12 replies to this topic

[Steve Okeefe]

Champion of Chamblee Bodies

 

 

Champion of Chamblee was late getting into the body business, thrashing mightily for a few years, and then disappearing as a body supplier. Their 1968 catalog includes 21 different bodies, and a few anomalies! For example:

1. Part number 103 on page 39 is a Chaparral 2C, but on page 38, part number 103-C is a Chaparral 2D. I presumed the "C" in 103-C stands for "concours", but if that were so both bodies should be the same, either 2C or 2D... right? Apparently not.

 

2. The photo of Champion part number CP-111 is (again I presume) a Dino Ferrari, because the Dino Ferrari on page 39 is part number 111. What the "CP" stands for is a mystery. I'm not sure I want to guess! If you know what the "CP" stands for, how about sharing it with the rest of us?

 

3. The Lola GT coupe body in the photo of the $5.95 Ready-to-Run dated January 1968 doesn't seem to appear in the Champion catalog as a separate body at all, however a "lighter, lower" Lola GT coupe does appear in a full page Champion ad in the June issue of Car Model magazine. Same body? Probably not.

 

Also in the June 1968 Champion ad are "wider, lower, lighter" Lotus 40 and McLaren M6A bodies. Were these actually Champion bodies?

 

Nine months later, Champion seems to have bowed out of producing their own bodies altogether. Another full page Champion ad in the March 1969 issue of Car Model includes a Ready-to-Run anglewinder sports car with a Dynamic McLaren M8A body.

 

By the way, in the interest of accuracy, let's get our words right! By dictionary definition, a "concourse" (the way it is spelled in the Champion catalog) is a either an "assemblage or gathering of people", or a "wide boulevard or other broad thoroughfare". On the other hand a "concours" (pronounced "kon-kor") is a public contest or competition (which may or may not have anything to do with cars). A Concours d'elegance is a "public exhibition and competition in which automobiles or other vehicles are judged, chiefly on the basis of elegance and beauty".  Vocabulary lesson concluded.

At any rate, here are the photos and ads:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TSR]

CP is "Champion Product". It is very confusing especially in the chassis and motor parts where there appear to be duplicate stock numbers for different parts except that some have the CP on front of the number, some do not.

Champion purchased bodies from Russkit, Pactra, Unique, and Revell, before making their own when they could no longer buy from companies that were no longer in business.

[Gator Bob]

Champion purchased bodies from Russkit, Pactra, Unique, and Revell,.......

 

Also Dubro.  

[John Secchi]

Happy new year to you all.

The gears shown on the last advert page look very much like the steel Taylormade gears from the UK, were Champion the US agents?

The add only shows one size but the full range were 42,44,47 and 52, a B.A size set screw was used. Together with a range of 72dp contrate gears [also known as Beatties gears] Taylormade were by far the most used slot gears in the UK, thousands must have been made as loads still turn up today.

[oneofwos]

[SlotStox#53]

Happy new year John
Let us know if any Taylor gears come up! Been looking for ages ,couldnt of been looking close enough as only seen a few old UK cars with them on.

Looking at recreating a couple of my Dads surviving UK 60's club cars that have a set of Taylor's gears . One in particular was one of those F32 chassis .

[John Secchi]

Hi Paul, and a happy new year to you too.

Don't think you will find many on your side of the puddle but are quite common at swopmeets here or try Phil Smith in the UK, he normally has loads. Pinions however are a little harder to find but you can use modern 72dp pinions which seem to be used by most "modern" racers in Eurosport.

Cheers

[oneofwos]

[Gator Bob]

 

 

 

.... What the "CP" stands for is a mystery. I'm not sure I want to guess! If you know what the "CP" stands for, how about sharing it with the rest of us?

 

 

 

For the body part #s the C suffix stands for "Concourse" series ... But .... they came clear or painted.

What Doc said ... CP as a prefix is Champion Products.

 

It's messy .. they sold the 67 Fairlane car in 67 but the replacement body isn't listed till 69 as part #1171.

 

In the second quarter 69 catalog the only parts showing a CP prefix is the 48 pitch pinions.

[Gator Bob]

The gears shown on the last advert page look very much like the steel Taylormade gears from the UK, were Champion the US agents?

 

I have a few of those Champion gears ... they are sealed NOS .. so my questions remain.

 

Are there any markings on the Taylormade gears? If so then I will open up a package and look.

Has it been flushed out if the spur gear sold by Champion is a Taylormade product?

Why would they only import one size spur?  A NCC spec gear size if running 72 pitch? 

[SlotStox#53]

Hi Bob, no markings on the Taylormade gears. I will go digging in the parts vault for the Taylors I've got and snap a few pictures

Both crown & angled spur.

[Gator Bob]

Hey Paul .. these Champions don't seem to have any markings either. They are deeply undercut as shown in the photo above.

[John Secchi]

No markings on the Taylor gears also they seemed to to vary in finish from batch to batch over there production life, have some as per the picture in the add showing a shallow boss in the center of the undercut and have some that are all flat on the undercut and even have a few with the flat undercut and 12 lightening drill holes!

The outside diameter can also vary, i measured some 52t as follows: 0.745", 0.736", 0.726", 0.740"and 0.746", not massive but enough to give you clearance problems! Not sure but i think they came with slotted screw, everybody replaced then with B.A grub screws, possible that the later batches were supplied with grub screws.

Later on Taylormade started to do there spur gears with a 3/32" axle hole and towards the end they changed there design to a more shallow angle and 64 pitch for both 1/8" and 3/32" axles. Also have a stash of steel 52t 72 pitch straight cut sidewinder gears all for 1/8" axles, these measure approx 0.740" dia, these were probably made when the UK raceway craze was for sidewinder chassis, 70/71 period.

[oneofwos]

[Maximo]

Did Champion indeed produce a clear body called the SPECTRA? Not based on any real car but maybe a thingie?

It is 3 - 1/8" wide and wheelbase at 3 -3/4".


maximo

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[Gator Bob]

Yes, they sold it as part #1230 and .007 thick.

 

I think they were produced by O/S for Champion