66 replies to this topic

[Peter Davison]

The controller was most likely made in New Zealand. There's still quite a lot of injection molding companies around.

 

On SlotForum Bernard Sampson shows a near-mint Hurricane set under Slotcar sets from New Zealand thread in the vintage section.

[TSR]

Peter,

 

Thanks!

 

I have never seen a box for the Ford GT but I have seen a car with the same very basic chassis and that ugly HIT motor of which quality is suspect...

 

 

Atlas also used that motor in their cheap kits.

[Peter Davison]

Gold Cup - ex Christchurch, best I can do is Hobday's Cycles, 1067 Colombo St. North, Christchurch. No longer exists.

 

Price list as before.

 

 

 

Typical package.

 

 

They called this pile a chassis - never seen a straight one yet.

 

 

They sold these in the '70s & '80s???

 

 

 

1/24 rear wheels and tires.

 

 

Clear bodies.

 

[TSR]

Ugh! That's ugly! 

 

That chassis is not the most elegant thing I have seen...

[Peter Davison]

Philippe

 

More images of Lightning Cobra

Note change of motor

Body has separate sides in the same way as Revell Corvette, etc.

 

[Peter Davison]

Philippe

 

RSL Ford GT box - kit no. H102

 

 

 

 

Ends are the same as are the sides

 

Peter

[TSR]

Peter, thanks!

Now you need to find two intact kits (the Porsche and the Ford)  for the LASCM... 

[Peter Davison]

Yes, I know

[Peter Davison]

Hi Phillipe

 

More Lightning updates

I recently acquired some Lightning kits mint in original packaging

First up what I will call Series 2 Corvette & Daytona Cobra kits

Kits are packaged in a plastic bag, less motor with recommendations on header card as opposed to the boxed Series 1

 

Next up Bagged Corvette & Daytona Cobra body kits. Same packaging as before, but with a sticker on the back of some cards 'Milverton Agencies, 391 Main Street, Palmerston North. A North Island regional city.

 

Next up are what I will call Series 3 kits

Lola 530

Ford C100

Shadow D.N.8 Jaguar XJS

1976 Coyote Indy

Card includes instructions

 

Next some clear bodies - no idea who made them, but would be local

Silverbird Pontiac??

Boss Mustang

Matra 670C

 

Lastly 3 decal sheets

 

The small sheet with Plymouth etc is a mystery - any ideas on the #15 - the sheet without numbers can be seen in the Cobra boxed kit. Interesting that K&B Super Challenger decal!

 

I believe the bagged kits were made up by Milverton Agencies & are not directly ex Lightning.

The carded kits do not have a name other than Lightning, but the clear body cards have the Distributed by Milverton Agencies etc. printed at the bottom

It would appear that Milverton may have taken over the brand & possibly purchased all the stock

These series 2 & 3 kits use alloy wheels instead of the early brass ones & are all supplied less motor

 

 

 

 

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[Peter Davison]

Phillipe

 

Will send you body kits & some other assorted items

 

Need an address for LASCM or do I send care of Electric Dreams

 

Regards

Peter

 

[Peter Davison]

Hi Philippe

 

My sincere apologies for misspelling your name

 

Regards

Peter

[TSR]

Peter,

no problem at all, Tony P and I have had this problem all our lives! 
I will PM you the LASCM's coordinates for shipping and thnk you very much on behalf of the museum, that I hope you will some day be able to visit.

[TSR]

Peter,

Very interesting pictures... the Plymouth decal is a copy of the AMT decal sheet for the 1/32 scale Plymouth-McKee rear-engine car that ran in the mid 1960s in some USRRC races in the USA.

The Silverbird Pontiac was a version of the Pontiac Firebird T/A with a huge decal of a bird on its hood... an American thing for the Burt Reynolds types...

Looks like Lightning was in business in the late 1970s, quite new information for me and just in time as we are finalizing our long-awaited book!

The full kits are similar to the British RiKo and BMW Models.
Thanks again for the pics and info. 

[Peter Davison]

Yes! The cards are even the same color. They still have the Revell chassis though.

Must have been lots of stock.

 

 

[Peter Davison]

Have lots of those decals, even have an AMT McKee somewhere.

