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Post by JSB33 on Apr 19, 2022 4:30:16 GMT -5
A very high spec Toyota, looks like you checked every box.
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Post by reeft1 on Apr 19, 2022 13:48:28 GMT -5
Love that Toyota
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 23, 2022 13:22:53 GMT -5
I like your Toyota rally cars and the livery makes this one of the best, perhaps even the best. The amount of power extracted from a normally aspired engine is nothing short of amazing. Thanks Tom! For its day, that little hemi-head engine could produce a great deal of power thanks to Yamaha development. Unfortunately in N. America, Toyota didn't have a driving force like Datsun/Nissan did with Mr. K and their racing program. They had all the trick bits available at the time, plus development of the cars going on this side of the Pacific. It was better in Europe, but they could have done so much better if the company wasn't as conservative, especially when it came to racing. Great looking little car Jerry. BTW - Spark have a nice Castrol Ford Transit van that would look great paired with this. Thanks Ian! Vanguards has one too that would be a cheaper alternative. I need to do more research on what Toyota Team Europe used at the time for rally support. Ok, so I’ve managed to pick myself up off the floor and dried the tears of laughter, so let’s get back to the model. 🤣 Can’t say the car rocks my world as it does for you, we were fed a diet of Ford and Datsun rally cars in those days rather than Corollas, but I can’t deny it looks good in Castrol colours. For what an Alfa cost at the time, I could have bought two Corollas and used one as a spare in the unlikely event I would need one. The GTV had more power, but with the SR5 setup and a panhard rod, they handled about the same. Yes, the Castrol from 1974 livery is my favorite. I wish someone made a Celica rally car from that year as well.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 23, 2022 13:30:29 GMT -5
A very high spec Toyota, looks like you checked every box. Thanks Jeff! See the answer above. I wish I had bought one of the twin cam, fuel injected motors when they were importing them here in the early 80's and I still had the car. Instead, I had done the popular conversion, which was to put a Celica 1.8L engine in. I have a friend that is sitting on one, but won't sell. If he decides to, I am going to have to decide if I want to take on that much of a project. They may be Japanese, but parts for the older cars anymore are not cheap! Thanks Paul! You know my love for these cars. I heard from Doug Woods not long ago. He and Walter are both doing well and were able to see each other again as Covid restrictions were lifted. I maybe sending the diorama I did of their car to the Toyota Museum in Texas. I want to put figures in it, but still haven't figured out how to crack that egg. Does anyone know how to post replies over multiple pages?
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Post by Tom on Apr 23, 2022 13:45:54 GMT -5
Just navigate to the relevant pages with the 'next' button and select the posts (use the cog icon top right) you want to quote. Go back to the first post, hit 'quote' and every quote should come up in a new post.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 23, 2022 18:16:18 GMT -5
Just navigate to the relevant pages with the 'next' button and select the posts (use the cog icon top right) you want to quote. Go back to the first post, hit 'quote' and every quote should come up in a new post. I tried that but only the posts on the first page came up. I couldn't get the ones on the second page into the same post. Maybe its just me.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 23, 2022 18:32:49 GMT -5
Is There More Spark? - I just acquired Spark’s version of the Mercedes Benz 300SLR driven at Le Mans in 1955 by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, two of my all-time favorite drivers. I won’t go into detail about the 3000 SLR, it has recently been chronicled here in the forum recently. Instead, I am offering a side-by-side comparison to the Minichamps version of the car I have had for a long, long time. I decided to replace it with the Spark because of my decision to get the other two team cars form Le Mans in 1955. Notice I said replace and not upgrade. I have said that very deliberately for reasons you will see if you read on. (sorry for the poorer image quality, I didn't change a setting on my camera I needed to. - Doh!) If you are going to have one Mercedes Benz 300SLR in your collection, then this car driven by Moss and Fangio is probably the one to have. Aside from the awesome driver pairing, it is the car which likely would have won Le Mans if Mercedes had not withdrawn following the horrific accident involving one of their cars. I say likely, because even though leading the race at the time of their withdrawal, they were being pressed by the Jaguar D-Type of Hawthorn and Bueb, as well as their own team car. The Mercedes had never gone the twenty-four hour distance before, so reliability for the distance was a question mark. It did well on the rough roads of the Mille Miglia, but its overall distance was less than 40% of the distance the car would need to travel at Le Mans. Especially with Moss driving as he was notoriously hard on cars. Fangio