23 replies to this topic

[TSR]

Shades of the "To Tell the Truth" TV show of the late 1960s, so many "Pactra Jupiter" cars out there, but so few that are real...

Copies are generally made from either real Pactra clear plastic bodies or replicas, but all the ones I have seen so far fail to capture the depth of that incredible gold color of the real thing. There is a good reason for that, so few real ones are out there in decent shape to make a good copy, and many survivors have had serious sunburn, turning their gorgeous color into a pale reflection of what it once was...
 
So here is the real thing, and for starters, it does not sit on a Pactra chassis, but one produced by their sister company, Competition Hobbies in Santa Ana. However it is listed as a Pactra model in the series, creating real confusion for the collector.

It is likely to have been briefly available in the early 1967, and there was probably a single run of both the kit and RTR versions. I have as yet to see one in either the kit or RTR box...

The RTR is fitted with a cardboard insert glued on the inside of the body and sporting a driver's head.

The car is likely to have been designed after a record-setting "lakester" from the early 1960s, but which one is still a mystery at this time.
 

 

 

 

 

 
So what is it really, the reproduction of a real car, or a fantasy? 

[SlotStox#53]

Who knows? That color is just beautiful   And the body shape is pretty sweet, too.

[Hworth08]

No doubt it's a re-po of the real car. I remember five or six of them running around town when I was a kid. Someone in our church had one as I'd see it in the parking lot every Sunday morning.

 

I think that's what I remember. Maybe?

[Lone Wolf]

I was always puzzled by Pactra's use of that single rear pin mount on their cars. Makes them look homemade in a sense. Whatever it is, it's beautiful. Hard to find without tire "smoke" and a split body at the rear.
 
Since I do not have an original I cannot verify, the interior attachment looks a little suspect but the card looks aged. Is that hot glue holding it in? How was it done on the original?

[havlicek]

I think Sir Malcolm would approve (except maybe for the color!).  

 

-john

[TSR]

Since I do not have an original I cannot verify, the interior attachment looks a little suspect but the card looks aged. Is that hot glue holding it in? How was it done on the original?

 

Not hot glue. Instead, typical 1960s cellulose-based hobby glue out of a tube, that has turned a nice shade of clear yellow with age... since the LASCM has several of these cars and they are all done the same way, it looks to us that it was factory.

 

The kits would of course not have that installed unless the troubled assembler would have done so!

 

The others in the collection are not in the nice shape this one is... it does not appear to have ever been used.
 

[Jaak]

Very nice.

Also like the chassis it seems pretty straightforward.
Does the front axle tube sit in a solid piece of brass?

Thanks for sharing.

[don.siegel]

Nice car, nice photos Philippe. 

 

To me that looks a lot more "Buck Rogers" inspired than any kind of Lakester.... 

 

Don 

[Pablo]

Is it considered blasphemy to cut the wheel wells out on a Jupiter to allow for as much width as can reasonably be attained ?

[don.siegel]

Yes, but why bother? 

 

Don 

[Pablo]

Because I want it to handle a lot more power than a stock 1966 Mabuchi

[don.siegel]

For what it's worth, about half of all the Astro Vs I see on ebay have the rear wheel wells cut out... but not enough Jupiters to get a good sample! 

 

Don 

[Gary Bluestone]

Pablo, If you want to make a modified Jupiter, start out with a repro body, but cutting an original destroys a piece of history. Our job is to preserve these relics for the future, so they can be displayed on Jupiter !

[Pablo]

Thanks Don   Gary, I agree 100%, but (I should have specified) my build will use a reproduction body. (I wouldn't cut an original)

 

The only way to get a full, useable 3 inches of wheel widths on this body is to cut the wheelwells.  So I'm going for it.

Unless the VP show up   But they better have a warrant or else they can't come in. The guard dogs won't permit it.

 

P.S. If anybody has painting tips on how to mimic the Gold/Yellow fade job on the lacscm.com Pactra Jupiter body, I'm all ears.....

[Bill from NH]

The museum's body pictures appear to be a yellow paint backed with silver. I wouldn't know how close the pictures are to the actual body.You might try a translucent yellow backed with gold. Usually translucent colors will look 'warmer' backed with gold than when backed with silver.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Bill

[beardogracing]

[Pablo]

That should be easy to paint, thanks Chris, I'm on it

[MattD]

It was actually a "candy" color, transparent gold backed by silver. Pactra actually made a paint that did this, it painted on transparent with silver on the under side. It could be done today with the transparent colors available.

Our job is to save this for the future, huh. I hope somebody in the future cares. Kind of kidding! There might be a few, very few souls that care about this stuff in 75-100 years.

[Pablo]

you mean "living" souls. right?

 

Professor Fate said "They are all doomed"

[CoastalAngler1]

I bet House of Kolor has a candy color that will get you reel close.

[Pablo]

What if I told you I'm thinking of adding a little yellow to some gold ?

Maybe some fade action with a darker gold ?

[CoastalAngler1]

spray a few test samples.  We always sprayed the color on a test card before spraying 1:1 cars.  spot repair is the name of the game in 1:1. candy colors are the most difficult to match. btw - the clear plastic on vintage cars is not that clear.  that's what makes the creamy, deep effect.  try a coat of clear between your candy and silver and possibly use 2 colors of clear. the only candy spot repair I did, I painted the whole side of the car.  

[endbelldrive]

It looks similar to House of Kolor's Candy Aztec Gold.