# the next 2 thuunderjet releases from autoworld



## wheelz63 (Mar 11, 2006)

hello everyone,
i have read that many of you would like to see some of the new t-jets coming out. i just happen to have some pics for ya all. please give your thoughts about each release, all are welcome. i do believe the 100th anniversary cars have gold wheels and both releases are due out at the end of the month at the same time. i will have both releases as normal.

Richard


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I like the 100th anniversary set much more than the Flames set... and I wonder if the "100" tampo will come off the trunk lid without destroying the paint... and I'll probably be hitting the gold wheels with a silver Sharpie or something.

--rick

edit: is that set with the flames the one they are calling the "Hot Rod Magazine" release?


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## buzzinhornet (Jan 20, 2000)

ParkRNDL said:


> is that set with the flames the one they are calling the "Hot Rod Magazine" release?


No, I think the "flames" are release 8 and the "hot rod magazine" is release 10.


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

I'm glad I'm only 25 minutes from the AW store. 

Randy.


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## Gear Head (Mar 22, 2005)

NO MORE FLAMES!!!

Like most of the 100th set however!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Pinesol puts the fires out.


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## TUFFONE (Dec 21, 2004)

Again...nothing at all to get excited about. More cars with flames,really!!? There are so many things that they could produce that would be knock out products, yet we get more of this. I sure hope that Dash gears it up again soon.


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

I like em. Love them, maybe not but it's more about supporting AW at this point. 

They have really done all they could. Without making new molds, imo.

I am excited to get the new rails and when these 2 come out, i'll have to add them into the colloection too cause I just have to have them all!!!!! :freak: 

But with the new Rail molds coming, I am not losing hope for them.

Hello my name is Joe and I have a problem.


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)

I agree with Joe on this one. I'm looking forward to the rails my self, and it's going to be tuff for me, but I can see some of those 100th anny cars getting stripped and repainted. It'd be nice if they would come out with some of their more popular cars in an unpainted version so we could do them up ourselves. Heck I'd pay the same price if they didn't have the flames or graffitti on them, sure would save me a lot of time and money on stripping them down. Just a thought.


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

Regarding the flames... Who would do that to a Mustang?

Somehow, my imagination permits most of the others to not be offensive, although the Vegas and Novas are way over the top -- something the class idiot would have done to his car in high school shop class. I actually like the looks of the '62 Chevys and the Willys.

It's hard to see the sides of the Mustangs. Do they just have the cheesy hood flames or are there some little ones on the sides too?

Regardless of the look, if the chassis are as good as the last bunch, these will run great out of the box.


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## Piz (Apr 22, 2002)

Makes u wonder if the aw designers who approve of the flame paint jobs have ever actually seen a real car with flames.


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## buzzinhornet (Jan 20, 2000)

Nothing wrong with a good flame paint job but the last couple flame releases have been a little cheesy IMO. I'm still happy AW is releasing slot cars.:thumbsup:


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

Maybe next year Autoworld will come out with some new molds. I read somewhere that it used to take Aurora 18 months to get a car from idea to product. 

Lord knows Autoworld is watching Hobby Talk and have read what we want. And I, Jeff Clemence, and a friend talked to a couple of the Autoworld people at past Calvacade Of Wheels and Autofest events.

My friend had a neo dot traction magnet glued to the bottom of some of his modified JL/AW Thunderjets. Tom Lowe saw this and his Corian Drag Strip. Had a nice chat with him and a year later the first Ultra-G's were for sale, and a little over two years later the AW Drag Strips were for sale. 

And in the link below, is the Christmas ornament idea I had in 2008. Post #25. One of the Johnny Lightning Pullbacks that I drilled a hole in the top of and ran a string through the roof and attached it to the chassis.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=239297&page=2

Autoworld is looking, listening, and paying attention.

Randy.


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Thats great to hear bro!!!!


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

*I prefer the bodies in pic 2 myself as they are flameless more so . That said my BIGGEST beef these days with ANY new release is the dot traction mags !! Never should have happened with a TJET clone IMHO and AW should move away from them as SOON as feasible ! A TJET type car is NOT meant to perform like a magnet car but like a 1 to 1 and drift through corners ! So while i like a few bodies here and there i no longer buy new AW cars . I just find and use the older non dot chassis . And before folks say ya can remove the dot yes i know but... shouldn't have to do so and it still leaves the pock / hole. 

Bear :wave: *


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I like their Mustang bodies, even with the Pinto simulated flames.

Novas, Novas, Novas. Cain't get enough.

The gem of the flamers has to be the black Willys with the purple flames.

Oh, and you _can_ take the dot magnet out.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

notice there are two Willys in the release with flames.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

alpink said:


> notice there are two Willys in the release with flames.


I noticed before, I just don't like the orange one.


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

NTxSlotCars said:


> I noticed before, I just don't like the orange one.


*Do a repaint of the orange one and put a fire extinguisher decal on it and have it chase the flames cars !

Bear :wave: *


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## twolff (May 11, 2007)

For the guys complaining about the flames (I don't care for them either BTW). Would your rather have another "carffitti" release?


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

twolff said:


> For the guys complaining about the flames (I don't care for them either BTW). Would your rather have another "carffitti" release?


Na but some base models , simple fades , simple stripes , metal flake etc would be cool . Sometimes less is more ?

