51 replies to this topic

[TSR]

Roy Moody is credited as the man who invented the anglewinder drive system for slot cars. Claims are claims, Roy cars are documented in a period race report when used in mid 1967 to destroy a field of other 1/32 scale club racing cars, by none other than Sandy Gross, then a Team Russkit racer in United States.

The LASCM was able to acquire the Moody collection, which consists in a small army of 1/32 scale cars, chassis, bodies, motors, etc. The first published pictures of one of Roy's anglewinder machines was shown in a Model Car Science in early 1968. The LASCM has entrusted enthusiast Robert Hackl with the restoration of these cars; most of them had a hard life during and after their racing days.

We are thrilled to now be able to begin posting the results of his efforts on the LASCM website HERE.

Enjoy! 
 

[don.siegel]

Here's a scan of Roy Moody's car from the Model Car Science issue of May 1968 (I thought there was an earlier mention, will look this evening).
 

 
But don't forget that this wasn't really the first anglewinder - once again the Brits beat us out!
 

[Cheater]

I hope PdL won't mind if I remind folks about the other builder's collection shown on the LASCM website. I don't think it's been mentioned here for a couple of years...

The cars of Gene Wallingford

 

Sixty-three of 'em!

[TSR]

But don't forget that this wasn't really the first anglewinder - once again the Brits beat us out!

 
Don,
 
This was argued before and no, that was NOT an anglewinder, at best, a twisted inline for space reason. The motor drivers a crown gear and not a spur, and the reason why the motor is slanted is entirely different. My own 1967 "anglewinder" run at Erlanger Raceway in Paris and based on a then-new Carrera chassis was done more for the same reason as Moody's, reach the gears while keeping the rear tires small. But Moody WAS first.
 

[don.siegel]

Yes, I know Philiippe, that was purely a tongue in cheek comment! (although the angle probably isn't too different from some of the earliest anglewinders).

 

You may remember a small group of cars I found earlier on ebay, obviously inspired by Pete Hagenbuch's article on the Midwest sidewinder, but the builder gave them a slight angle, to be able to shoe in the motor, even with screwing the spur gear to the wheel and other tricks... so the idea was in the air, even if it took Roy Moody and then Gene Husting to make it "official"...

 

 

[TSR]

Don,
 

(although the angle probably isn't too different from some of the earliest anglewinders).

 
Of course they are! Standard sidewinder forces large gears hence large wheels.
Anglewinder allows tiny gears, and much smaller wheels.
HUGE difference on track.
 
Yes, the idea was in the air, because Moody started it and others in clubs were aware of his cars and began copying them. The group of Dobson, Hagenbuch, and Wallingford had tremendous influence over club racing, that had its own newsletters and "Arab Telephone" ways of finding things very quickly.

This is why it is quite amazing that it took another six months after first publication for the 1/24 scale pros to get with it... 

[Dennis David]

And here I thought it was about the rear track and not the fact it allowed smaller gears and therefore wheels. Duh...

[TSR]

Dennis,

The anglewinder format had two advantages over the conventional sidewinder or the inline:

1) Smaller wheels and tires can be used, since smaller diameter gears are possible.
2) Provides better traction than an inline by increasing weight over the rear tires. More weight, more downforce, more grip.
 
Every other possible benefit (such as negating torque reactions due to the angle) is a plus.

Moody was one of the few to use the powerful FT26D motor in a 1/32 scale car. But as a sidewinder, it would likely have been a failure.

[ajd350]

Good to see these gems being brought back to their original glory as best possible.

One thing I noticed on the LASCM site was the mention of copper-braided tracks. All the tracks in our area ran copper tape that was contact-cemented to the styrene laminate over the wood base. Due to the use of nylon guide pins I don't recall a lot of problems with the tape coming up. I wish

I had the foresight to have taken pictures of Roy's track when it was in my care. There are a couple of my dad's tracks that I will try to get scanned and posted. Roy ran many of his cars there.

[TSR]

Al,

Thanks!

