14 replies to this topic

[Old Pilot]

Hi again fellas,

I've got (on ePay, of course...) a Classic Astro V.

I'm trying to know if this car was available in RTR or only in kit as I can see in the book from Dokk (Felipe, I still live in front of Biarritz St ...).

I have to repair some things, if possible, and document the car, original and repro parts, so I will thank you so much for your interest and help.

I'll try to put on the topic all the pics neccesaries for discovering repros and problems.

In case of repros or substitution parts, I will thank you about some pics or documents with the originals.

I've never seen an Astro body in this dark red. So I can think about a repro custom painted, but quality is fantastic, and very clean cutting line, not far away from factory results.





Decals are in good shape, so they are suspicious..., but better to get them, than miss them...



Chassis, pick up flag, axles, wheels and motor, seem to be originals as I can compare them with my lime ASP and some pics in the net.

Tyres are completeley dry, so if you know a model for change these, I will thank you again.





To finish this new topic (that I hope will be a longer and nurturing one), first of all, to say I'm a beginner with vacs, Lexans, etc., so I'm not able to repair (for now) the couple of problems I show you in pics below.

First problem, that I try to remember I read some time ago, it's an old problem for this model: Plastic from the body became adjusted to wheels. Before using coins in the middle and a hair dryer, I need to know if this kind of plastic supports this actions. Or probably plastic and paint suffers some damages in the intent. I've never tried to repair any vac/lexan body (you know... in Europe this kind of bodies are strangers).



Another big problem is that its nose touches the track. Any intent of rising the drop arm and guide could it be considered a crime with front wheels in the air. I thought of swing the chassis, trying to reduce distance between lower chassis and back screw hole. Pivoting chassis on the central screw and getting high distance between body and chassis in the front. Any option in reference to modify nose with the hair dryer is a crime for me today.



I wish to use this model in a coming soon event, a "Concours d'elegance" but I promise to take the most care of all in the dynamic test...

Regards from Spain to all, and thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Jesus.

[frank9129]

This is what mine looked like after about 40 years in a lunch box. I put it there when I went to Viet Nam and just found it three years ago.
The tires are the originals in the picture. I had new ones cast from K&D Model Racing. They hook up great on my wood track.
My only warning is make sure the motor is well lubricated. I have to rewind mine this summer. I guess I didn't have enough amps for the old girl.
The original came with the body off. everything was together.

Let me know if you want a parts list.

Frank

[Joe Mig]

I have seen this body in this color sold as a replacement NOS from the sixties. I do not know if it came on RTR cars.

[Horsepower]

Unless there's something different going on in Spain, that body is not the one that comes standard with it.

[Old Pilot]

Thanks to all.

The car comes from USA in this status. This kind of products were no available in Spain that golden years. So, I'm trying to discover the real "originallity" of all its pieces. It seems there were no kits in that colour, but in RTR were others.

Anyway, I would like to put it in a running/functional shape. Time and storage could be responsible for problems in the nose and wheel covers.

Any help about it?

Cheers.

[Joe Mig]

The nose problem could be when the body was mounted it was done wrong.
The two center screws are like a pivot and it could be the rear hole is to high.
I would leave the two front center screws alone and take out the one in the rear and lower it just a bit and elongate the hole and put screw back and it will lift the nose.
The person I know just might have still that red body like yours but I passed on it because the rear wheel wells were sucked in a bit.

[TSR]

Joe,
The nose goes down on all of them (except the silver ones) after about 15 years of lacquer-based paint shrinking the body. The body also shrinks around the wheels, making the car often impossible to run.

The Classic Astro V (either a Latin "V" or the "V" of "Victory", your pick), was issued in 1966 as a kit only. The body was painted in silver and the front wheels were an aluminum version of the Asp model.
The kit had a beautiful and large blue box and all parts except the body were under clear plastic blisters.

In 1967, kids had already become impatient and RTR cars were the standard, so Classic issued RTR versions of the Astro V in metallic red, metallic green and metallic blue, with matching-color rear foam tires. However the paint used caused the bodies to shrink by as much as 5% in all directions, making them today difficult to fit over the chassis.
These bodies (but not the silver "kit" body) were also sold separately. The RTR cars were sold in smaller plastic boxes like those of other Classic RTR cars, the Toronado and Competition Asp also issued in 1967, and there was tampo printing markings on the box top. The RTR cars were nested on a piece of foam that desintagrated over the years, corroding the bottom of NOS cars.

As late as in the 1990's, Astro V parts were quite easy to get because REH in Cincinnati was selling the large remaining inventories, but that is pretty much over now. The most difficult part is to find large-enough foam donuts to make new rear tires if one is inclined to actually run one of these bizarre but attractive models.

[Horsepower]

So there actually were colored bodies issued by the factory? Again, I am humbled by your knowledge! I always thought they were only in silver.

[Old Pilot]

Fantastic...

So... I have the car, ... and the illness too. So most I can do is to try to repair body and change tyres. Bad business, but I'll never give up...

Thanks a lot for the comments.

Cheers.

[TSR]

So there actually were colored bodies issued by the factory?

Gary, yep, and the red ones are shrinking the most. They are also the easiest to find.
Classic issues some other bodies (mostly clear) that never made it as kit or RTR cars. Did you know that they issued a Chaparral 2?

Jesus, my pleasure. This is why I am here for and why I started Slotblog! 3 years ago now.

[Horsepower]

How did you find out about the Chaparral 2?

[Old Pilot]

So, if nobody answers how to repair bendings in vacs...I'm afraid it means problem is really unsolvable. Unless someone give me a clue, I'll start making tests with other bodies not so valuables (poor of them...)

Backing at the workbech, the landing nose seems to be feasible to avoid, using the Joe's trick, only removing the rear screw, body can fall 1.5 mm in the rear, giving us the same 1.5 mm uplifting the nose. This could it be enough for a Ninco track at a dynamic test. Back at the vitrine with the screw in its place.

Thank you so much for your support.

Long live Slotblog!!!
Morituri te salutant!!!

[TSR]

Jesus, there IS a way but it is VERY risky. You can use a hair dryer at full wattage and heat the body enough that it is near melting point and slightly bend the nose back. However if you heat it ONE second too many, you will also melt it like a candle.

"Ave, Caesar" to you too...

[Gary Bluestone]

It was pointed out to me a few years ago that the name of this car, if read literally was, Astro =(equals) V

[TSR]

Gary, good point!