21 replies to this topic

[Ivan B]

Hello

I was wondering what happened to Twinn-K? It was only about fifteen minutes from my house when I was growing up and I always passed it on the way to Indianapolis. We would always pass it going to Indy before there was a Walmart in every town to do shopping.

Lots of my slot cars had foam tires or those crazy-colored HO tires. I even had foam tires from Stompers from them. I think I still have a sticker sheet around here from them.

Any information would be nice.

Thanks.

[MG Brown]

R.E.H. Distributing purchased the brand, tire molds, and remaining stock prior to Maurice Winn's passing (Ron Hershman posted the news in Dec 2011 Maurice Winn RIP .)

If you need HO silicones (including all of those wild colors), contact Mid-America Raceway.

[Ivan B]

Thanks for the info. I was just wondering what happened.

[Ron Hershman]

The Winn children sold Twinn-K to a "investment group" in 1990-91. Some of the operations were moved to Cleveland, OH, and some stayed in Plainfield/Indy for a couple of years after that.

By 1992-93 everything was moved to Cleveland, OH.

In early 1996 Twinn-K shut down operations completely and everything was sold off to other slot and RC manufacturers and the rest was sold at auction.

[Ivan B]

Thanks for the information. I knew they went away but I was interested in what happened. I have some catalogs here I can scan if anybody is interested.

I'm from Plainfield, and ran at Jack Sheek's for a while. I see you are a Hoosier; did you ever run there?

[Ron Hershman]

Nope but my buddies Rande Marshall, Mike Leap, Dan Laycock, Richard Akard, Jerry Miller, and possibly Mike Fleming all did.

I met Jack after he sold the hobby shop and retired from being a "store front" owner.

[Ivan B]

Nope but my buddies Rande Marshall, Mike Leap, Dan Laycock, Richard Akard, Jerry Miller, and possibly Mike Fleming all did.

I met Jack after he sold the hobby shop and retired from being a "store front" owner.

I was young when I ran there,so most of the names i don`t remember. Only a guy called "Fingers" because he was a nice guy and had a cool knickname. Its wasn`t really a slot car mecca but I was hooked and spent lots of time there running with my pops.

[Gator Bob]

What was the "WinnWagen" product line?

I have some dealer accessory card packs with orange wheel spacers, wrench, guide spacers, etc... ???

[Bruce Neasmith]

The AJ's product line was extensive , but mostly related to supplying
an extensive range of 'replacement' glued and trued , tyre and wheel
sets . They certainly produced these in 'HO' as well as 1/32 and 1/24
scales . They were around for a long time , maybe from about 1968
through to the ninties . It didn't matter if you wanted fronts , or rears ,
it seemed like AJ's had tyres in natural rubber , german formula open
pore rubber , silicon and foam . They also sold Axles , screws and nuts,
axle spacers and guidepins in grabbags like those listed in post # 1.

Come 1972/73 they also marketed AJ's Winnwagen , a line of 1/32
RTR Slotcars . These were " official Group 32 " hardbody anglewinder
built up slotcars . It was supposed to be part of a "world wide racing
program" . The chassis was a very sturdy fixed brass pan anglewinder
which with orange plastic spacers , allowed fitment of a variety of motors.
They came equipped with double ended Mabuchi FT 16 OD motors
which were quite strong for there time . I can come up with at least 3 cars.

W - 011 Orange body ( McLaren ?)
W - 012 White body ( Porsche ?)
W - 013 Blue body ( Sonoco ?)

AJ's also put out a 1/24 scale RTR which was a Morris Mini Cooper , having
an anglewinder white plastic chassis similar in basic design to the 1/32 brass
chassis , but much cheaper in quality . The bodies were mostly done in Red
polypropolene with a clear plastic insert for windows and often a British Union
Jack sticker on the roof . The chassis I remember had a moveable weight .
I also remember that sometimes , instead of red , the bodies would be Blue .
All of this transpired during 1972/74 . Neither the 1/32 cars nor the 1/24 car
set the world on fire , mainly because slot cars were pretty dead in 1972 / 74.

Oh , just remembered that AJ's put out various 'sticker' sets , Some were for
sponsors , with an AJ's logo being prominent , some were 'numbers' stickers
and some were Lane Marker stickers . Some were done as sticky back paper
stickers , and some were a very bendable thin coloured vinyl . A buck is a buck !

I can't remember offhand , the other AJ's stuff , but maybe this is a start . Oh ,
and I don't have a part number for the little Mini Coopers but someone will . !!

BRUCE NEASMITH

[Gator Bob]

Thanks Bruce,
Do you have any pictures of the Gr-32 car.

Did they have 3/32' front axles and Lexan bodies?

I remember running the tread on HO silicones in the 60s and...

