79 replies to this topic

[TSR]

The Corvettes used in racing before the GS were slowly modified with larger flares and various implements. I mistakenly said that the Du-Bro was patterned after an SCCA car and this is not correct. It is patterned after a drag-racing, supercharged Vette that ran in SoCal in 1965. Pictures of it can be seen on an issue of Ro & Custom and issues of Hot Rod and Motor Trend.
The few GS coupes had a very different body treatment with very specific flares, hoods and lots of air evacuation holes on the back of the body..

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

And all of them slightly different!

Philippe, I wonder why the Ferrari is your favorite. I mean, I would have guessed it to be your Paris car.

Fate

[TSR]

One has to chose something very special in literally thousands of cars, both production and hand-built.
And if a single one has to be picked, the 330P4 roadster produced by Testor has it all for me: the right motor (an Igarashi with metal endbell and Pittman brushes), the right type of typical vintage chassis (designed by the same person who designed the Cox "La Cucaracha" body, by the way), the right, extremely well done body with great paint and semi-accurate (and a lot more accurate than most in the day) and superb, very attractive and compact packaging.
I do not see old slot cars as "just a chassis" or "just a car" but as a complete package. For this, factory-built RTR's appeal more to me than kits, and more than most hand-built cars that are in most cases, rather poorly built. I do however admire and like the better ones, built with great care by true craftsmen.
How they actually run, I could not care less because they are today museum pieces, and running them only inflicts damage and diminish their historical value.

[Gator Bob]

The original five GS cars:



The Pactra #116 (?) Corvette GS Coupe.
Champion sold them as RTR #CP-104 and called the Corvette Riverside.



Do-Bro sold the MS and a non-flared, non-scooped stock version which is the one I was speaking of with the Cox Iso/707 combo that I will post pictures of.

I think the Drag MS car in the magazine started life a as a road course car IIRC as I read about that car a long time ago. Thus the rear brake scoops which would have no place in straight line racing.

The Champion 707 powered shown was a Du-Bro. No... I didn't cut the wheel wells, the previous owner did it for me . Sold it on eBay ten-eleven years ago because at the time I could not find a replacement body. Now I have all NOS parts to build it again.





The true 1963 GS cars had a rear panel filled with tail lamps and vent holes... as does the Pactra... twelve in all.

[Jairus]

I have built so many cars during the last half dozen years that it would be hard to choose just one. If I picked just one... it would have to be one of the two last Gilbert/Sundance replicas I built. Both were very well researched and used as close to the original parts, arm winding, magnets, and other bits as was humanly possible unless you were Lee himself building it back in 1972.



But, both were sold off and I think Ralph got one... maybe. I never can remember were all the cars go frankly.

However, if I had to pick one car that I still own, it has to be "Repelatron Dyna-Slider"!!!

Because not only is it built with 100% vintage manufactured parts and technology, but it's still running in the top five.
Even the brushes are vintage Tradeship and 16D sized. The guide is an old Dynamic screw on pick-up, the motor a rusted Mabuchi can with its free ball-bearing can installed race still intact! (You can even see it in the pic.)

[TSR]

Bob,

The Du-Bro body of the drag-racing Vette was of course sold by Champion as the "Corvette Riverside", but remember that Riverside also had a drag strip...

The rare 1966 Champion catalog does not show the GS but shows the Du-Bro Corvette as a line drawing, not a picture, listed as a clear body under the # 1048, but to complicate matters, yet ANOTHER Corvette, the GS is listed as CP-104B clear body at $1.39.

The "semi RTR" CP-104 ($19.95) or CP-104BB ($22.95 with ball-bearing "707") we have do not have the Du-Bro body but the Pactra GS, and it is sealed. The catalog for the CP-104 simply says "Corvette" unlike the clear body listed as "Corvette Riverside"

Champion also never sold the factory-painted Du-Bro Corvette body, they painted their own and the colors are different from the Du-Bro metallic green, rose, or blue used by the model aircraft manufacturer. The Champion bodies are generally a dark metallic red, darker metallic blue and no green.

A 1966 Pro-Pak also has the Pactra GS coupe body in it, and this was re-issued in 1967 with a new box that was no longer a see-through.

[Gator Bob]

Gilbert/Sundance replicas

"Repelatron Dyna-Slider"

Both are amazing works of art.

I remember the drooling when it was a cover car. You have done it complete justice. Anyone who has this car is one lucky guy. Still drooling...

The Repelatron is just wonderful, might be the nicest-looking thingie EVER. I'm proud to run alongside of it as you go whizzing by.

BTW, is that a one-piece side/rear wing? What year did they come out '71-72? I forget

[Jairus]

Yes, one-piece. The entire sordid story is explained here at Slotblog on a thread somewhere. Pictures here.

The article was published in late 1972 and finished up in early '73. Six or seven articles in all. The last one gave a full scale drawing of how to cut the Lexan in order to make a one-piece wing.

I have built about four total of these cars. The first two, while nice, were not as accurate due to my lack of experience and availability of the correct parts. The last two were pretty darned close I think.

[TSR]

Indeed, Jairus did a great job. Here is the real thing in the LASCM's vaults:



Tough paint job to copy...

I left the picture in full size so that if you click on it you can get a lot more details.

[Gator Bob]

I'm still in shock... will reply ASAP.

[Mark H]

Hey, thanks for posting, guys!

Posted this before, but here's my favorite.





Nothing special, I just really like it for some reason.

[Gator Bob]

Well, looked through my cars and decided that my favorite is not here but over there.

[janj86]

I am not much good at posting pics... but my first car was Classic Manta Ray, got three now, one with block lettering on drop arm so I guess it is like first issue. Then a 250 and a 360, and then pretty much one of all the others: Stinger, Asp, Olds, Viper. Maybe missing one... of the 'Ray family...

