# The History of Tyco Pro



## riggenracer

I believe that you will find the stroy of Pat "Mr. Tyco Pro" Dennis very fascinating.

Ron Bernstein "The Toybaron" had to opportunity to have in-depth discussions with Pat about his time at Tyco.

See

www.riggenho.com

for details.

There are things for everyone in the article from upsidedown T-Jets to tracks made of PC board material.

Best,

Terry


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## slotcarman12078

Wow!!! Cool read!!! The upsidedown tjet was wild looking!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## slotnewbie69

hey riggenracer!that was an awesome post!i would like some more tycopro cars.they're finicky,but i like the brass pan chassis cars..i posted a resto i am doing on one right now!a 1960 corvette.its a button chassis,but whatever.


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## RUSSELL ZACHRY

Tycopro was actually my first slot cars. My brother in law bought me a set for Christmas, we had a lot of fun with that and all that followed.
Russell


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## resinmonger

RiggenRacer, 

Thanks for the link to the incedible piece of slot car history. It was an enjoyable read! As NTx Rich would say:

TYCOs!


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## roadrner

:thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## krazcustoms

Wow, that was a fascinating read. Thanks for posting!


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## NTxSlotCars

Absolutely incredible read. I do prefer the older, molded in white and painted, Tyco pro bodies. The detail is better.


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## SplitPoster

Very enjoyable read - gotta go back through again slowly to digest more! I have very little experience with older Tycos at all - makes me want to learn a lot more!

Actually this article inspired me to repair a Tyco Pro Porsche/ brass pan chassis I picked up last year - the only one I have ever had - in need of wiring and soldering work. Not my greatest skill, but got it fixed and it runs. Gotta do some major flag straightening now so it will stay on track......

Thanks for posting!


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## Im Paul

great post.this is proof that tycos detail dominated the slot industrie and was on point.i never really noticed that with other ho brands.see how tycos nomad matches up with on point detail?if you where to look at the way afx made their chevys they kinda resemble an altered wheel base car. afx cars are nice but they will never compare to tycos outstanding detail and correct scaled body lines.remember that!

hopefully,now,tyco will get more respect from all the "high end"aurora collectors.


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## GoodwrenchIntim

Great article!!!!!!!!


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## GoodwrenchIntim

SplitPoster said:


> Very enjoyable read - gotta go back through again slowly to digest more! I have very little experience with older Tycos at all - makes me want to learn a lot more!
> 
> Actually this article inspired me to repair a Tyco Pro Porsche/ brass pan chassis I picked up last year - the only one I have ever had - in need of wiring and soldering work. Not my greatest skill, but got it fixed and it runs. Gotta do some major flag straightening now so it will stay on track......
> 
> Thanks for posting!


Add some weight to the front, That will help it stay in the slot


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## grungerockjeepe

Wow, this is a VERY interesting read! I agree, the earliest tyco bodies seemed to have better detail then some later releases. The shame of it is, some like the Bronco, Porsche 914, and Peace Bus only got one release, instead of mutliple decorations. 

Tyco's proportions were in some cases better since they had a longer wheelbase to work with. Some cars just dont look right crammed onto one type of chassis, and ended up looking a little cartoonish, or like a caricature. Auto World is proof of that, but in the end AFX really made some difficult cars just work. Their version of the Javelin is actually a little more attractive from some angles than the real thing, IMHO.


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## wm_brant

I received the link to this article in a special mailing that Terry did.

My original HO set was an original TycoPro set not too long after they came out. I had originally raced 1/32 and 1/24 scale cars, but when the only nearby raceway closed, I had to find another way to get my slotcar 'fix', and so I moved to HO.

I had raced T-Jets at a friends house, but the T-Jet design felt like a 'kludge' to me after racing the larger scale cars. I was especially put off by the narrow tires, high profile chassis, and the strange pancake powertrain. I read one of the original articles on the TycoPro in one of the slot racing magazines of the day. Interestingly, the TycoPro article came out just after a short series of articles in the same magazine about building the 'ultimate' T-Jet. However, when the magazine compared the performance of the stock TycoPro car to their modified T-Jet, the TycoPro blew the T-Jet away. And the TycoPros were built more like a larger scale car, with an inline motor, belly pan, and a guide, which made them more appealing to me.

In any case, I was sold on TycoPro, and bought one of the biggest TycoPro sets available at the time. I had a lot of fun with that set...

