107 replies to this topic

[Jean-Michel Piot]

PS: don't forget I still have your 16D motors... and where's my Cox 2E? Hmm, something tells me I won't be able to use blackmail on this one...

I do not forget ! Your 2E is in my workshop

This weekend mine will be completed and then you will tell me if you want exactly the same things for yours (I'm talking of colors, mesh, etc., not of the holes in the front wings).

[dc-65x]

Philippe,

I think this body could be the one used by Team Russkit's Doug Henline in a Pro race. Check out the picture of his car on page 46 in the June 1967 issue of Car Model Magazine (I will try to scan and post the picture tonight). Look at the rear deck area of the body. It looks just line this:



Also, who made all these chrome pipes? They seem like a logical (if there is such a thing with vintage slot cars ) Russkit accessory... maybe.

[TSR]

That certainly would be good evidence...

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

I have a bunch of those as well. Old memory says that they came out of the Strombecker accessory packs from about '65. I don't think they were associated with that body, in that mine are in little plastic boxes like the ones with Strombecker inserts... AND in the day, I was scratchbuilding the exhausts. I didn't think to match them to that body. I think I still have a couple of the Lotus bodies, but never saw them with the plastic.

And I remember thinking they were for Indy car bodies of the time!

Fate

[tonyp]

Rick,

I do not believe Russkit ever made a Lotus 40 with molded in pipes. Every one I have ever seen just has a flat area where the chrome bundle o' snakes is glued on.

I think what you are mistaking for the exhaust is simply a bubble in the body for clearing the gear. The rules that year allowed distorting the bodies for a wider track, and gear and guide post clearance.

[dc-65x]

Thanks for the info. Tonight I'll scan the picture of Henline's car and see what it shows.

[tonyp]

I looked at it in Photoshop. It is just a poorly-done bubble. LOL...

[TSR]

Actually Tony, looks to me like whoever made this mold lifted a Monogram "bundle of snakes" exhaust from their Lotus 38, possibly to clear the gear, but it certainly is not a "bungled bundle". One can clearly see the ends of the two-into-one exhausts to mate with whatever tapered pipes (Russkit or Du-Bro) available...

[tonyp]

I remember seeing that body but can not remember who made it. I believe it never was even packaged with the pipes.

I'm sure Henline's body Rick is speaking of is a standard bubbled for the gear RussKit Lotus 40.

[tonyp]

I think I may have found it. Rod & Custom Road Race #4, Look at Roger Newell's car. Bundle of snakes with no exhaust pipes.

[TSR]

I am on it, but race #4 only shows two Russkit Lotuses, and they both are standard Russkit, one of Morrissey (who won), the other of Gary Thornhill (Concours). Roger Newell finished 2nd in the semi and main, but his car is not pictured. November 66 issue, page 68. Are we talking about the same race? Are you looking at another magazine?

[tonyp]

It was on a 1/2 page. Rod & Custom.

For sure there are no pipes.

[TSR]

Tony,
That's a Lancer Lotus 40 body. You can tell by the shape of the fenders versus the Russkit or that "other" model...

[dc-65x]

Thanks for the info. Tonight I'll scan the picture of Henline's car and see what it shows.

I give up . The magazine photo is so small when I scaned it at 600 dpi and enlarged it all I get are big round pixels on a white background

[endbelldrive]

Don't despair Rick...I don't know what brand the body is but here's a shot that Dokk took of Terry Schmid's classic racer from the previous century. It looks like it has the exhaust pipe/gear clearance bubble which was a must because those old Lotuses had no rear gear clearance once they were trimmed at the knees. Whoa...look at how the fender flares go to the top of the fenders and the front valance is trimmed above the nostrils. The inside of the fender bulges are reshaped too. I think Mike Steube mentioned awhile back that they used a heated spark plug wrench socket to do the job.

[tonyp]

Bob is correct. One you slammed the body you either needed to cut a hole for the gear or bubble the body.

[Noose]

And we used the good ol spoons from the kitchen to make those fender flares.

[TSR]

It looks like it has the exhaust pipe/gear clearance bubble which was a must because those old Lotuses had no rear gear clearance once they were trimmed at the knees.

Bob,
Sorry, what you are seeing is what remains of the chrome plated Cox exhaust from a Lotus injected body. The body is slammed all right but it is a standard Russkit Lotus body to begin with. I will try to make a clear shot of this on Sunday as I will be at the LASCM.

[endbelldrive]

Can you take a few pictures...maybe of Jerry Cowan's "Sloppy Sam" too?

[TSR]

Bob,
I am presently filling up the LASCM website with pictures, and soon you will have an indigestion of neat-O-mobiles...

[slotcarone]

I still have one of my Lotus 40 bodies from back when and if I can get it out of the attic will bring it to Sundays Retro race and have Tony take some pictures of it---It's got some flares and bubbles on it.

[TSR]

Something flared like this?

[dc-65x]

Poor Jean-Michel (the master of scale) must be having a fit seeing all these old bubbled and flared bodies

[slotcarone]

Very similar

[TSR]

Poor Jean-Michel (the master of scale) must be having a fit seeing all these old bubbled and flared bodies

Jean-Michel is an artist and we were racers. he will understand...

Mike, here is another for you:



How about this for a slam job?
Loks like one of Tony's D3 cars!