132 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

Glad you're enjoying the thread, Gary.

Only have a couple of more pics from the last visit to post, but I should have some more stuff after we get back together in two weeks.

[Cheater]

Most of you will know that Bob Rule and Rick Jordan moved on from Champion to start BoLINK and enter the R/C car business, but how many know that Champion made an R/C car?

 

Production was quite limited, according to Bob: a single prototype kit and here it is:

 

 

 

[Cheater]

Stumbled across this today on page 40 of the 1968 Champion Catalog...
 
Looks the same to me...
 
Don't know if Champion ever solved their warpage problem, or if they ever actually sold any. But, it's in the catalog.

Steve,

In response to my emailed question, Bob replied:
 

That's it but it was never released.

[Cheater]

Here's a tray containing mostly chassis, most of which are Champion production items, though there are a couple of scratchbuilts as well.

 

 

One of the more interesting items on this tray is the 26D motor set-up to drive a propeller via a spur gear.

 

Also note the pink anodized Champion jig wheel set in the lower RH corner. Like just about everything Champion produced, these were high quality items.

[S.O. Watt]

I still have my two Champion slate blocks, one drilled, but they don't look as pristine as Gator Bob's on either side of them. Still in use 44+ years later.

And the "other Tom Thumb"... I remember stopping in there in '70 with Cukras and Zimmerman, they had a killer blue King plus a Purple Mile.

[Cheater]

Here's a picture of a track that obviously was used in some sort of Champion printed display or catalog, as it is marked on the margin with a reduction percentage.
 

 
Bob told me where this track was located in Atlanta, but I can't remember what he said. (As you might imagine, my two-hour visit with Bob led to a bit of information overload; I was snapping pics and not taking notes like I probably should have been doing, too.). Bob's following this thread and hopefully he will post the info I can't remember.
 
Clearly this is not an American Model Raceways track, even though the thin sides seem to be Formica, as evidenced by the reflections of the stools. The shininess of the racing surface is interesting, too. Anyone recognize the builder?
 
Looks like a nice, compact design. I've never seen a track like this.

[slotcarone]

That track looks like it is floating in mid-air!!! Don't see anything holding it up. Looks like the surface may be black Formica.

[Tex]

Yup. With a nice application of spray-glue, geared 9/29, that thing would be punched except for the flatter 180 after that banked 180. Heck, maybe even that "flatter" 180 would be punched after that banked 180 bogs the motor some.

[Hworth08]

Only a guess but the track might have been built by Mille Miglia. They were fiberglass, one-piece affairs where the walls radiused to the fiberglass mat racing surface. All molded in one peice from skirt to skirt. Some the sections might be 20 to 30 feet long also.

[Bob Rule]

That track was built right here in Atlanta by the owner of Highland Lumber Company (Ed Taylor) and four other local businessmen. It was all Formica. The AJ's silicone slicks worked like they were made for the track. We later made our own rubber tires with our own taper lock system on the wheels. (All of this is from memory some 46 years ago so forgive any errors in my story.)
 
I am gathering up a lot of old Arco race pictures to loan Phillippe for his book. Maybe I'll find more info on the track but it was built here in Atlanta for sure.

[sub006]

Cool race case, brave management, they'd have to move thousands of 'em at what, $3.00 net (?) each to pay for the tooling alone.  By 1968 there must have been a lot of cancelled catalog items as commercial raceways were dying like flies and the industry's retail market continued to contract.

[Gator Bob]

I think Bob told me this was the original Group 20 kit. The handwritten label suggests its a trade show display item until you notice the printing mark-up notes in red and the little piece of yellowed cellophane tape on the edge.

The label reads ""Special GROUP 20 KIT - You'll have no fuss, no muss, no arguing and no one left out. Just loads of fun, lots of laughs, and the best class of racing ever. (Retail value of contents $22.50 - now an affordable $14...)

No arguing... right! That's worth the $19.95 cost right there if it worked. LOL!

Gotta love the fact that the kit includes a square of "tuning" lead...

 
Very nice!

The pans on that would make it a pre-production or very early version. First one I've ever seen.
 
Bob and Greg, this is wonderful. Thanks for (and keep-on) sharing the pictures and the stories!
 

