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Finding these is what I'll need the luck in gar, might have to go through the boxes I got off the wifes uncle to see if I have missed something, doubt it though.
Help-vintage parts required
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I need Airfix pinions to fit their Hi-speed gears. Short, smallish ones with v-shaped teeth. Haven't ever seen them for sale, I'd suppose they were sold separately as spares??
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Matt: On the inlet trumpets, yes, there should be four. They're on a small moulding attached to the body and I doubt if they've broken often enough for anyone to have made repro parts.
You may be better to cobble up a replacement with something like the eyelets used on the guide end of some Scalex lead wires, or the sleeves of very small rivets if you can get them off the pins without damage. The alternative, of course, is to use short lengths of tube, painted silver or aluminium.
Rob J
You may be better to cobble up a replacement with something like the eyelets used on the guide end of some Scalex lead wires, or the sleeves of very small rivets if you can get them off the pins without damage. The alternative, of course, is to use short lengths of tube, painted silver or aluminium.
Rob J
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481 Posts
Rob-Looked at some pictures on the net regarding the inlet trumpets, these seem like they shouldn't be that hard to reproduce, I'll just make a copy of the 2 that are remaining and see how they come up. Come to think of it I'm sure I've seen something of a similar shape on some of my kids toys (they won't notice something so small missing).
Thanks
Matt
Thanks
Matt
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If you want you can PM me for anything you want for these cars, I have everything.
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QUOTE (mattcrackers @ 19 Sep 2011, 23:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Come to think of it I'm sure I've seen something of a similar shape on some of my kids toys (they won't notice something so small missing)... Matt
Yes. I should have thought of that too. I recently used two rows of six from an old toy on a Scalex Matra that had lost its top engine section.
Even grotty old el cheapo toy cars can be useful for this sort of thing -- mirrors, exhausts, etc. I didn't throw them out if my kids broke them or grew out of them.
Rob J
Yes. I should have thought of that too. I recently used two rows of six from an old toy on a Scalex Matra that had lost its top engine section.
Even grotty old el cheapo toy cars can be useful for this sort of thing -- mirrors, exhausts, etc. I didn't throw them out if my kids broke them or grew out of them.
Rob J
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481 Posts
Rob- my boys are 3 and 6 and get spoilt by the mother in-law, I keep all the good stuff that I think might come in handy. They love the slot cars so I have a few cars which they can use,only a few though or they would break them going flat out if they could, thats why I love the 6 car APB-power scale stops them from this and I can leave them to do a few laps.
Cheers
Matt
Cheers
Matt
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I see from photos that some of the Scalex Lotus 16s had "chrome" plated intake trumpets. Perhaps a difference between the UK and Australian-made versions. The only one I have now is Australian and its intake unit is body-coloured (green). So, the intake trumpets may be available after all as a separate plated unit.
If you're keen on authentic parts, Matt, you should ask Phil, who is probably also the best source for a complete guide unit.
As for the old toys, my "kids" are now into their 40s and my relics and their parts are from the 1970s, when there were many cheap Hong Kong-made model racing-cars. I hope today's Chinese offerings are as useful.
Rob J
If you're keen on authentic parts, Matt, you should ask Phil, who is probably also the best source for a complete guide unit.
As for the old toys, my "kids" are now into their 40s and my relics and their parts are from the 1970s, when there were many cheap Hong Kong-made model racing-cars. I hope today's Chinese offerings are as useful.
Rob J
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G'day Rob,
Have been in contact with Phil and I'll be sending him a list of what I'll need later on. I don't mind if the intake trumpets are chrome plated as I have noticed that repro mirrors/steering wheel components that I have seen are chrome as well. I'd really just like to have the cars complete as they will only ever be for myself to admire and show my wifes uncle how to look after cars(I know he wasn't happy parting with his Scalextric gear even though it had sat in a box in his shed for the last 25 years). I was hoping to have at least a couple of the cars out of the 4 I was given restored to how they first were released to keep them authentic as possible but due to the body on the Mercedes having quite a bit of discolouring (The white plastic is stained red in areas)I have decided on giving it a new lease of life and will be giving it a shiny new paint job. The yellow Lotus is fine but the light blue one has some black/brown markings on the plastic near the rear wheels which will not come off and the Austin Healey 3000 was in the best nick out of them all. And by the way, most of the toys made nowadays are of a worse quality when I was a kid, it doesn't take much to break them.
