# The new Grand National Garage opens early.



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

The new Grand National Garage has seen some activity over the last two or three weeks, mostly in the paint shop as cars for the 2011 season have been arriving. Looking at the parking lot there are a total of 17 cars painted, the last 4 are only waiting for their wheels and tires to arrive. Some of the biggest names from the late 1960’s will have the Grand National Garage build their short track cars for next year, guys like Coo Coo Marlin, David Pearson, Lee Roy Yarborough, the Allison Brothers and Fred Lorenzen. Other legends will be included, Richard Petty’s Tornio and ground breaking driver Wendell Scott among the more well known. 

While the 2011 season will feature the cars from the late 1960’s it’s not meant to be a historical lesson in auto racing. The cars will feature the drivers who raced in NASCAR’s Greatest Era around the big tracks of Talladega and Daytona sometime between 1967 and 1969, and there may be cars from 1967 racing next to cars from the 1969 season. I have tried to choose the most popular car for the driver represented. My goal is to have 30 cars ready by the 2011 Daytona 500 in February; we’re more than two-thirds of the way there now. You won’t see any Daytona’s or Superbird’s here; this is all short track racing with the Legends of NASCAR. 

What you will see may have been at the track back then, 1968 Ford Torinos and Mercury Cyclones from 1967 (Fairlane conversions) and 1968 (Torino conversions), 1967 Ford Fairlanes, 1967 Plymouth GTX’s, 1969 Dodge Chargers, and 1967 Chevrolet Chevelles. We have even allowed the 1967 Pontiac GTO since it was raced in limited competition, so far nobody has ordered one. Some cars may be substituted; you may see a GTX instead of the Road Runner Norm Nelson campaigned. But the paint and markings will be the same as the real world car as much as was possible. Mixed into the real drivers will be some personal cars, some fictional racers that will be campaigned by me, my daughter Sarah and a few others. 

Over the weekend decals finally arrived so the cars that have been waiting can be finished up at the rate of a few per day. So let’s get started!

In 1968 and 1969 Chevrolet was pretty much out of NASCAR racing. They didn’t have an engine that could compete with what Ford and Dodge brought to the track, and as a result pulled any corporate sponsorship. That’s not to say a few guys didn’t go independent and race Chevy’s, but they weren’t competitive for the most part, and there weren’t many. But there will be at least four 1967 Chevelles racing in our 2011 season, they will be the #14 of Coo Coo Marlin, the #12 Coke Machine of Bobby Allison, the #24 of Cecil Gordon and independent fictional racer, #20 Donny Williams. The decals provided for the Chevelles are actually from Road Race Replica’s 1970 Monte Carlo but for the sake of getting a few Bowties on the track I have done what I could to backdate the paint schemes as much to 1969 as I could. 










Bobby Allison’s car was probably the most decorated, and due to the height I cut the wheel wells some of the Coca-Cola sticker had to be trimmed away. Still, there is enough to recognize it as what it is. The Coke Machine was one of my favorite cars growing up, and I felt that no Grand National collection could be considered complete without one. 










Next was Coo Coo Marlins Cunningham-Kelly Chevrolet Chevelle. The colors were about the same as the Coke Machine with the top and truck remaining red, for me this was a harder paint job than the #12 car. Coo Co is Sterling’s father and himself a pretty good racer back in the day.










The last of the real world guys was Cecil “Flash” Gordon’s #24. In 1970 Cecil campaigned a yellow Monte Carlo with Panasonic sponsorship, I choose to leave it off and have the car unsponsored for short track racing. This is the only car that is not painted, the molded in yellow color was nice and bright so I choose to leave it. 










The first fictional racer is the #20 of Danny Williams of North View, Kentucky. Sponsored by his North View Motors Chevrolet dealership Danny’s bright yellow ’67 Chevelle sits on the chassis of the former Fairgrounds Racers track record holder, so big hopes ride on this car to mix it up with the Ford’s, Mercury’s, Plymouth’s, and Dodge’s yet to come. 

Because of a lack of proper Goodyear tires at the moment some cars left the shop with Firestones or Hoosiers. All cars racing in 2011 will do so on RRR RWL Goodyear silicones. Remember these are short track Saturday Night cars, not the trophy queens saved for the Super Speedways. These cars will see more than their share of bumping and banging. 

In the next day or so the Plymouth boys will come to pick up their cars, Dan Gurney, Dick Brooks and Norm Nelson will be well pleased.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Pete,

Oh boy I love the way the colors and detail you did on these Chevelles came out!!

Bob...looking at the AWESUM color balance...zilla


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Got a little better lighting now. From the parking lot outside the shop....




























Parking lot is full this morning with Torino's, GTX's and Charger's.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

*The Fresno Fantasticks*

Wow, Pete! Those are sweet. Really came out great! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Early morning Dodge and Plymouth deliveries.

