Auto World is back to updating their webcam....it's only been 6 month since the last picture.

The archive I've been keeping for anyone who has missed past pictures.

http://www.earlybroncotoys.com/awpicturearchive.html

Newest
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/03120080259.jpg

The Peace Tank? Tom is kidding, right?:rolleyes:

The Peace Tank? Tom is kidding, right?:rolleyes:

Hey Joez maybe Tom will be painting it pink with flowers coming out the turret? :rolleyes: LOL

Bob...zilla

I bought one of those new many years ago.... :cool:

My eyes maybe goin bad, but the turret doesnt look quite right...where's Beatle Bailey?!!!!?

Thats a 4 gear chassis right? Tower Hobbies has some future AW sets listed on thier site, its looks like the next sets will be the 4 gear chassis and semis.

My eyes maybe goin bad, but the turret doesnt look quite right...where's Beatle Bailey?!!!!?

Seriously Bill? Beatle's head hides in the turret 'til you push on the barrel.

http://i29.tinypic.com/2zrp9mt.gif

Sweet! Ive always liked that goofy thing. I finally scored a nice, complete one a few weeks back.

Hello Tom, This was a stinker when Aurora did it. Please don't waste your dime ( time and money ) I mean there was to be something else that you can make right? How about a drag v.w. or a funny car? I mean HELLO???????!

Seriously Bill? Beatle's head hides in the turret 'til you push on the barrel.

http://i29.tinypic.com/2zrp9mt.gif

Thanks Gene. Just looked like Beatle was awol in the plainjane webshot. When I put my grampa glasses on I can just make his brainbucket out LOL. My bad! I'll hit the geritol.

In the last mellenium...Think I paid a little under 4 bux for my first ...and last one. Not sure if this will be a big seller, as I remember it didnt do very well even when the political culture suited the theme. Still serves to illustrate that the four gear chassis might be on it's way yet!

Big mistake... of all the specialty cars, this one was the least popular... which is why you can find the bodies on ebay for 7 bucks. A new specialy chassis would be cool, but PLEASE pick another body.

What happened to the tyco remakes, like the bug and funny car?

Hello Tom, This was a stinker when Aurora did it. !

Did I buy one back in the day? Yup. Was I glad I did so? Nope... Truth be told, I felt kinda dumb that I wasted my allowance on it when I could have had another car. Luckily I've learned a lot since then. It may be part of the Aurora history, but IMHO at this point it's best left as just a footnote. Once again... just not my cup. I have selectively cherry picked JL and AW for certain bodies only (I'm just not a collector and I don't have to have every one). This is another of many that will die on the vine for me. nd

Tom,
What are you thinking in wasting your resources on a body that when original has virtually no appeal? So what is going to be the new selling point for this body this time around ...a sheet of peel n stick peace signs to apply to the tank...maybe you'd better put this one way down on that list of bodies to get to market...maybe this little piggy should stay home and out of sight.
Ray

Big mistake...

Aurora specialty chassis always had issues (as did most of the bodies!) and Aurora was constantly "tweaking" the thing......they had no less then four versions the last of which used a gear plate clamp and a screw to hold the chassis together, but on average, they never did run as good as a Mag chassis! Ironically, they tended to have the same issues that that JL/AW chassis tend to have....yep gear slippage. :freak:

Some specialty chassis did have a saving grace though....good armatures! Specifically, the (Blue lam arm w/ gold or green wire) these are hot arms!


If JL/AW does release the speciality chassis I certainly hope they stay away form all the Vans, Tank, Rolls and rescue vehicles....there are a TON of those still around cheap!

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.SlotCarJohnnies.com)

SCJ.... I like the AFX specialty chassis, I never had a clunker. I also like their Vega funny cars alot. It's one of my favorite cars to run. I guess I was lucky. I have over 2 dozen specialty chassis, and they all run great. I like what AW is doing to it though, they added 2 neo traction magnets on the bottom. On the other thred, they some pics of a few iof the enw bodies... some nice choices.