 

Will definitely visit the museum at some stage, just a matter of timing & getting to Los Angeles

 

The Cobra body is still a mystery, in the Vintage bodies K&B thread the Cobra is not the same, it could well have been copied & altered here in NZ

 

The Series 3 kits would have been produced with any of the clear bodies they produced, so could have been 50 or so variations, I have never seen a Milverton price list, but I live in hope

 

Regards

Peter

[SlotStox#53]

Awesome items! Those series "3" full kits really do resemble the RiKo kits ! Great finds Peter & some more awesome additions to the Museum Gonna have to try and make it to the LASCM & just stare in wonder at all the priceless slot cars etc

[TSR]

The Cobra body is still a mystery, in the Vintage bodies K&B thread the Cobra is not the same, it could well have been copied & altered here in NZ

 

It is likely Japanese but I have had no time to check it out. Since it bolts onto the Revell chassis, the mounting posts have to match, and there lies the mystery. If peter could show us a picture of the inside of the body, it would likely help resolve this... (hint, hint... )

[Peter Davison]

Hi Philippe

 

Body pics as requested

The only markings are on the clear window insert 'Cobra GT 669'

 

 

 

As you can see, 5 piece body plus flat interior, no driver body only his head

 

Best regards

 

Peter

[TSR]

Peter, thanks! It will definitely help the necessary research. Let's not eliminate the possibility of domestic production...

[TSR]

First, I would like to thank Peter Davison here, for a great lesson in New Zealand slot car history. Moreover, Peter made a donation to the LASCM of a variety of these products, including Lightning Corvette and Cobra body kits, two 1970's complete Lightning car kits and assorted bagged spares. This is very generous of Peter, and we greatly appreciate his kindness.

Indeed the only Lightning kit we had was that of the Corvette, that uses American Revell parts as well as what are likely Japanese bits. Only, before Peter let us know, we had no clue of where it was made, as nothing on the kit or instructions gives a hint!
Peter, many thanks!

 

These are great additions to the few vintage slot car items in the LASCM collection, an RSL Porsche and the Lightning Corvette kit seen below:

 

 

 

 

[Peter Davison]

Hi Philippe

 

More exciting Lightning news!!!

 

I was bemused by them copying the AMT McKee decals. However this has been resolved in dramatic fashion.

On our local auction site this appeared

 

A kit in what I refer to as series 2 box using copies of the 1/32nd scale AMT vacformed bodies

I have never seen or heard of this item before, certainly never seen any of the bodies

What looks like a GT40 body on the chassis has been very poorly painted, I suppose 'painted' is the word to use, & looks to have 1/24th scale rear wheels & tires

 

I guess this is the GT40 decal sheet that was also copied - not a great image as hard to photograph white on a light background

 

 

Also of interest is the wording "Manufactured by Bruce Printing Company Limited, New Zealand"

 

Today I obtained more items from a barn on a local farm

 

A box full of decals - disregard the Auto World HO sets - there are literally hundreds of sheets in the box

 

200+ Corvette drivers

 

Box of chassis - mainly rear end only

 

Bags of tires - front & rear

 

By the way sending you the Lightning items was my pleasure, only way I know of preserving these things

 

Will continue with another post

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Davison]

Back again

 

Further to the twin body kit, note that the bodies are pre-painted.

I doubt that they were genuine AMT items as we had plenty of locals making vacformed bodies, I am also of the view that the Cobras were moulded locally. I saw a box full of body sides today, & the kits used the red Revell driver head

 

 

I also saw but did not photograph the steel mould for Lightning tires - 2 of each per shot - I'll get an image if not the mould itself

 

Furthur interesting items

 

Despatch sticker from Bruce Industries, bugs have eaten it!

 

More accessories

 

A chassis repackaged on 'Milverton Hardware' backing card. I guess after Milverton Agencies acquired the stock. Bearings look to be nylon or delrin, not oilites

 

Some of the rubber stamps used to mark the packaging

 

The question is, did Milverton Agencies also repackage Gold Cup parts???

 

That's it for now, anything new & I'll update

 

Regards

Peter

 

[SlotStox#53]

Some great finds there Peter !

[sub006]

Maybe it's the lens, but that green body doesn't look like a Ford GT at all to me.  But great to see how the slot passion was worldwide.  Thanks for the samples and additional photos, Peter!

[Peter Davison]

Hi Jim

 

May not be but I have acquired the lot & will be able to clarify. Paint is all over the widows by the look of it.

 

Peter