[Houses]

Hi everybody. Some time ago I built this Ford X1 using an original Lancer body:



Recently I got this, apparently unmodified, Competition example of the same car





It is generally accepted that Pactra sourced the bodies for this car from Lancer. Nevertheless a friend of mine spotted a clear difference between the detail of the simulated engines on the cars I have, with less detail on the Competition. Hope the pictures will show this, both bodies are painted from the inside:





The two bodies are otherwise identical, but for maybe a sharper rear grid on the Lancer. Does someone know if the difference may be due to just these being produced at different times, or with different machines? Did Pactra buy the bodies, or just the master and made the bodies by themselves?

Maybe a bit freaky going into these minor details, but you know... Any contribution will be appreciated.

Eduardo

 

[gus3049]

They look the same to me, all the details are in the same place but the bottom one looks slightly cruder as if it was taken off a worn master?

 

[Houses]

Yes, just as you say, but other parts of the body are perfect, so, if it was a worn master, it was worn just at that place. It would be good to know if other examples of these bodies show the same difference.

 

[TSRF]

Eduardo,
my book is now in its production phase and it will tell the story in great detail. It is a very costly project, and I do not know when printing will actually begin, I guestimate September. It has 400 pages, 750 pictures, but also has over 400 more pages that will have to be read online, as it would have been too big of a book otherwise. Simple links will be shown in relevant pages.

Now then, first, the silver car you show is not a "Pactra" model, but a "Competition Hobbies" model sold in kit or RTR form, a company owned by Pactra.

As a general rule, the Pactra kits and RTR have a chassis with a drop arm, their bodies have painted details and all use an Igarashi motor, there were several types used over the short life of the company.
The Competition Hobbies kits and RTR have a similar chassis with no drop arm, different wheels and rear tires, and all use a dark silver Mabuchi FT16D motor.

Now for the bodies: Pactra had its own body company after they purchased in 1966, the Stormer company that had been making vacuum formed bodies since 1963. Many (most ) Pactra and Competition kits and RTR used the Stormer bodies. But in early 1967, Pactra shut down the body company and purchased bodies from Lancer. So the later kits and RTR models, both from Pactra and Competition, had specially painted lancer bodies, in a single color. The Ford X1 is one of them.
After Competition ran out of specific boxes for their kits and RTR models, they were packaged inside Pactra outer boxes but the kits retained the Competition tray.
The book will explain this in finer details and the pictures will tell the story.

As far as the differences in the body details, it simply means that one pull was 'hot", then other, well, not "hot" enough, and as the vacuum process takes place, the plastic has already cooled too much and does not contact the mold tightly enough.
On the silver car, the decals are not the original ones, but it matters little as all the Competition models were only sold with the same decal sheet anyway, and they were never applied to the actual body, the customer had to do it him/herself.

 

[Houses]

Many thanks for the detailed and informative reply Philippe. Yours is a quite reasonable explanation, blowing a not hot enough plastic sheet may very well have been the cause of the difference. Other Competition examples should thus have a correct detail and mine is just a faulty example. Would like to believe this makes it very rare and highly valuable, but I'm afraid it is not

. Good to know the decals aren't the original ones, I will not remove them until having a correct replacement, as color differences do too often appear after removing decals from old cars. Those used cars are often better left as they are!

Regarding your book, you know how much expected it is. I do understand very well your difficulties with the publication of a so huge volume, because I have had published a 650 pages book and know how hard it is to get a publisher. My book is on geometry, not slot, so I will blame nobody here for being not interested. Anyway here is a link for if someone is curious about https://www.ems-ph.org/books/book.php?proj_nr=176&srch=series%7Cetb

Back to the interesting matter, slot, did you ever consider full electronic publication for your book, besides the printed form? It's quite usual in my field, makes the book available to a wider audience and pictures look great on a computer screen.

 

[GT40MKII]

Hi Phillipe Given the size and photos in the book can we buy it in instalments? Is the retail cost of the book reasonable or is it in the league of the other 1960's slotcar book (the one with the pyscodelic cover limited edtion) that was way beyond my budget? Will have to save up.

Regards Allan

 

[TSRF]

Allan,
the book is 400 pages, 750 pictures. That is set. The extra pages will be free to read on the Internet. Once you purchase the book, you will have the necessary links to get all the extra info, that will be dynamic as we learn more, especially from readers who might correct some of our speculative information.
The retail price in the USA will hover around $75.00. It's a hard cover book.
I am out of it now, the production company took over, no longer my business.