SCJ.... I like the AFX specialty chassis, I never had a clunker. I also like their Vega funny cars alot. It's one of my favorite cars to run. I guess I was lucky. I have over 2 dozen specialty chassis, and they all run great. I like what AW is doing to it though, they added 2 neo traction magnets on the bottom. On the other thred, they some pics of a few iof the enw bodies... some nice choices.


:thumbsup: Wow, have NEVER heard that consistency before, but IMHO v4 was the best version........easily detected via the screw in the back of the chassis holding down the gear plate.

BTW, I like the Drag cars as well and wish Aurora had done more with them, maybe a S'cool bus, Snake Vs Mongoose set or ?????.........but I think the better idea (One less gear to slip) is the early stock AFX extended wheel base (front wheels attached to the body ) style. But for true vintage speed go G-plus.

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.SlotCarJohnnies.com)

A snake v mongoose set sounds AWESOME.... I hope they hear you!
The AFX glpus chassis is one of my all time favs.

did the first 3 AFX SP chassis not have screws in the back?
I have a few non mag versions, that didn;t have it... but they all had blue arms and with the blue/yellow hop up magnets, they all flew!

Speaking of the blue/yellow magnets... have you seen what they sell for now on the bay? I see some go for as high as 25 bucks!... Sure glad I bought several dozen when they could be had for 4 bucks a set.
Those magnets are the single greatest hop up I've come across. For years, all my cars would get the same hop up treatment... blue/yellow magnets, silver brushes and silicone tires.

Now I just use the JL t-jets magnets, as they're bout the same.

Just another one I won't need to buy. :freak: rr

Good News! look here!
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=214095

Except for the non-screwed in rear gearplates Ive never had a 4-gear that gave me any problems. Most of my flat scream. The only gripe I ever had was that the single screwpost and flimsy rear chassis mount was a crap way to mount the bodies. Matchbox's chassis had a lot better system with a chassis mount that actually locked in as opposed to just controlling the way the body sat on the chassis.

The Peace Tank isnt exactly cheap on the bay, unless it has issues. The gun barrels, wings and tailpipes are mega-fragile. The one I found was missing the wing (didnt like it on there anyway) and had a buy it now for $12 so I jumped on it. Ive bid $22 on probably a dozen of them and got outbid every time. Yeah, its a dorky looking car but it stands out in my collection as one of the more interesting. Im curious to see what Tom does with it outside of cloning the original.

Aurora specialty chassis always had issues (as did most of the bodies!) and Aurora was constantly "tweaking" the thing......they had no less then four versions the last of which used a gear plate clamp and a screw to hold the chassis together, but on average, they never did run as good as a Mag chassis! Ironically, they tended to have the same issues that that JL/AW chassis tend to have....yep gear slippage. :freak:....Snip

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.SlotCarJohnnies.com)

I've had the typical grab bag with four gears. Some good, some marginal. In most all cases they've come back to life with a little luvin'.

All of my victims seemed to really wake up after some shoe tuning...and a tire upgrade is mandatory.

I've had excellent success fixing the gear skip issue with either the standard or mag versions. TOSS that wimpy, sloppy, POS, four gear crown right in the trash! Then shave the regular AFX crown's hub to fit. Identical to the old t-jet trick where we used to shave a standard t-jet crown to make a hop the hop up version work with an armature gear for a pinion. Not only am I old ...but cheap too! Note: retrofitting the AFX crown on JLTO's and Xtracs can solve quite a few miseries as well and is SOP when I convert the JLTO "clown gears" to t-jet brass.

When doing the four gear crown modification, ya generally have to take a little material off the gearplate at the crown pocket so the crown doesnt rub, just a little right around the inside of the pinion window. Very easy to do with a #2 blade...nuthin to it.

With the extra monkey motion, most all the four gears I've dinked with benefit hugely from a toothpaste lapping, as do most plastic geared chassis. It can often make the difference between a tight, twitchy dog and a zinger.

