40 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

I won an old slot car box on eBay. Unfortunately was full of mostly junk. A few pair of nice Riggen wheels and tires but all the motors were junk and there were no good cars or controllers. They were probably sold off separately. Too bad as I think it would have been nice to keep them with this box. Here is one of the eBay pictures of "Mike's Box":



Since I paid way too much for a box of mostly junk I took a second look at the box itself. It was in pretty good shape and nice and light in construction for this old guy to haul around. I have two beautiful new custom-made boxes but they are built like Fort Knox and weigh a ton... EMPTY!

The thing really stunk from mold so I sprayed it down with a bleach solution and scrubbed it clean. The old varnish was still good and I've watched enough Antiques Roadshow on TV to know that those twin guys get pissed when you dink with the original finish .

I had to replace all the hardware as there was no finish left, just rust. I found the exact same hinges and latch. The corner pieces are the same style but a little larger:







The handle was another story. It had a different hole pattern so I made brass plates to cover up the old holes:



Inside the box I found the rest of "Mike's" name plate and a first place plaque from Ridge Raceway"









Is anyone familiar with Ridge Raceway? The Cobra and NIMRA stickers suggest an Eastern origin. I Googled "Ridge, NY" and got a positive hit. The eBay seller was in Wilton, CT.

[tonyp]

I raced at Ridge. It was in Rye NY... I think.

Blue King and I believe an Engleman 180'.

It was the place we ran at for a while after Nutley closed.

[dc-65x]

Hi Tony,

Whoever Mike was he won at least one race there. All the stuff in the box looks to be 1967 or older. Did Nutley close well after that?

[dc-65x]

I received a PM about where to find the hardware I used so I thought I'd share the info here:

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

The hinges are the smaller:

90 degree stop hinges

[Joe Aquino]

I have been tempted to purchase an old pit box on eBay, but I was worried that most of the stuff inside would be junk.

I don't know what you paid for the box, but you did a nice restoration on it.

Joe

[trailerkeith]

Ridge Raceway was in Port Chester (now Rye Brook), NY, under a bowling alley that's no longer there. I remember in the mid '80s seeing the tracks still there in really bad shape. I believe they made kindling out of them in someone's fireplace about '86-87. Too bad the space is now gone (a CVS is on its spot now) because in the late '80s-early '90s a few tracks opened in the area and did okay for a bit here in Westchester County.

I don't know about Cobra in the Bronx, I remember for a bit a raceway being open on Eastchester Road by Einstein hospital for a bit in the late '80s-early '90s. They had a nice King and a Hillclimb, I believe.

Nice box, good find on eBay.

Enjoy!

[TSR]

I don't know about Cobra in the Bronx...

You are probably too young but Cobra was a major force in the hobby between 1965 and 1973. Cobra had a racing team with two of the hottest racers ever, Howie Ursaner and Sandy Gross, nicknamed "the Gold Dust Twins" as they kept winning the big ones then.

Cobra produced chassis, motors and parts, even produced the cutest little HO cars called "Cobramite", and were firmly established over the East Coast. They ceased activity in 1973 as the hobby entered its darkest period.

Cobra has a chapter in my new book with pictures of many of their now scarce products.

[tonyp]

Rick,

Nutley closed in late 1970 or early 1971. I remember I was attending drafting school at the time...

[Ron Hershman]

Cobra has a chapter in my new book with pictures of many of their now scarce products.

Did you ever discuss Cobra and/or Phaze III with Roy Crawley???

[TSR]

No, only with Lou Graziano and Howie.

[tonyp]

Wasn't Roy a partner, they had a dispute and he started Ferret, because ferrets eat cobras, later to become Phaze III or something like that?

Jerry Brady and PvA also ran for Cobra at one time or another.

[tonyp]

I'll always remember Lou for hosting the Altamont of slot car racing the Cobra/Mura race. He completely ruined the race. He was clueless as far as slot car racing in my opinion...

[Steve Okeefe]

The last time I remember going to Nutley (which at the time was actually in Belleville), was spring of 1971. I had my new C-can powered cars, so I know it could not have been earlier than March or April.

I left the New York area early in May, so I don't know precisely when Nutley actually closed down. Sometime later in 1971 I suppose.

3350 Boston Road in da' Bronx was no more than 4-1/2 miles from where I lived...

Nice restoration on that box ; it's a shame the tomb had already been raided.

