56 replies to this topic

[Gator Bob]

[Tex]

Now, THAT'S an "open" motor!

 

Sweet ride, Bob.

[TSR]

The Atlas BRM is in fact a car made by Marusan of Japan, like most Atlas models. Here is its sister car, the Cooper-Climax, in its Marusan RTR box:
 


Both came in RTR and kit forms at both Marusan and Atlas. The Atlas version has its own "American Mags" wheel inserts but is otherwise identical to its Japanese brother.

[Gator Bob]

Thanks, Tex!

BTW... I have never even disassembled this car... as is, as was. All I did was pop on a set of still good NOS Atlas tires... the originals had flats... not only on the bottom either... LOL.

I have the matching Cooper in yellow same excellent condition but it is missing the windshield. These are the set cars. I have the 1/24 set plus a big lot of extra track that I bought from you Dokk.... maybe in 1999...
 
The 1/32 set that my dad bought me was the second jump out of HO... Atlas HO first then Aurora HO.
Then to those underpowered 1/48 scale Aurora...  Atlas 1/32 figure 8 nice!... then you know what happened next...
... EIGHT lanes opened up         And here I am now 50 years later.   
Dokk, the car you show is beautiful. Another difference is the spacers in black... but... Atlas et al did use the black spacers on the 1/32 set cars. Also it says "Giant Motor"... are the Marusan cars AT-408 powered?

[TSR]

Marusan and Atlas cars use the same mechanical components. Atlas cars in the 1/32 scale use different wheels and tires.
 
Here is the Cooper in its two versions. First, the Marusan in kit and RTR form:
 

 

 
Please note a subtle difference: the Marusan chassis on this RTR is made of aluminum. The brass will come later.
 

 
Second, the Atlas Cooper in kit form:
 

 

 
Last, the BRM in RTR and kit forms:
 

 

 

 

 
Fortunately for the collectors, Atlas models and kits are still easily found since piles of them remained unsold after the crash of 1968, and were slowly liquidated by Auto World, then the remaining mess by Tom Pistone.

Tom's daughter is still selling them to this day!

[Gator Bob]

All 208 (short stack) motors, they were great in the 1/32 cars but underpowered for the 1/24 cars. The 408 has a lot more torque... I guess only used in the chassis kits for vacuum-molded bodies. The AT-206 (BB) motor makes the 1/32 cars fairly quick. The first 'hop-up" I did on these back in the day was streeeetch the brush springs...  Lots of LubriPlate on the bevels and Aurora 'red' on the bushings. Like a rose... I can still smell it. 
 
Are treaded tires Korrect... molded name in the sidewall?

Tom's daughter is still selling them to this day!

 
IMO, with much respect for the "Tiger"... I find their prices are 'whack'.
 
Great box art!!! The set box art looks like your image number AT119.
 
Thanks for posting these nice pictures!

[TSR]

Bob,

Yes, the tires are correct. Atlas cars used slick tires also made in Japan.
 
Box art is shared between Atlas and Marusan with minor variations. Please note that the Cooper driver is a like image of Bruce McLaren, who drove that car in 1963. The BRM driver is obviously Graham Hill, who should have won the title in 1963 with that very superior car to the Lotus Type 25. The only reason why Lotus won the title was because of Jimmy Clark, not because of the car under him that was a twist-o-flex pile. The BRM was vastly superior.
 
As far as Tom Pistone's prices, they were a LOT cheaper about eight years ago when anyone could get these cars for 20 bucks.

[Mark H]

Nice car, Bob. That's some killer box art!

[Gator Bob]

Thank you, Mark!
 
Dokk, I'll see if I can get a windshield for the Cooper from the Pistones. Should I expect it to be very short like the one shown in J278_2?
 

[TSR]

Dokk, I'll see if I can get a windshield for the Cooper from the Pistone's.
Should I expect it to be very short like the one shown in J278_2?

 
No, because that one is obviously chipped!

