664 replies to this topic

[Bill from NH]

That was an oversight on my part. Thanks! I wonder if Oscar knew Team Russkit didn't run 26Ds? Too late to ask him now.

[don.siegel]

I don't think Oscar much cared Bill, it was just a "Russkit style" frame; and I remember when the 26Ds hit Chicago, we were all buying them because they were cheap and fast. In fact, Russkit had announced their own 26D, the Russkit 26 I think, but it never got released. 

 

That chassis under your P4 looks familiar, Rod, maybe a bit like the Cobra/Phaze III chassis, but I can't think of a single commercial chassis like this that didn't use the U-bracket - except for the earlier Competition/Pactra of course. 

 

Nice cars in any case, you're a lucky man to have kept them! 

 

Don 

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Here are more pictures of the mystery frame.

 

Rodney

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[TSR]

Don,
actually this chassis is unknown to us at the LASCM,  but it is obviously a commercially produced item formed and made on fixtures. It does not look like an AYK product, or Pactra or Cobra or Phaze III. I would guess that it is American made, by yet another cottage industry somewhere on the West Coast as it bears the signs of western design. Other than that, no idea.

The Mura chassis were made in Japan but not by AYK, confirmed to me by Ron years ago. He got them from the same agent that provided all the parts to Champion at the time.

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks again everyone.

 

Here is a Sunoco Lola T70.  Wing and rear fender flares are fabricated.  Handles great and pretty fast.

 

Hemi motor in this one.

 

Rodney

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[Isaac S.]

Looks so great! Always loved T70's. 

[Slot Car Rod]

AVS Shadows.  Fun project modifying original Dynamic brand bodies.

 

AVS kept modifying the car to make it work.  The car evolved from the "ray gun" version to the red/orange version to the finned high wing version.

 

I sent pictures of the finned/high wing version to Vic Elford (the driver of the real race car) and Anita Fol-Elford.  They responded:

 

The slot cars you made are incredibly well done!  Vic can't believe you did that!

 

Nothing special under the bodies.  Champion chassis.

 

Hope you enjoyed these builds.

 

Rodney

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[don.siegel]

Those are great Rod, and really nice touch to have sent pix to Vic Elford! Very nice of him to respond too... 

 

Glad to hear you say that about the mystery frame Philippe, but it really doesn't look like any commercial frame I know, even a small cottage industry company... Could it have been just an excellent craftsman, who maybe worked up a jig for a few of them? A fascinating case in any case... 

 

Don  

[Bill from NH]

Rodney, simple, but great use of those narrow Champion F1/Indy pans. They'll fit both the Turboflex & Astro. I never picked any up, but I've seen special width brass pans made for the Turboflex.

 

I agree with what Don posted regarding your P4 chassis. Whoever he was, he had great talents.

[TSR]

Don,
the way the brass wires are formed so consistently and the way it is soldered, denote jig fixtures and professional labor. While we may not have seen this chassis in the past, remember how long it took for a Lancer sports car chassis to surface. I am sure that this will once again, be the case.

[Slot Car Rod]

Two iso-fulcrum inline chassis slot cars I built years ago.

 

With this period of time, we see more piano wire and floppy pans added to the chassis. 

 

Riggen bodies with more built-in aero.  A Lola and a Lotus.

 

Rodney

 

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[Isaac S.]

Love them, where did you get the Champion decals. Especially the ARCO DZ one. Thanks. 

[Slot Car Rod]

Isaac, the decals are original.  They also came as stickers.

I only have this one sticker left unused.

 

Rodney

 

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[Slot Car Rod]

Formula 5000 was exciting racing in the mid '70s.  There were few if any F5000 model kits made in 1/24th scale.  Here is a scratch built Lola T332 slot car.  This is one of my favorite slot cars, and it has been run quite a bit.  It drives great with perfect balance.

 

The body/tub is constructed of sheet styrene.  The body is a stressed member of the car.  The front suspension is mounted to the body/tub.  This assembly is attached to the chassis pan.  The chassis is formed out of sheet brass.  The whole car is modular and can be taken apart for maintenance.  Indy car driver figure and wing.  Air box constructed out of styrene sheet.

 

The car is powered by a Falcon 7 motor.  Rear tires are REH.

 

Rodney

 

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[Isaac S.]

Cool, I have never seen those stickers or decals before. Thanks. 

[Slot Car Rod]

I built a total of three F5000 cars from this era.  Here are the other two.

 

Monogram midget car u-brackets are used on these two.  Some left over Plafit chassis bits on the Eagle.

 

Rodney

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[TSR]

 

Love them, where did you get the Champion decals. Especially the ARCO DZ one. Thanks.

Isaac, these decals and stickers came inside the boxes of the Arco DZ magnets as well as the boxes containing Champion armatures, circa 1969 through 1972.

Rodney, nice job on the F5000 cars.

[Isaac S.]

Thanks, that is good to know. Hopefully I can find them one day, I just love them. 

[Slot Car Rod]

Russkit body Chaparral 2D.

 

Multi plated rod chassis with Champion 507 motor.

 

Riggen wheels.

 

Rodney

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[Isaac S.]

Very nice, threw my 507 RMC in a chassis and it had almost instant power. There was no lag to spin up as I see in my Mura and similar rewinds.

[Bill from NH]

Rodney, is this chassis one of your own builds? If so, are the main rails brass rod, piano wire, or a combo of both? This chassis reminds me of what Lee Hines of Team Checkpoint might have ran in the day. That's a beautiful Chappy body.

[Slot Car Rod]

Isaac, glad your Champion motor is strong.  I think the Champion magnets play a big part in this.

 

Bill, the Chaparral chassis is re-built/built from all of the used bits of plated brass rod I had.

 

Here is a Riggen McLaren Mk6 bodied car.  I do not remember who built the chassis.  Interesting use of brass strip for the drop arm.  Floppy pan car.  517 motor.

 

Rodney

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[Isaac S.]

I do think that the ARCO's probably are the cause. I am actually going to use it for parts as it wasn't as nice as I wanted it to be. The parts will be of more use to me than the motor anyway. 

 

The McLaren is great, I really like your Riggen bodies. Is the top of the motor bracket ground off for body clearance? 

[Bill from NH]

Yes the drop arm of this chassis is unique. It has some other interesting features for a brass strip chassis too.  I've always thought the Mark 6 was the best looking of the McLaren bodies. I don't recall seeing this Riggen body before. It must have been done in the sequence with the Lotus 40 & Lola T70.

[TSR]

Bill,
the nickel plated wire chassis is a modified Cobra chassis minus its outer rails. The Riggen "winged" bodies came in mid 1969 and were the work of Gordon Brimhall. There are I think 5 models.