Indeed, the LASCM also has the small test track of Gene Wallingford and that has copper tape. I was mostly talking about commercial raceways in the presentation and will add the copper tape mention as it makes total sense.

I am happy that you are still with us to enjoy what we are trying to do at the LASCM.

"DeYoung Forever!"

[C Gambo]

Al,
 
If you remember in 1983 I loaded up Roy's track and reassembled it in my basement. I pulled off the old copper tape, wet sanded the plastic laminate and buffed it to a high gloss. I retaped with Parma tape. I ran club races on it until I moved in 1988. It was a great track and I do have some pictures. I'll try to scan and post. I do remember running on it in your basement also. Great times.

Unfortunately pictures are all that remain.
 
Chuck

[MSwiss]

Wow, it took Roy Moody's name to inspire ace JK chassis designer, and semi-ace racer, Chuck Gambo, to post on Slotblog.

[Cheater]

That may be a record... Chuck has been a Slotblog member for over four years before he made his first post!

You sure aren't that quiet in person, Chuck... LOL!!!

[Hworth08]

I understand Chuck's situation very well. It took the subject of basement racing to be important enough for Chuck to post!

 

Basement racing is a barrel of fun at almost no cost!

[TSR]

Don, almost no cost? Stella Artois does not come cheap.

[don.siegel]

It does here - it's the Budweiser of Belgium! 

[TSR]

One wishes Bud would taste as good...

[MSwiss]

Is this where PdL launches into:

 

"I don't drink beer all the time, but when I do..."

 

LOL.

[TSR]

Like for wine, "only the best is good enuf".

Drinking lousy tasting beer only leads to drinking more of it with all the possible negative that are in tow...
 

The good thing about beer is that the best is affordable, not often the case for wine! 

Good Belgian beer and Belgian fries... I think I can smell the kosher dogs already.

[MSwiss]

and Belgian fries... 

 

They are superb.

 

My trip to Belgium got me semi-hooked on putting mayo on them. 

[Hworth08]

Boy, this thread got hi-jacked!

 

I don't drink beer anymore. When I was 24 my wife told me I got mean when I drank. She was right and I quit. I'd already drank my life-time's share by then anyway. I will drink one now but only if someone else pays for it.

[TSR]

Back to it. This car would have been a magnet-traction car if the Midwest club racers ran on... magnetic braid or... plastic track! But this smartly turned out car apparently never did, so one has to assume that Moody was never aware of the possibilities...

 

 

 

 

Moody built the motor housing from aluminum and steel stock, with a modified Pittman armature. Nice, hey? 

The car was cleaned up by Robert Hackl.

[ajd350]

Good to hear from you, Chuck. I have often wondered what became of the track. Same fate as most of them eventually.

Obviously not all of Roy's ideas worked as well as the anglewinder, but those that did usually were copied pretty quickly until the next faster thing came along. When he jumped to R/C his innovations continued. He stopped by my house one night when we had a race on his old track just to say hi. Must have been around 1981 or so. By that time slot cars were long back in his rear view mirror. The legacy remains.

[Dennis David]

Ketchup never touches my frites.

[Pete L.]

Roy Moody is credited as the man who invented the anglewinder drive system for slot cars. Claims are claims, Roy cars are documented in a period race report when used in mid 1967 to destroy a field of other 1/32 scale club racing cars, by none other than Sandy Gross, then a Team Russkit racer in United States.

The LASCM was able to acquire the Moody collection, which consists in a small army of 1/32 scale cars, chassis, bodies, motors, etc. The first published pictures of one of Roy's anglewinder machines was shown in a Model Car Science in early 1968. The LASCM has entrusted enthusiast Robert Hackl with the restoration of these cars; most of them had a hard life during and after their racing days.

We are thrilled to now be able to begin posting the results of his efforts on the LASCM website HERE.

Enjoy! 
 

 

Philippe,

 

Was this car designed to run on a plastic track or the larger routed tracks in commercial raceways?

 

Thanks,

 

Pete L.