Canberra Downhill Diecast Dragracers - Round One

After constructing a Hot Wheels racing track - you need somewhere to race it. As a member of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club, I decided to take it along to the March meeting and set it up and have at it. Two other people had expressed interest - and I had two cars mailed to me by 'Model40fan' at the Redline Racing Forums. Four people is enough for a competition!

The track laid out and all components joined together.  If you look, you can actually see two little cars that have just exited the starting gate.

 There were a few kinks - such as this MAJOR one - and of course, I didn't have a stanley knife to trim it.

The towel is to catch cars that have exited the track after going through the finish line. You can see here where the vintage track meets the contemporary Hot Wheels track (the pieces on the blue painted plank).

Because of the kinks, including some sections where track joined, a few cars tumbled off the track - such as the Hot Wheels Volkswagen Type 181. It was a fast car - but the track needs some improvements.

Half Packid (US Import) vs Matchbox 'Tyre Fryer'

One solution on the night was to lower the track a little. I had the track elevated about a metre to start with, but too many cars came off the track, as gravity, a bumpy track etc caused them to exit the tracks... so we lowered the starting gate to chair seat level. This helped considerably. 

After watching us race, Sam decided to get involved - he had bought along some cars to swap/sell - and came over with this Matchbox Viper. It was pretty quick.

 Viper vs Half Packid (US import)

 Hot Wheels Corvette vs Majorette Morgan

 McDonalds Hot Wheels 32 Roadster vs Matchbox Dodge Monaco

 Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti vs Matchbox Holden Ute

 Hot Wheels Corvette vs 'Blue Spruce' (US import)

Blue Spruce vs Matchbox Holden Ute

 McDonalds Hot Wheels Go Kart vs Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti. 

This is the original configuration of the track, with the starting gate raised just over a metre. The starting angle also seems too steep. The other problem is that although there is one button to start races, some cars seem to 'hang' at the gate and not race away. Advice is sought. 

 Matchbox Holden Ute vs Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa. Cars are 'staging' off to the right. 

Lowering the starting gate and the angle of the track, was a partial solution to the problem with cars tumbling off the track. It still didn't stop some cars flying off when they encountered that large bump in the track. 

This is where the two main parts of the track - two 1.8 metre planks - are joined by a hinge, and the four lengths of plastic track join. If I'd had a Stanley knife I could have fixed this kink, but alas I didn't... The wooden guides are not decorative - there are holes drilled through them, into the plank at the front and pins hold the plank on the right in place. You can see some construction photos here.

Racing results (winners Bolded)

Half Packid (US Import) vs Matchbox 'Tyre Fryer'

Matchbox Viper vs Half Packid (US import)

Hot Wheels Corvette vs Majorette Morgan

Hot Wheels Corvette vs Matchbox Holden Ute

Hot Wheels Volkswagen Type 181 vs Matchbox Holden Ute

McDonalds Hot Wheels 32 Roadster vs Matchbox Dodge Monaco (both DNF)

Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti vs Matchbox Holden Ute

Hot Wheels Corvette vs 'Blue Spruce' (US import)

Blue Spruce vs Matchbox Holden Ute

McDonalds Hot Wheels Go Kart vs Hot Wheels Studebaker Avanti (both DNF)

Matchbox Holden Ute vs Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa

Blue Spruce vs Half Packid

Matchbox Ferrari Testarossa vs Blue Spruce 

And the winner: 

Congrats to Model40fan and the visiting 3 inch sized American contingent!

(the car has a very cool resealable blister and its own printed card!)

Conclusions

1. I need to fine tune the track - remove the kinks, straighten the left hand track in one place.
2. The starting gate needs work
3. I need to experiment with a height to start the cars from
4. Narrow cars do not race well (Avanti, Monaco)
5. Cars with weight at the back do race well

Between now and the next race (probably the April meeting of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club ) I will work on improving the track. If anyone has advice - please post it in the comments section. 

Oh - Big thanks to Sue who raced around collecting cars that tumbled off the track and also returned cars back to the starting gate... even after her Corvette exited the comp! It was also her idea to lower the starting gate height!

And if you want to race - let me know! 

Canberra model vehicle Collectors Club - Nov meeting - Diorama Night

Tonight was the November meeting of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club, and it was an excellent turnout with over a dozen members - plus two new model collectors who came along (and may join). Held as usual, upstairs at the Eastlake Football Club in Kingston. 

 Its amazing how much time you can spend talking about Dinky restorations

 I took along the latest Revolution Models resin cars - they were the topic of much discussion. these are a series of Commodores - Clubsports, SV99 etc. 

 Dinky restorations

 Screwed baseplate of a repainted Dinky Morris Oxford

 Much neater restoration, with replica rivets used

 The quality of repaints/restos was another very popular discussion theme. 

This months 'theme' was officially 'Dioramas'. Nice use of plastic railway buildings here. The buildings had LED lighting in them, and the Hotel sign had alternate flashing letters. 

 I like this Chrysler a lot. Tomica?

 Star Wars diorama

 and of course - the Capital Diecast Garage wrecking yard...

Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club March 2011 Meeting

The March meeting of the Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club was held last night at its usual venue, the Eastlake Football Club in Kingston. This months theme was 'convertibles'. 

Setting up displays is serious business

Louies Volkswagen convertibles

Very interesting Minichamps 1/43 of a rare Swiss VW custom convertible. The engine cover looks like a bonnet. This was an exquisite model.

I bought along 1/64 Hot Wheels and Matchbox VW 181's or Things. The red one is a Lesney Edition VW 181. I like both these castings. The tan VW was never available locally, and I bought it in the US. 