But you can ask if he has spares for a Cooper windshield, we would buy one to repair that car. 

[Gator Bob]

I couldn't see the other side... If they have them I'll get you one... my treat.
 
Remember this lot?   When the grid goes down... I'll set it up with jumper cables... Thanks!

[TSR]

Consider a generator run by a bicycle. The trick is to convince your better half to pedal while your race the cars.

[Gator Bob]

Consider a generator run by a bicycle. The trick is to convince your better half to pedal while your race the cars.

 

Bite your tongue ...or did you mean 'stationary' cause she don't race?

 

Hold your ears, and Ring the bell.   @1:46   

[TSR]

One would have assumed that we were talking "stationary" here. Come to think of it, recharging your Tesla in this manner has possibilities... MMMmmm.

[Gator Bob]

 

Too pricey for me.

 

I gotta buy two Cooper windshields, my wife a Volt, and a bicycle with a friction generator.   

[dc-65x]

Love that BRM, Bob! It looks like it could be a picture from a magazine ad from the '60s. Perfect. 

[Gator Bob]

Love that BRM Bob! It looks like it could be a picture from a magazine ad from the 60's. Perfect

 

Rick,

 

Thanks, coming from a Master-Crafter that's big, cause I know.. that You know.. what looks good.

 

BTW: Those cars were shot with a first gen. 550 dollar (ouch), 1MB Kodak. It was the  back then... and it is again... LOL.

 

Note: BRM just needs the tires glued and trued. That's it!  - No detailing on this one. As is, as was. 

[macman]

So thats what its supposed to look like... well this is as far as I have gotten. A206BB...

 

 

Sidetracked till I get around to getting some 2/56 nuts and bolts to hold everything together...

Got it from Tom's daughter, '07 I think... no shipping, local pickup. Cute blond... 

[Gator Bob]

Mac, that's the AT-406 .. the AT-206 is a short stack w/ green wire BB.

[don.siegel]

Yep, Chrissy Pistone is a very sweet gal, and supplied us all with dozens and dozens of motors! I don't think they have any windshields left, unfortunately, those seem to have run out a long time ago! 

 

But... I was talking to Brad Blohm in Bordo, and his friend who does resin repros is planning to repop these - not right away, but eventually... 

 

The AT206 is actually a much quicker motor than the AT406, even in 1/24 - just have to keep the weight down. The AT406 seems to me a bit of a dog, although it is smooth...

 

Don 

[don.siegel]

Here's one I just picked up from Joel (Merkit the Grof) in Bordo - it's the Japanese aluminum version of this chassis, and he said he's seen these kind of wheels on other chassis of this type... anybody else? 

 

 

[TSR]

Yes, those are the correct wheels for the Marusan models. The same but in the smaller scale were fitted on the 1/32 scale cars.

But these were the 1965 versions. A year later, the chassis were made of brass instead of aluminum, and the wheels were plain aluminum without those humongous knock-offs...

And a year later, Marusan was bankrupt, with debts in the millions of Yens when distributors returned mountain of unsold slot cars for credit. 

The ugly story, reported to me by Marusan President Eiji Kaminaga, is reported in detail in the new book.

[Gator Bob]

Were any production cars equipped with the AT-206?

 

I thought (for all these years) that they were an option only (sold separately) motor. 

No Atlas expert ... but always had a soft spot for them.  

 

Even built a 206 that I bought from AutoWorld in a 1/24 scratch in 89-90 .... complete with body clip mounting ... lol.

Wow  .. slow and Hot on a commercial track. I'll post some picks when I dig it out.

[Gator Bob]

Don, Thanks for the pics and the up-date on availability on the Cooper wind-screens.....  or is it deflector.. lol

[TSR]

First series Marusan Ferrari with those humongous knock-offs on featureless wheels:

 

 

Please note that the car is advertised with ball bearings on the motor and rear axle, but I think that it has oilites in both... to be verified!