-- Bill


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## videojimmy

I keep re-reading it. I'm a sucker for HO History stuff. I keep trying to find out more about Derek Brand, the father of HO cars.. but there's not much out there on him


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## Pat Dennis

When writing this "saga" up, I had no idea that people would actually remember that period of time, much less take the time to read it.
Thanks,

Pat Dennis


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## Bill Hall

Pat Dennis said:


> When writing this "saga" up, I had no idea that people would actually remember that period of time, much less take the time to read it.
> Thanks,
> 
> Pat Dennis


A great slice of history. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort. It is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to Hobby Talk !


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## slotcarman12078

Double ditto from me too Pat!!! That was an incredible read, and I am completely astounded with your fabrication techniques!! Thanks for compiling that incredible piece of history, and sharing it with us!!!!! :thumbsup: Pure genius is always welcome here at Hobbytalk, and you sir fit the bill!!


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## NTxSlotCars

Welcome to HobbyTalk Pat!!! That was such great era in my life. My first Tycos were curve huggers. What are you up to these days?

Rich
www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars


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## Pat Dennis

NTxSlotCars said:


> Welcome to HobbyTalk Pat!!! That was such great era in my life. My first Tycos were curve huggers. What are you up to these days?
> 
> Rich
> 
> 
> Rich,
> I left the toy/hobby ind. in '98 and am semi-retired, but doing new product development for several companies. Last toy consulting job was re-introducing the Big Wheel ride on, but working out of the Revell/Monogram offices in Chicago. I amuse myself by being a historian and researcher for the Historic Lotus Register out of UK. I own a '54 Lotus Mk VI + another chassis that I am beginning to restore.
> 
> Pat


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## blubyu

It's unbelievable that you were making silicone coated tires way back then and they looked great! What took so long to finally get them as the tire of choice for racing?


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## NTxSlotCars

Incredible. You have no idea the effect you, Tyco, and AFX have had on my life.
This was my first Tyco track. 



As a kid used to take the cars apart and put them back together to see how they worked. I now do the same to electric forklifts. They basically work the same, without the wall transformer. I have my own business now in Dallas, TX. This business supports my slot car addiction. See also: www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars 
and my UnderDog Race Shop thread in the Modeling and Customizing setion.

Thanks Pat!!!
Rich


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## SplitPoster

[QUOTE

_Rich,
I left the toy/hobby ind. in '98 and am semi-retired, but doing new product development for several companies. Last toy consulting job was re-introducing the Big Wheel ride on, but working out of the Revell/Monogram offices in Chicago. I amuse myself by being a historian and researcher for the Historic Lotus Register out of UK. I own a '54 Lotus Mk VI + another chassis that I am beginning to restore.



Pat_[/QUOTE]

Well, I wouldn't be disappointed at all if you posted a pic or two of the 1:1 Lotus'. Never owned one, closest I may get was when getting duped into providing some free semi-skilled labor on a seven long ago, and making a pilgrimage to view an 18 (?) languishing behind a shop in the weeds long ago - since sold and restored. Oh, and drove a Renault-powered Europa once. Went to SVRA race when Lotus was the featured marque, and saw the impressive collection at the Barber museum too. Sigh...

It strikes me as a bit curious that various Lotus sports racer models are reasonably well represented in period 1:32 slot cars (Strombecker and Marx come to mind), but not so much in HO. Were there any? Wonder if the chassis were too chunky for the low slung bodies to be properly represented, or would the scale have been way off? Enjoy the history, scale and 1:1!!! Thanks for being here!


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## Tycoarm

Just reading through it gave me a chuckle or two and had me thinking back to my first Tycopro track on Christmas day 1972 then calling my best friend over and racing on the floor.
This is the one that bit me, The Sebring Lighted, though I don't think my cars were lighted for some reason. http://usedslotcars.com/Images/Catalogs/Tyco/1972-73 Tycopro Racing System/wm_IMG_0004.jpg 

I had very little room at my house so as my track expanded I kept my track at my friend house, he had a huge basement and plenty of room.
Jump ahead a few years and now 14 years old in 75 after moving to another home, I get a small layout up in the basement. My dads room which was right above and I could here him swearing when I started to race as it would create some major TV interference.
Jump ahead a few more years to the early 80's after two brothers moving out, now it was just my older brother and myself in the upstairs of the house. I used the spare room for a huge layout. I made my first attemp to sink the track using drywall, what a mess with drywall dust everywhere.
I soon ditched the drywall idea and just went with the painted plywood look.
My best friend who now was about a half hour away since the move in 75 and now driving always made it down to my house on Sundays. 
We would race from early Sunday morning until late Sunday night, non stop sometimes.

