[howmet tx]

Just out of (very) idle interest...
Does anyone know who what why or when the vac body was introduced into slotracing? I was just recalling how, as a very young and impecunious lad, I saved up for a Riko Ford GT kit, and found that the clear plastic packaging for the body shell could be painted up into a not bad duplicate. But I'm sure the concept was around already. I was just being mean.
I'll bet a scratchbuilt Xylon that Mr Pea doesn't have the answer to THIS one!

 

[Guest]

Hi tx,
Super Shells were making vac formed rail cars in the 1950's As I have G.K Jarvis own Lotus rail car. Which He raced.

RR

 

[TSRF]

QUOTE I'll bet a scratchbuilt Xylon that Mr Pea doesn't have the answer to THIS one!

And you lost.
The first known vacuum formed bodies for model cars were pulled in the 1930's by a French company (Marchand & Villette) which issued lots of pretty toy cars in celluloid with wooden wheels, some of them (specifically an approx 1/20-scale Opel sedan with a sliding roof) which were used on Fleishmann and Marklin rail cars in Germany. I have seen a pair of these cars in the collection of the late Peter Ottenheimer in Zurich.

You may send the scratchbuilt Xylon to Electric Dreams at anytime by registered mail please.
Regards,

Dr. Pea

 

[howmet tx]

Ummm. Double or quits?

 

[JohnP]

You're going to make two Xzylon's now?

 

[TSRF]

Howmet,
just to save you time and aggravation, please send TWO Xylons now to Electric Dreams.
Regards,

Dr. Pea

 

[jonny s]

Come on howmet...set him a real challenge! Like eating a dohnut without licking his lips!!

 

[howmet tx]

But but but.....

What would anyone want with TWO Xylons?

 

[Guest]

OK tx, I will build Dr Pea's Xylon.

Now with my loss adjustor's hat on, the deal did not state a date to be finished by or a standard to be built to or who was to build it.

Now my building skills are non-existant. Also it did not state delivery. So Dr Pea will have to collect the Xylon from my home in Wales in person. (if he can find It as I not giving him my address)

Best wishes,

Jeff

 

[BEEJAY7]

Just to remind you what they are supposed to look like.......

Regards

Alan

 

[Fergy]

I'm not sure ANYthing is "supposed" to look like that!

 

[howmet tx]

You chaps are all heart.

Can we talk about Vaccies? Like, er, when did racers move over to them in a big way from injection moulds, carved wood, etc.? Interesting comment about Supershells, RR- I never associated them with blobbies. What's your favourite, even?

Anything to get this blasted Xylon off the topic....
And I guess my scratchbuild is suppposed to look a bit like that, Fergy. But who's to judge? If I just stick an Airfix Frog Eye in front of a hot air paint stripper for a while, will that get you all off my case?

 

[Guest]

tx, I would have thought that Super Shells were the first company to use accurate vac bodies in rail racing. The MRRC one's were quite crude.

So if you take the start of slot/rail racing as a hobby/sport in it's currant 1/32 form the answer is more than likely Super Shells. Before this point it is really all most impossible to say who built what when.

RR

 

[Guest]

Having had a very difficult week,

re-reading tx question Dr pea is disqualified as tx asked who built the first slot car with a vac body and P's answer was a rail car which as we all know is not the same thing. So I won't be building a Xylon after all.

So a far as I can figure tx, Dr Pea owes you a Xylon please make it a good one Philippe.

Best wishes,

Jeff.

 

[JohnP]

...something to do with vacforms then - even if it's not a particularly early one!

This is a Darnell Models 1964 Cooper F1 bought in Beatties, Holborn during the mid-60s. It's a two part plasticard moulding with additional clear windscreen.

The detail is fairly basic although not as basic as my rather poor photograph would suggest!

I've never seen anything else by Darnell - does anyone know anything of this manufacturer?

 

[Fergy]

QUOTE re-reading tx question Dr pea is disqualified as tx asked who built the first slot car with a vac body and P's answer was a rail car

Oh, oh.... the gauntlet is down again!

C'mon, Mr. P, my money is in your corner!

Yeah, okay.... not enough money to see... no puns needed!

 

[TSRF]

QUOTE when did racers move over to them in a big way from injection moulds, carved wood, etc.?

The British were in fact quite behind the 8-ball when it comes to vac-forming. If it is correct that MRRC was one of the first companies to produce clear plastic vac-formed (and rather crude) shells and sold them confidentially to a few British clubs, Jim Russell of Russkit fame, Bob Braverman, Shark and other small outfits were selling clear and white-styrene vac-bodies in big numbers as early as 1962. The "big" transition to vac-formed bodies for the general public did not happen until late 1965. At that time, the British were still carving balsa-wood bodies or making fiberglass ones. By 1967 the Brits had caught up and several companies (GT Models especially) were cranking clear plastic like no tomorrow.
Regards,

Dr. Pea
Xylonist.

 

[TSRF]

QUOTE re-reading tx question Dr pea is disqualified as tx asked who built the first slot car with a vac body and P's answer was a rail car which as we all know is not the same thing. So I won't be building a Xylon after all.

Not so fast, Jeff: you are the one who talked first about rail cars and Super Shells. I was merely pointing out that earlier examples where known on QUOTE model cars. I did not make the distinction as you answered Howmet's question with talk of RAIL cars.
As far as the first vacuum formed bodies for SLOT cars, I have to give it to MRRC as early as 1961 (but NOT before as I have an advertisement about "revolutionary new heat-formed bodies" dated March 1961). As far as the first COMPLETE, ready-to-race car with a vacuum formed body, it is the Classic Manta Ray of 1964.

Where is my Xylon please?
Make it snappy.

 

[Fergy]

Jeff,

Ever feel like you were in a vaccuum?

Oh, oh... does the Xylon have to be vac-formed?

 

[Guest]

As In every other game only your first answer counts so, Dr Pea you lose.

Tx asked which Slot Car not model car so he had all ready made the distinction.

tx tell him what colour you want your Xylon to be.

Best wishes,

Jeff