Dynamic Super Bandit, the rarest of the production thingies? Options

[TSRF]

Issued in 1966, the 1/24 scale Dynamic "Bandit" RTR is not so scarce, but the more expensive "Super Bandit" really is. In my many years of collecting, I have run across very few intact examples, even less of them in their original boxes.







Cool thingie...



This is a page from Vintage Slot Cars, a small booklet I wrote in 1997 to revive the interest in these nice old toys. Here is a live one from the museum:



Besides differences in body colors, the main differences between the Bandit and the Super Bandit are the chassis and the motor. The Bandit's body was metallic rootbeer when issued in the original cardboard window box, and a dark shade of solid red for the later issues sold in a clear-plastic box. The Super Bandit was always sold in the clear-plastic box featuring a green and white insert. While the Bandit had a chassis featuring solid axle bearings, the Super Bandit had a Dynaflex chassis with spring-loaded axle bearings forming a crude suspension that had a tendency to chew up the crown gear rather rapidly.



While the Bandit used the standard Mabuchi FT16D painted in metallic purple, the Super Bandit had a "Green Hornet II" motor, a Mabuchi FT16D painted in a light metallic green right over the original purple. It was also fitted with the early Mura "broken" magnets and the stock armature rewound and balanced by Mura with red #28 wire. Several versions existed, but all were made from the "purple" stock motor.



Note that the armature has been balanced, but the stack has not been machined. Later versions have the stack machined and polished.

The example below is particularly interesting because it is fitted with a Dynamic motor that I had never seen:



Yes indeed, this is a rewound, balanced version of the 1967 Mabuchi FT16DBB motor featuring an uncaged ball bearing in its can! Lately we have seen these motors in their stock version appearing in various genuine kits (Monogram 1/32 scale "series 4", Testor Meyers Manx dune buggy, Dynamic Lotus 49B RTR etc.) but NEVER as a rewound, balanced version! In fact the only examples known are the Mura Magnum 88 and Dyna-Rewind "Enduro" motors that were never sold but as separate motors.





It also features brass spring posts, new black-oxyde brush springs and pintab retainers.
Quite a rare version if I may say, the first one I have ever seen, and I have seen tens of thousands of vintage slot cars...
I love to find stuff like this, don't you?

Philippe

[Swisher]

Dokk, when you say "a Dynamic motor that I had never seen," do you mean you knew about its existence, but had never seen one, or that it's one you didn't know about?

I wondered if there is any chance that isn't an authentic Dynamic motor, but just one with a Dynamic sticker, because the sticker is on the curved side rather than the usual location on the flat side, beside the endbell.

[TSRF]

Swisher,
I did not know of its existence before I saw this example. The sticker location is logical when one considers the space available, and we have seen several Dynamic nickel-plated FT26 motors with the sticker placed in the same location. As far as authenticity, and because this model is new, unused in its original pristine box, I can only repeat what I posted on Slotblog! about the same question:

I believe it is authentic for several reasons:
1) It's WAY too clean to be an amateur job.
2) Every part of the car is in pristine condition. No one fits a rewind with a nearly impossible-to-find Dynamic sticker in a car that was never used. The rewinds generally come after the original motor has blown up. By that time the car shows signs of use.
3) The arm has its pinion on the can side, a RARITY for a rewound arm in the 1960s. Most were endbell-side driven. In fact the Super Bandit is the only RTR ever sold in the 1960s with a "serious" rewound arm, and its red wire is characteristic.
The motor has springs that I have never seen before. These are unique and were obviously made for that particular type of motor.

Then you have to guess of course, but this is why I went to Slot Car History school... laugh2.gif

Yes, I believe that it is authentic and the real thing, and it is quite hard to pass one by me... while some have tried and succeeded in the past (well, ONCE!)

[Swisher]

Thank you for your explanation, sir.


I think I can safely say that we are all quite thankful you stayed awake in Slot Car History class. Heh heh.

[TSRF]

What can I say, the teacher was so cute...