Thanks for the post Terry and also to you Mr. Dennis, It was very interesting reading.


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## riggenracer

*Mr. Tyco Pro*

We all thank Pat for his great contribution with The Story. I think Pat underestimated all of our enthusiasm for the old Tyco Pro.

They were such ground-breaking cars back-in-the-day when compaired to the box-stock T-Jets a lot of us were stuck with. I was the only one in our little group of friends that had a Pro. They ran so good compared to the T-Jets that one kid refused to 'play' because his can ran so bad.:freak:

Great memories. Thanks Pat for 'the rest of the story' !!

TF


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## videojimmy

I was the frist kid on my block to own a Tyco car too... it was the VW dragcar on a curvehugger chassis. We used to set up dragstrips to race. The curvehugger always won on the short track, but my buddy's AFX, after it warmed up would always sqeak out a victory and the very end on a longer dragstrip.


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## NTxSlotCars

Hey Pat,
Any chance of bringing the Tyco Pro II and the curve hugger back into production somehow? We sure would like to see some more of those Tyco Pro bodies too.

Rich


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## twolff

Finally got a chance to read through the entire article. Nicely done!

The article did clearly explain why my rebuilt drop arm chassis likes to jump out of the slot and will never work right. Close examination shows how much the drop arm twists under load. A shame because I really like the design.

I intend to continue enjoying these. Even cussing the button-style pickups  Nothing I've tried makes them consistent.

I probably like the TycoPros so much because they handle like the 1/32 scale Eldon cars my brother and I had as kids.


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## ParkRNDL

great article and pics! at a yard sale last summer I picked up 2 slightly used TycoPros... one was the red-and-silver Porsche, of which I already had a couple, but the other was the "phantom" translucent Cobra--jackpot! They have wiper-style contacts with little to no wear, and both motors run well--but the tires on both are rock-solid. I haven't yet taken the time to try to remove them without damaging the rims, but after reading this, I've been inspired to find a little time for them...

--rick


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## slotnewbie69

ParkRNDL said:


> great article and pics! at a yard sale last summer I picked up 2 slightly used TycoPros... one was the red-and-silver Porsche, of which I already had a couple, but the other was the "phantom" translucent Cobra--jackpot! They have wiper-style contacts with little to no wear, and both motors run well--but the tires on both are rock-solid. I haven't yet taken the time to try to remove them without damaging the rims, but after reading this, I've been inspired to find a little time for them...
> 
> --rick


heya park!i have a tyco pro2 and i took the brittle front tires off,and replaced with plumbers o rings.works great!care must be taken,of course so break a little off at the time...good luck!:thumbsup:


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## twolff

The JL XTraction fronts that refused to stay put on those cars make a great Tyco Pro front tire too.


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## Im Paul

NTxSlotCars said:


> Hey Pat,
> Any chance of bringing the Tyco Pro II and the curve hugger back into production somehow? We sure would like to see some more of those Tyco Pro bodies too.
> 
> Rich


Rich,


I do hope that anyone in their right mind wouldnt do such a thing.why?well because tycopro and curve huggers really hold there value to the dedicated TYCO collector(that would be me).you have jonny lighting producing these "once great" thunder jet and afx cars which is cool,its keeping the hobby alive,but the point im trying to make here if someone brought the rights to bring the tycopro,pro2 and curve huggers line back into production,tyco wouldnt be as unique.1970's tyco really holds value value and rarity.what makes tycopro,pro2 and curve huggers better then the rest (in my opinion),they where made from 1970-76 (pre hp-2) and that was it.when your buyng a 70's tyco car your buying a piece of slot car history,from 31+ years ago.

Mattel slapped a horrible deco on the funny camaro,packaged it and threw it on the market without putting any artistic thought into the production.Pat Dennis cared about craftsmanship,detail and performance,mattel doesnt.


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## NTxSlotCars

Paul,
Although the corporate bubblehead decisions of Mattel are well documented (I swear these guys take samples home to their kids for approval), I think it would benefit the hobby as a whole to have reproductions of some of the greats. Even though JL and AW have been reproducing Aurora classics for years, a rare original Tjet, or otherwise Aurora/AFX car, still pulls down some big bucks on ebay. We have several threads here about such auctions. The reproductions have pumped new life into dying classes at the tracks. You can have all sorts of tjet and Magnatrac classes now, just because cars are available to everyone. But, I can't get anyone to pull out their Tyco Pros or Curve Huggers to run a class. 1. Most of them are too rare to fly off a track and have someone step on. 2. no one really has enough chassis to feel competitive. I don't think anyone out there would be willing to put the detail into the bodies that Tyco did back in the day. RaceMasters is the only ones doing it now. If Pat put together a deal, I'm sure he would, and with todays technology, he may even surpass what he and Tyco did back then. 