hated Le Mans, so it is likely he would have only driven the minimum required leaving the majority of the driving to Moss. Hard to say if he would have pushed to hard if being pressed by his old rival Hawthorn, let alone the sister car of Kling and Simon. Its all left to conjecture now but adds to the allure of the car/model. I used the Karl Ludvigsen book on the 300SLR as my reference guide for originality. I consider it the best book on the 300SLR with its many photos of the cars at the factory and on track. In my photos, the Spark model is at the top or on the left in the photo unless noted. I found it interesting to compare an old school die-cast model (Paul’s Model Art – Minichamps) (MC) to a current resin and photo etch model. Here’s what I found, you may see other differences. EXTERIOR – While the above photos make the MC look larger, length wise the Spark is just slightly longer. It does sit slightly lower. The Spark is also slightly wider. I did not measure for scale. Both have excellent wire wheels, especially the MC for its age, but there are too many spokes. My only gripe about the Spark is that once again they have failed to make drilled brake drums (a niggling point of mine.) Another area the Spark shines is in treatment of the air brake and its size. Its slightly larger than the MC’s and has the appropriate holes on the rear deck for the where the lifting mechanism is. It also sits farther back on the rear deck and closer to the boot lid and has the proper oil filler cap for the brake. The fuel filler is also a better size and at the correct angle on the Spark. There are hood straps and front air scoop detail on the Spark, as well as the right-side number light looks correct, but may be a bit too large and too low if I’m going to be picky. The air intake ahead of the cockpit is also the correct size. The headlamps are positioned better and have better detail, as well the lower edges of the front fenders. Those areas aside. The MC is correct for pre-race and practice configurations. Between practice and the race itself, Mercedes changed the rear view mirror and the winsdscrren configuration so that the center portion of the windscreen sat a bit taller than the side sections. That mirror was only used at Le Mans. Spark may have made theirs stand a bit too tall, but its negligible. The Spark also has the correct configuration points for the metal “emergency” windscreen (did you know they had one?) The windscreen on the MC, as well as the mirror are correct for practice. The right-side vent which exposes the upper exhaust and allows better cooling was open during the race and the panel was on during practice. Why Spark chromed the area behind the exhaust is a mystery. It was shielded but needs to be body color. Speaking of paint, both are too glossy in my book and the Spark has a bit too much metallic. Looking at pictures before and during the race, the cars had a sheen, but were not glossy, almost a satin finish. They probably look okay as museum pieces, but not as they raced. INTERIOR – When it comes to the interiors, both in my estimation are about dead even. Interior photos are in black and white, so I am not sure whether the tartan cloth should be blue as in the MC, or brown in the Spark. I am leaning towards brown just based on photo shading, but Spark did model the other two team cars with different colors, so I also assume that they used correct information, where MC used this model as the basis for other versions of the car, which makes sense when one considers the cost of die-cast tooling vs. resin. The gear lever in the Spark looks too short and too tall in the MC. The side bolsters on the seats in the Spark look too big and Spark has put what look like large metal dividers between the seats which don’t show in the photos of Fangio’s car I looked at. Its possible they were added pre-race for more lateral support. The biggest interior gaff on Spark’s part is the steering wheel. While the simulated wood rim is too light on the MC, it does have the red inserts that were hallmarks on Fangio’s preferred wheel on every car he drove, including at Le Mans. One thing I forgot to do was check the correctness of the tail lights. I think the Spark are correct for Le Mans, but I'm not sure. The wheel on the MC is the correct one for a Fangio driven car, but is too heavy. The tartan looks okay when not blown up this much, but is it right? Conclusion – There are a number of things on the MC that show its age and the advances in model manufacturing technology in the almost two decades between models. Fortunately, many can be corrected today with a little detailing and aftermarket parts. The end result would be a very good-looking model which has stood up well to the test of time. Taking a brief look at eBay prices for the MC, one or two can be had for about half the cost of a new Spark. I think MC prices will continue to come down. Personally, if I wasn’t trying to make the whole team from Le Mans, I would have been content with MC. If you have one and are considering the purchase of a Spark, the question is would/could you make the upgrades to the MC to make it more accurate and more detailed if that’s important to you? If you aren’t now happy with it the way it is and can’t/won’t, the new Spark is probably your answer. Neither model is perfect as I’ve noted, the great part is you have choices!