Twinn-K #5130 'Pro Slot' Black Dots - 1/8th x 13/16' - tires in the early 90s.

[Bruce Neasmith]

BOB ,
I'm sorry , I don't have pictures to hand , but I remember
that the 1/32 Hardbody cars came in a pale green window faced
box with the content listed on the box's endflaps . The box for
the 1/24 Mini was , I think , white and was also windowfaced .

The cars all ran 1/8th inch axles that were threaded 5/40 . The
bodies were listed as 'practice body ' so maybe they expected
that the enduser would switch to a lexan clear body when wanted.

BRUCE NEASMITH

[Gator Bob]

Maybe Dokk or someone can jump in with some pics of a Gr-32 WinnWagon.
It was the combo of the 1/8 and 3/32 spacers in the retail parts kit that lead me to ask about the axle size.
Bruce, would you know if the orange thingies in the dealer service parts kit the adapters for different motors? Tool?

BTW: did they make a 1/32 angle-winder chassis in white plastic .... The 'old' Auto World was selling kits that used a plastic chassis cut up to fit the provided Atlas AT-206 in-line open frame motor. I bought one in about 1989, what a cluster .. you know what. The plastic chassis up-rights were still in place along with the Atlas motors axle carrier. I put it together and there was so much friction from the 4 bearings the little Atlas would have smoked right up. Oh yeah... double sided tape was provided to stick the motor magnet to the chassis. I have it in some junk box, when it turns up I'll see if there are any markings if they were not in the 'cut out' portion of the chassis.

[Bruce Neasmith]

BOB ,

The Mini Cooper white plastic anglewinder chassis was the same chassis used by Auto World for various 1/32 applications . Sure the Mini Cooper was done in 1/24 'scale' , but being a small car , the chassis ended up being used for 1/32 as well .

The funny 'round' orange adaptors that you refer to were as supplied so you could fit different motors to the Winn Wagen Brass Chassis .

Yes , a lot of the AJ's axle spacers not only came out early in 1/8th orange but also in 3/32 orange . Maybe they also did 1/16th Orange . They were Raceway mainstays for many years ..

BRUCE NEASMITH

[don.siegel]

Always try a search first...

http://slotblog.net/...agen#entry87568

[Gator Bob]

Thanks for the link, Don

[Bruce Neasmith]

DON ,

Not that this subject is a big deal at all , but do you know if PDL has mint in box examples of these cars at the LASCM !!

I guess that I was wondering if there really is only the three 1/32 cars and the one 1/24 . The cars were really not much good but I always thought that they had some part to play in the formation of "WOMP" 1/32 Racing . Believe it or not , at one stage my local Raceway used the white plastic chassis 1/24 Mini Coopers as Rental Cars . This was about 1974 I was told . Apparently they used a craft paint to paint the red bodies into the colours of the eight lanes . When you think about it , with a poly body , it might not have been such a bad idea considering the bashing rentals get !

Thank you also for providing the link to the olde 'thread' . I should have thought of that . Seems like AJ's cars do not have a good reputation . But I do remember that their wheels/tyres were good .

BRUCE NEASMITH

[A. J. Hoyt]

Wasn't the HO "Oscar the Track Cleaner" a Twinn-K product marketed by AutoWorld? I may have that wrong.

Keep it in the slot (well, you couldn't keep the "Oscar" in the slot),

AJ (no relation to the toy car parts supplier)

[Steve Deiters]

Oscar the Track cleaner was named after Oscar Koveleski owner of AutoWorld who was good friends with Maurice Winn the onwer of Twinn-K. They were marketed through regular slot racng distrubution channels.

[Terry]

I was young when I ran there,so most of the names i don`t remember. Only a guy called "Fingers" because he was a nice guy and had a cool knickname. Its wasn`t really a slot car mecca but I was hooked and spent lots of time there running with my pops.

I believe that was Chris Dadds nickname. I think that I was probably 14-15 at that time when me and my dad were racing there. Wow, I just realized that was 30 years ago!!!
I also remember passing by the Twinn-K building every time we drove from Indy to Plainfield.

[Race O' Rama]

Thanks for the information. I knew they went away but I was interested in what happened. I have some catalogs here I can scan if anybody is interested.

I'm from Plainfield, and ran at Jack Sheek's for a while. I see you are a Hoosier; did you ever run there?

Cool I'm interested

[Race O' Rama]

R.E.H. Distributing purchased the brand, tire molds, and remaining stock prior to Maurice Winn's passing (Ron Hershman posted the news in Dec 2011 Maurice Winn RIP .)

If you need HO silicones (including all of those wild colors), contact Mid-America Raceway.

I have them also

[Gator Bob]

This came as a 'kit car' from Auto World in about 1989. They hacked the plastic and provided an Atlas AT-206 motor and a piece of double sided tape to stick' the motor to the chassis.

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