) that are pushing down the wheels with a very little load. I don't think that the lifting mechanism you were explaining is implemented in this chassis

[MSwiss]

It's most likely a chassis Tony assembled using a center cut out by someone who Ernie or Tony enlisted to provide them.

 

Jim,

How long did it take you to cut out a center?

[mjsh]

I do not think Tony signed everything in the late 70's.  Has correct Parma guide tongue,  wire running across rear tube,  front wheel set-up, all the up stops look correct.  What looks wrong to me is the clumsy front wheel keepers and the west  coast style  bite bar tube. Tony always used piano wire there and the quality of the solder joint looks poorly done.  Maybe a repair job?    At this point Tony was using his hinged motor brace to change motors in a race so probably put together from parts?

 

I'm sure Tony will get a kick out some geeks  pondering over  his work instead of listening to  some good music.

[Michele Bilancia]

@ mjsh, I'm sorry but I have not understood which parts you think that may have been repaired in a second moment. Consider that I have found the car with a more recent motor. The Trinity motor in the pictures has been replaced by me. The motor bracket soldered between the motor can and the rear tube is the one I have found in with the newer motor..

[Mark Onofri]

Billnh,sure looks like one of the
three Camen chassis you sent me a copy of.

[Mark Onofri]

Yep,should be under pro chassis.
I finally started working on the dementia so I can make a stack of them. Really appreciate you posting the photos, now I know what pans to dupe.

Ps: yah,I know but, I was watching Alfred Hitchcock.

[Bill from NH]

Whoever built that chassis may have used a Camen center section pattern, but other parts of that chassis don't look like Camen. Your guess is as good as mine.

[Mark Onofri]

Sure do billnh. Look closely at the details like the spring mounts in brass tubing