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Post by Tom on Apr 24, 2022 5:24:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the great comparison, based on your comments I'd probably pick the Spark too. What sways my decision is the headlights, because they add so much to the looks of the car.
Superb stuff Jerry!
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Post by DeadCanDanceR on Apr 24, 2022 8:47:27 GMT -5
Very interesting comparison! Thanks, Jerry!
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Post by jager on Apr 24, 2022 20:25:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the detailed comparison Jerry, as this is a question I’ve been wondering myself. If it weren’t for an absence of the Levegh car from the Minichamps line up, I’m not sure I would have committed to swapping them over.
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Post by JSB33 on Apr 25, 2022 4:40:57 GMT -5
Very interesting read, nice to see how close things are considering the years and material.
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LM24HRS
Member
Paul - "Collecting Motorsport in Miniature; for the passion and its history".
Posts: 451
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Post by LM24HRS on Apr 25, 2022 13:48:40 GMT -5
A very worth while exercise Jerry. Spark have produced a few "replacement" models over the last year or so to which I do wonder whether an upgrade is actually necessary, especially against a MC version and concidering costs these days. Personal choice I suppose at the end of the day. Good to see the comparisons though without which the decision can be a shot in the dark to some extent.
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Post by oldirish33 on Apr 30, 2022 13:37:22 GMT -5
Glad you guys like the Mercedes 300 SLR comparison. I forgot to mention that the niggling problem with the steering wheel on the Spark is easily fixed with a fine tipped red marker. Another where the Spark is the older model is below. Desert Warrior - Tecnomodel Lotus 40 - Riverside, 1965 My second slot car in 1965 was a Cox Lotus 40, which has endeared me to these lovely looking cars, even if their overall performance wasn't championship caliber. The great Jim Clark was the principal driver when he wasn't off piloting a Lotus F1 car (albeit with more success), so to my young mind it was the perfect car (behind the Chaparral). Tecnomodel has produced three versions of the Lotus 40, representing each chassis built, with this model being Chassis #40/l/2, the second built. I bought it to replace my older Spark model of the 40, which I discuss in more detail later.
Lotus wanted to build a prototype sports racer using a V8 engine for Group 7 racing. Using a backbone chassis arrangement like the Elan, Lotus built a new car with a 289 Ford V8, which became the Lotus 30. Unreliability plagued the 30 in 1964, not least was over chassis flexing and breakage. For the 1965 season, Lotus built three new cars with stronger chassis and bigger brakes, together with a larger 5.8L V8 which produced 450 BHP. It was little more successful than the 30 and as driver Ritchie Ginther said, “it was the Lotus 30 with ten more problems”.
Despite the problems, Lotus pressed on with their sight on the Autoweek Championship, which was the precursor to the Can-Am series for Group 7 cars. There were two groups in the six series races, over 2.0 liters and under 2.0 liters. The series attracted the top prototype cars and international drivers. None more so than the L.A. Times Grand Prix, the 5th round of the Championship held at Riverside International Raceway in the California desert east of LA. 85,000 spectators braved the heat and dust to watch 58 cars take the starting line for the 200 mile race.
