31 replies to this topic

[mrtc4w]

I am supposed to be getting a 1/24 Texaco Special Indy slot car kit. I was told it has a blue chassis and is friction drive. Who made this? Is it rare? I'll post pics as soon as it gets here.

Thanks,

Marty

[MG Brown]

Friction drive slot car? Hmmm.

[TSR]

Mick,

There were several companies that produced friction-drive slot cars, in both 1/24, 1/32 and HO scale.

In the case of the Texaco premium kit that the station attendant would give you in 1966 if you had filled the tank of your shining 1966 Megamobile with at least 18 gallons of premium gasoline at 26 cents each, it was manufactured by the Grand Prix company of Phoenix, AZ.

Below is the paragraph in the new book regarding this company, and the listing of all the cars that they are supposed to have manufactured (we have the Texaco Vanwall kit, the regular Vanwall RTR, a 1/32 scale Cobra Daytona RTR, and 1/24 scale Chaparral 2 and Lotus 30, all mint and boxed, at the LASCM, but have never seen any other models).
 

GRAND PRIX

This Phoenix-based outfit, which began its slot car racing involvement by manufacturing (or marketing) large wooden and fiberglass tracks for commercial raceway, went into the actual slot car business by manufacturing rather crude models with rather crude pressed steel or aluminum chassis with friction drive. The steel chassis were painted in a medium blue. A rubber doughnut was fitted over a standard pinion on the Russkit supplied motors, the sidewinder-mounted Russkit "22" or "33" pushing the donut against the left rear wheel with the help of a huge coil spring, a sure recipe for major power losses. If this was not bad enough, the motor was mounted in the opposite rotating direction from the manufacturers' recommendation, causing slower speed and heat.

Incredibly, the management was able to talk the Texaco Oil Company into purchasing a large number of their 1/24-scale Vanwall kits, to be given as premiums in gas station for a minimum 18-gallon fill-up. In spite of an obviously biased review by Ray Hoy in a 1965 issue of Model Car & Track, the product bombed, as most customers were more discriminating than Grand Prix would have one believe. Truth is, these models were never actually tested, the whole story a pure journalistic invention as admitted to this author by the culprit himself many years ago. Today and at the exception of the Vanwall, Grand Prix models are very scarce.

 

The "regular" Vanwall comes as a RTR model in a clear-plastic box. The Texaco model is a kit inside a very small white cardboard box printed in red and black with Texaco logos and a drawing of the car.







The Chaparral and Lotus:









What they produced:

GRAND PRIX 1/24 and 1/32 RTR cars (VB)
401 Del Webb Bldg. / 909 Financial Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Issued 1966
Riverside Cheetah RTR
Chaparral II RTR
Lotus 30 RTR
Ford GT RTR
Vanwall F1 RTR
Vanwall F1 kit *
Mecom Lola GT RTR (1/32)
Cobra Daytona Cpe (1/32)

* Given with fill-up at Texaco gas stations in 1966

[Old pink can guy]

Wow, P, you did it again. All I ever saw back then was the about two feet long Texaco oil tankers, ships that is. On a rainy day we use to race them down Carson St. To Avalon Blvd. Run back up and do it again. How come I did not see them at the Museum? Your secret stash, no doubt.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

The Texaco model is a kit inside a very small white cardboard box printed in red and black with Texaco logos and a drawing of the car.

Hey, this is the one I had... until I sold it on eBay years ago.

[vfr750]

I have the kit version of the Vanwall, it doesn't run too badly considering it still has the original tyres.

Cheers,

John

[MG Brown]

My apology - I was picturing something entirely different.

[TSR]

As you can see, there were two types of drives, one with a knurled knob, another with a rubber ring set over a standard pinion...

[don.siegel]

Hmmm, first a couple pix, starting with my Mecom Lola, then the 1/32 Cobra GT kit, and a slightly modified chassis (pintube body mounts, plus brass axle tube in back because it runs directly in the aluminum).

:







Now, about the King F/D cars, Mr. P, I beg to differ... they run very, very well for a commercial slot car from the time! I've run the Lola GT in about 4 events and have done very well with it - plus, it's a pleasure to drive, very forgiving, and quiet! Speed with the Russkit 22 is decent and brakes are great! All it really needs is a pair of Ortmanns or silicones and it's ready to go - plus a more practical body mounting system, because on the Cobra GT, it just comes with double sided tape...

In the 1/24 line, I've only run the Vanwall, but once again, a very smooth running, well handling car, even with the original tires!