[zipper]

Started with this on late '60s, still have the chassis parts.

[TSR]

I am not much good at posting pics... but my first car was Classic Manta Ray, got three now, one with block lettering on drop arm so I guess it is like first issue. Then a 250 and a 360, and then pretty much one of all the others: Stinger, Asp, Olds, Viper. Maybe missing one... of the 'Ray family...

For your eyes only....

[Steve Deiters]

Not familiar whith the "Repelatron Dyna-Slider" body at all. Who made it?

[TSR]

Steve,

It is a partial replica of one of the wild bodies produced by John Chotia for racing on the super high-speed tracks of North California in 1966-1967. It is based on the Choti body #15, as it was known.

[merkit the grof]

If, like Jairus, I am allowed to post self-built cars, then these have to be my absolute favorites.

Two of the mighty little Gordinis.

[TSR]

Joel, those are great! I love Gordinis... the one on the right is chassis # 36S, type 24S and driven by Jean Behra and Emile Barraquet in the 1953 Tour de France, and I believe that the one on the left is that of Jean Lucas at the 1953 Panamerican race?

In any case, it was a unique chassis nicknamed "Le Cigare".

Great job, lovely slot cars...

[merkit the grof]

Thanks, Philippe.

This is the picture that got me thinking about the type 24S; a bit "Cocorico", but very evocative.



I might redo "Le Cigare" in Le Mans trim (wider screen etc...) for next year's Bordeaux meeting.

On the other hand, I believe it also raced at Sebring; if anyone on Slotblog has any pictures, I would be grateful.

Joel

PS: Robert Manzon rather than Jean Lucas.

[TSR]

Joel,

I had to consult the (enormous) Gordini book by Christian Huet and it is indeed Jean Lucas who drove the "38S" (presented a few months earlier at the Paris show) #8 "cigar" at the Panamerican race in 1953, the "regular" car being driven by Behra. There is a picture of Lucas in the car. Manzon was not present. Both Behra and Lucas had valve trouble and were disqualified after arriving after the time limit in Durango. Is it possible that Manzon drove the car in another race, still bearing the same number and drink sponsorship? I have not checked.

According to that very extensive, race per race book, no Gordini ran at Sebring in either 1952, '53, '54, or '55.

Regardless, beautiful models...

[Old pink can guy]

I think it was about 1970 and a friend had a small Gordini. Can't remember if it was two door or four door. All I do remember it was way faster than Duran.

[TSR]

Ken.

That was not a Gordini to speak of. It was a Renault "8" car with the name "Gordini" patched onto it because they were trying to honor the guy who by that time was just about retired.
The "R8G" as we used to call them, were made in both 1100cc and 1300cc and were quite good cars, humiliating the Mini-Coopers in many rallies, and even today they shine in vintage racing.

The proper Gordini cars had first FIAT, then SIMCA based engines and were true racing cars on a shoestring budget, even achieving to beat the world best in the late 1940's. But money talks, and money was simply too little for "the Sorcerer' as the taciturn man, Amedeo Gordini, was called, to keep racing beyond 1957. At that time he had little choice but to sell his interest in his company to Renault, which first used the Gordini's name for their hopped-up Dauphine, a truly horrid car that achieved to win the Tour de Corse rally over tough competition because of its heroic driver/navigator, Jacques Féret and Guy Monraisse exploits.



Later, Renault financed Gordini to build small twin-cam engines to power the Alpine-Renault cars at Le Mans. After a while they obtained good results with their Ron Tauranac designed chassis with a Marcel Hubert designed streamlined body, able to reach over 150 MPH with only 1300cc.

When Renault ordered a 3-liter V8 for going to the higher level of racing, the engine proved weak and was never able to develop anythng more that 245 HP, well short of what the 3-liter Porsche 908 were able to muster.

That was the end of a fantastic era that saw Gordini cars shine all over the world on a budget like yours in D3...

And now back to our favorite slot cars...

[Old pink can guy]

Dokk, thanks for the history lessson.

But please do not post anything about my budget here. It has to get better!

[Gator Bob]

Courtesy of the LASCM:
=========================================================
Manta Ray RTR "Outlaw"
This odd Classic Manta Ray has been deemed to be an original from the 1960's, because the seal over the box has aged in a comparable manner to those of other genuine Classic items. It is odd in many ways, as not only is the body green,but parts on the car are not proprietary to the Classic company. Indeed the factory painted green bodies, as well as red and blue ones, were strictly sold as replacement. The motor is not a Mabuchi-built Classic CM360 but an identical model marketed by AMT and their Dynamic subsidiary and painted in purple. The wheels and tires are by BuzCo. The racing number on the body is also a Dynamic item, found on their Bandit and Renegade models. To confirm that such models have actually been built, the LASCM has another similar model, painted in red with the same Dynamic racing number and an AMT motor. The model is new and unused, and we believe that it is more than a coincidence. So what is going on here? From the LASCM research, only one of two answers to these bizarre models: -Either Classic ran out of parts and "borrowed" motors, decals and wheels from nearby Dynamic and BuzCo companies, both located in North Hollywood, mere minutes from Culver city, or... -After Classic sold their parts inventory to REH in the first quarter of 1968, REH assembled a number of Manta Ray models using whatever was available. Hard to tell at this time, which is correct.
===================================================================

My guess would be REH. Could it possibly have been Discount Hobby Distributors (1051 Wilshire Los Angles, 2 Calif.) ?
One thing that I don't get is...in the sealed RTR Outlaw a (Modified Toronado) Olds clear body is included which had a shorter wheelbase and does not fit the S/W Manta Ray chassis as this was typically mounted on the Viper chassis with the poorly designed outrigger body mount.