Bear :wave:


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## rodstrguy (Feb 14, 2002)

Looking at them all I have to say my favorites are: '57 Bel Airs, '65 Novas, '70 Novas, '59 Impalas, The Willys, and the '62 Impalas... I will be trying to get them all though. So when do they come out? +90 days or firm date?


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)

twolff said:


> For the guys complaining about the flames (I don't care for them either BTW). Would your rather have another "carffitti" release?


They all strip the same! :tongue:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Completely lost in translation*

It's very easy to judge what appeals and that which doesnt. Putting it down constructively into words is always challenging and working with a single 3/4 view car-lot shot makes it hard to see. Of late, I've seen no reason to stir up the Koolaid bowl.....but if Auto World is actually listening... I'll forgo my self imposed gag rule and proceed. Check your seat belts. 

#1. AGAIN...? with those Aljazeerah magic carpet culiform goofus flames....REALLY...? Surely you jest. Great on oriental rugs, but not a good styling point for slot cars. I shouldnt have to explain this. 

#2. Placement and symmetry. Take them hapless lil Novacaines what never did nuthin to nobody. Geez man... straight cut orange/silver twotone with those cock-a-mami black flames that dont relate from one plane/panel to the next? (the ones on the hood are transposed left to right to boot...just like the last bunch....are ya EVER gonna fix that?) ....and fer Christ's sake.... a black mask over royal blue with bright fricken yellow licks oozing out the bottom! Who dresses you...Lady Gaga? 

#3. Selection and flow. While the Willys APPEAR to be the best of the bunch; upon close inspection, I find the actual selection of the flame style to be completely dischordent with the voluptuous styling of that particular model. Curvaceous wide hipped girls like the Willys require crossing flame licks with broad open troughs and good opposing curves in the actual licks. That nervous tribal scrawl scribble mess looks like an insurance claim for vandalism or valium.

#4. Not sure what happened with the Mustangs....did someone stumble on a truckload of San Diego Charger helmet decals? Pretty weak....almost tentative....Clearly, they werent sure either. 

#5 As if American Motors hasnt been punished enough. Looks like they ran over some one gallon cans of yeller, then someone turned on the wipers and flipped it up on the roof.

Of the lot, the goats didnt make me immediatly reach for the saline eyewash, but the light colored rag on a black car with midnight blue accents is....well.....uh....you have to ask?

I've been a bit under the weather of late and obviously my "politically correct checker" is off today. Bear said, less is more, I like to think that when "less" is done to perfection it will forever outshine "more" done with partial intent. TK wisely pointed out that Harry High School never learned. 

Ultimately it's about artistry and interpretation. I think what we're actually seeing is Chinese firework wrapper art (for lack of a better term) and Piz may actually be onto something. The odd styling combinations, and outlandish color selections we're witnessing are not of this continent and have a decidedly eastern flavor.


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## buzzinhornet (Jan 20, 2000)

I think the GTO has the best flame job out of the bunch and is that the pro stock vega or the AMX w/ hood scoop?


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

Bill, May I have some of the Kool-Aid you are a mixing up? 

You have a point about the Far East look on the flame jobs. In Greenburg's Guide To Aurora Slot Cars, on page #58, in the paragraph "Emergence of the Orient" it states,

"With the advent of A/FX, only body design and patternmaking remained at West Hempstead. Everything else--including manufacturing--had been transfered to the Orient. When Aurora engineers finished design work, patterns were air-expressed to the Far East, where molds were cut, bodies were produced, and cars were assembled. Ratkiewich demanded that first painted prototypes be sent to West Hempstead for approval before production began. His reason: Hong Kong and Singapore graphic artist tended to "orientalize" decoration schemes.

This was an issue in the early 70's.

I don't like every flame job Autoworld has done in the last two Thunderjet Releases, some though I really like. The Novas and the purple 57' Chevy in Release 7. The Release 7 orange with black flames 57' Chevy I did not like. I like the Willy's in Release 8 The black Willy's not the other one. The orange and all black flames I don't care for. I don't like the flames to "blend in with the color of the car" , I want them to contrast or "pop out", so to speak.

Randy.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

is this what is commonly known as "flaming" a thread?


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Sorta Al...*

Just both sides airing their *hot* and *not* observations... as it should be.


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## wheelz63 (Mar 11, 2006)

rodstrguy said:


> Looking at them all I have to say my favorites are: '57 Bel Airs, '65 Novas, '70 Novas, '59 Impalas, The Willys, and the '62 Impalas... I will be trying to get them all though. So when do they come out? +90 days or firm date?


i was informed the release should be out sometime this month both the chevy 100th anniversary edition and the flamers all at the same time. who knows they could surprise us. lol but the rails are due in port on the 15th without any delay. lmao they never are on time it seems.

Richard


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## wheelz63 (Mar 11, 2006)

buzzinhornet said:


> I think the GTO has the best flame job out of the bunch and is that the pro stock vega or the AMX w/ hood scoop?


i think its the pro stock vega i do believe.


