179 replies to this topic

[Martin]

Matt, Its sitting at $230 now with tax and shipping.

I have bought a few Cox Lotus RTRs thinking I can make one this good I would be money and time ahead to buy mint.

I guess I still like the save and it is why I have almost no mint boxed cars. 

The restoration is the fun part for me.   

[MattD]

Sometimes I think I have "wasted" too much buying projects to build one really nice car.     I should have just stepped up and bought a really nice car and been done with it.   I actually am watching a car right now with that goal in mind.  Buy the nice restored car and sell the  couple of same car projects and probaby break even or come out a little ahead!!

 

I've lost count of how many Lotus' you have!!!

[Martin]

Me too, but I have all I will ever need or have time to finish.

 

Would like to do a AJ car with one of the beater bodies. Weather getting warm enough to paint outside lately.

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[Jean-Michel Piot]

It reminds me that I have several Fein Design Lotus 40 projects to work on (as this AJ Foot version is from Fein Design)... And Cox as well. And Strombecker...

 

Too much projects, not enough time.

 

And by the way I NEVER paint outside. Because of dust, wind ...

[Martin]

I would love to see your paint set up. I use a big box with a flap. Its just nice to keep the fumes outside.

The sun beats down on the box with the project inside like a small oven, probably gets 100f plus in there, keeps the spay can nice and warm too.

Jean-Michell, you reminded me of this Strombeker car.This is a pic of one I shot with a rattle can some time ago.

I do remember the number font was important to me to be correct.

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[don.siegel]

Very nice Martin. Gives me hope for my Strombecker Lotus 30 after all... 

Are those Cox wheels or did you find some other inserts? I don't remember the Strombecker ones looking like that! 

 

Don 

[Martin]

Thanks Don, good question. They are not inserts, Cox or Strombeker as I remember. But I do not remember what they are, sorry. But they are all aluminum, that much I know.

 

I did have to add some extra material at the bottom of the rear wheel arch's. Seems Strombecker cut it short for ease of molding I presume.

 

Found this pic to show the stock abbreviated rear fender. Other than that its a really well done body IMO.

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[MattD]

That is really nice Martin.   Best look Strom I've seen. 

 

Here is my spray setup for indoors.  About $15 at Walmart.   I have a home made lazy susan that I set bodies on so I can turn them.   The base is a block of wood with  several rows of 1/4 holes in it.    I have some 1/4 dowel rods cut that I put in the holes needed to make the body fit solidly.   

[Martin]

Nice set up Matt, this method does filter the air behind the car body. But my concern has always been you are pulling unfiltered air across your car body.

If you look at how they do a full size paint booth they pull in filtered air and then pull out filtered air.

This one has filtered air on top (more common in the door) coming in and and filtered air going out.

 

My old box has no forced air and that's why I spray outside. But I did build this one for indoor painting, mostly for small part like interiors, where unfiltered air is not such a big deal.

I can use this box inside as it sits down on a old hood fan at the back of my welding bench and that fan ducts the air outside. So this is similar to the way yours works.

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[MattD]

Your setup looks fine to me.   I spray in the utility room in the basement.    Haven't really ever had a dust problem like with painting a real car.     Basically no air movement,  no air hose raking the floor.    The painter is not moving around stirring up any dust.   Plus, I only use lacquer, so it does dry quick and does not set there wet for very long.     I pull thru a double thickness of filter to the fan on slow speed.     It works surprisingly good and the amount of paint we actually spray on these old cars is pretty minimal.

 

   

[Martin]

https://www.ebay.com...utorefresh=true

 

This will end up costing the buyer almost $400 with shipping and tax. The winning bid was $355.

Higher than I thought.

The good stuff commands value. Now back to my beaters

[MattD]

I didn't  see it going that high, but it is a nice piece.    You never know anymore.

[Martin]

A friend of ours ask how to tell if you have a real RTR.

"I do have a Lotus with steering - that would automatically be the RTR model, right? Unless it was added afterwards..."

My reply was this..........

The best ways to see if is a RTR model is (as you say) the steering, and of course the paper numbers plus the Cox logo on the front fender.

 

Other clues would be painted driver, glued in place, a mirror pointing at the sky and a minimum amount of glue on the other add on parts.

 

Look for glue residue or a witness (sometimes a lack of fading or a shinny spot) of where those numbers lived for some time.

 

I think this covers it, anybody got any other clues?

 

 

[don.siegel]

I'm the friend in question, and finally took out my Lotus to check. 

 

- Painted driver glued in place - check! 

- Steering unit with Ford GT wheels - check! 

- No decals or rearview mirrors, so kind of hard to check - check! 

- Some residue on sides and hood, but very inconclusive and not necessarily glue residue or in the right place... 

 

oh well... and the driver is glued in place, but looking closer I'm not sure he's factory painted - medium blue, white seat belts and helmet... 

 

No photo cause 1) I'm lazy, and 2) not sure I can capture the details needed... 

 

Don 

[Martin]

Hey Don, the driver would be molded blue. With painted white belts and helmet. Flesh for the face, silver goggles, dark brown or black cloves. Pretty plain really.

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[Martin]

Just for the record. This RTR just came up on e-bay. One more for your camp Matt

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[MattD]

Our counting kind of looks like it is about 50-50.    They must not have been too critical about the stickers, just make cars as fast as possible and get 'em out the door to all those Yankee kids with money!!!   

[Martin]

Here is a link to the auction.  This one looks like a great candidate for a nice RTR car.  Missing the mirror, which seems to always be missing. I need a couple myself. Brad has the headlight lenses I believe.

 

https://www.ebay.com...ED&ao=1&asc=201

 

I wonder what it will go for ?

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[Martin]

Just for the record here is another RTR with numbers on the fender, which does bring the count even at 18 on the door and 18 on the fender.

https://www.ebay.com...dEAAOSwBtZhLBE6

 

BTW the car in post 168 cost the buyer around $200 with tax and shipping.

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[MattD]

Sure looks like the number placement on these cars was about 50-50.    I am still thinking a decent rtr Lotus should be under $130 or so.   I think the Lotus was one of the top production cars Cox made.  They are super models, but don't seem to be nearly as desirable as the Cheetah or Chap 2.  While a lot of car prices are down the last few years, the Cox stuff has maybe gone up a little.  Maybe I keep thinking of  the prices from a few years ago.

[Martin]

I am surprised the RTR in post 168 went for so much, as it had a few soldering iron melts on the left front fender. Maybe the 2 formula cars helped it along?

 

This last one I posted is not restore-able as a RTR IMO.  But the chassis with steering is worth a bit.

$50-$60. What do you think?

 

There are 4 bidders raising the price by not waiting till the end.

[MattD]

It's not unusual to see an ackerman front end sell for $35-$50 by itself.    Also have the rest of the chassis, but the body is worthless and there is no trim other than the injectors that can be saved.  I see a $40-$50 car.  Guys are just driving it up for each other. I don't understand why anybody would bid early and just drive the price up for themselves.   Still best bet is to figure what you think it worth to you and bid the last 2 seconds and let the chips fall where they may.

[Bill from NH]

It's at $39.  10 bids by 5 bidders,\with 5 of 10 bides man by one person. Perhaps they're people without snipe programs.

[MattD]

5 bids by one person.  You don't think the seller is having a shill bidder run the price up???    Looks like the other bidders are playing right into his hands and bidding against the shill and each other to drive it up more than it's really worth.   It's not hard to figure out what is going on.

[Martin]

This is a shame, an other wise mint RTR car, but someone hacked up the rear wheel wells. Too bad.

Nice pics on E-bay now.

 

Its even got  the (always gone) mirror.

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