Most of you will know that Bob Rule and Rick Jordan moved on from Champion to start BoLINK and enter the R/C car business, but how many know that Champion made an R/C car?
 
Production was quite limited, according to Bob: a single prototype kit and here it is:

 
And sponsored a 1:1 Monte Carlo SS AeroCoupe in ARCA car IIRC. 
 
"I'm Faster Now"  
 
====================================================================
 
He are some pics of the jig block - this one came to me from the collection of Mr. Robert E. Kling.


 

 

[Gator Bob]

We later made our own rubber tires with our own taper lock system on the wheels. (All of this is from memory some 46 years ago so forgive any errors in my story.)

 
That track is so very nice. Kind of a cross between a Flat track, punch bowl, and Hillclimb wanna-be. Two lifts and two blips?
 
I got the right tires... and... I want to try it out.

Hey Bob...  here is a memory jog of those tires. 
 
CP-340 on the left.

[Bill from NH]

That track was built right here in Atlanta by the owner of Highland Lumber Company (Ed Taylor) and four other local businessmen.

 

Bob, would Highland Lumber also be associated with Highland Hardware, currently in Atlanta? I've mailordered woodworking tools a number of times from Highland Hardware.

[Bob Rule]

That track looks like it is floating in mid-air!!! Don't see anything holding it up. Looks like the surface may be black Formica.

 

That track looks like it is floating in mid-air!!! Don't see anything holding it up. Looks like the surface may be black Formica.

Right on the money, Mike. It was black Formica.

[Bob Rule]

Bob, would Highland Lumber also be associated with Highland Hardware, currently in Atlanta? I've mailordered woodworking tools a number of times from Highland Hardware.

 

Bob, would Highland Lumber also be associated with Highland Hardware, currently in Atlanta? I've mailordered woodworking tools a number of times from Highland Hardware.

Bill, I am not sure. What is the street address for them? I this Highland may be out of business (track builder Highland).

[Bill from NH]

Bob, their address is: 1045 North Highland Ave NE  Atlanta, Georgia 30306. I was just curious if it was the same family. They've always been great to deal with.
 

[Rusty Pinion]

Toco Hills had black formica tracks If my memory is correct. Wonder if the same guy built them?

[Bob Rule]

Yes, Toco was the first they built. Did not build many, three or four max. I'll try and dig up some more info and maybe more pics.

[Bob Rule]

Bob, their address is: 1045 North Highland Ave NE  Atlanta, Georgia 30306. I was just curious if it was the same family. They've always been great to deal with.

 
I'll look into it. I'll call them. Do not think it is the same one but the track builder was on North Highland and owned by Ed Taylor.

[MSwiss]

Those guys (the track builders) looked they really knew their stuff, with a Formica surface with that many banked turns, and the degree of banking.

[Cheater]

Here's a another Champion prototype product that never made it to market: a controller for R/C planes, to be sold under the Champion Electronics brand, it seems.

 

 

Bob indicated that this controller (is that what the R/C flyers call them?) isn't unique. There are exactly two of them in existence: Rick Jordan has the other one.

[Cheater]

And this plastic tub contains Bob's bagged controller collection. Most, but not all, are thumb controllers, including some with microswitches installed. I can't recall ever seeing a thumb controller with micros, only the later Parma gun-style controllers.

 

Some of the items in this collection are just handles, usually mold samples. There are also a couple of Dave Bloom painted handles...

 

 

Maybe on a future visit we can unbag these and do a thread on the more unusual ones.

[zipper]

... including some with microswitches installed. I can't recall every seeing a thumb controller with micros, only the later Parma gun-style controllers.

 

At least Airfix/MRRC did them, "Clubman Special" 5/7.5/10 ohms I think - the switches were pretty basic and fragile.

[Cheater]

Zipper,

 

I'm not certain we're speaking of the same thing.

 

The mircoswitches I referred to are full-power and brake micros arranged to bypass the sliding contact on the resistor, thus lowering the overall resistance in the power and brake circuits, theoretically giving better performance in both situations.

 

Your reference to "7/7.5/10 ohms" makes me think you are referring to a controller with "switchable" resistance values.

 

Can you elaborate?