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

Bill Hall said:


> It's very easy to judge what appeals and that which doesnt. Putting it down constructively into words is always challenging and working with a single 3/4 view car-lot shot makes it hard to see. Of late, I've seen no reason to stir up the Koolaid bowl.....but if Auto World is actually listening... I'll forgo my self imposed gag rule and proceed. Check your seat belts.
> 
> #1. AGAIN...? with those Aljazeerah magic carpet culiform goofus flames....REALLY...? Surely you jest. Great on oriental rugs, but not a good styling point for slot cars. I shouldnt have to explain this.
> 
> ...


*A most excellent bit of putting the lense to the current trend in body wear Bill ! May i ask your opinion on the dot traction magnet issue with the chassis ? You all know mine as the tits on a Bull phrase wins out ! My concern is that the longer we let AW assume that the dot traction magnet is the CORRECT way to go with this chassis ...the more likely it is here for good ! Nothing wrong with it on a MAG car IMHO but these are TJET clones where downforce ruins the way THIS type of chassis was meant to run / handle . Again IF we assume AW is taking a peek at this thread why not take another moment to voice our thoughts on the dreaded dot !!!

Bear :wave: *


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

a few nice ones... I'm sure I'll cherry pick a few


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

Bill Hall said:


> It's very easy to judge what appeals and that which doesnt. Putting it down constructively into words is always challenging and working with a single 3/4 view car-lot shot makes it hard to see. Of late, I've seen no reason to stir up the Koolaid bowl.....but if Auto World is actually listening... I'll forgo my self imposed gag rule and proceed. Check your seat belts.
> 
> #1. AGAIN...? with those Aljazeerah magic carpet culiform goofus flames....REALLY...? Surely you jest. Great on oriental rugs, but not a good styling point for slot cars. I shouldnt have to explain this.
> 
> ...


A wise old painter once told me *"There is nothing cooler than a good flame job, and nothing worse than a bad one"* :thumbsup:


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## MGroothuis (Jan 7, 2003)

Bill Hall said:


> It's very easy to judge what appeals and that which doesnt. Putting it down constructively into words is always challenging and working with a single 3/4 view car-lot shot makes it hard to see. Of late, I've seen no reason to stir up the Koolaid bowl.....but if Auto World is actually listening... I'll forgo my self imposed gag rule and proceed. Check your seat belts.
> 
> #1. AGAIN...? with those Aljazeerah magic carpet culiform goofus flames....REALLY...? Surely you jest. Great on oriental rugs, but not a good styling point for slot cars. I shouldnt have to explain this.
> 
> ...


No, seriously Bill...don't hold back.  Tell me how you really feel. These are just a wide array of different flame styles to appeal to a wide audience. To me, there is nothing more boring than a flame job on a slot car that is dull, drab color trying to mimic a real car. It needs some "pop" to be exciting. In this scale, brighter colors, hard contrast, less gradients, and oddities like flames on the roof work well to complete the design. Trying to match soft tones and airbrush subtleties of a 1:1 flame job just don't work in 1:64 or smaller. These were designed in-house, split evenly between me (Nova, GTO, and Vega) and another designer newer to drawing flames (Willys, Bel Air, and Mustang), and I think she did a great job first time out the gate. Hat's off in my corner. But hey, it's about FUN and running cars you LIKE! :thumbsup: 

Now next time, stop with the politically correct stuff and lay it all on the table...I'm tired of trying to read between the lines! :lol: Good stuff!


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)

WOW! I think it's getting "HOT" in here! :jest:


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

pms485 said:


> These are just a wide array of different flame styles to appeal to a wide audience.


Thanks for chiming in PMS. We don't see much contact with AW here on the slot car boards. Seems like a likely place to seek at least limited input too, all things considered. It's obviously pretty clear that you don't have to run anything by anyone here. Likewise nobody has to buy what they don't like. How exactly do you determine what is appealing and who have you targeted as your slot car audience? With the lack of any input on MANY threads on this slot car forum *just like this*, I think it might help those who don't like the stylings at least understand why they were done a certain way.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Ahhhh, Now we're getting somewhere!!! RM
P.S. Are you hiring???


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

pms485 said:


> These are just a wide array of different flame styles to appeal to a wide audience. To me, there is nothing more boring than a flame job on a slot car that is dull, drab color trying to mimic a real car. It needs some "pop" to be exciting. In this scale, brighter colors, hard contrast, less gradients, and oddities like flames on the roof work well to complete the design. Trying to match soft tones and airbrush subtleties of a 1:1 flame job just don't work in 1:64 or smaller. These were designed in-house, split evenly between me (Nova, GTO, and Vega) and another designer newer to drawing flames (Willys, Bel Air, and Mustang), and I think she did a great job first time out the gate. Hat's off in my corner. But hey, it's about FUN and running cars you LIKE! :thumbsup:


 PMS thanks for pointing out from your aspect the thought process to some degree as it does some explaining and help us to understand some of the what's and why's from your angles. 
Now that said... i do think you have narrowed your focus and thoughts to the TOY aspect ( kids and up ) with toy collectors more ( secondary ). There again are other segments to look at as buyers I. E. Modelers and racers . Modelers prefer an open workable palette to start as a base to create that is why you hear some of the guys say we can STRIP EM . NOW a racer looks for what you say is so boring and that IS the period or 1 to 1 CORRECTNESS ( or with more subtle stripes or fades etc ) look and race ability ! In fact IF you were to make a true representation of a classic scheme you may do fairly well with collectors too. Point is buy being narrow of focus you leave a lot on the table monetarily . Still wonder if what i say makes sense ? I sell silicone replacement tires for slot cars in all kinds of colors as well as rims and several other parts . Again colors are an option and in some cases multi colors have been . Color could add that POP in each of these areas as well BUT... tradition ALWAYS wins out ! tradition being your basic BLACK followed by basic white . GUYS just buy what mom and dad had or what they drove them selves . Or what they always wanted to drive 1st etc . Again sometimes less is more for atleast a strong portion out there. 