And there's a million guys like you and me who would buy it.
.....I'm just sayin'
Rich.


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## grungerockjeepe

Id be all for a re-done curvehugger and/or tycopro. But I wouldnt want to see them just re-popped as is, there are plenty of improvements to be made. I can write a huge list of things Ive done to my curvehuggers to squeeze out a LOT more performance than bone stock. For example:

The pickup system is the main weakness of the design, since there are several places where you have metal part making touch contact with metal part, leading to plenty of wasted voltage. Now, Ive perfected a way to get copper desoldering braids onto curvehuggers and HP-2s and you'd be AMAZED at how these things run afterwards. A lot of it is getting the right motor block/magnets and armature combo also. There are a ton of different setups used and none of them run the same.

Personally, I like the black CH chassis with the double flux collectors since they allow a lot more sliding, the magnetic traction is pretty much just there to allow the rear tires to hook up meaning theyre a LOT more challenging to run. Trouble is how brittle the plastic is. If a repro was made, it'd need to be made from the same delrin as the tycopros or whatever AW is using since those seem to hold up real well.

Outside of the molded metallic grey centerline type wheels from the first curvehuggers and mattel's redline/hotwheels style mags, Tycos have NEVER had a nice looking wheel. The standard mag type should have looked good, but the centers are too deep for the coke spokes to stand out, the actual wheel lip part is wafer thin which throws the proportions off and makes them fragile, and they have that huge stump in the center for the axle to grip, looking like lockout hubs on an oldschool 4x4. The ansen style rears on the Tycopro II's were nicely done, but for the rear only. The fronts looked like something else altogether, and no sense trying to upgrade anything else with them since there are no matching fronts on a solid axle.


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## grungerockjeepe

Im Paul said:


> Rich,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mattel slapped a horrible deco on the funny camaro,packaged it and threw it on the market without putting any artistic thought into the production.Pat Dennis cared about craftsmanship,detail and performance,mattel doesnt.


But whats so screwey about it is, that same funny camaro (the lime/purple one, right) was packaged with a solid black '60 vette with red flames that I think is one of the nicest looking versions of this mold since the original candy red/white top from the tycopro/CH era. Its pretty much the most random, mis-matched twinpack combo ever.


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## resinmonger

grungerockjeepe said:


> But whats so screwey about it is, that same funny camaro (the lime/purple one, right) was packaged with a solid black '60 vette with red flames that I think is one of the nicest looking versions of this mold since the original candy red/white top from the tycopro/CH era. Its pretty much the most random, mis-matched twinpack combo ever.


That set is two thirds of a movie, the good and the ugly. The missing bad is the dude that thought up the scheme for the Camaro. Just saying...


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## Bill Hall

I'd like to see a throwback car. A riggen like setup made from todays impact resistant plastic with adjustable wheelbase, braids (I'm with Jeeper!), a regular guide flag...maybe an option for weights or traction mags.

Sorta like a 1/24 adjusto chassis from the stone age but made from something other than brass or plastic explosives.


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## grungerockjeepe

Well they got that, Bill. Riggen repros, that is!

But I know what you mean. Id like to see something that was a tycopro from the motor back, and a curvehugger with braids for the front axle and pickups. 

On the other hand, a 2nd generation HP-2 can have its traction mags removed and when weighted properly, it handles great especially if you use Wierd Jacks or AJs silicones. Trouble is finding weights ready made to slide right along side the motor or can fit over the front axle, you have to fab it up. I did this on my primered chevy stepside and its a blast to run.


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## NTxSlotCars

still a great read.


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## NTxSlotCars

Still interesting.

And we've seen this exact scenario as Hasbro reproduced replicas of the first Star Wars figures and the originals retained their value, if not went up.


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## Rich Dumas

I went to save the link to that article only to discover that I already had it. Some time ago I did some research and did an article on the history of the Life-Like cars. The Racemasters/AFX site had a lot of info on the history of Aurora A/FX, Tomy AFX, etc. on their site, but that seems to be gone. Bob Beers' book on Aurora cars is a good reference. I think I have some info on the history of the Tyco cars as well, I should compile a list including things of that sort.


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## NTxSlotCars

Pat Dennis was a regular here at one time and over several threads, filled us in on many details of the history and development at Tyco, mainly from the Tyco Pro on...
A general search in this forum of Pat Dennis may bring up a lot.


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