25 replies to this topic

[David Grossman]

Hi all

 

I'm David, a brand new member. I've been following the blog for a little while. Reading the posts here has brought back so many great memories of racing slot cars with my father and older brother back in the '60s. In fact, it motivated me to pull out all our old slot cars and accessories. I actually sold a couple to a friend, but decided to hold on to the rest for now, at least until I know what they are. While at some point I may decide to sell some of them (at which time I plan to post them in the appropriate place, the Racer Swap Shop, for which I will be glad to pay the 5% to Slotblog), I am posting here for two reasons:

1) I would appreciate help in identification of my collection of built or partial cars, so I know what I have. While in many cases it is pretty obvious what the car is, i.e. Cox 1/24 Cheetah, but I'm interested to know what is original on the cars, what has been changed, and what those changes are. In other words, if all seems original on the car except for the motor, could you also advise as to what kind of motor it was replaced with?

Also, my dad was a scratchbuilder and motor rewinder (as they called it back then), so some of the cars may be a complete mystery to me.

Let me emphasize that I am not asking for any suggestions on what a car is worth! If you know something of the history, popularity, scarceness, composition, etc., of any of them, that's the kind of information I'm looking for. And thank you in advance.

 

2) I have so much enjoyed reading slot car stories and looking at others cars that I thought I would share them with the community here.

I also have a bunch of partial kits and spare parts that I'm hoping to get help with also, but I'll start with the cars because they are so much fun to look at.

 

Since I am a new member, this is my first post, and the pictures are so large, I'll be limited to ten posts for a few days, with only one picture per post.

 

This first pictures are just for fun, a picture of one of my dad's homemade wooden cases, loaded as I found it after all these years. This first one is a picture of the outside of the case.

 

I made this first post and tried to attach a picture but it did not appear. I will research this, see what I did wrong, and try again. Or if someone wants to help, that would be great.

[David Grossman]

Looks like maybe I figured it out.

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Success.

 

I'll post pics of two cars at a time so as not to be too confusing.

 

These first two seem to be MPC. The orange one is a Mako Shark, and the red one appears to be the same chassis with a Banshee body. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Nice how it changes the orientation of my pictures!

 

Couple more Banshee followed by what I think is a Gar Vic Ocelot with a different body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Looking back at my own pictures, it appears as if the Banshee chassis is slightly different from the Mako Shark.

 

These next two seem to be a Russkit 1965 Lotus 40 and a scratchbuilt car:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

This will be my last post for now, since I am limited to ten a day and I want to be able to respond to any replies as necessary.

 

I call this the "Green Rat Fink" since I don't know what it is, and it has the Rat Fink decal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Racer36]

Very cool stuff. Thanks for posting.

[MattD]

Where to start?  

 

The red Banshee is probably a home painted clear body mounted on an MPC Mako Shark chassis. The red Mako/Corvette style car is a factory built MPC Mako.  Home painted Chaparral 2D in candy apple red with a blue Gar-Vic chassis under it; this is the red body with silver on the inside.   

 

Top tray of the box, left to right:

First car is a blue Lola GT with scratchbuilt brass frame and Russkit motor. Might be a frame kit or might be completely homemade.

Second car is a Russkit Lotus 40 factory or kit built (probably) car. This one is a collector car with some interest.

Third car looks to be a Monogram hard body Ferrari with a brass chassis and red motor, if that is  what it looks like underneath.

Fourth car is Bat Ray body, another home built car.

 

Second tray:

First green open wheeler is a Cox BRM, built from a kit, likely.

Second red car looks like a Russkit sharknose Ferrari, which it may be. Factory kit, likely.

Third car looks to be a K&B Ford GT, another kit built car.

Fourth car is another Ferrari, maybe Monogram; need to see what is underneath

Fifth car is a Cobra Daytona Coupe, looks to be a vac body which would make it either Monogram or a home built car.

Last car is a "thingie." I'm not well versed in a lot of those, but I think this was a "Hornet," the chassis is Dynamic, this is another home built car. Other guys here more knowledgeable about a few of these things and they will correct any mistakes.

 

To identify, all you really need is a pic of the top of the car and one pic of the bottom. For ID purposes all the detail shots aren't needed.

 

The controllers are just old controllers.

 

Nothing here real collectable to avid collectors, except maybe the Russkit Lotus. This group of cars is worth more to you for memories that  what you can sell them for. Average price for a lot of those cars would be $25-40, probably.

[don.siegel]

I can confirm what Matt said - as usual, he's spot on! 

 

The chassis on the Lola is definitely a factory one, by Associated I believe - you finished soldering yourself, once you had set the wheelbase. 

 

This series of Russkit Carrera sidewinder (and inline) cars was very popular, and are excellent performers! The Lotus 40 was probably the best rendition of this car done by any slot car manufacturer, and really captures the look of the real car. The Lotus 40 is also one of the many slot cars that was a lot more popular and successful as a slot car than as a real car! 

