20 replies to this topic

[Slot Car Rod]

I will be posting Champion chassis cars here.  Some cars will be reruns.  First up is an early inline Champion chassis with a Lancer Hamill SR3 body.

 

I ran this Champion chassis Hamill SR3 on the American orange track at PLAYLAND MODELCAR RACEWAY in 1967.

 

The scale Hamill SR3 body (Lancer brand) is mounted on an early Champion production frame that I purchased used.  The car is powered with a 26D motor.  The wheels are Champion also.  The car originally had a Dynamic guide and U-GO rear tires.

 

I painted the body with a brush back then, and luckily it has not curled up.  A bunch of small cracks in the body were repaired, though.  I like my slot cars to kind of look like real cars.  1966-67 was when smaller diameter, out of scale wheels and tires started to be in vogue on production cars and chassis.

 

The car is easy to drive.  Back then, we would blast down the straight and around the bank turn, and drift out of the bank turn down the short straight, and go in deep into the "dead man turn" on the orange track.  As I remember, there was also a bump on the straight.  Then we would climb back up and around the turns and esses at a moderate speed back to the main straight.  The Hamill was about the same speed as the other cars I was running with.  I was 12 years old in '67.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Don Weaver]

 

 I like my slot cars to kind of look like real cars.

 

 

 

The cut out vents and mesh screen go a long way to making a concours body.  Nice!

 

And I don't remember nickle plated brass strip that has been added to the frame.

 

Don

[Isaac S.]

Don, the brass strip is correct. It was part of the 1967 chassis. 

[Slot Car Rod]

Here are some pictures from a 1967 Champion catalog.

 

The chassis

Rear wheels

Front wheels

Stock 26D motor

 

[Pablo]

Very cool Rodney 

 

I was 12 yrs old in '67 also, but in San Diego where I lived the raceways were closing down like dominoes with no notice. My parents were pretty good about driving us to El Cajon, Spring Valley and Clairmont, but Los Angeles was a "no-go" 

 

[Isaac S.]

These chassis are really good. They can easily handle lots of power, a 607 or 617 would still work great. 

[Slot Car Rod]

Very true Isaac.

[Martin]

Hey Rodney,

I do have a liken to the Champion line of chassis. It's so cool you had so many early slot car building and driving experiences.

Love to see and hear about these. 

 

I have a this chassis, I like it as it has a gold finish rather than the more common silver nickle (which I have compared side by side). Now it could be a patina or oxidation on the nickle, but it does not look that way to me.

 

Has any body got handling info on this design?

I personally have never driven one or seen one being driven, but love the look of the design.

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[Isaac S.]

Yours is the 4.5 WB one which I have. The cars are heavy, especially with the big 26D. But they handle well. With the 617 with Super ARCOs braking isnt a problem. The chassis was designed by John Cukras so it has to be good. Make sure your motor and tires are balanced and true as the chassis and motor bracket specifically is very stiff and the slightest vibration really comes through.

[Martin]

I did not know this chassis was designed by John Cukras.

 

With all due respect Isaac , how the #$%^ do you know so much

 

You learn fast, do I need to get the book?

[Isaac S.]

It was built when Cukras was part of Team Champion. I think I learned this from an an old MC and R article in one of my magazines.

Learning about the cars is the easy part, restoring and building them is more difficult.

The book is great, especially if you want to learn more about the RTR and kit cars.

[Martin]

I could surmise from that, that Champion took one of Johns race chassis and made it into a production item, or just used it as inspiration.

The tapered rails were in at that time.

 

I never seen any credit given to John for its design but I am sure he was a big influence while there at Champion.

 

You would think it would be good for sales to say "designed by Cukras"

 

Maybe we can dig a little deeper. But not on Rodney post, unless Rodney wants to add to this?

[Bill from NH]

Several of the different Champion plated chassis had the gold tinted plating early on. Included are some of the F1 version of Rodney's  chassis in post 1 & some of the steel NCC chassis. My NCC chassis is silver, but came with a gold motor mounting bracket to be user soldered in. Why, or what is the gold, ask AYK. I don't know if Cukras designed your chassis above or not. He was racing for Champion in Dec. '67, so it's possible. Your  chassis was made before May 1968. That was when Champion changed from a 5-brass rod to a solid drop arm & also changed the body mountings from what you have, to brass rod or tube rigid outriggers with diagonal bracing.(Drawing below.) Champion did not change the part numbers with this '68 design change. 

 

 

[Slot Car Rod]

All discussions regarding Champion chassis and Champion chassis cars are welcome.

[Martin]

Thanks for that Rodney.

 

This is the 4'' W.B. version I restored over 2 years ago.

 

I believed it to be a Champion kit car ( or a RTR with a optional clear body) and has all Champion parts.

 

I like these versions of the chassis. When they went to stamped drop arm they lost a little something.

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[Slot Car Rod]

Here is my Chevy Impala stock car with a Champion 4.5" chassis.  The ad is from Car Model magazine dated January '68 (two to three month lead time back then).  The Champion 617 (later version) powered car weighs in at 5.5 ounces.  The car works great on a track like a purple angel or blue king.  Easy to drive with predictable handling.  Just power out of the turn with the back sliding out a bit.  The 617 motor is fast.

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[Martin]

I can dig it , nice stocker Rodney   

I found the before and after pic of one of mine.

 

"THE  BEST HANDLING PRODUCTION CHASSIS EVER MADE" quite a statement.

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[Isaac S.]

I couldn't find where I saw the John Cukras connection, but I did see reference to tapered rail frames being "in the Cukras style". So, with Cukras being part of Team Champion I would bet he had some influence on what was happening. But the entire chassis probably wasn't designed by Cukras. 

 

Cool car Rod, paint is awesome. 

 

Martin, your car looks great. Good job on the restoration. 

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks Isaac and Martin.  Here is a Monogram Mustang body on a Champion chassis.  The Mustang is a GT350.

 

The car is easy to drive.  I ran it with lots of weight added under the front axle portion of the chassis (since removed).

 

Back then, these chassis never really made it out to our northern California area.  For the non-scratchbuilders, Dynamic chassis were everywhere during this time period.

 

 

 

 

 

[Isaac S.]

Cool, Im a Shelby fan. 65s are my favorite (this is a 66) but still really fun. Is this the Monogram body? I tried this chassis once and they are really good, I like the early Champion guides.

[Slot Car Rod]

Probably from this kit.