True, the frame is a bit flimsy, but other than that, it's a simple, effective car - and even seems to run okay when the frame gets twisted, as it tends to do....

The reviews at the time were all puff pieces in any case, but I've been very pleasantly surprised by the Kind F/D cars!

Don

PS: I can't think of any other commercially made friction drive car either, but they had a brief vogue in about 66 and AJ's made a special set of silicone "Demon Drive" pinions for the Mabuchi can motors. Ray Gardner did a column about how they were the thing to run at his home track for a while, with rewound 36Ds...

[Horsepower]

My apology - I was picturing something entirely different.

I know EXACTLY what you were thinking because I was thinking the same thing until I realized the friction drive was pinion to rear tire drive and not the friction drive where you push the car forward a few times and then it takes off on it's own!

[TSR]

Don, I agree that the running is relatively smooth, but the GP cars were simply uncompetitive with almost any other cars using the same motor... and they are flimsy, the first crash will bend the front axle stays and lock up the car.
It all depends on how slow one wants to go...
By the time they came out, a Dynamic chassis fitted with the same Russkit "22" motor and any vac body would run circles around a GP car.

[MSwiss]

IIRC, AJ's/Twinn k sold a friction drive attachment that set screwed to the motor shaft(3/32" ??)
Also IIRC, it was a smooth silicone that could almost be mistaken for an HO tire.

[TSR]

Indeed! I think that they issued both the 0.093" and 0.078" versions...

All in all, friction drive causes... friction and power losses compared to well set gears. Hence, a blind alley...
But it makes for cool rarities to hunt for nowadays!

[Dave Larsen]

Ya know Philippe

.... I know that I'm not wanted here OK..... I'm over that moment.... As you know yourself Philippe, the weak fall by the waste side .... I still feel compelled to help the one's that are wanting to know a little bit more about the "TEXACO SPECIAL" Slotcar even though it's presented by myself

The "RTR" ride that the LASCM has in it's possesion is a rarity that's for sure .... I'm going to shed some light on the "TEXACO SPECIAL" as one would get the "RIDE" back in the day in the "KIT FORM" that was uptained through the Gas Station via a "FEW FILL UP'S" .... Or by the "BLUE CHIP" or the "GREEN STAMP" method way of buying thing's back in the day that one wanted.

The "KIT"...... That was to be had by a few simple "FILL UP'S" or by your Parent's cutting loose with them "STAMPS".....





Yep.... The "Kit" came with a "22 RUSKIT"16D motor along with the "Du-Bro Van Wal" open wheel'r body. With "Riggen" wheels all around,complete with "MA GOO" rubber at the rear and "O" rings on the front. What I've always found odd here is this .... The "Knock-Offs" had to have been a after thought in the "Kit".... I can say this because in the three "Kits" that I own.... All of the knock-offs are loose in the box, and NOT in the bag with all of the rest of the parts that are needed to get your ride down the track....



By the way..... Them knock-off's that are laying in the bottom of the box are from DYNAMIC .... Not RIGGEN.... Go figure? Here's a few pictures of one of the "TEXACO SPECIAL KITS"..... That has been assembled by a "VERY WORTHY" Slot Racer (Not knowing who He was) from back in the day.... I've had this ride, as is.... For the past Ten years now in my collection, and I like it!






(You just have to love that guide nut!!!)

....The friction drive/spring loaded rear-end set-up.....



Lastly.... To add too the friction ladened "TEXACO SPECIAL" take a look on how the body is mounted...... I mean how it "FLOATS" on the axles.... Hence being trapped and limited to the body float by the holes in the body....



..... Or was the "TEXACO SPECIAL" way of ahead of it's time?..... Or way behind it's time? The "floating" body tell's me that it wasn't behind the times.... Let alone on how quite the "TEXACO SPECIAL" run's around the track. Heck.....The "TEXACO SPECIAL" could and very well be the GREAT....GREAT....GREAT.... AH... SCREW IT!!! ONE MORE TIME.... GREAT..... GRAND PAPPY OF THE "WHISPER JET"

On a final note....The "DU-BRO VAN WAL" in it's virgin state.....





Hell... Their having babies on me now .....




Dave

[vfr750]

The best thing about the Vanwall is the beautiful wheels. They alone are worth what I paid for my version.

Cheers

John

[don.siegel]

Nah, John, the best thing is the Iskendarian decals on a Vanwall GP body!