Thanks for listening , Bear :wave:

Oh and i'm serious tell the powers that be to lose the neo DOT traction magnet on the chassis ! Bad move in the long haul as it is not a proper item for a TJET clone type chassis. All any racer does now is to pop them out and grind on the chassis so they are kinda wasting cash making them this way for many many folks.


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

How bout some new bodies?? Somethin never.done before?? Maybe a 32 duece coupe? Or a utility trucks run of some sort? New stake truck flat beds or tow trucks, or maybe highway type service vehicles?? Somethin new . 

I will support AW no matter what you put out but we would love some new body designs. How many 65 Mustangs do we really need??

And btw, i think the new rails/dragsters are going to be a homerun!!!

Keep reading pm :hat:


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Oh lets not forget I need a 65 Buick Gran Sport ASAP lol!!!


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Valid points that also make the natives restless...*



Joe65SkylarkGS said:


> How bout some new bodies?? Somethin never done before?? How many 65 Mustangs do we really need??


The more times the same bodies come out, release after release, as RE-paints... the more likely you are to hear the sweet ... and unfortunately more and more sour comments. These were some good body styles... but how many times can you RE-release them and not expect anyone to notice and then be critical of that? :freak:


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

bearsox said:


> *A most excellent bit of putting the lense to the current trend in body wear Bill ! May i ask your opinion on the dot traction magnet issue with the chassis ? You all know mine as the tits on a Bull phrase wins out ! My concern is that the longer we let AW assume that the dot traction magnet is the CORRECT way to go with this chassis ...the more likely it is here for good ! Nothing wrong with it on a MAG car IMHO but these are TJET clones where downforce ruins the way THIS type of chassis was meant to run / handle . Again IF we assume AW is taking a peek at this thread why not take another moment to voice our thoughts on the dreaded dot !!!
> 
> Bear :wave: *


Bear, I think the neo dot traction magnet is here to stay. I was told that Autoworld was sued by Model Motoring last year, 2010 over the chassis design. The Autoworld being a Thunderjet chassis, or an evolution of it. In the settlement the Autoworld chassis has to be 25% different from the Model Motoring chassis, and the neo dot being the difference. And AW couldn't label them as Thunderjets. The word "Thunderjet 500" does appear on the jewel case packaging.

I'm not sure how true this is. Because at the 2007 Autofest my friend Craig was showing Tom Lowe his Corian drag strip and some of his modified Johnny Lightning/Autoworld slot cars. Craig had glued a neo dot magnet to the bottom of is car. Just on the one side. Tom was curious as to why he glued the magnet to it. Craig explained that the magnet held the car down when it launched from the line. Without it, the car would deslot from the motor lifting the guide pin out of the slot.

In late 2008 or early 2009 we had the Ultra-G. 

Randy.


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

As long as we're using this as a feedback podium...

AutoWorld, please keep the dot magnet option on the chassis for those of us introducing others, young and old, to this great hobby. The recent Thunderjet releases have been outstanding, right out of the package, and I look forward to more. If I could make just one request for something new, it would be that you would try releasing this chassis with more realistic wheels and tires, similar to those available in the "aftermarket". That is, let the "clone" evolve a bit more.

Next!...


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

the dot magnet has been added to chassis since it became available and i can cite cases from easily 25 years ago that i affixed them. 
the biggest problem with making specialty bodies is the cost of tooling. if they cannot be sold in mega numbers they are not worth producing.
so, asking for certain bodies that are not going to be huge successes and sell like hotcakes for 10+ years isn't feasible. 
I agree that some have been over used and it is time for something different, but let us not send AW or any other manufacturer the way of Aurora who did try to meet the demand for many different tastes.


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

Let us never surrender our right to express our opinions. BOTH sides.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Alles Klaar*

Oh jeez....girl flames???  

Now we got cooties too?!!!! :tongue:

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

485, Bless you for recognizing my intent...or not misinterpreting it. We welcome your involvment whole heartedly; and hope we can all keep a dialouge rocking along and not have this thread turn into just another polarized autoworld flame out. 

Admittedly, I do get a bit wound up about cars....big wunz....lil wunz....I estimate their damage and fix them in my head when I drive by them or when they drive by me. I judge their styling, fit, finish, artistry, and intent... RUTHLESSLY everywhere I go. It's just the by product of a very long, dusty, greasy automotive resume'. Y'all got plenty of folks falling over themselves to break their arms patting you on the back. However when the Emporer has no clothes, you'll generally find me sulking in the corner holding my severed tongue. I just shot off my big mouth to break it up for a change. 

As for the airbrush deal; A quick look at the HT diecast archives will reveal that jaw dropping flamework in both the classic and representational styles is being executed at a very high level on a regular basis. As a consumer, MUO (my useless opinion) is that you'll sell more by remaining faithful to an established 1:1 styling in the actual model application. 

