Step into the “way back “ machine and imagine a simpler, more innocent time in the mid 1960’s. JFK was gone, his brother and Martin Luther King were to follow, the cold war was at its height, Viet Nam was starting to fracture the U.S.A., the space race captured our imagination, the Pony car was hot, muscle cars proliferated and the VW Beetle was the only small car, trucks were for farms. Well, not so innocent in terms of world events, but for a kid in Southern Ontario, in Canada, I was able to view these events from a detached distance. And all it took to tick your parents off was to grow your hair long over your ears.
The hobby that swept the continent was slot car racing and I was a part of it. I started with an Eldon set and expanded to my own routed track. Names like, Monogram, Stombecker, Atlas, Revell, MRRC, Scalextric predominated my hobby world and the cars and models I assembled and raced filled my mind with fantasy of real races as I stooped by my track and squinted to get a more realistic view of the cars as they sped by in an imagined scene from a fantastic race in my parents basement.
Enter the present. The hobby is back and the cars and proliferation of beautifully detailed models by a plethora of diverse manufacturers is dizzying, yet the images of the hobby in my mind’s eye drift back to those cars of the past. They don’t make them the way they they used to. Oh those glorious slot cars of the past. Oh to race them again and relive some of that nostalgic past.
O.K. now let’s face reality. The cars were neat but the rose coloured glasses of nostalgic remenisance cloud reality. Still part of the enjoyment of the hobby for me and many other old-timers is to sometimes recreate the cars of the past, or at least reasonable facsimiles.
A great source of parts and materials from that past exists on Ebay and at specialty sights. My favourite is EJ’s Hobbies. Ed is a great guy, great to talk with, great source of information, and the parts...wow!
So my trips down memory lane started some time ago by purchasing EJ’s Stombecker Ferrari P2, Eldon Dodge Coronet, and Indy Roadster kits. The chassis and tires were magnificent reproductions of original Strombecker and Monogram brass chassis of the sixties with some modern upgrades (Fox motor and Ej’s tires.) Those tires are now also available in a wider tire for the rears and from personal experience are ( next to Ortmans) the tire for nostalgic racers. The traction is excellent on routed layouts with a bit more slip than an Ortman, but very realistic in nostalgic terms. On plastic, with magnet, superb! I have to admit that the key for my nostalgic racing is to generate cars that have the look or feel of the sixties, but quite frankly, the performance needs to be tweaked, and I don’t apologize for it. Rose coloured memories, not cold reality, is what I attempt to capture.
Recently while wandering through a local hobby shop what did I spy, but three old Eldon bodies, a Ferrari P3, Chaparral Coupe and a Ford J car. The dates stamped on the inside of these bodies would indicate they are 40 years old and in good shape! I had to have them. After all I started with Eldon so long ago! The choice of chassis and running gear was easy, EJ’s repro Monogram chassis is a perfect fit and much better than the original Eldon nylon unit. When ordering from EJ’s, Ed supplied a Porsche body with Eldon chassis to further enhance my journey down memory lane and also a Revell Mercedes Gull Wing coupe and an Aston Martin DB5. More on these later.
And how does the reality of sixties equipment stack up against sweet foggy memories? Quite well actually. Eldon bodies were never known for detail or accuracy as can easily be seen. However even after all these years they are sturdy and honest in their simplicity. There are virtually no little bits to break of on violent impact so they make great runners for kids and beginners. A coat of paint was sprayed on each and a fantasy livery was applied. After all in the sixties I did not always have resources monetary or otherwise to produce anything but cars of this nature. I also know the wheel inserts are wrong, but these will do till BWA has the appropriate ones available again.
The decals on the Chaparral and Ford J car cost a dollar a sheet from EJ’s. The paint work could be better and I had to rebuild broken windshield pillars on the J car but again the results are quite acceptable. Windshields were tinted as there was no interior in these cars so with a little sheet sterene and EJ’s head and shoulders drivers I fabricated appropriate sixties flat card interiors. Rummaging through my scrap bin provided me with wheel hub knock offs which, when trimmed, provided some neat gas caps glued to the bodies. Voila!
Mounted on the Monogram chassis these cars are a blast to race! Nothing like screw on wheels, 1/8 inch axles and metal pinions. Simple, honest, smooth. The Fox is more than enough motor and a Ninco NC1 would be quite adequate. If you wish, just crazy glue a PM gold bar magnet on the chassis behind the motor and under the pinion and I dare you to try to outrun these cars with modern product out of the box, and have as much fun.
Now further along the nostalgic road the Revell bodies are a whole other story. They are simply magnificent. The detail is accomplished and scale accuracy seems to be first rate. Chrome parts and inserts came in the original kit boxes (art work worth framing) . Flat interior plates with drivers head and shoulders came with the kits, as was the order of the 60’s. Paint and decals complete my fantasy liveries. Ej’s provided original Revell wheels and gears in original packaging with their Monogram chassis, which is a perfect fit!
The whine of metal on metal now fills the room as the gears whirl in their high pitched mechanical whine. My mind drifts, remembering the zen like perfection of Monograms original brass chassis, and now, this modern adjustable update, sturdier but just as perfect, in its simple purpose, provides great running gear for nostalgic racers like I, who wish to relive some moments from a simpler past, today.
As today, the past, provided a range of manufacturers providing a wide choice of detail and quality.
These cars, out fitted with their modern motor, are often more than a match for toady's cars in performance, but in detail harken back to a time when I would place my head close to the track, close one eye and picture the big race.
Heck I still do it now! One of SCI’s forum contributors proudly signs off this way. The only real difference now is when I finally stand up my back hurts...but just a bit, as a smile fills my heart with memories of a wonderful past.
Good day, eh!
