15 replies to this topic

[Steve Okeefe]

This group is (I believe) from 1962.  Of course, I could easily be wrong and if I am, I trust someone will not only point that out but provide the correct information.  Groups from succeeding  years will be posted separately by year.

 

What I'm looking for (for the chart) is manufacturer or vendor, part number and month and year first available to ordinary slot racers.

 

The photos:

 

 

This I believe is a very early Strombecker.  It is similar to the early Tradeship guide in that it has no "platform" for the braid. It is different from the early Tradeship guide because it has a brass post.

 

 

Another view from the top.  Unfortunately the camera focused on the top of the post!  Anybody know a date and part number?

 

 

Here's another guide I believe is a Strombecker.  It has  a partial platform and a brass post.  Anyone know a date and a part number?

 

 

Here's what looks like the same guide, but with a plastic post.

 

 

The two guides side by side.

 

 

A Strombecker Guide with a split-post.  This I believe was for home-set cars, but since I've already posted on the chart what is virtually the same guide with a solid post, it deserves to be shown here.

 

 

Side view of the same guide.  The split-post is clearly visible.

 

 

Here's a VIP guide. Literally a shoe that attaches to what is probably a steering mechanism.

 

More guides in the 1963 group.

[don.siegel]

Steve, 
 
The Strombecker brass post would be more like 1965, when they released their "Competition" cars with the Scuttler motor. The split post guide was indeed for the home set cars and also came in gray; very common items, probably from earlier than '62. 
 
No numbers for now, but I'll keep looking. 
 
Don

[Steve Okeefe]

Don,
 
I have no reason to doubt you on the dates, but wouldn't the design of the first guide be seriously obsolete in 1965? Not that the other two designs were much better....
 
FWIW, there's nothing in the advertising, or in any period retailer's catalog about any Strombecker guides. Lots of other parts, but no guides. Zilch.

[don.siegel]

I don't think so Steve, at least not any more than most other pickups at the time! 

 

I know these were the pickups used on the Scuttler powered 1/32 cars, and those were first announced in February 1965 in MCS. This one is listed in a 1966 Strombecker catalog I have, as No. 8467, "smooth delrin with brass swivel post....". Not sure where your plastic post version comes from! 

 

More interesting, this same catalog also lists a No. 8587, Quick-Change Pick-up, a two piece assembly in which a top plate and post slides into the guide blade assembly... don't think I've ever seen that! I can scan the page if you want. 

 

The 62 catalog lists a 9046 pick up, this one mounted behind the front axle in the plastic chassis with 15R motor, and spades on the motor leads go into the pickup.... There's also a pickup/steering assembly to convert the Strombecker 1/24 kits - will try to shoot all that! 

 

Don 

[Steve Okeefe]

Don,

 

I've been trying to stay focused on commercial 1/24 racing (including parts), and avoid getting too involved in parts for 1/32 homeset cars;  the 1/32 scene is a whole 'nother world! 

 

However, I do want to resolve this little mystery of the Strombecker guides and, I would never turn down a friendly offer of information!  Please post up or send as much of those Strombecker catalogs as you feel comfortable doing. 

[don.siegel]

Will do Steve; I'm pretty sure those brass post guides were also used on Strombecker's 1/24 cars with the Scuttler motor, but wlil have to check. And their guide to adapt the 1/24 model kits to slot cars is probably one of the first around.. .

 

Don

[don.siegel]

Here's the page from the 1966 Strombecker catalog with the two pickups - I've never seen that quick-change one! 

 

[TSR]

Don,

I do not believe that this "quick-change" pickup was ever issued. We would have seen one by now if it was.

Interestingly the gear puller in this ad is the same as fitted in some of the Midori kits, showing its Japanese origin... in fact, well over 50% of all "American" 1960s slot car parts were actually made in Japan or Hong Kong!

 

Also, Strombecker had from 1966, two very distinct product lines in the 1/32 scale: the "racing set" cars used the same bodies as the "raceway cars", but have vastly different chassis, wheels, motors and guides. This explains why the old push-on pickup seen on the early 1961-1962 cars was still being used on the very last 1972 racing-set cars.

Compared to that, MOST of the 1966 through 1968 "commercial raceways" kits and RTR models in both 1/24 and 1/32 scale use the black pickup with the 1/8" brass post.

 

Strombecker is a giant mess of confusion, from A to Z. I tried my best to establish some sense of it in the long chapter in the new book... and THINK that my product research and issuing info is over 95% accurate, but that last 5% is a toughie...

