28 replies to this topic

[TSR]

In the last days of the commercial slot car boom and as the demand for conventional products was waning, slot car companies were a bit desperate to produce something that would sell. One of the avenues several tried was to offer something different such as... dune buggies. Since the Meyers Manx had been made popular by Steve MacQueen, and so many kits were available, why not having slot cars of them? Riggen, Pactra, Russkit and Auto-World tried their hand at it in the 1/24 scale, while Revell and Eldon got some in the 1/32 scale. While the 1/32 scale buggies are easily found today, especially the Revell model produced well into the early 1970s, some of the 1/24 scale models are like hens teeth, hard to find.

Three of the more obscure 1960s dune buggies, the Russkit and the Pactra. Both are really tough to find, especially the Pactra. First, the Russkit:



It is here complete in its original box and still bears its original windshield, missing most of the time on the found examples.

This one is one of the very last produced and has the rarer Russkit "28" motor with the "five-slot" can. The brown mark under the chassis is the hardened adhesive from the foam tape that held the car inside its box.



The Pactra is truly a rare beast:



The chassis is yet another variation of the scarce Pactra "jail-door" frame, this one using a stamped brass drop arm and a Mabuchi FT16DBB, sponge tires and the later Pactra guide flag:



While I have now seen four identical chassis, one fitted with a different motor, I have only seen one other body painted and decalled like this one. However Auto World did sell the body in clear form, along with a dune buggy kit including that same unpainted body and the running gear that was supposed to be fitting the Atlas Cheetah, Ferrari Dino and Alfa Canguro... in fact, this chassis:



Not a great paint job, but a rather scarce kit today...

[don.siegel]

I think these can all be considered legitimately "hyper-rare"...

Thanks for the pix, Philippe!

Don

[scuderia venturi]

In Italy, Policar with real suspension.

[don.siegel]

Yes, the Policar dune buggies are nice, in maybe 1/43 scale? And easily available. They must have sold a lot in France, because they keep popping up on French eBay!

Here's the thread that started the dune buggy craze...

Vintage Dune Buggies

Don

[TSR]

In Italy, Policar with real suspension.

Marco, yes, but in the 1970s, after the end of the "Classic Era"...

There were actually plenty more made by toy companies (toy VS hobby) in the 1960s and 1970s. Few are rare and even fewer, attractive to the serious collector...

[RichKraft]

I have an old dune buggy I think is 1/32 scale, and later than '60s.

Anybody able to tell me what this one is and how old it is?

[One_Track_Mind]

Hi Rick,

I'm no expert, but I believe that is a Riggen chassis? How old is it? I don't know that either! But, if I had to guess almost as old as the Dokktor in the house!

Neat thread, thanks for sharing.

[RichKraft]

The good Dokktor is pushing 70 so I hope you are right.

His slot car knowledge is still sharp as ever. I love all these history type threads he puts up.

One of my favorite things about Slotblog.

[TSR]

It is a 1969 through 1971 Riggen dune buggy in 1/32 scale. Likely a 1970 model because it still uses a Mabuchi FT16DBB (the 1969 versions used a Cox NASCAR motor). Note the Cox "quick-change" guide and the Riggen crown gear, those almost always develop a radial crack from aging.

Riggen also produced another 1/32 scale dune buggy that looks exactly like a reduction of the 1/24 scale Russkit model, and for a good reason: the pattern maker was the same fellow.

Riggen also had a 1/24 scale dune buggy that received three different chassis types over its four-year life. No pictures at this time.

[Tex]

When I first began scratchbuilding and competing locally in Houston, the local track started a Dune Buggy class. Scratchbuilt inlines with 26D motors. This was about Fall of '68. I don't remember the bodies we used specifically(?).

[RichKraft]

Thank you, Philippe. How you remember all this slot history amazes me.

[Mark H]

Body on the Pactra chassis is Auto World as well? Are these bodies rare? I've seen a few beat up ones on scratchbuilt chassis on eBay.