With all due respect, I'm sensing a blending of church and state where the pizzazz and pop of the marketing and packaging department is coloring off their canvas and into the paintbooth. They are two distincly different arenas and yer feet should be wiped clean before entering either one. Yes the packaging should be jazzy fer the kiddies; but when you hold the model in your hand, you want it to pull you in with it's artistry, depth and refinement, the allure if you will. Popping me in the eye with jazzy expressions of artistic freedom after I've thrown the packaging away only tightens the grip on my wallet.

In retrospect, perhaps a division of sorts is in order ...where a limited run of a particularly nice model is produced in a Gold Series Collector Edition and diverges from the.... gulp....forgive me.....happy meal version. A reconstruct/almagamation/metamorphasis of the I-Wheels or the Candy versions....ya know?

Some of us are looking for more soul and less volume. It's why we build the things we do.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

TBI said:


> A wise old painter once told me *"There is nothing cooler than a good flame job, and nothing worse than a bad one"* :thumbsup:


Wise indeed. I think a close second to that is a fade. It's either great, or it's terrible.
I can't tell you how many custom cars and trucks I've seen that 
look like someone ran simply ran out of paint. Splatter in the fade is even worse.

:freak:


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

Wow, honest two way dialogue....... and polite too.

I have always been a bit confused with the AW tjet line and dressing some releases up in, uh, vibrant toy colors. Yer average kid or even teenager doesn't recognize or much care anything about cars from the 1960's or early 1970's. And a square-cornered Riviera or Nova looks like the antique it really now is to anyone under 30. Yeah, graphicly (sp?) they are interesting and fun, but these aren't 98 cent Hot Wheels where junior gets the shiny one for keeping still in the buggy. Funny how a lot of kids my son's age see all but the newest Corvette as an old guys' car because that's who they see driving them. 

Coolest slots to me? Not counting value of cars crafted or restored by friends here, I find with my own lil' cars the ones that have the most appeal to me from a purely aesthetic view are:

Originals, not repops and updates of originals. I don't even care so much for the final resprays of the originals (Xlerators, etc) because they were clearly reaching at the time... still sitting at the bar at last call, if you will. A little more make-up can't hurt LMAO

The well-proportioned, finely detailed "scale models" like MM's GTEE O Tiger and RRR's Mach One. More expensive but worth it. 

The few exceptionally well done customs I own and couldn't do myself if my life depended on it. Zilla's fantastic Hooter's trucks and van come to mind, as do nutherdave's racers. They look like kool kustoms or rolling diecast, not kiddy toys. 

I don't buy the presumption that nobody can afford to cast new or different stuff and put them in the mix on a regular basis - if that somebody has the rights and the desire to do so. These are tjets, where body thickness can vary, no flexing over chassis to snap in place required. Send one over and they'll make it. Expectations here are relatively low, as a lot of folks are grateful for ANYTHING different that comes out, even if it is yet another new paint job on a 1940's Willys Gasser. If you're gonna work with defunct car brands, do you think the last versions of the Firebird and GTO might appeal to nostalgic old guys AND be recognized by people who don't get AARP junk mail?

Just my .02, guaranteed to P/O somebody, but such is life.


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

A/FX Nut said:


> Bear, I think the neo dot traction magnet is here to stay. I was told that Autoworld was sued by Model Motoring last year, 2010 over the chassis design. The Autoworld being a Thunderjet chassis, or an evolution of it. In the settlement the Autoworld chassis has to be 25% different from the Model Motoring chassis, and the neo dot being the difference. And AW couldn't label them as Thunderjets. The word "Thunderjet 500" does appear on the jewel case packaging.
> 
> I'm not sure how true this is. Because at the 2007 Autofest my friend Craig was showing Tom Lowe his Corian drag strip and some of his modified Johnny Lightning/Autoworld slot cars. Craig had glued a neo dot magnet to the bottom of is car. Just on the one side. Tom was curious as to why he glued the magnet to it. Craig explained that the magnet held the car down when it launched from the line. Without it, the car would deslot from the motor lifting the guide pin out of the slot.
> 
> ...


*Hi Randy ,
i had heard that as well but... to quote Harrison Woodrow from an email i got from him last year that boat won't float ! I had contacted him on some parts and bodies and for whatever reason a short brief email conversation along these lines took place. Cryptic as ever the jist was the story was not all as it seemed or was presented. Naming issues are one thing and in this world and tooling is another i believe was a phrase and it's much easier to prove one over the other. 
Taking a guess i would suppose you can imagine what MAY have happened based on what he said. The 25% change were to a must could have just as easily come from : size variant from original
materials used
arm size and ohms and materials
axle hole positions
plastic top gears
silicone blend in tires VS rubber 
and more to name a few so a neo dot didn't need be the decider as it could have been say a fixed weight or tyco type guide or just a different shape to the chassis nose etc. Oh and BTW there's also another 2 guys i have talked to claiming they are the inspiration for the neo dot with AW . One guy down here in FL i met a couple of months back now in Daytona and another in Ohio . Weird that your friend was a drag guy and i think both of these guys were magnets car racers . Makes sense for them not wanting the TJET sliding action but not so much for a pureist .

