41 replies to this topic

[Jean-Michel Piot]

Hello All,

It's been quite a long time... Many things to do at work, a little problem with my right hand (I had a tendinitis), but I'm better now.

Now, to revert to slot cars... Thanks to my friend Don Siegel, I had the chance to find a rather good body of a Lola from Cox, a quite rare car indeed. Unfortunately it had been painted red and the chassis was incomplete.

Few weeks later I found on eBay what I would call the perfect complement: the same car but this time with a broken and cut (at the front wheel arches) body and a complete chassis.

I then had two cars to make a complete one. The sole thing that was missing consisted of a complete set of wheel inserts, but with at least two of them, some silicon and resin it could not really be a problem. I also had a genuine decals set.

My goal, if possible after putting the parts apart and removing the paint, was to have something really close to the original RTR toy. No enhancement there, which was quite logical for a car that had never been produced in kit form.

As written in the Dokktor's book, the tires should be specific for this car. But I had no other choice than put Cox Dunlop tyres at the four corners.

So here we are:

BEFORE:










AFTER:















Hope you like it.

[skeeterbuck]

Great job Jean-Michel! Now it's factory beautiful!

My favorite restorations are ones making it look like factory original. Your were lucky to find two of these rather rare cars and the second car having just what the first one needed. The wheel inserts on that car are rather easy to re-cast. It was also great that you had the original to use as a master.

What did you use to strip the old paint off?

Did you have the chrome parts re-plated?

Chuck

[Jean-Michel Piot]

I used brake fluid to strip the paint down, as usual. But this very plastic used by Cox has some vinyl in the styren and I had to be very careful and not leave the body and the screen too long in the bath.

I also had to polish the plastic because the brake fluid started to make it dull.

As for the chrome, the sole parts that could not be put of where the exhaust. I knew that the brake fluid would remove the chrome but what could I do ? I then used a rare chrome paint given by a friend of mine for the exhaust, the resin casted inserts and few spots on the genuine chrome parts, here and there.

Indeed I agree with you, I had been lucky to find almost everything to make a complete car!

I have to thank my friend Don Siegel again. It was by the way the last Cox car I wanted to have among the realistic ones (this leaves the cuc and super cuc apart).

I now have all the 1/24 scale models (even a Galaxy with a genuine chassis thanks to a member of Slotblog, Slotgrasshopper, and an AMT body from a Ford promo version) and "only" have to restore those that I did not already take care of.

This will certainly require a few years but well ...

[Old Pilot]

Hello Jean Michel,

Absolutely fantastic reconstruction.

Somebody at the Mairie in Paris had to think about you and maintenance works at the Eiffel tower....by the moment it looks pretty good, but under your hands probably will look better and less expensive...HAHAHA!

One of the marvellous work we can find at your Lola is polishing. Can you tell us about your products, materials, method and time to get this finishing??

I always give up polishing works, probably because I don't know how to do it properly, and also it's possible it needs more and more time. How much time polishing??

Thanks a lot in advance.

bien à vous!!

[TSR]

JM,
Great save, and done in the purest spirit.
3 stars are added to your virtual monument.

[Alchemist]

JM,

Your work is phenomenal and I really appreciate the fact that you so willing share your projects. Thank you for doing so.

I'm always inspired by your work.

Ernie

[Brad Korando]

Beautiful restoration work Jean-Michel. Your projects, and presentation thereof, are very inspirational. I am always pleased to find another Slotblog topic created by you; because they not only contain your beautiful work, but also your knowledge and technique. Thank you for sharing another fine project with us.

Brad

[68Caddy]

Jean I think its wonderful and I have to say that there is very few out there that can do what you do, but there is some here on the
blog that does great work.
Thanks for sharing your projects and I'm glad you are feeling better.


Nesta

[don.siegel]

Beautiful job Jean-Michel (note to Nesta: the two first names always go together in French, you can't say just "Jean"). I'm so glad to see what you were able to do to this incomplete car I had picked up! I figured it was better for you to finish it, than for it to stay in my drawer for another 10 years! (and I never would have been able to restore it like this anyway).

We're still trying to convert JM to the joys of vac-form bodies, but he's been holding firm up to now...

Don

[Jean-Michel Piot]

Don, I'm still waiting for strong arguments ...

Once I was near to fall down because of a certain Russkit Lotus 40, but the body of the car that was offered that time was not perfect. Note that I've been tempted because it was a Lotus, otherwise...

Now I admit that some vacu formed bodies are splendid, especially those in two parts made by our friend Pierre-Yves Lebeau. For the time being I remain inflexible. I still have many Cox to restore, few Monogram, Revell, Strombecker (notably the 1/24 Cheetah you sold me), only to mention the vintage stuff, before eventually consider something else.

By the way, rather warm in Paris today, don't you think so ?