Bobby Isaac, Charlie Glotzbach and Buddy Baker in Dodge Chargers










Dan Gurney, Richard Brooks and Roger McClusky in their Plymouth GTX's. McClusky assumed Norm Nelson's Plymouth ride because of contract conflicts.


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## scratch (May 16, 2005)

Cool looking Chevelles, Mopars too. . .:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Busy, busy!!! Great looking field, Pete!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

The fictional #20 Chevelle is being pushed back into the paint shop, it's going to be redone as Edward Ross's #52 Red Cap sponsored entry. 

Tomorrow I'm hoping to have the rest of the Ford's and Mercury's done, some well known names, some not so well known. Tonight Bobby Allison was testing a few tenths below the track record at Three Palms, very smooth car.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Good lookin cars - I can dig the vibe.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Spy shot of the Ford and Mercury end of the parking lot. 










Some are done, some are nearly done, some are just getting started. Fairlane's, Torino's and a single Cyclone.


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

All CARS are AWESOME!!! :thumbsup:

Wes


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Very impressive fleet!! Really nice work Pete!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

OK, got nine of the Fords done today, early shots, still aligning some of the decals since my digital camera has better eyes than I do I'm using the pictures to check for anything crooked. Some cars still lack the contingency decals, coming from Patto's sometime this week. 

Cale Yarbrough










Parnelli Jones










Donnie Allison










Lee Roy Yarbrough










Benny Parsons, the lone Mercury so far.










...part two below...


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

...continued...

Richard Petty










John Sears










Wendell Scott, whose car will be raced by 16 year old John Hamilton, who is our Tiger Woods of slot car racing.










And my personal car, Fred Lorenzen.


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

Whaddaya got, Pete? About 35 workers in a factory crankin' these out?? I'm in awe of the quality and quantity of your creations.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Some great looking vintage NASCARS! :thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Quite a display you got there Pete!!! Some great looking cars...:thumbsup::thumbsup: RM


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Rolls, most of these cars have been painted for a couple of weeks, when I was waiting for the decals and other parts I'd paint a few bodies a day. I have a couple bodies unprepared right now, a Charger, a Torino and a Fairlane plus the #20 Chevelle that will be redone. Once everyone has a running chassis, proper Goodyear tires and is other wise done I'll add a couple of cars every two weeks until I have my field filled. Since I've has so many problems in the past with guys bickering about car costs and changing rules I just made them all and they can either buy them or post a lease fee from me. Most of them cost about $30 to do, thank God for two sponsors that have helped offset the per car cost of doing this series. Once I get the 30 car field I'm shooting for by Daytona, I'll have about $900 into just the cars. And when they're not racing they look great on my toy shelf.


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## slotrod65 (Dec 4, 2005)

Pete, Are those RRR wheels? Do you have wobble/trueing issues? Do you mount them with a tool?

Phred


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Pete McKay said:


> Cale Yarbrough
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This group was just worth seeing again. Great work goin on here Pete. :thumbsup:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Phred, just lately I have gotten several bad sets from two different distributors, one set the front wheels were very noticably off. The dealers I've let know about the problem have all stepped up to replace any bad sets, which I think is outstanding.

Also, after this short winter series is done all the Torino tinted glass will be replaced using the RRR clear glass. Several of the cars had their windshileds ruined because of the type of glue I used on them, I have switched glues for the rest of the cars.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Last 3 bodies I have in stock rolled into the paint shop this evening: Mario Andretti's #11 1967 Daytona winning Fairlane, David Pearson's #17 Torino and Tiny Lund's #55 Charger.

More testing tonight and I discovered a bent axle on The King's car. Right now Benny Parsons is the hot car, running laps in the 2.66 second range.


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## XracerHO (Feb 6, 2008)

AWESOME display of vintage Nascar - all Great looking cars!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: ..RL


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

what a great collection!


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## scratch (May 16, 2005)

Man some collection ... very nice . . .:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

Those cars are AWSOME!!! They bring back memories of the Southern 500 and others.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

I'm lovin' it............Pete you are a BIG BUBBLE of slot energy!

Bob...man those are some nice builds...zilla


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Well the bubble is sort of losing air for the moment. Weather is changing, paint is drying more slowly and I'm running short on rollers for the bodies. I still will have 22 cars done for the series that starts on January 1st and that's the important thing, then I'll have 6 weeks to do just 8 more cars, which should be no problem. Picking who to do is the biggest deal, I pretty much have all the big names, and a few I'd never heard of, already done and then there will be the personal cars. We had a few wonderful sponsors to do these cars, two friends gave a total of $350 which went a very long way to get where we are, so now we can take our time to get the rest. And once the guys start either purchasing or leasing the cars for the series from me I'l have what I need to complete the plan. 

And now we have added a 4th track to the series in January, a road course. It's not based on a real world track and it is pretty short, but with my 1/5th mile, a quarter mile and what could be considered a 5/8th mile we're going to have a great series. A total of 8 races, 2 on each track, no distinct advantage or disadvantage.