[don.siegel]

Ok, after looking through my Strombecker boxes... 

 

First, here's the 8467 from above, with the brass post. As far as I can figure out, this came with the first 1/32 "Competition" kits that had a Scuttler motor and brass chassis - I've added my Lotus 19 with this guide. And it was on the 1/24 Ferrari and Brabham F1 cars, also with Scuttler motor and a longer brass chassis. The one next to it, with the plastic post, also 1/8, but braid screwed in from the bottom, seems to have come on all their later 1/32 and 1/24 cars with the brass and aluminum/steel? chassis: Cheetah, Chaparral, etc. 

 

 

 

Now, back to more period appropriate hardware, first the H14 pickup to adapt Strombecker's 1/24 model kits to slot cars - that would make it 1961, or a year or two earlier or later....

 

 

 

Two more Strombecker packs from the period: the 9088 front end and pickup: looks like a 1/24 steering unit to me, but on the back there is listed a 9089, specifically to convert Strommie's model kits.... And the H15 pickup brushes... 

 

 

[don.siegel]

Don,

I do not believe that this "quick-change" pickup was ever issued. 

 

I don't think so either Philippe, but if you look closely at that H14 pickup, it's very similar in general layout, except that it has the two braided wires coming up through the post, and this feature was eliminated on the quick change, replaced by a regular post... Maybe they thought they could adapt the old mold and then thought better of it! 

 

Don

[TSR]

Possibly... I am very familiar with the H14 that still comes up on E-Pay time to time, it was of course designed to adapt the motorized static kits to slot use.

The black guide with black post instead of brass came in 1967 for the RTR versions of the kits, and I have to verify if any kits actually have that guide or if all kits have the one with the brass post. Not sure right now...

[don.siegel]

Philippe, I did in fact look in a couple of kits and that's where I found the guides with black plastic post (they come on a tree with other plastic parts).... now, these may have been French issues of the kits, so that could possibly change things, but just checked my US-sourced Cheetah and it's got the same guide...

 

Don 

[TSR]

Don,

good info, I will be checking on that further during my next visit to the LASCM.

[TSR]

Hunting through the LASCM maze of kits and parts yesterday, I report the following:

 

1/ Once the "standard" pickup was issued in 1962 (gray plastic, push-on style), it was used in most 1/32 scale kits until the end of 1965, then again in 1966 on 1/24-scale simplified racing-set models such as this Ferrari 330P2, here present in this rather scarce set that includes two cars and controllers:

 

 

These chassis were produced in two wheelbases to fit the various bodies:

 

 

Here is the guide, that pushes in the sheet-aluminum guide hole. It's wobbly-city in there...

 

 

2/ The 1965 1/32 scale kits with the 2-piece aluminum chassis use the same guides (not very visible here but please take my word for it):

 

 

 

3/ But the 1965 kits using the brass chassis and either the standard open-frame Igarashi motor or the Scuttler with the motor bracket cut off, use the guide with the 1/8" brass post as seen on this sealed kit of the Lotus 19...

 

 

 

... while the  1967 1/24 scale kits (meaning the ones with the gold chassis and added drop arm) use the same guide but now molded within the floating wheel bearings, with a 1/8" plastic shaft:

 

 

 

I still need to check the 1968 RTR cars in the "hexagonal" boxes, but I recall them having the guide with the brass post.

 

Strombecker is the most complex slot car company of them all. Yesterday, Scott and I reviewed the Strombecker sub-chapter in the new book and their story goes on for many pages and an incredible variety of products...

[Steve Okeefe]

Philippe,

 

You're making my head spin...

 

Note that in the 1965 Lotus 19 kit you show above - with one with the brass chassis and Scuttler motor - there is a brass post guide that has the braid mounting screws on the front edge.  This is different than the 1967 example you show which has the braid mounting screws on top.

 

Please let us know what you find in the "hexagonal" boxes; there's one guide design still unaccounted for. It's a guide that looks like the 1967 plastic post example you show except it has a brass post and braid mounting screws on top.

[TSR]

Steve,

Yes, the two guides ARE different, the one with the brass post and the one with the plastic post. Actually, EVERYTHING about Strombecker and their astounding number of products in the 1960s would make anyone lose their mind...

I will check the RTR cars in greater detail next time, but we are in full reading-correction of the book pages, so there is little time for anything else right now...