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Grot chassis ??

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merkit the grof

· Slot King
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4,860 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Here is yet another strange (to me anyway) chassis from the late 70s, early 80s.
Considering I prefer slot stuff from the early 60s, I am getting rather fond of those signed chassis from the later period of vintage slot,
even though, to me eyes, these are the people who actuallly killed the hobby for about 30 years.

Here the latest find.


I can fix most of the paintwork; but, what was written on the side??? "THIS CAR WAS MADE ?????????????"
If anyone knows, please let me know. (In the meantime, I shall concentrate in fixing the black paint)


And here is the chassis




As ever: If anyone can add any information, they will be most welcome.

Joel

PS: Tony: If you have a second edition of your book, can you please include a listing of the various British chassis/motor builders (we know plenty about the US guys, but so little about the UK builders).
 
S

· Tony Condon
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3,014 Posts
#2 ·
Hi Joel
to be quite fair there wern,t too many professional chassi builders around in the 60s a nd 70s ,perhaps we should start a thread and see what people will remember
When i get 5 minutes i,ll sit down and write a list of the ones i know and we,ll see what emerges
However i will say that "grot " would not have been one of the names on my list as i,ve never heard of it
However did we not have a thread on larry ward earlier ,seems to emanate from some where in east anglia ,did we not ascertain that Ant haekes painted some of his bodies or are the old grey cells plating me up again

Cheers tony
 
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· Registered
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3,775 Posts
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's a pretty conventional chassis for the period, the sort of car that was being raced at clubs all round the country. The design looks like late 70s, but that example could have been built later than that.

That sort of chassis was straightforward enough to build at home, racers at clubs all round the country were doing just that. In addition to the soldering iron, file and junior hacksaw he'd have needed to build the rest of the chassis, the guy who built that one seems to have owned some sort of engraving tool (and a self deprecating sense of humour). That doesn't narrow the field all that much.

Mostly racers would build their own cars, but at some clubs somebody would build a few more for their friends. Quite a lot of the clubs from those days are still alive, and many of the newer clubs have members who raced back then. If anybody knows where L Ward used to race, that would be the place to start (Tony seems to have some thoughts on that).
 
B

· Tony
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2,822 Posts
#5 ·
Hi Joel
I would say it is definitely an 80's chassis, before that the centre section wasn't pivotted in the middle. Iwas one of those that killed the hobby and still have many like it. The body is a Dodge Daytona and you can still get them from Betta and Classic

regards

Tony Davey
 
PETER GUNN

· Registered
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1,883 Posts
#6 ·
Hallow Joel there was a chap who raced at the nunerry in Leytonstone in the early 1970's i beleive his name was Les Ward, i met him when i was at a loose end after Hornchurch finished, this venue was one i guested at in the 1970's you could buy this type of chassis in different sizes in kit form from there and you could also get a complete car built for you the kit came with pre bent piano wire, cut out brass sections, and assorted sizes of brass tube & a brass guide plate everthig else you supplied yourself.
I raced this chassis there and at the technical college track in Emerson Park where things like the axle tube fractured quite often as it was soldered to the motor and my soldering skills were not brilliant so it seemed, i ran it with Taylor bevel gears and Riko ball races in the axle tube, and i scrapped it when i finished racing must be around 1974, i am amazed to read that this type of chassis was still being made in the 1980's .
Keith.
 
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#9 ·
Woops! Grot Logo re-do...

While I may not know much about the dark ages of slot cars, I have spent a number of hours in front of my television watching BritComs. The "Grot" logo that is seen engraved into the chassis is the same font and shape as that used by Reginald Perrin in the show, "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin," 1976-1979. After faking his own suicide, Perrin, played by Leonard Rossiter, started a shop that sold only useless things. The shop was named, "Grot," short for "Grotty," short for "Grotesque." The amoeba shaped outline around the word "Grot" is the same shape as Perrin's sign for his store. This may help to date the chassis, as they could be any time after 1977, (the first year that the "Grot" store appeared in the show, but not before. That's my 2-cents worth from this side of the pond.
 
merkit the grof

· Slot King
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4,860 Posts
Discussion Starter · #11 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE (Thumb Dog @ 16 Jun 2012, 22:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>While I may not know much about the dark ages of slot cars, I have spent a number of hours in front of my television watching BritComs.

Thumb Dog you're a star!!!
"Grot" chassis: A slot racer with a sense of humour, makes it more valuable in my eyes.
Someone somewhere must remember who signed their chassis "Grot".

And here is a link to the earlier thread about Larry Ward

Joel

PS: As for killing the hobby, chill guys, it started dying in 1967, and was a corpse by about 1970, seems to me you were too late.
PPS: Anyway, I actually collect this sort of stuff (only the signed ones mind you). I have another one here stamped "Gilbert"
PPPS: As you have all raced in that period, any signed chassis for sale in your racing box???
 
D

· Administrator
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#13 ·
Joel,

"Gilbert" is undoubtedly Lee Gilbert, the famous U.S. pro racer, or maybe A.C. Gilbert, the famous U.S. model train company, or maybe "Bugsy" Gilbert, the famous U.S. gangster (brother of Bugsy Siegel).

In any case, it's hyper-rare!

Don
 
merkit the grof

· Slot King
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4,860 Posts
Discussion Starter · #15 ·
QUOTE (dgersh @ 17 Jun 2012, 10:48) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In any case, it's hyper-rare!

Well, in my house it is rarer than an Adams chassis, so there!

I am not sure why I have developed a fondness for the type of stuff I cannot use in vintage meetings (most have a cut off about 1972), but there it is.
May be I should run a meeting for "anglewinders from the period that killed the hobby", bound to be a popular choice.

Joel
 
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· Tony Condon
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3,014 Posts
#17 ·
Hi guys
My book states that ian fisher invented the flexiboard in 1977 so it must be true
this dates the chassis after that ,how long after is debateable but the c can motor probably means late 70s early 80s
I saw ian at the weekend ,and mentioned grot chassis to him ,and guess what ?
He,d never heard of them either
I,ll get that list together later thisweek and that shouldreally start ther debate

Cheers tony
 
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merkit the grof
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