Thanks for your reportage Dave, I can see that you're a fan too - these were unique cars, and I don't mean Unique! I had forgotten about that great cap guide nut too - it's Art! Your guy put a 23 instead of a 22 in there, wonder if that helps on the track?

And I'll go look in my box for the knock-offs, never noticed that before...

Don

[TSR]

And I'll go look in my box for the knock-offs, never noticed that before...

Don,
The 3 Vanwall "Texaco" kits we have at the LASCM have Riggen wheels and knock-offs, and "22" motors. However, it is perfectly possible that some could have been issued with other parts including a "23" motor and knock-offs by either Dynamic or maybe... Gar-Vic?

.... I know that I'm not wanted here OK..... I'm over that moment.... As you know yourself Philippe, the weak fall by the waste side ... I still feel compelled to help the one's that are wanting to know a little bit more about the "TEXACO SPECIAL" Slotcar even though it's presented by myself

Uh, Dave, got a bug off your behind this morning or something? Thanks for the pictures and description, everyone appreciates your contributions I am sure.

[Dave Larsen]

Yep Don...

They are cool little rides that's for sure And yes ....I'm a fan of them. Yep Don, my ride that was assembled by a "RACER" back in the day has a "23" in it ... I went back and looked in my three kits and all of the motors are of a "22" caliber.


Ah Philippe

You are welcome my friend ..... As far as the "BUG" thing I just consider them to be a "PEST" and my life goes on ..... Undaunted

Dave

[Bruce Neasmith]

PDL ,
Thanks for the small sample of the 'Grand Prix' story from your forthcoming book .
Here in Australia , we got a fair bit of their "product" in the early days . The Vanwall of
coarse was the one that we got the most of . Mostly as RTR's rather than the kits . I have
retained one Vanwall for myself but in the past , nearly a decade ago , I disposed of a
1/24th RTR Ford GT in its original clear plastic case and a 1/32 RTR Lola GT that was
loose because it was handed to a friend by the local wholesaler that had received it as
a 'sample' direct from the manufacturer .
I don't know if Grand Prix when issuing a new car body , only painted it the one
colour for its entire run or whether you could get a car with another colour . Both of the
cars that I sold were factory painted "Gold" . The 1/24 car had a knurled aluminium
'pinion' whilst the 1/32 car had a rubber sleeve over a standard pinion . The Ford GT
always looked a little odd because the'factory' paint job did not extend to painting the
front windscreen pillars . Neither car had any sort of interior but they remain the only
ones of their type that I have ever seen turn up .
Other 'Grand Prix' products that do turn up are their decal sheets and I think
that they were associated with a Timing System for Large Commercial Tracks . One
of the early Australian Slot Car Magazines did a 'Road Test' on the Vanwall and also
featured a 1/24 Cheetah done by Grand Prix . Hope all this is helpful in some way .

BRUCE NEASMITH .

[TSR]

The best thing about the Vanwall is the beautiful wheels. They alone are worth what I paid for my version.

John, those are standard Riggen wheels, also used on a lot of other models by other companies, especially by BZ on their 1966 cars.

Bruce, indeed thanks for the info. The Grand Prix cars i have seen often have an added tape stripe on their bodies, and some of the 1/32 scale RTR came with an unpainted body.
The Ford GT paint mimics that of the Competition example, where it was simpler to make a one-piece rubber mask to cover the windows than a more complex 3-piece job. It;s called ;cut corners"!

Interestingly, it is often the case that models that are almost impossible to find in their country of origin surface in other countries, especially Australia, Japan or France!

[Gator Bob]

One of these friction drive Texaco cars in the box just sold on ebay.

[welslotcar]

What was the item number please? Thanks.

[William Root]

i guess im going to bring this post back up but back in 2010 i found one of the kits and was looking for some info and found alot more then i though on here and thought i'd share the pics and want to know was the 2 buck i paid too much or a steel?







the knock offs in a bag (is how i found it i did not put them in it) Russkit "23"

[don.siegel]

Thanks for your contribution William. Definitely a steal at 2 bucks, but these don't tend to go very high in general.

And very interesting to see that your's seems to come with the Russkit 23 - first I've seen of that in the box!

Don

[Horsepower]

I have this one too, Don. What do you think about using a set of silicone tires and one of those A.J.s friction drive pinions? I have a few left. I think I sent you a couple. I never tried using one but this seems like a perfect candidate.It has the Russkit 23 so it should wail! I saw PdL mention this above but he didn't mention "with silicone tires" which is how A.J.s friction pinion is supposed to be used. I bet this is the first sidewinder formula car ever built!