16 replies to this topic

[Lone Wolf]

Let me know what everyone thinks of this. Each day I am going to post an item from my collection. In my constant quest for slot knowledge I would welcome any ones comments regarding date of manufacture, rarity, value, coolness etc. The goal is to bring back some memories for some and learn new things as well. I will then keep the info with the actual item.Today's item is:

[Pete L.]

Joe,

Great idea !!!

[TSR]

Joe,

This Champion anglewinder chassis was made in Japan by AYK, was issued in November 1968, and was the basic chassis for many Champion kits and RTR models until 1972. Its center section was later used to produce the rather disappointing NCC-approved Group-20 chassis.

Particularities included the possibility of mounting the motor with drive on either side, but the bracket was soldered to the right side as all motors then had their drive on the endbell side, a trait they inherited from the pro-racing inline era.

They are not rare or scarce, but they are fun and nice and can be run satisfactorily. A later version with larger pans was also made before the Group 20 and even a much rarer Group 22 version with the pans articulated two ways:



You can see that on this 1970 chassis, the center section is still the same! Recycling at Champion was a way of life.

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks, PdL.

Yes, It does show "other side" motor mounting. There is a crude hand-drawn instruction sheet stapled to the back which tells you to unsolder the bracket, file off the excess solder "lumps" (technical term), and resolder it.

Thanks again for the interest and info.

Joe

[TSR]

Joe,

The crude drawing and instructions were the work of Team Champion's Ray Gardner, who did all the graphics for the company. "Lump" is a word that was widely used in the day to signify either excess solder or a rather poor car.

[gascarnut]

I thought poor cars were "piles"?

[TSR]

That, too! I recall that there was a wide array of qualifiers for crummymobiles...

[Cheater]

Great idea, Joe!

If your collection is as good as I think it is, please keep this going.

Post each new item in a new thread please.

[Gary Bluestone]

Very informative! I hope there is more. Please include in the title a short description such as "Champion" or "controllers" to help us sort through.

[Champion 507]

I think it is important to document this history. So much of it has been lost already.

[Cheater]

Very true, Doug!

[Superbird]

Wow Joe, Philippe,

 

Interesting comparison. During 1968 thousands of track owners were struggling to stay open. Customers were wedged between low cost machines from defunct suppliers (Cox, Classic, Cobra, Gar-Vic, etc.) and the high cost competitive offerings that often were scratchbuilt by local racers using special-order goodies. Champion was one of the companies that struggled to keep up with track owner's need for competitive cars at reasonable prices.

 

By 1970 the surviving track owners had stabilized their racing into "groups" sanctioned by the American Model Car Racing Congress. The two chassis have a similar layout (anglewinder with drop arm and sprung side pans) but the latter chassis is clearly heavier reflecting the explosion of motor horsepower between '68 and '70. The later package touts the AMCRC Group 22 and is $2 less expensive. The latter package includes a mount for a Mabuchi 26D motor which were obsolete and (in my experience) hard to find by 1970. The 26D was a low cost option for a fun racer but would not be competitive in GP 22. A contemporary Champion motor would put the builder comfortably into a group-based weekly racing venue. Just looking at the pictures the latter example is a much cleaner execution as well. Champion must have been doing something right.

 

Thanks for the walk through history!

 

Superbird

[don.siegel]

Bird, 

 

Just a small correction: I think you got the AMCRC confused with the NCC... the former was the organization created by American Raceways for their competitions, but the Group racing was developed, if I remember right, by the National Competition Committee, which came into being several years later... 

 

Don 

[Cheater]

I agee with Don.

[Dennis David]

+3

[don.siegel]

+4
 
(poll stuffing, an old Chicago tradition...)