Bear :wave: 
*


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## MGroothuis (Jan 7, 2003)

See, this is why I like this forum. Great discussions. 1) "Hey Auto World, love your stuff!" ...and 2) "Hey Auto World, what were you thinking!?" 

And as Bill said, now you all have cooties too. :lol:

Later...


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

pms485 said:


> See, this is why I like this forum. Great discussions. 1) "Hey Auto World, love your stuff!" ...and 2) "Hey Auto World, what were you thinking!?"
> 
> And as Bill said, now you all have cooties too. :lol:
> 
> Later...



Lmao!!!!!:wave:


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## buzzinhornet (Jan 20, 2000)

You might have cooties but I have cooters.:jest:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Wow, I let my attention drop and I missed all kinds of good stuff in this thread...



A/FX Nut said:


> You have a point about the Far East look on the flame jobs. In Greenburg's Guide To Aurora Slot Cars, on page #58, in the paragraph "Emergence of the Orient" it states,
> 
> "With the advent of A/FX, only body design and patternmaking remained at West Hempstead. Everything else--including manufacturing--had been transfered to the Orient. When Aurora engineers finished design work, patterns were air-expressed to the Far East, where molds were cut, bodies were produced, and cars were assembled. Ratkiewich demanded that first painted prototypes be sent to West Hempstead for approval before production began. His reason: Hong Kong and Singapore graphic artist tended to "orientalize" decoration schemes.
> 
> ...


when I read Bill's post, this is EXACTLY the quote from that book I thought of. I was going to post it if someone else didn't.

And it's good to see pms485 here. thanks for taking the time to jump in! :wave:

--rick


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

Pretty cool bein able to rub elbows with royalty :thumbsup:






........except for the cooties


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*OMG! Is that my Ultra Gee spot?*



bearsox said:


> *....snip**** May i ask your opinion on the dot traction magnet issue with the chassis ? You all know mine as the tits on a Bull phrase wins out ! My concern is that the longer we let AW assume that the dot traction magnet is the CORRECT way to go with this chassis ...the more likely it is here for good ! Nothing wrong with it on a MAG car IMHO but these are TJET clones where downforce ruins the way THIS type of chassis was meant to run / handle . Again IF we assume AW is taking a peek at this thread why not take another moment to voice our thoughts on the dreaded dot !!!
> 
> Bear :wave: *


Well Bear, in the absolute, I rekon it's A-Dub's nickel...and it's not the only nickel they have in play. 

My personal opinion is similar to yours with regard to the Ultra-G in principle; however it is based around simple mechanical issues rather than the great Newtonian debate regarding the morality of using... gravity?... or anti-gravity? In other words, rather than asking if the apple should fall or not, I assume that it has; and find where the apple falls and why to be the more plotable points. Philosophical battles between the Hatfields and the McCoys can only be legislated at the club level. Musket warfare is so untidy. 

For the record. Historically, from my perspective, Magna-traction was a lot like the fourth strike rule in baseball. It kept your sister in the slot, and Johnny Ritalin interested for a few more minutes; but any purist knows the truth in his heart. They are the slotcar equivalent of training wheels and there's no crying in baseball or slotcars.

Straight up? The UG retrofit added the necessary positive out of box experience to keep the wolves at bay when they were wearing milkbone underwear with regards to driveability issues. How'd ya have liked to have been working the switchboard at AW during that period? LOL! A very successfull band-aid at that. 

#1 it immediately improved the out of box bitching ratio. 

#2 it bought enough time to work out the QC issues with regards to the "bentwheelaxlelumpytirehypnogear factory option package"...in that the tractive effect served to mute the spastic handling characteristics. 

#3 It compensated for the awkward disparity between the hotter nature of the AW armatures/magnets and the big pinion final drive ratio on small radius table top tracks. Similar in that it's a handling issue, but seperate because it occurs even when all yer parts are straight. It's a super oval/speedway chassis setup no matter what marketing tells the art deparment to put on the box.

I didnt test an awful lot. Maybe a dozen er so of the initial bunch. BUT my results indicated that the dot magnet served it's purpose effectively. The cars finally went down the track... some even exited the first turn and lapped respectably. If you took the magnet out, they got all kerflunky again....because some of the concentric parts were still bent and lumpy. So! For their intended purpose, the DOTs did their job adequately. My out of box experience was just soooper! (wearing my first time users hat and pretending to be a slot virgin) 

HOWEVER my personal feeling is one of chagrin. In that the off set DOT cramps both the handling and stance/appearance to one side. So it's still a wierdly twitchy unbalanced beastie that now dresses decidedly left; which could benefit exponentially from a few small QC improvenments more than any gabillion dollar gravity deflecting chassis up grade will ever provide. Along this line, I've seen no inclination to admit to or correct the singlemost debiltating flaw that still persists. That being the incorrect bend at the pick up shoe hook that WAY over springs every single chassis. It's always been a simple matter of one single oversight.... plain and simple! Ya dont need a magnet because it's SOOOOOO powerful, ya need a magnet because the parts are SOOOOOOO bent, ya need the magnet to hold the silly lil thing in the slot because the pick ups became forever oversprung when Quality Control was designing flashy packaging and playing donut hockey on the clock.