How do you survive ?

[don.siegel]

How do you survive ?

I've got a cold!

And you're right, if you're going to crack for any vac-form body, it should be the Russkit Lotus

Santé!

Don

[TSR]

Well, we are freezing our cans in Newport Beach and we ALSO have a cold that won't go away.

 

Don, I'm still waiting for strong arguments ...

 

When people began collecting vintage American slot cars in the mid 1980s, the ones with vac bodies were simply dismissed as junk with "blob" bodies.

Today, most of the top collectors PREFER the RTR and kits with vac bodies because they are all unique, all different and all have a charm and aura simply not available from an injected body.

The change in prices has strongly reflected that trend.

[Jean-Michel Piot]

May be I'm not a TOP collector ...

But as far as I'm happy with my toys, I can live without it ...

@ Pdl: bought myself some really white resin last week. I'm gonna try it for two 2E headrests...

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

I admire this phase of the collector market, as P knows, from a distance. I am glad someone collects them. I didn't want or own ANY of them in the day...they were slow!

I was surprised to see this car, which I don't remember from the day, it looks "toylike" compared to the other Cox cars I have seen. But I like the chassis design a lot better than the tradtional magnesium one. I think THIS chassis has some potential for the era.

Fate

[don.siegel]

This was a Made in Hong Kong car, which would explain its toylike appearance and relative rareness in the USA! I don't even remember hearing about it when I was a kid - I don't think it was widely distributed in the States, if at all!

Not sure what kind of performer it would make either; the brass is sexier than the magnesium, and we all like brass, but I don't think it would go very well in stock form! Mine is probably ragged enough that I could try it, but it would take a lot of work to make it track-ready!

The iso version of this car (not quite the same body either) is another rare one - I'm sure we've had threads on this, and it will all be in Da Book!

Don

[Jean-Michel Piot]

the brass is sexier than the magnesium, and we all like brass, but I don't think it would go very well in stock form! ...
Don

Don, it's gold anodized aluminum, not brass on this car. The second version had a chrome plated brass chassis, just the way the Gurney Galaxy was treated.

May-be you were talking of this second version ?

[TSR]

I don't know about the "toy appearance" but if so, the K&B Lola should also be qualified as such since the body mold is the same, both made by Sanda Kan (also called "Cox International" for two floors of the tall building) and that genius of a man, Wai Shin Ting.

The Cox Lola exists in two versions (issued in 1967 and 1968) and four colors. Only the "Series 2" with brass-tube frame was ever officially sold in the USA, but the "gold" plated aluminum chassis model is much easier to find, meaning that it was imported in somewhat larger quantities.

You can learn much about them by CLICKING HERE.

The original sidewinder model came only in the blue color, while blue is a rare color for the inline model, that is most commonly found in purple or yellow. White is also a rare color. There are two different boxes in three different detailing.

JM, with the headrests, I could use a set of those Lola wheel inserts you made... siouplait, merci!

[Jean-Michel Piot]

JM, with the headrests, I could use a set of those Lola wheel inserts you made... siouplait, merci!

OK (in French : OK)

[don.siegel]

JM,

No, I was talking about this version, and I've already made the same mistake! Mea culpa...

I just kissed the chassis, and it was cold, which proves that ... it's metal, and not plastic.... whoops, wrong test. Not to mention that Maguy caught me kissing Lola and I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight.

Don

[TSR]

The version # 1 has a gold-tone zinc anodized aluminum chassis, while the second version is nickel plated brass tubing and plate.

[Don Wedding]

Dokk,

 

I have the gold /zinc version as well as the three inline nickel-plated chassis in blue, pink, and yellow, but I have never seen the white version.

Could you post a picture of the Cox white Lola T70 when you get a chance?

 

 

[skeeterbuck]

I don't know about the "toy appearance" but if so, the K&B Lola should also be qualified as such since the body mold is the same, both made by Sanda Kan (also called "Cox International" for two floors of the tall building) and that genius of a man, Wai Shin Ting.

Dokk, I would think that it's that medium blue color that makes the Cox car look "toylike".
The deeper metallic blue of the K&B body looks much nicer IMHO.

Chuck

[skeeterbuck]

Dokk, I have the Gold /Zinc version as well as the 3 inline nickel plated chassis in Blue, pink, and yellow, but I have never seen the white Version.

Could you post a picture of the Cox white lola T-70 when you get a chance?

No fair Don!

You should only be able to own one of these RARE cars. That would leave more for the rest of us.

Seriously, you have a very nice collection there. Congrats!

Chuck

[TSR]

Could you post a picture of the Cox white lola T-70 when you get a chance?

Sure thing. Nest time at the LASCM, I will take the pics. I believe that there are two of them there in white.
P

[Jean-Michel Piot]

Goooood ! as you need only one ...