Cheers
Matt
Have been in contact with Phil and I'll be sending him a list of what I'll need later on. I don't mind if the intake trumpets are chrome plated as I have noticed that repro mirrors/steering wheel components that I have seen are chrome as well. I'd really just like to have the cars complete as they will only ever be for myself to admire and show my wifes uncle how to look after cars(I know he wasn't happy parting with his Scalextric gear even though it had sat in a box in his shed for the last 25 years). I was hoping to have at least a couple of the cars out of the 4 I was given restored to how they first were released to keep them authentic as possible but due to the body on the Mercedes having quite a bit of discolouring (The white plastic is stained red in areas)I have decided on giving it a new lease of life and will be giving it a shiny new paint job. The yellow Lotus is fine but the light blue one has some black/brown markings on the plastic near the rear wheels which will not come off and the Austin Healey 3000 was in the best nick out of them all. And by the way, most of the toys made nowadays are of a worse quality when I was a kid, it doesn't take much to break them.
Cheers
Matt
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The chrome parts seem to have been fitted to some later production French and UK cars.
BTS mouldings do these as repro parts.
I have plenty of original body coloured parts and chrome too, problem with Matt's cars are that they are AUS production and it may be difficult to match the colours.
BTS mouldings do these as repro parts.
I have plenty of original body coloured parts and chrome too, problem with Matt's cars are that they are AUS production and it may be difficult to match the colours.
Before you go and paint anything STOP !! You can touch up the driver with some flat white, add some repro decals but painting these old relics is pretty much"verboten" You are now the caretaker of these and it is your job to preserve them for now. Sorry to dissapoint you, but you will have to learn to see the beauty in their originality.
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None of these cars could ever be considered scarce or rare, they are all in plentiful supply, so don't worry paint them if you want, there's a million more unpainted ones out there to replace them.
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I know you will be dissapointed gar but the Mercedes has already been primed, undercoated and is awaiting the new paint and finish. I thought about leaving it alone but the red marks on the boot and the right hand side were just getting to me too much (you can't see these in earlier photos). I have no intention of touching the other 3 as they are all cleaning up quite well. I have tried to match the paint to the original white plastic (pretty hard when the only part similar to the original white plastic was under the decals) and am hoping that I can do a decent paint job. I understand that some people would say its taboo to paint these old cars but as scaleslotcars has said there are plenty of these cars around and you can pick them up all the time.
Matt
Matt
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481 Posts
An update on the restoration work,heres the Mercedes 190 SL, will finish the other 3 and get the parts off Phil as soon as funds permit.
Before & After:
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Before & After:
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A new set of bumpers, rear tyres, a paint , clean of the motor and axles and its come up a treat. The black background really shows off the car.
Enjoy
Matt
Before & After:
Before & After:
A new set of bumpers, rear tyres, a paint , clean of the motor and axles and its come up a treat. The black background really shows off the car.
Enjoy
Matt
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356 Posts
You couldn't have achieved such a clean white by clean & polish, since the plastic has yellowed. I like the look of yellowed plastic, but that is a matter of taste. Good work, I especially like the way you have polished the rear bushings. The insides as well, I'm sure!
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Just come back and had a look at the photos of the Merc, you can tell that I'm no photographer as my photos didn't do the car justice, heres one that might be a little better.
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First photos were just a tad too bright, only a little though.
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First photos were just a tad too bright, only a little though.
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Hi again,
Just a quick photo of the completed yellow Lotus, just required the mirrors,carbies and a plug for the guide. Not sure about re-applying the number decals though, put some on but just didn't look right.
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Nearly completed the light blue Lotus and the Austin Healey, will post some pics when complete.
Cheers
Matt
Just a quick photo of the completed yellow Lotus, just required the mirrors,carbies and a plug for the guide. Not sure about re-applying the number decals though, put some on but just didn't look right.
Nearly completed the light blue Lotus and the Austin Healey, will post some pics when complete.
Cheers
Matt
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It does look wonderfully clean and aerodynamic, Matt, without decals. Good work on the restoration.
If you feel the need to put on racing numbers, maybe try it without roundels. Perhaps not authentic in 1:1 terms, but then the yellow body isn't either. That may help keep the clean lines.
Rob J
If you feel the need to put on racing numbers, maybe try it without roundels. Perhaps not authentic in 1:1 terms, but then the yellow body isn't either. That may help keep the clean lines.
Rob J
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Thanks Rob, I actually enjoyed restoring these cars so I purchased myself another off the bay for a nice price. The latest one is red (made in the UK) and was covered in the white mould but once cleaned up it has come up a treat, no black marks to be seen and only needing the exhaust,side trim and mirrors to complete. Hoping to get my hands on a few more of these of various colours to add to my little collection of cars. Might try a few different numbering techniques or different fonts and see how they come up.
Cheers
Matt
Cheers
Matt
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