Clive bought along this extremely interesting rubber model. US made with Auburn as the only ID mark underneath it. Rubber wheels, wire axles. Scale - about 1/24 but I doubt thats exact. This is a one piece rubber model, similar to a slush cast toy car. I did a bit of googling and found this article on Auburn rubber toys. 

Del Prado 1/43's with a Corgi in the centre 

Sam's display. That VW is umm an acquired taste. Sam had a display board, which he arrayed his cars on. Then looked at it, put the cars back in the cases, stacked them in a artistic manner and put his display board away! He had a 1/43 Bugeye Sprite which looked really nice. 

1/43 Corvettes. I forget the maker. 

There was a bit of trading going on last night, a few loose 1/43's, some Matchbox regular wheels and Superfasts, Hot Wheels, Yesteryears. I asked if the blue Matchbox cases were for sale, they weren't...

I sold a trio of Hot Wheels Falcons. The red Falcon is not available in Australia and was imported from the US. It's a nice model, metal base and body, rubber tyres on separate rims, unique paint. The Fimcar book wasn't for sale, I took it with me to show people.

After looking through the diecast treasures, I did buy these three Matchbox cars. The wrecker is in very good condition, its a transitional model - a regular wheel model with superfast wheels. The VW and the Porsche 935 are black Matchbox 1/75's and will fit neatly in my collection. I have almost completed my sub-collection of Matchbox wreckers, only a few to go. I bought these off Sam. I asked him about the garish paint job on the Porsche, and he told me its from a set of Chinese New Year cars, he had the other four cars in the set - but I didn't buy them. 

The meeting was a lot of fun, with discussion on all sorts of subjects tangentially relating to model cars. If you are a model car collector in Canberra, its well worth coming along to the monthly meetings. 

Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club - Feb 2011

Im not sure if there was a January meeting, but this was the first Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club meeting I have attended this year, and tonights theme was 'colour'.  It was a well attended meeting with over ten people present and lots of discussion about recent diecast bought or seen. 

As well as cars on display, some trading took place and new cars were shown off. I have to remember to take three Hot Wheels falcons to the next meeting. Louie the Volkswagen tragic had a neat Wiking box set with three Volkswagen Beetles, some little plastic people and a round tobacco tin shaped garage, all in a nice presentation box - scale about 1:87. Another person had a lovely 1:43 Dinky Tucker Torpedo.

Hot Wheels 1:64  Plymouth Roadrunner Superbirds and Dodge Daytonas. 

I thought about the theme and selected the Hot Wheels Winged Warriors as I knew they would make a colourful display. This year the winners wont be announced until the end of the year. So I dont know who won Februarys comp.

After my embarrassing displays last year, over the festivus period I created a base to display my diecast efforts on at the CMVCC meeting this year. Its a picture frame with the glass replaced with a sheet of MDF with sandpaper and railroad grass glued to it, and a white line painted between the sandpaper and grass. It's supposed to look like a road with a grass verge. I used the same grass on my diorama of the diecast wrecking yard. Although I thought this would be simple to make, it wasnt. but I am pleased with this result - although I may make a second improved version if I have some spare time.

 Del Prado Ferraris in 1/43

 Red Volkswagen Beetles in a range of scales

 Green Dinkys and Corgis

 Pink Corvettes

This is a Matchbox Corvette!

Discussing important diecast events like a car advertised as 1:43 is really only 1:42!

At this meeting the themes for the rest of the years displays were discussed. The themes I remember are: 

• Non-articulated trucks
• unusual diecast
• diorama
• same car in a range of scales
• less than four wheels
• Australian cars.

Being February, dues were also due. I received a member ship card and a warm feeling. There were several recent diecast magazines to pore over while people chatted, and I also asked dumb questions which were answered well. I learn something new at every meeting. 

The highlight of the evening for me was P76 related - I was given the details of the AFP constable shown standing next to the P76 used as a police car, in the photo used in Hal Moloneys book on the Leyland P76 several years ago. I plan to follow this up. 

The next meeting will be at 7.30 PM on Monday 7 March at the Eastlakes Club in Kingston.

Canberra Model Vehicle Collectors Club - Nov 2010 Meeting

On a cold  and wet November evening, the members of the CMVCC gathered at the Eastlakes Football Club to talk diecast and peer at scale model diecast vehicles. I'd forgotten all about the meeting, and had missed the last one, but I had run into Peter the day before at the EPIC Swap meet, and he had reminded me. 

Peter had just taken delivery of a bunch of Morris Minor diecast. They are N scale and 1:76 scale by Oxford Diecast. 

 N-scale Morris van

Very attractive and detailed 1:76 Morris convertible. This reminds me of Arthur Beares car from 'Mother and Son'.

 N-scale Morris van. Thats a pen in front of it so you can comprehend just how small this car is. The tampo printing on the number plates is legible. Amazing. Very cheap too, only 5 bucks each.

Box of Matchbox Collectors Club era Dinkys. Nice Tucker Torpedo.

The theme of the evening was 'dioramas', I didn't know this as I didn't get the email, but I was BURSTING to show off my newly acquired Trax Select Force 7 in 1:43. I bought along a Trax P76 in the same colour, to show the pair. I bought a cardboard box, and a pillow case, and created a small display. Louis bought along a micro machines fold out garage, and won the diorama category.

If you are in Canberra, and collect diecast, this club is a fun place to talk diecast and display and show off your cars. We meet once a month and its very casual. Email me for details.