I'm sorry, but the sad truth was that it didnt ever need to be retrofitted in the first place. The simple fixes were available and disreguarded serepticiously without so much as a how do you do. They chose to disreguard ancient slot dogma and proceed on some Ultra Grail quest veiled in smoke and mirrors. Then again, maybe none of it matters because they had to comply with a change order from Damacles. 

Wither way, it makes my original chassis all the tastier. AW isnt required to adhere to the fray rule set or cater to any of us old school slot farts. They got their own mission statement, and were lucky to have them to pilfer from.

MUO is that most consumers cant muster the attention span to master the necessary skill of self control required to navigate a properly set up hot slotcar without training wheels. It's my contention that it wouldnt matter if the original JLTO was perfect out of the can. They wouldnt know a plum if it was right in front of them. Nor could they drive it. 

Yeah Bear, I got an opinion on the DOT... not unlike what happened in the beginning. Lil Johnny cant drive his car....let's magnetize it! The UG is just prophecy revisited in my mind. We're just mad cuz they slopped it onto our beloved t-jet design 

The great equalizer...Ya know?


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

LOL- I just LOVE Bill Hall's Posts like the above  And PS- I totally agree with the entire post as well :thumbsup:


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

What Ralph said Bill said! And please,please some nicer wheels!


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## partspig (Mar 12, 2003)

They have not wore out the mold for those wheel sets yet Dave!!! Besides why would we want any other type or style of wheel for our customs? There is nothing like a ready market staring ya in the face, ... and them blatantly ignoring it! It is the same with available parts from AW, unless you want to buy those artsy fartsy Pit Kits that are filled with useless items. And by the way, I didn't purchase any of the first batch of flamed cars, because I thought they looked gay! I can honestly say that I am not going to purchase any of these either, because I think that they look gay also. JMHOFO!! pig


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

bearsox said:


> *Hi Randy ,
> i had heard that as well but... to quote Harrison Woodrow from an email i got from him last year that boat won't float ! I had contacted him on some parts and bodies and for whatever reason a short brief email conversation along these lines took place. Cryptic as ever the jist was the story was not all as it seemed or was presented. Naming issues are one thing and in this world and tooling is another i believe was a phrase and it's much easier to prove one over the other.
> Taking a guess i would suppose you can imagine what MAY have happened based on what he said. The 25% change were to a must could have just as easily come from : size variant from original
> materials used
> ...


Hi Bear,

My friend Craig also races on ovals and roadcourses. The cars he was showing Tom Lowe had the armtures rewound. The cars had so much torque when they left the start line they would lift the guide pin out of the slot without the neo dot. He purchased them at Radio Shack. Tom seemed interested and impressed with Craig's work and the addition of the neo dot magnet. 

I agree with you on what you are saying about the 25% difference. But I was told all future releases of the Autoworld Thunderjet Tuff Ones will have the traction magnet.
I perfer the one without the traction magnet myself. To me it's more fun to have the car slide through turns and it's closer to the original. But for modified drag cars, or getting young kids to try slots for the first time, the traction magnet has a place.

I'm glad Autoworld is bringing products to the market. Where others have quit, or announced a retooled chassis was coming back two years ago but haven't seen it or had an update on it. Autoworld is consistently coming out with new releases of cars and race sets.

Granted, we are not always happy with what AW brings to market, I believe there is something for everyone. Bill Hall would like to see a Hot Rod and Rat Rod release, (correct me if I'm wrong Bill) , Joe want's a 1965 Grand Sport Buick, I'd like to see an XTraction Super Car release. Hopefully we will see these things in the future.

Randy.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I would like to see an HP7.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

NTxSlotCars said:


> I would like to see an HP7.


 Oh Yeah. This would be the best introductory chassis of them all. Easiest to maintain and runs right out of the box. It would also be easy to modify it's characteristics by changing magnets, the can motor or pinion/crown gears. Don't even need a tool to disassemble/reassemble it.

But, we digress....

For me, I buy only those AW cars that appeal to me. Lately, that hasn't been too many because I do not like a number of the paint schemes, especially the Carfetti release. I also detest cars with blowers.

Usually I would have collected every car (maybe even two of each), but the early release games played with the random packaging and silly window color variations turned me off all the way back at release 1. Collecting should be fun, not an exercise in futility. Although I have to admit that even had I been collecting them all, it would have been hard for me to purchase the Carfetti release. So I have ended up buying far fewer AW cars.

As to the dot magnet on a T-jet, my preference would be to see it eliminated. If you want a magnet downforce pancake car, the X-Traction is available. I'd like the T-Jet to be a non-magnet car.

Joe


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

NTxSlotCars said:


> I would like to see an HP7.


Oh yeah. I like HP2s and HP7s better than 440s because of the lower speeds and the fact that you can still get them a little crossed up in the corners. Fun to run them against MTs too. The HP2, though, is a little fiddly to work on, but I love the overall feel and nostalgia of them, since I had several as a kid. The HP7 requires less tinkering, and would probably be a better out-of-the-box performer, and likely easier to manufacture. (isn't there a model of Marchon chassis that's a pretty close copy?)

I gotta weigh in on the dot magnets here too, and I'm probably gonna be alone in my view, but to quote Weird Jack, this is MOO, YMMV. 