That Russkit body looks more like a thingie Can-Am with a goofy windshield than a Manx LOL. It's still gorgeous along with the Pactra and Auto World.

Anyone repop these?

[TSR]

Mark,

I think that I did not make myself clear enough. The body for the Pactra dune buggy was produced by Pactra. A clear body kit was sold separately and is at best, scarce. What is very rare is the car with the factory-painted body with its Meyers Manx decals. So far only two examples are known to exist.

When Pactra pulled the rug under its slot car program in 1968, Auto-World purchased the leftover unsold bodies and used the stillborn Atlas chassis purchased when Atlas pulled the rug on their own program and made a kit combining the leftover clear bodies with the leftover Atlas chassis.

As far as the Russkit model, it is not a Meyers Manx. There was a good dozen of dune buggy manufacturers in the 1960s and Russkit copied theirs on another model of which I do not remember the name, but the real car did exist, just the way Russkit has it.

[Mark H]

Thanks, Philippe. I know there where quite a few buggy builders in the '60s, and tons in '70s!

[scuderia venturi]

The Policar dune buggies are 1/32 or 1/28 scale.

[TSR]

Looks like the Fiat "Nuove Cinque Ciento" is, too...

[toys2nv]

Here's my custom-built Revell 1/25 California Dune Buggy 1/25 mounted on a Womp-Womp chassis. The last pic is of my real 1 to 1 scale buggy.

[proptop]

Dokk...

After seeing your recent pics of the Pactra/Competition guide flag (in Steve's Guide Flag section of ISB) I started looking around. I have one of those later version flags... attached to what looks to be virtually identical to the Pactra Dune Buggy chassis.
 
However... my chassis has five brass rod outer rails instead of four as shown in the above pic...???
I see where you have mentioned twelve different versions of the Competition/Pactra chassis...which one do I have? (Everything else is exactly the same as the Dune Buggy chassis except for the five outer rails) 
 
It had sort of a "Frankenmotor" (part Champion, part Mura) in it, so no help there...
 
Thanks.
 
Edit: It has the same Competition front tires as the above pic, but the wheels have six holes... no rear wheels/tires on it any more.

[TSR]

Pictures are worth a thousand words...

[proptop]

Camera is NFG...didn't survive a visit with a 3 yr. old (friend's kid) and no phone cam...still barely out of the stone age over here...

 

Take your above Museum pic and add 1 brass rod rail to each side (between frame center section and body) to make 5 instead of 4 and you got it. Same Brass drop arm...(length and strengthening rib configuration) not ISO...everything's the same...just a little dirtyier / tarnished.

[TSR]

Customer-added rods.

[proptop]

No...these are original equipment...same soldering technique, patina, etc. etc. I can tell they weren't added later, 99.999...% sure

Guess I'm gonna have to stop holding my breath (the kid's dad said he'd replace my camera) and buy myself a new camera...

 

Might be just another subtle variation that got thrown together near the end of production?

 

I wonder how the heck my font got changed? Sheesh...which button did I accidently hit...

[TSR]

You only needed to click on the large "B" at the top left of the message, and on the "I " next to it (for italics).

 

The frame with the most outer rails produced by Pactra is this one:

 

 

If your frame has more rails, those are not from that company but added by the customer at one stage. It is not difficult to solder well and cleanly...

 

 

[proptop]

How 'bout this one?

http://www.ebay.com/...48#ht_240wt_887

Pactra Eagle Mk. I

I've looked at all the pics in the Pactra and Competition sections and have yet to find it?

 

I have one just like it, but mine is in MUCH better condition...and has the original rear wheels/tires...

(it was in the same box of cars and etc. that the 5 rail Dune Buggy style chassis was in)

[TSR]

Yes, what about it, besides that it is a standard 1967 Pactra model of the 1966 Eagle-Climax RTR? 

This has the same chassis as that of the Lola T90 "American Red Ball Spl" and other 1967 Pactra kits and RTR. Nothing special other than the model is a bit scarce and that particular one has body cracks front and aft, non-original crown gear, rear wheels and tires... and the standard older Pactra guide.