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Vintage Racing Resource
In an attempt to share with others a "scratch-builders' resource" I am working towards developing an online reference index of the various articles within each issue of a number of vintage automobile magazines i have collected over the past decade.

I will be developing a category within my blog labeled "Vintage Racing Resource" - a temporary destination where, along with this reference index, original photos, magazine articles and newspaper coverage related to historic motor racing and classic automobilia will periodically be posted.

The content within these posts is meant solely for personal reference / interest and is not to be used for any means of commercial gain or profit. If any material posted herein infringes upon a rightful party's copyright please contact us and said content will be removed immediately.

Hopefully this will allow others to track down information on a particular car or race which they may have interest in or are attempting to model (or simply provide a few minutes of enjoyment browsing through some fantastic old cover images and articles!).

(in progress - patience please!)


a bit about myself
Hi all - i am an architect residing and working in Vancouver BC Canada. Here is a little blurb about my interests and how i became re-aquainted with slot cars.

Although born in 1971 just after the glory days of slot car racing some of my fondest memories are of racing tycopro / afx ho cars with my father and brother in the mid '70's.

About 8 years ago i discovered vintage slot cars - this time in 1/32 scale. I was looking to find a momento for my brother - a '68 charger rt for him to display on his tv set (he had just purchased a fully restored 1:1 vesrion from Salt Lake City - a real beauty!). At any rate, as this was well before the large die cast model craze the only '68 charger models were the odd hot wheels or matchbox diecasts, or old plastic model kits. Then i found an eldon slot car - a white dodge charger (1/35?) ... and ever since i have casually been collecting vintage slot cars and accesories (mostly in 1/32) - a great hobby to focus on when work gets to be too much!

My interest in the history of slot cars - models / makes and manufacturers has grown in parallel with my passion for vintage automobiles and racing. When i first moved to Vancouver BC from southern Manitoba I was fortunate to have stumbled across a great local automobilia store. I quickly became a regular and got to know the owners very well. In the early years the store proved a treasure trove of vintage motorsport literature which i couldn't get enough of - and before i knew it i had amassed a fairly serious collection of automobilia literature - which i continue to read and re-read.

Most recently i have also become quite interested in the 'scratch build' game. This forum has been a wonderful resource for learning about frame and body building techniques. As time permits i look forward to trying my hand at creating some of my favourite cars that currently aren't available.

At any rate - thanks for taking a few minutes to read my ramble - as time permits i look forward to sharing some of my interests / collections / projects with others through this blog - as i have mentioned to a few of this forums members before - the genuine comaradarie and spirit of sharing within the hobby is very impressive!

Regards - R. Baron


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 | Category: Misc. Slot Stuff
entry 12 Jan 2012, 08:49

here is a project that stalled out a year or two ago that i am revisiting

as i have posted before, i, like many others, find auto transporters / carriers /
haulers quite interesting

at some point i came across this odd but fascinating photo on the interweb and
filed it away - i have no idea of this hauler's story but i liked!



thinking i might want to give a 1/32 slot version a try i picked up a cheap 1/32
vw 'pull back' van at the local toy store, brought it home and with my trusty
hack saw sliced out its midsection

i like to sketch out ideas and often use google sketch up as another aid in design
and visualization - knowing they would have available a 'stock' model of a vw van and
vw bug i figured i could quickly noodle with some ideas for my version of the vw transport



also a fan of the '50s influences in auto design, i opted for a bit of a vintage feel for my trailer's
simple profile and set up





then it was back to the sectioned van ... a bit of work on a rear deck, rear window, hitch and
trailer bits with styrene and primer - et voila



i jammed a sporty revell driver up front - and added a working tailgate to the rear - the ho wheels
worked nicely with the teeny tiny scale of it all -



so, now - having never scratch built with styrene till this project, i still need to learn to do a bit of
tidying / filling and sanding to get as 'professional' a finish as possible



of course the payload has to be some version of a vw bug ... race or drag ... or special deliveries ... we shall see smile.gif

the biggest reason this one had stalled is that i still cannot decide on a '50s flavor paint scheme ...
am still leaning to a mean gloss black - off white / cream combination .. .. suggestions please!?!?!



cheers, Ron

 | Category: Misc. Slot Stuff
entry 3 Jan 2012, 00:14

hi all - some spring cleaning a bit early ...

it has been a few years since i did a 'purge' post but i have lost interest in
or don't have any use for the following items and am trying to consider if i should try and sell
locally, trade away, or just put in the trash or pass on to my kids for the sand box!!

knowing i have an interest in '50s / '60s slot cars, automobilia and 'toys', over the years i have acquired
a motley pile of stuff from a variety of sources -

at any rate, there is a mix here in various scales and varying value - i thought some of
you out there might find useful or fun for 'conversions', parts, or to add to your collections -
so take a look and if there is something you might like, send me a pm


1/32 scale - new - never run


1/32 scale - older slots



1/43 die casts


1/24 nos amt body kit





1/35? nos '37 chevy stocker bodies ... could be 'legends' series smile.gif


1/32 complete kits OFF TO A NEW HOME


these won't go in the sand box! 1/24 Cox 2e ho Aurora Super II and rare 1/43ish hong kong friction


fun 1/24 slot conversions?


nice 1/32 auto transport ... partially assembled (trailer) OFF TO A NEW HOME


1/32ish variety


lindberg funny cars 1/32


1/16? police car - great detail but toooo big unless someone where to 3d scan and ...


complete mg vanquish lotus 72d john player, and bits for almost full second one


rear fin and one front spoiler need to be re-glued


ho nos riggen bodies, tyco pro mclarens and various


nice old faller slot layout city building - bank / apt? - this is ho scale ...


very nice Clifford friction ice cream van ... sadly 1/24!





very nice Clifford friction diner van ... sadly 1/24!





1/32 heli unstarted

 | Category: Vintage Racing Resource
entry 2 Jan 2012, 19:33

here is an early article from Auto Sportsman, July '53 that some may find interesting -

I still need to complete my Tom Wysom car !!





- will continue to post more kieft references as i come across, for those who may be building their own versions too

cheers, Ron

 | Category: Vintage Racing Resource
entry 1 Jan 2012, 19:26
hi all - thought some of you might appreciate these photos - color shots from the early '50s aren't so common
and in my opinion the film back in the day lent to some great atmospheric prints

from Auto Sportsman magazine

a couple of early '50s ferrari shots (my favourite era for the ferraris)



"...Pollack in Paravano's 4.1 Ferrari at Torrey Pines. This is the car Jack McAfee drove in Mexico. Photo by Fergus Peters."





perhaps one of the most garish jaguar xk-120c (my favourite jaguar ... but not in this color scheme!!)




and a nice starting grid shot at Palm Beach



"...Palm Beach Shores race (1952), with Cole's Cad-Allard and Fitch in Spear's Ferrari in the front row.
Behind them are Wacker (Cad-Allard) and Walters (Cad-Healey). Photo by Bill Harkins."



cheers, Ron

 | Category: Misc. Slot Stuff
entry 25 Sep 2011, 17:35






hi all - posting here some reference info for anyone interested
in the Eldon Crash Car Jalopies





recalling how my brother and i used to treat (read 'happily abuse')
our slot cars ... i am sure the reason that most of these
have not survived fully intact is due to similar 'playtime efforts'
by most children back in the day smile.gif

i particularly like Eldon's blurb on 'the principals of crash car racing' ...



all in all pretty nice modelling of the '37 chevrolet 'crash jalopies'
with some vintage 'hot rod' appeal! these two had never been run
and the decal sheet is still intact - i just haven't decided which to put where !!





cheers, Ron

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