16 replies to this topic

[Lone Wolf]

Not really into controllers as a collectible per se but every collection should have one of these. These don't come up that often in my opinion and rarely MIB. A little too late on the release to really catch on I imagine. Any comments or questions welcomed on any stuff I post in these threads. Enjoy

[Gator Bob]

Nice item, I've never seen one of these.
When did these come out?

[TSR]

1969.

[@kc]

I have two of these, my first controllers, nither one works any more but they do bring back fond memories
I guess that is why I keep holding on to them........

[TSR]

It was not well conceived and came too late in the market. But it looks cool in a collection, the last of the Cox controllers in a very successful line of them, produced in the millions...

[Mark H]

woah never seen one of those. why is it that people dont want controllers? there dirt cheap on ebay, is that if you have one thats all you need or what? i want to get a cox plunger or a russkit pistol grip for when i run my vintage cars so im all period correct lol.

[TSR]

it is hard to fathom but I guess people like cars, not controllers... however some vintage custom-built controllers (Gorski, Champion Micro, Emott, Cotton etc.) can go for big dollars especially if inside original packaging.

[Hworth08]

I can't comment on the Cox Pro as I never saw one being at our track.

For whatever reason the other Cox controllers had about three tenths more resistance "built in" than a MRC controller. We never could find the resistance but a car was always two to three tenths slower if driven with a Cox controller, even the adjustable ohm one. Same results with a Russkit.

[TSR]

The funny thing about it is that the vast majority of pro racers in 1966 and 1967 hardly ever used the MRC and were all fans of the Cox MK4 "red" controller. Did not appear to slow them too much...

[Gator Bob]

Ahh, loved my Ruby red MK4. Then around 69 I stopped thumbing and found plunging was even better with a Ruby Tuesday.

Still, I'm gonna miss you.

They both got very hot while holding.

[Steve Deiters]

I used this controller once or twice. The problem was the curved button on the plunger. You could pinch the skin on you hand between the thumb and the index finger if you punched it too fast!

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Our local track closed in 67...and I had never seen one when I went to the tracks in LA area..... Looks like it had a short stroke compared to the old COX or MRC? Thanks Joe for posting.

[Champion 507]

I started out with a black MK III, then got a red MK IV, then the variable MK VII (still have that one). But I think my favorite thumb controller was an amber one by MRC (still have that one too). As a matter of fact I dragged it out about 8 years ago, made the wiring changes you have to make to use an old controller on modern tracks and won an FCR race, beating everyone else's Parma Turbos in the process. I thought that was pretty cool.

[sub006]

I was out of slot cars by '69, but had one of the red Cox units a couple of years before.  It worked okay, but AIR the sliding (resistance?) adjustment made no noticeable difference at any position, maybe mine was a disconnected dud?

 

Wait a minute, did the Coxes have that feature, or did I have a red MRC???

[Rusty Pinion]

I had the black Cox, the red Cox, the green MRC ,  a black K&B thumb model and a silver Veco.. I remember the MRC being the smoothest of the bunch.

[TSR]

Wait a minute, did the Coxes have that feature, or did I have a red MRC???

 

Both Cox and MRC had an adjustable resistance model. The Cox was called the Mark VII and was black, with a coiled "telephone" cord ending in a phone jack, itself plugging in an adapter with three wires and alligator clips.

The MRC was called "Varipower" and was red.

Both worked great.

[sub006]

Thanks, Phillippe!  It WAS an MRC.

 

Any news from Dan Gurney?  AIR you two are buds from way back.