[Ron Hershman]

Roy was the last owner of Cobra... he started as a salesmen for Cobra while working at IBM at the time and after awhile, he wound up owning Cobra. Then Phaze III was in there at some point and George Hauck was involved and got canned by Roy and that's when George started Ferrett. Ya know how the ferrett eats the cobra... LOL

George died a few years back. George is the guy who made most of the tooling and made the braid-making machines. One wound up at REH and the other wound up at Camen.

Roy and Pete have lots of interesting stories and history about Cobra, Phaze III, and the "Gold Dust Twins".

[TSR]

Wasn't Roy a partner, they had a dispute and he started Ferret, because ferrets eat cobras, later to become Phaze III or something like that? I'll always remember Lou for hosting the Altamont of slot car racing the Cobra/Mura race. He completely ruined the race. He was clueless as far as slot car racing in my opinion...

Roy was an employee but Lou was as you later describe and when I talked to him many years ago he really sounded to me to be a moron.

Jerry Brady and PVA also ran for Cobra at one time or another..

Yep...

Roy was the last owner of Cobra..... he started as a salesmen for Cobra while working at IBM at the time and after awhile, he wound up owning Cobra. Then Phaze III was in there at some point and George Hauck was involved and got canned by Roy and that's when George started Ferrett. Ya know how the ferrett eats the cobra...

Indeed. The story will be fun to read. We have lots of product for illustration between the three companies.

I have not gotten Roy's side of the story yet, but I am sure that it will confirm much of what I have already gathered.

Rick, nice save on the box but you ruined the original finish!

[Noose]

The heck with that history stuff! Did you guys notice the collection of bodies Rick has! Wow! And of course the neatness of how everything is stored.

[TSR]

But Joe, them bodies IS racing history!

[Noose]

Sigh... I know!

[One_Track_Mind]

And of course the neatness of how everything is stored.

Is this real or Photoshop?

[Ron Hershman]

It's "showing off".

And it's making Noose real jealous.

[Ron Hershman]

... but you did a nice restoration on it.

Everything Rick restores is nice.

[trailerkeith]

What I like about this forum, I get a history lesson every time I look in here.

And beautiful work on the box!

When I did raid the tomb of Ridge Raceway, my buddy and I thought it'd be so cool to get the tracks running (hey, we were 16) and open a slot car club there. The then-owner of the bowling alley wanted nothing to do with those slot car things and told us the tracks were too old and in bad shape to have anything done with them. We got the "Scram, kids, you're annoying me" speech and left well enough alone. When I found out the bowling alley was closing I was told by the owner that the tracks were cut up and taken out a few months before. Too bad, it would have made a heck of a club.

I was only 3 or 4 when slot cars entered the dark age. I would have loved to have seen it then...

[JerseyJohn]

The last time I remember going to Nutley (which at the time was actually in Belleville), was spring of 1971. I had my new C-can powered cars, so I know it could not have been earlier than March or April.

I left the New York area early in May, so I don't know precisely when Nutley actually closed down. Sometime later in 1971 I suppose.

3350 Boston Road in da' Bronx was no more than 4-1/2 miles from where I lived...

Than you had to have a burger at the Short Stop Diner down the street.

[dc-65x]

...Rick, nice save on the box but you ruined the original finish!

Honest, Dokk, I only used some furniture polish on it . That's Mike's Box original finish.

The heck with that history stuff! Did you guys notice the collection of bodies Rick has! Wow!

Hi Noose,

I was wondering what to use for a backdrop for the pictures. Then I realized that where it happened to be sitting might be cool with the vintage bodies in the background

Is this real or Photoshop?

Brian, that cracked me up. . Thanks!

[Jaz]

I remember Ridge Raceway... It was down the street from the Capitol Theater where I saw a bunch of Grateful Dead shows around '70-72.

I think the tracks came from Worldwide raceway on Long island. The dark green 180 Engleman was my personal favorite.

Also remember the days of Crawley's PhzIII in Farmingdale, LI. Then they moved to Amityville (the horror). I wonder if Pete's still in the business.

The last big race I attended at Nutley in Belville was in the spring of '71. Tango had just moved and I think he resurfaced the track at that time. I remember I couldn't make a single lap in qualifying because it was sooo stuck. Ran an Ed Sohl chassis with Greenaway horsepower.

Nice Hoffman box ya got there!