I'm a big fan of old-school Tjets, and a big part of the allure for me is the ability to do lurid powerslides and get unholy stupid ******* sideways. When the first UGs came out, the first thing I did was learn how to remove the magnet. Blasphemy, I thought...

However...

My two youngest sons, now aged 9 and 7, got a taste of the UGs with the magnets still in a while back. They can both drive gravity-only Tjets (the 7-year-old surprised the heck out of me yesterday by putting lap after lap on a TycoPro Cobra without deslotting), but they LOVE the UG cars. I have actually set up 5 or 6 AW '68 Camaros with the magnets still in for us to grab and bang off each other lap after lap. It's a heck of a lot of fun, even if it's not a "pure" Tjet experience. I have no problem popping the magnets out if I want, I have no problem leaving a few in for something a little different, and if they help n00bs have a better first-time slot experience AND they can be removed easily enough for those who don't want them, I say they're a good thing.

Like I said, MOO, YMMV...

--rick


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

A/FX Nut said:


> ****snip
> 
> Granted, we are not always happy with what AW brings to market, I believe there is something for everyone. Bill Hall would like to see a Hot Rod and Rat Rod release, (correct me if I'm wrong Bill)....
> 
> Randy.


Boy howdy, I would love to see something besides shackle tailed sticky outy cragar rimmed muscle cars. AW releases are like forever looking at my highschool parking lot.

....shudder


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Lets not forget the.American Grafitti series along with some cool 30's fords and the like.


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## TGM2054 (May 14, 2011)

If their doing American Grafitti, may as well do the Hollywood Knights too!


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

TGM2054 said:


> If their doing American Grafitti, may as well do the Hollywood Knights too!



Yea man thats what i'm saying.

How bout a set from Return to Macon County too. Awsome rods. 

It can start an entire new series. Movies and cinema?? Grease? Some hot rides in that classic.


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

Noticed that AW updated the product pictures to include ThunderJet release 8 & 9.

AW Thunderjets

-Paul


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

TGM2054 said:


> If their doing American Grafitti, may as well do the Hollywood Knights too!


Hey Newbomb, where's your pie wagon?


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

TBI said:


> Hey Newbomb, where's your pie wagon?


Now that's a CLASSIC movie!

-Paul


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

It would be cool to see a truck set like: Movin' On, Smokey and the Bandit and BJ and the Bear.Plus???
>Tom<


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

How about this lineup for a movie set:
Ford Cobra
Ferrari Daytona
Porsche 911
Chevy Corvette
Dodge Cop Car
Chevy Van

Second set could include 
Chevy Camaro Z28
MB 300SL
Jaguar XKE
Rolls Royce
Different cop car
replica of the "racing turtle" die cast car. 


The movie? Gumball Rally. 
It would be a nice tribute to the founder of the original Auto World, Oscar Kovaleski, who was a competitor in the actual race the movie is based on.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

I imagine licensing issues would be the immediate roadblock....yes?....no?

Everybody wants a slice.


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## bemoore (Dec 23, 2008)

ggnagy said:


> How about this lineup for a movie set:
> Ford Cobra
> Ferrari Daytona
> Porsche 911
> ...


Dang! You stole my thunder. I was going to suggest that movie. My favorite movie. Good lineup. However, keep in mind that that the Jaguar MUST be a non-running model.:thumbsup:

I didn't know that about Oscar. Neat.


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

Joe65SkylarkGS said:


> Lets not forget the.American Grafitti series along with some cool 30's fords and the like.


Yes Joe, this would be a good one. I'd like to see it.



ggnagy said:


> How about this lineup for a movie set:
> Ford Cobra
> Ferrari Daytona
> Porsche 911
> ...


Another good idea. I'd be buying for sure.



Bill Hall said:


> I imagine licensing issues would be the immediate roadblock....yes?....no?
> 
> Everybody wants a slice.


My answer is, "Yes" Bill. But I think it could be overcome.
Randy.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

ggnagy said:


> How about this lineup for a movie set:
> Ford Cobra
> Ferrari Daytona
> Porsche 911
> ...


this project has been stalled on my "to do" list for a LOOOONG time...



















--rick


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## ggnagy (Aug 16, 2010)

bemoore said:


> Dang! You stole my thunder. I was going to suggest that movie. My favorite movie. Good lineup. However, keep in mind that that the Jaguar MUST be a non-running model.:thumbsup:


Only if the Vette splits in half. 



> I didn't know that about Oscar. Neat.


PRDA story about the Cannonball Run


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## bemoore (Dec 23, 2008)

ggnagy said:


> Only if the Vette splits in half.


Well, in that case, the van will have be set on fire, too. And the yellow Camaro has to be able to run on the two left wheels (or was it right wheels?). And the Ferrari must be able to drive up into a tractor trailer. Oh, and you need a tractor trailer. I wasn't going for TOO much detail. A non-running tjet chassis for the Jag should be easy to do. I have several of them already:thumbsup:

Are you aware of the back story of the non-running Jag?



ggnagy said:


> PRDA story about the Cannonball Run


Ah, I see, glancing at the linked story, that it's about the van drivers. I have something to read at lunch today.

Thanks.


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

What about a James Bond series? Lots of vehicles to pick from... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_James_Bond_vehicles


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

OK, now you guys are just getting nutty in here :freak:


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