24 replies to this topic

[Martin]

I had been looking at this one for some time and thought it a bit over priced so just let it be then something said,"shoot them an offer" it was a best offer auction so I sent them what I thought it was worth. So now its on the way to me.

I know nothing about this body, other than I have seen this design here on slotblog. In the add it was attributed to Terry Schmidt.  Where the seller got that info I do not know, I should ask the seller.

It has a well built inline chassis and a closed chrome can 16D motor. Thats about all I know. Happy to clean her up and find out more about it. 

Hard to tell if the rails are all a dull steel or are they nickle plated? I will find out when it shows up.

Please let me know your thoughts and info on the name or maker of this body design.

 

 

 

 

[Bill Seitz]

That's a nice, shiny nickel-plated 16D can, so why gray chassis parts is a mystery. The pans at least should be brass which turns brown with oxidation. it'll be interesting to see what you find when you get it and clean it. 

[Martin]

The more I look at Bill. I think the chassis could be all steel, thats my eye balled guess 

There maybe a dash of nickle on the axle tubes and pan body mounting tubes.

 

Is the chrome can motor a Cox or could it be Champion? 

[don.siegel]

Definitely a Champion. The hole in the endbell and the little can screw are both typically Champion. Probably a 517 or similar, whether factory or one of the many kits and parts they sold. 

 

Yep, that body drives me crazy: I've seen it a lot and I'm sure somebody identified it, but can never remember the name! 

 

Don 

[Flathead]

See my post here;

https://slotblog.net...r/?fromsearch=1

See also the links in the thread to previous posts about same bodies. Curiously of six or seven originals I have seen, most are on one or other of the Champion snuggler chassis.

[Martin]

Thanks Don, Champion it is. I did notice all the Champion motors had post protectors, this did not.

 

Thanks Lee for reminding me where I/we had seen the body before. But still no positive I.D.  So its origins remain a mystery. 

 

BTW. The seller answered my question, the seller had bought a few cars in this past transaction.

 

"The guy I bought them from had pictures with Terry and a few cars that he got from him."

[don.siegel]

Lots of these are Franken-motors, mixing and matching all kinds of different components. I can't even remember when Champion started including post protectors. 

 

The Terry Schmid story sounds very unlikely... don't those those guys were big Thingie fans either. 

 

Don 

[Martin]

"The guy I bought them from had pictures with Terry and a few cars that he got from him."

 

I thought the same thing, so what if the the chassis where Terry's and the body was added later by someone else?

 

So now the question becomes could Terry have raced this chassis?

 

Just so you know I bought this car, not for any possible connection to Terry which is of course is very hard to verify. But does add to its story.

[don.siegel]

Right you are Martin, and the chassis itself is very well done. 

 

Don 

[Flathead]

And here is where Don brought this car up in Ebay follies thread on slot forum; there are a few replies in following posts;

https://www.slotforu.../posts/2712617/

[don.siegel]

Oh brother... thanks for the link Lee. Not even a year ago, and I had completely forgotten about posting that! 

 

Good thing we have a fewer younger guys to keep us in line... 

 

Don 

[Martin]

Thanks Lee, I passed it by many times when it was $190. 

But when I offered $55 and they took it,I was happy with that.

 

Looking at those chassis with floppy mounts, Should this chassis get a upgrade to floppy's and a sports car body of the period ?

[Bill from NH]

If that chassis ends up being a genuine Terry Schmidt build, I wouldn't modify it. A few years back, Terry made some of the Buena Park retro races. His chassis then were elaborately cut from sheet stock. Jim Gonsalves, the collector, has several of these Schmidt chassis today.

[Martin]

The car just arrived, about to take the body of to discover more. Stay tuned. 

 

Findings so far, no steel on the chassis. It to me still has the feel of  production frame. The soldering is neat and it appears to be made in a fixture.

The hole chassis is either made with nickle plated wire or it is nickle wire and plate. The solder joints are not plated BTW.

 

A nice balance and epoxied arm in a Champion set up.  

The motor bracket hole is too small for the endbell, the hole is .250" and e.b. is .32".

 

Weldon spur gear well adjusted. Rear tires are silicone coated sponge. Fronts are skinny Riggen I think.

 

To proceed....

 

I am thinking of tumbling the chassis to make it pretty. 

 

Maybe a motor with a smaller endbell, save this one for a Champion bracket.

 

Clean the body and fix any damage.

 

 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

Two outside rails on each side have a slight upward bend at the front of the motor bracket. The Champion plated rod inline chassis rails, made by AYK, has the same bends. I don't recall seeing a scratch-built chassis with those bends. I would tend to agree with you that your chassis is a production item. How does its motor bracket compare to the Champion? I've seen that four split-rod droparm used before but don't recall where.

[Martin]

Hey Bill,

Here is a Russkit/Morrissey inspired chassis I did a long time ago, following a build artical from Model Car magazine.

It has that similar 4 rail (this one has 6) drop-arm that was popular mid 60's?

 

 

This one in the pics is Edo's finished car, he did a nice job.

[Bill from NH]

I recall seeing the article when you build the dozen Russkit F-1 chassis. I might have kept a hard paper copy of the build. I didn't recall the droparm & at that time, I didn't know who you were.

[don.siegel]

In case you didn't click the link to Slot Forum, when I first posted about this car last year (already forgotten), turns out the frame is just a standard Rehco item, and Lee found a photo of the frame on its card. 

 

What's more, looking in my project box, I just found a nearly carbon copy in 1/32 of the same frame. 

 

Don 

 

 

[Martin]

Thanks Don, that has similar DNA. Patina, solder joints, drop arm, side pan attachment etc.The main takeaway for me is the inside rail that goes front to rear as one piece.

[Martin]

This is the result after 3 hours in the tumbler and the 1 hour of metal polish. Shinny enough for me.

 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

Martin, that cleaned up nicely. 

[Martin]

Thanks Bill, and between Don and Lee we have a brand for the chassis. 

 

Thanks Lee and Don, so now I know. A slight variation is the kick up on the drop arm design and mine is for a 16D the one Lee shows is for a FT26 FC, but looks like a match in all other details.

 

 

 

[Flathead]

Credit for photo and ID should be given to PDL as he posted it a year ago on slot forum when Don first put the ebay listing up on the Ebay follies thread.

[don.siegel]

Right you are Lee, I should have given credit to Philippe and the LASCM. 

 

Looking at your polished version Martin, I really should do the same thing on my 1/32 version! 

 

Don 

[Martin]

The body cleaned up nice too, I will fix the splits, reinforce where the body mounts, and build her back up. I am trying to think how I can disguise the roof that got hot at some point. Could try hot water and push it back up or ????

 

Some times it takes a village to find the info on this stuff, so thanks to all involved in the info search