Lotus had all three 40s at the LA Times GP. Qualifying 10th, Jim Clark drove one of his best sports car races at Riverside. As the oppressive heat took its toll on many competitors, the Lotus which was prone to overheating, pressed on. Clark’s drive was all the more incredible, not only because he was the only Lotus 40 to survive to the finish, but because he had to overcome horrendous handling. The car would try to get airborne, and Clark would have to slam on the brakes to keep the car grounded. After 77 laps he finished 11 seconds behind Hap Sharp in a Chaparral 2A and just ahead of Bruce McLaren in a McLaren Elva. It was the best result in an major race for the Lotus 40.
I have had the Spark Lotus 30 & 40 models since they were first introduced 8-10 years ago. At the time and until now, they have been the only mass produced versions of either car. I like the looks of the Riverside car better with its color scheme and aero bits, the final and most successful version of the car. My thought is to replace the Spark with this model in my collection, but first, thought it would be interesting to compare the two models. This time, the Spark ends up being the older model and at its higher retail price point, is the Tecnomodel that much better? The answer as it turns out isnt that easy.
Spark in these pictures is the #8 car and Tecnomodel #1 The Spark is as run at the Guard's Trophy race at Brands Hatch early in the season and the Tecnomodel the Riverside car late in the season.
As I did research it became apparent that a direct side by side comparison isn't possible because they are not the same car. Tecnomodel does make the Brands Hatch 40 which would make for a direct comparison, but the Riverside car is from later in the season after some modifications were made and aero bits added. So not an apples to apples comparison. I also was unable to quickly uncover detailed interior images of either car, so will limit my comments to observations rather than a side-by-side comparison. The Spark represents the first Lotus 40 chassis built. Comparing it to the Spark Lotus 30, the cars look to be the same basic tooling
Spark - The Spark represents the first Lotus 40 chassis built. Comparing it to the Spark Lotus 30, the cars look to be the same basic tooling and are almost identical. This makes a certain amount of sense since the 40 was basically a continuation of the 30. In photos like the one above, the Spark seems to be externally spot on with the exception of the roll bar which is too thick and too square on the model. Roll over bars on both models appear too high. I am uncertain if the car ran at Brands Hatch with the exhaust painted yellow. The press release car had yellow exhaust, but I can't tell if they are yellow in the image above. The Tecnomodel has very realistic looking exhausts with heat effects. Their Brands Hatch model does not have painted exhausts. I would be happy to keep this car in my collection if the Tecnomodel hadn't been produced.
Tecnomodel - Definitely like the Spark, a quality model.The first thing I noticed is that on this model, the interior seats are better defined, but the dash and instrument panel is less detailed than the Spark. This includes the gear shift lever and pedals. Again, absence of detail shots of the interior make it difficult to knock the model for what may have changed over the course of a season. One thing I noted about the model car from the period photo above, is that there was not a fuel filler on the Riverside car in front of the cockpit like there is on the model. There is also no windscreen wiper ( a small niggling matter). I can only speculate here, but think that Tecnomodel has used the same basic model for all three versions. That may explain the fuel filler as well as unpainted exhausts on the Brands Hatch car. I have the AJ Foyt car (the third chassis built) from Riverside coming, so we'll see if there are any difference other than livery. A very nice model made in a limited edition of 180 pieces.
I only found one Spark Lotus 40 on eBay and it was going considerably more than the Tecnomodel retails for. I would say this, if you already have the Spark in your collection and are happy with it, stay with it. If like me you want the Riverside car, the Tecnomodel is a very nice model that may be a bit over priced in my estimation. However, if eBay is any indication and unless Spark reissues the 40, it may be your best price option if trying to add a Lotus 40 to your collection.
Here are the Spark Lotus 30 & 40 models with the Tecnomodel Lotus 40:
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Post by reeft1 on Apr 30, 2022 14:08:39 GMT -5
Superb - am waiting for mine to arrive from Italy
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Post by Tom on Apr 30, 2022 14:27:45 GMT -5
If they were my models, I'd keep both the Spark and the Technomodel. They're sufficiently different to tell different chapters of the -interesting, as always with Lotus- story. I love going over your pictures and looking at the details, they're fantastic cars.
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