Fly E2025 Porsche 908/2 #270 Targa Florio 1969 - Vic Elford and Umberto Maglioli
Fly E2026 Porsche 908/2 #272 Targa Florio 1969 - Willi Kauhsen and Karl Von Wendt
Fly E2027 Fly Porsche 908/2 #274 Targa Florio 1969 - Rolf Stommelen and Hans Herrmann

Fly have given us three new liveries on their Porsche 908/2 Spyder - three of the six works Porsche cars that dominated the 53rd Targa Florio in 1969.

   

It was a bit of a walkover for Porsche - Ferrari didn't bother to turn up, Alfa Romeo had entered just one car in the Prototype class and the Lola T70 of Bonnier and Muller looked an outsider - especially after ignition problems delayed their start. Race day on the rugged Sicilian roads was all about which Porsche would win.

   

The #270 car, in the hands of Vic Elford, led at the end of the first 44.7 mile lap on time and on the road. The previous day, Elford had beaten the lap record in practice - and it looked like he and Umberto Maglioli would repeat their 1968 victory. However, the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, with its rough public roads, 709 corners and a couple of mountains was like no other on the calendar.

   

All the Porsches were strengthened and fitted with softer camshafts and raised suspension. Their Dunlop tyres were also specially prepared for conditions on the Targa, featuring thicker sidewalls. The #274 Porsche of Stommelen was lying third after the first lap, but was promoted to second when Elford had to pit with a broken alternator belt. This stop would cost Elford and Maglioli over six minutes, dropping them down the field. Elford's frustration caused front-end damage from a collision with Galli's Alfa - however, he was briefly back up to third after the front-runners had pitted for a driver change and before he handed over to Magioli.

   

At half distance - 5 laps - the Mitter/Schutz #266 Porsche (which Fly released in 2011) led the way, the #268 Porsche of Redmond and Attwood was second, the Stommelen/Herrman car third and Magioli had the #270 Porsche in fourth - not much than 5 minutes behind the leader. The third car of our Fly trio - the #272 of Willi Kauhsen and Karl Von Wendt - was a solid sixth.

A long pit stop for Herrman to fix a steering problem, plus a stop for Redmond, lifted Maglioli to second - a little closer to the lead #266 Porsche. Retirement for the Attwood car left our trio of Fly 908/2 Spyders in second, third and fourth - and that's how it would stay to the end. However, with Elford back in the #270 - and driving like a man possessed - the gap to the lead was reduced down to 2 minutes and forty seconds at the chequered flag. In the process, Elford had set a new lap record of 35 minutes, 27.5 seconds - beating his previous 1968 record by nearly 35 seconds.

Here's part of a film made for Porsche during the 1969 race - sadly without sound...




The three new Fly Porsches are limited editions - 300 units each worldwide - and are packaged with a commemorative Targa Florio display card...

   

All three cars are available now from Pendle Slot Racing, MRE and all your favourite Fly retailers. RRP is £54.95 each.

Thanks to Pendles for the photos of the individual cars.

   

Racer Sideways SWLE08 Lancia Stratos Turbo Group 5 -  JPS Limited Edition. October 2020. RRP £72.95

Due to arrive with UK retailers next week is a another Racer Sideways John Player Special-liveried limited edition (792 units worldwide). This time, the black and gold feature on the Sideways Group 5 Lancia Stratos Turbo...

   

To my eye, the JPS livery and Union Jack are a little incongruous on this Italian thoroughbred, but it is an iconic livery of that era and the finish on the Stratos is rather special. Some people go crazy about their Gulf liveries and so why not JPS? The car comes in a suitably black and gold collectors' box...

   

And all the mechanicals are what you'd expect for a Sideways Group 5 car...

   


The UK consignment of this limited edition are due with retailers next week. The car is available as a pre-order now from Pendle Slot Racing and MRE - both for rather less than the RRP.

Long time HO drag racer in the US.
Sent some cars over to the UK for some competition over the pond.

Dave

I have yet to see a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz race car. We are about to start a new class called "Boulevard Cruisers". The club chose to use the Gunze Sangyo line of static kits to make up the field. This is one of four cars I've built for this new class. Me, excited? Naaaaa.


   
   
   
   
   

Four washers were used to set the body height at 1.5mm

   
   
   
   

With the body sitting correctly. The rest of the car can go together.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

18" inch subwoofers hide the anglewinder very well, and provide entertainment between heats. Chuck Berry with "Back in the USA" was a top hit in 1959.

Thank you very kindly for looking.

Hello all from Maine USA. I am new to all this and figured this would be a great place to try and learn from. Thanks.

HO HO HO, with the holidays in mind, I thought I better start working on some elfs to put around the tree...

Work in progress:

   

   

   

A friend will be casting custom tire sets for this when it's ready.

I  have  a  Pro slot  Porno Porsche for  sale ,new  in box .
£ 40 +post  to UK
   

.

There was a purple Mini that raced in the 1972 Targa Florio. I love strange colours. This one got my attention. The original car had insane wheel flairs. The project begins with a donor car. A new Scalex classic Mini.

   
   
   

The original chassis removed from the body. The new 13" inch wheels and new BWMS050 slow class motor. Photos of the project Targa Mini in the background. The small photo on the far right is the only one with an accurate shot of the purple colour.

   

Here's one last look at the stock wheel well. Once you commit, you can't go back.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

The Mini now runs very smooth and fast. Light years ahead of the stock chassis.

Thank you very kindly for looking.

   

Announced some time ago - and with prototypes on show at various slot car shows before the pandemic arrived - George Turner's Edwardian Racers are now available!

   

The initial range of eight kits are available now from the George Turner Models website...

   

Price for each kit - including unpainted body, decal sheet, chassis, wheels, driver, mechanic and detailing parts - is £40 plus postage. A list of recommended running gear is provided and is available from Pendle Slot Racing, including the necessary cream-coloured tyres.

   

I saw the first few finished prototypes at the Orpington slot car show last November and they did look superb. George was rightly very proud showing them off. The project has taken over a year to come to fruition, but is worth the wait. Videos posted on Facebook suggest they are great fun to drive too.

   

All the cars share the same chassis, wheels and recommended running gear. The front wheels have a moveable steering mechanism, which uses a standard guide.

   

The new Edwardian Racers section of the George Turner Models website is: www.georgeturnermodels.com/shop/edwardian-racers/

Evening 

Having seen a number of the excellent kit builds on the forum recently,  I have a question ? 

Some of the body shells    appear to have been fitted with what looks like to me, a plastic body mount, with a threaded insert?
They seem to be fitted in place with epoxy resin.  I guess they are trimmable for length. 

Am I correct   and if so, does a anybody know where I can buy them?
Even Pendle don't appear to have anything similar.....

Thanks,  
Pip