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

great stuff pete!


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

Pete McKay said:


> ...paint is drying more slowly and I'm running short on rollers for the bodies.


Really? Man, I woulda sworn those paint jobs were sprayed on!


:tongue::tongue: I know. Sorry. Couldn't resist. :tongue::tongue:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

LOL, yeah. Actually I spent quite a bit of time with a brush on the David Pearson car today fixing the gold overspray on the blue. It's looking quite good. We're going to have a rainy weekend so it might be Monday before I do the decals on these last few bodies.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

How about a little late sixties Curtis Turner/Smokey Yunick???
Who could forget that #13 Chevelle! I think in 70 they used a Torino.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

In 1969 it was the Tornio, couldn't find too much on 1968 though. I have the decals to do both the solid black and the black and gold car. The problem is that gold is a very heavy color and it don't take much to get it on too thick. And if you're going over a dark color like I had to with Pearson's car then you need to get it thick enough for that. Here's Mario's Fairlane and David's Tonino to show how the gold works differently even on shades of the same color. 










I started off using testors gold but that was way too heavy, went to a local hardstore brands and it works OK. The Krylon gold is nice for wheels but on flat surfaces like a car top or hood it doesn't look very uniform in color. I just started using the Tamiya gold and I think I'll stick with it.


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## Ovalhead (Nov 20, 2010)

Pete, the actual Lafayette Ford 28 ( not show car ) was located 14 miles from my house until a couple of years ago, they moved it somewhere and several actual STP 43's are 35 miles from the house also.

Herb Thomas and his Fabulous Hornets lived 15 minutes down the road along with many, many other racers from our past to present. 

Benny Parsons motor man's shop was located across the street from where I went to school in the 70's.

Great job as usual with your passion for our hobby/obsession ! :dude:

069


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## DesertSlot (May 8, 2009)

Beautiful work Pete! You are an artist!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Thanks guys. The final 5 bodies are done; Earl Ross's #52 Chevelle, Tiny Lund's #55 Charger, PJ's #15 Torino, Mario's #11 Fairlane and David Pearson's #17 Torino. These cars will get their chassis over the next few weeks to be ready for racing January 1st.


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

The "COUNT DOWN TO GREEN" is closing in.Hope you have a Great racing season.


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## Guidepin (Apr 25, 2009)

Great looking cars. NICE WORK! GK


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## wheelszk (Jul 8, 2006)

Pete,
Great work. In case I missed it, where are the body's coming from, and what chassis and set are you using or what are the rules?
Bill


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Bill, 

Bodies are are mass produced T-jet, source is Bud's. The Chargers, Chevelles and GTX's all have to have a little fender well work, the Torino's fit unaltered. They can't be lowered or have material removed. Minimum car weight is 19 grams, max is 25 grams. 

Chassis are either NOS or JL/AW, aftermarket parts OK but stock arms and magnets. Wheels and tires are RRR #814 steels, tires are RWL-G's or RWL-F's. Gear swapping OK, no lightened/machined gears, no weight plates and extended delrin guide pins are fine.


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

O.K. Pete another batch of stockers that everyone is going to have a blast racing and looking at. Man these are Top Notch works of art!!

Bob...I just want to reach out and grab them off the screen...zilla


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## XracerHO (Feb 6, 2008)

Great work on all the stockers!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ..RL


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Production has slowed to a trickle (Dick Trickle?) so that Christmas can arrive at my house. I've had Manuel up the ladder all day with the lights, tomorrow we go up to the snow and get a tree from the CalEdison lot. Over the enxt two weeks something will be put up each day, so the track is once again tarped and the shop shut down until the 26th.


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## tjet princess (Oct 27, 2008)

Pete McKay said:


> Dick Trickle?


"Not much since I got the ointment."


ROFL!!!!! Being deaf I haven't had the chance but I have been wanting to use that line for YEARS!!!! Thanks dad!!!!


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Hahahahaha!!!! Very good Princess!!! Great looking cars Pete. Really nice work!


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

Very,Very nice work. I have always been fond of the simpler paint schemes of the 60s and 70s. The PJ Torino is one of my favorites.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

That's interesting Gary, I would have thought the #98 Torino would have been.


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

Pete McKay said:


> That's interesting Gary, I would have thought the #98 Torino would have been.


LOL... I said "one of", the #98 Talladega is my favorite car of all time!! The nickname came from online racing back in the Delta Sim-Racing days. I never drove anything but the #98 and ran the Talladega in the Legends series... ah, memories! LeeRoy was my favorite driver "back in the day".

Another good one for your garage could be the #39 Chevelle of Friday Hassler!

Thanks,
Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Gary I have the decals for the #39 car, it's on the list I'll get to someday. Man if I did every car on this list I would have 46 cars!!!


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Hey Pete,

Anything new coming out of the garage?


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