Arm pinions are weak and failure prone as they dont have a lot of shoulder and the arm shaft on the mags is proported to be a hair bigger. So when things fail I happily sub the t-jet 9 tooth pinion. Chucking the arm in the dremel and patiently buzzing a little off the top arm shaft with some 600 can help prevent splitting the new gear should things get overly tight and uncooperative.

Unless they are mint or reasonably unmolested many fourgears have rear rim lumpage or wobble of some form or another. The big rear ansen doesnt take kindly to careless screwdriver prying for removal. The hub portion is unsupported by the rest of the rim. Look at the backside of one and note the recess around the hub. Contact with the actual rim doesnt begin until quite deep into the actual wheel. Given the deep dish of the big ansen there is not a whole lot of material between the hub and rim when viewed in cross section. I also find many of them are not seated all the way on to the axle. A couple thou clearance is correct...not 20 thou ! Some times you can get away with pressing them on correctly and the wobblys go away but that has been the exception and not the rule. Many are just flat out ruined through carelessness at some point in their lives.

Over all I like the four gears fine for their cutomizing potential in that they are narrower across the motor pit (no basket handle) and have longer WB options. Naturally they have great potential in fat tire applications because the overall width of the rear axle journals is narrower. As John pointed out the arms were pretty darn good and even if ya dont use them in a resto or custom they have enough goodies in the way of interchangeable parts to make them worth boning.

wow Bill, you da man!

Good News! look here!
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=214095

Ooooooh boy!

Ya know, maybe some "Real" tanks and a sand dune set to go with it and the sand vans....

That Tank is still available thru most slot car suppliers? Why re-do it, and it is cheap.
hopefully Tom changes the mounting to an afx clip style, that would be a big plus.
the Rolls was one of my favorite all time bodies to run, it would make a better repop then the peace tank.

I like those Rolls' also. The idea of a Rolls Royce funny car is so absurd youve gotta love it!

Perhaps a Peace Tank in Desert Storm colors........

Different angle

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/032820080615.jpg

Another different angle

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/042120081241.jpg

http://www.earlybroncotoys.com/awpicturearchive.html

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/042220081041.jpg

Stealth mode,......Sweet!

There we go! Pot handles and all! :thumbsup:

Lightened picture of 4 gear chassis:


http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/thumbs/camshot2.jpg

Marty

got that any bigger?

got that any bigger?

That's what she said!

You had to see that coming

That's what she said!

You had to see that coming

haha, good one! That gag just seems to never get old.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/050220080149.jpg

Looks like a vett ?

Dunno what they are.

Shaped like tuners?

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/050220080149.jpg


My guess is that it is a Viper on the left and a Vette C5-R on the right.

Don't know what they are, but am looking forward to running them.......

Why do they always put that stupid spoiler on them???

Why do they always put that stupid spoiler on them???

Makes them go faster. Kinda like all the Volvos,Camrys and such we see on the road everyday with carpool mom or dad behind the wheel. It has to be a perception thing.:dude:

Makes them go faster. Kinda like all the Volvos,Camrys and such we see on the road everyday with carpool mom or dad behind the wheel. It has to be a perception thing.:dude:

its crazy, I broke the spoiler of my viper looks much better even with the 2 white dots on the deck lid!

I always thought they put those wings on them, so if you lock your keys in your car... you'll have a handle to carry your car home.

Why do they always put that stupid spoiler on them???

So you can remove them and make a COT NASCAR :)

Roger Corrie

They both look like Vettes to me. They'll be hot sellers, especially if they're on the XT Ultra G chassis.

They both look like Vettes to me. They'll be hot sellers, especially if they're on the XT Ultra G chassis.

They'll sell great -- just hope that they sit nice and low.

The red one on the left -- the back window doesn't look like a Vette, and the door scoop doesn't either. Both Viper styling cues, hence my guess.

Wanna run 'em both no matter what. ;)

Different angle.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/050820080550.jpg

Not a slot, but an update.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/chriscobbs/AW/050820081150.jpg