 

Very typical group of ca 1965-66 slot cars, starting with the kits then going to modified and scratch or semi-scratchbuilt. Nice carrying case too, your dad did a good job! 

 

Don 

[David Grossman]

Mattb, thanks for the input.

 

Next are a Rannali Chaparral, red Ferrari, and unknown Chap? Without seeing the underside, Mattb thought the Ferrari may be a Monogram, but looking at it I might guess that it is an Atlas. Ferrari in nice shape, Rannali Chap is yellowed and beat up a bit. The "unknown Chap" I am obviously unsure of. Any help on this one would be greatly appreciated. I'll post a picture of the underside in my next post.

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Wow, didn't realize how poor of a picture that was for the underside of the Ferrari. Here is a better one along with the underside of the "unknown Chap."

 

Also included are a beat up Testors Plymouth "Hemi" Special, and the first of two of a Renwal Mercer.

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Thanks, Don.

 

I have the box from the Russkit Lotus 40, it was definitely a kit my dad built.

 

Here is another of the Renwal, a couple of the orange thingie from the case pictures , and a couple of a Cox Cheetah which I will refer to as Cheetah 7, since I have another Cheetah with a different number.

 

 

 

 

 

[TSR]

Matt and Don made all the right comments, I would like to rectify one sentence:

"The red Banshee is probably a home painted clear body mounted on an MPC Mako Shark chassis."

This car, if it had not been modified, would have been the most valuable in the lot. Why? Because it is not a home painted clear body, but a factory job with factory stripe. It originally was an early factory-built Banshee RTR with the rare side decals, that were produced in a very limited number before that decal was dropped. Besides that, the red color with that decal is scarce. Whatever happened to the chrome plated steel chassis is not important since these are rather common.

 

But as it is now...

 

So as Matt said, there is little value there, and if these are your dad's, if it were me I would keep them as a memory of a part of his life that must have been a lot of fun.

Your "unknown Chap" appears to be a Monogram Ford GT roadster.

 

[don.siegel]

Hmm, my interim comment seems to have disappeared! 

 

Anyway, thanks for that info Philpppe - wouldn't have known that! 

 

The Cox Cheetah looks mostly stock and in good shape - just has the rear tires and maybe wheels replaced, a very standard operation since the stock Cox tires weren't too great on most tracks (and especially on my raceway's formica surface, where they wouldn't even make it around the banking!).

 

Don 

[don.siegel]

PS: it didn't disapppear - I just never hit "post"! 

 

Yep, Ferrari Atlas. 

 

The Ford GT Spyder is a Monogram. 

 

Then Plymouth Hemi by Testors/Testor! 

 

And a Renwal Revival Deusenberg (will double check that...), (and David had already indicated it was a Mercer!) (but I like Deusys!)

 

Don 

[Cheater]

David, please keep posting, as I have upped the daily limit for new members (which is in place to keep a new member from "flooding" the forum upon joining).

[Cheater]

David's Renwal is indeed the Mercer 'revival.'

[David Grossman]

Thanks for all the input!

 

Russkit Sharknose Ferrari and Cox Cheetah 3.

 

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Lancia Ferrari, not sure which one, looks like drivers head, windshield, etc., were never attached.

 

Atlas Ford GT Le Mans. (1/32)

 

 

 

 

[don.siegel]

MPC Dyn-O-Charger, world's fastest production slot car! 

[David Grossman]

Cheetah 3 with box, box from Atlas Ford GT Le Mans.

 

Also Cobra Daytona Coupe that may be scratchbuilt. Also is 1/32.

 

 

 

 

[David Grossman]

Rannalli Lotus Riverside and Cox BRM.

 

 

 

 

[MattD]

I've never had any Atlas cars, maybe one or two, but not enough to ever get learn much about them.  

 

That Atlas Ferrari is a very nice looking body and is a great looking version of that car.    

 

The Banshee with decals was a new one to me, I couldn't figure out where the decals came from!    

 

The 1/32 Cobra is Auto Hobbies.    

 

The Cox Cheetahs are very nice builds.

 

All nice bunch of memories to keep unless you need money!  If they were my Dad's I would keep them.

 

This is fun to have a quiz like this so me and Don can show how we have wasted the last few years!!

[don.siegel]

Several years of very serious multi-discplinary study you mean, Matt! 

 

I'd be interested in seeing the rest of the chassis on the Cobra GT - kind of looks like a brass pan screwed to a Dynamic chassis, which would be a standard solution in the Midwest - and I see you're from Michigan, David.

 

Was your dad in one of the big slot clubs at the time? We know about a lot of them because a guy named Pete Hagenbuch was the Midwest correspondent for Car Model magazine and covered these races and clubs for the magazine... 

 

Don 

[TSR]

"I'd be interested in seeing the rest of the chassis on the Cobra GT - kind of looks like a brass pan screwed to a Dynamic chassis, which would be a standard solution in the Midwest - and I see you're from Michigan."

Makes sense since that chassis is a slightly modified... "Midwest" production chassis. It came in a baggie with the Dynamic motor bracket and the brass pan.