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plumpcars
08-11-07, 10:00 AM
A strange question this for the greybeards amongst us. It's something that has bugged me for years.
Many moons back there was a rod shop in Brighton run by the Church bros, Pat and Chris I think. Fast forward to the early eighties and I was racing slot cars at a pretty serious level. I raced a number of times at the Brighton track which was run by a guy called Chris Church. I never asked if he was the same person, don't know why but have always wondered since.
Does anybody know?

jamie34
08-11-07, 11:08 AM
Maybe shoot me down in flames but possibly it was them that used to make Pop chassis etc QRP Quality Rod Parts seem to remember it was in the Brighton area

Zody
08-11-07, 11:14 AM
In the early eighties there was a speed shop in the Brighton area, Called Custom maid, Portland Rd, I'v heard the name Chris Church, maybe he and his brother ran that shop?
I will ask a few mates, someone will throw some light on the question.

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 11:28 AM
How strange Steve that you ran Slotcars as i did the same at a fairly high level, Did you know Barry McGee as we used to race together, I had sponsership from Lenz.



A strange question this for the greybeards amongst us. It's something that has bugged me for years.
Many moons back there was a rod shop in Brighton run by the Church bros, Pat and Chris I think. Fast forward to the early eighties and I was racing slot cars at a pretty serious level. I raced a number of times at the Brighton track which was run by a guy called Chris Church. I never asked if he was the same person, don't know why but have always wondered since.
Does anybody know?

58 delray
08-11-07, 11:45 AM
don't know anything about the brighton rod shop but i also ran slot cars in the early eighties every week at a place in bromley s.e. london, did any one else ever get there?

Paul Y
08-11-07, 12:25 PM
Custom Made? Were they not in Ilford at the far end of the High Street? Or am I talking complete Bollox again?

P.

plumpcars
08-11-07, 12:36 PM
don't know anything about the brighton rod shop but i also ran slot cars in the early eighties every week at a place in bromley s.e. london, did any one else ever get there?
I ran at Bromley a few times in the early eighties! Remember Tim Ryan? He was an absolute master.
I ran out of Surbiton club but was also a regular at Northolt.

plumpcars
08-11-07, 12:37 PM
How strange Steve that you ran Slotcars as i did the same at a fairly high level, Did you know Barry McGee as we used to race together, I had sponsership from Lenz.
I still have a Barry McGee chassis here Steve! I'm guessing that you ran 1/24 whereas I was 1/32nd mostly.

plumpcars
08-11-07, 12:41 PM
The shop I'm thinking of was Brighton Speed and Custom or something like that. I'm sure Mister T or Brizey would know? It was there in the early seventies.

58 delray
08-11-07, 12:52 PM
I ran at Bromley a few times in the early eighties! Remember Tim Ryan? He was an absolute master.
I ran out of Surbiton club but was also a regular at Northolt.

yeah i remember tim, didn't he co own the track? i also ran 1/32, strange this has come up as was going through some old boxes in the loft the other day and found all my old place ribbons from the races, don't know what happened to my cars though.

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 01:00 PM
This getter even stranger i also ran at Bromley but in the early 70's



I ran at Bromley a few times in the early eighties! Remember Tim Ryan? He was an absolute master.
I ran out of Surbiton club but was also a regular at Northolt.

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 01:04 PM
yes Steve 1/24 but also did quite a bit of 1/32, Did you ever get to Hounslow Raceway ???
Do you remeber Team Mura and Parma Ruskitt ???
I still have my cars and gear somewhere, My Dad was a 8 hr or 24hr endurance racer and partnered Roy Moore.



I still have a Barry McGee chassis here Steve! I'm guessing that you ran 1/24 whereas I was 1/32nd mostly.

crusty
08-11-07, 01:24 PM
Enlighten me, is this some kind of Scaleltrics racing or what? Sounds interesting.

ian.stewart
08-11-07, 01:51 PM
This getter even stranger i also ran at Bromley but in the early 70's
Mmmm

This must be a closet thing, Me I was into 1/32nds, I was looking at my Muria powerd cars the other day, Barry Magee certainly rings a bell, There are three tracks in the SELondon I remember, One was in Sydenham, Silverdale Road If I remember correctly, another was in Crofton Park, South London Raceways??, Right opposite the toilets, Then there was the Lewisham Model and Hobby Consortium, near Lewisham Hospital and right next to Super accessories, Run by a Howard Taylor [Taylor gears] and Stan Alton
Of course there were the two Meccas for me which were Tottenham, [King Cobra Track??] and Wonderlands in Southend and their selection of 20p bodies
Langy, there is still a very active track in Luton its in the Sports ground opposite Toys R Us,

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 01:56 PM
Yes Crusty in the 70's there were tracks all over the place, It got very serious with Pro teams springing up all over the place, i packed it up in 1972 when i got my Driving license but the cars were built to a very high standard, Handbuilt chassis's Different motors for different tracks etc etc, There was a great rivalry between teams but it was a great hobby.

It was quite a bit more involved than Scalextric but that's where it all started. it was huge in the U.S. as you can probably imagine.

Plump there was a big track in Southend but can't remember the name ??? also did you ever get to the Banbury track which was famous for it 24hr races.



Enlighten me, is this some kind of Scaleltrics racing or what? Sounds interesting.

58 delray
08-11-07, 01:56 PM
Enlighten me, is this some kind of Scaleltrics racing or what? Sounds interesting.

sort of crusty, but the tracks had more lanes were made of wood and the cars chassis were made of brass with very thin plastic body shells, the tyres were made of a sponge material and we put a sticky substance called goop on them to give more grip. the cars were also a hell of a lot quicker than scalectric cars,
andy

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 02:03 PM
Thanks for refreshing my memory Ian, Its a bit hard to remember nearly 40 years ago !!!

Yes i remember the King Cobra at Tottenham very well if i remember correctly it was the fastest track in the country and was Barry's home track. There was also a big american guy called Steve, second name eludes me at the moment but sounded Ruskie, He was lead driver for Team Champion and was very good to me in the early days passing on tips etc.




Mmmm

This must be a closet thing, Me I was into 1/32nds, I was looking at my Muria powerd cars the other day, Barry Magee certainly rings a bell, There are three tracks in the SELondon I remember, One was in Sydenham, Silverdale Road If I remember correctly, another was in Crofton Park, South London Raceways??, Right opposite the toilets, Then there was the Lewisham Model and Hobby Consortium, near Lewisham Hospital and right next to Super accessories, Run by a Howard Taylor [Taylor gears] and Stan Alton
Of course there were the two Meccas for me which were Tottenham, [King Cobra Track??] and Wonderlands in Southend and their selection of 20p bodies
Langy, there is still a very active track in Luton its in the Sports ground opposite Toys R Us,

58 delray
08-11-07, 02:13 PM
maybe we should start a drag racing version at the shows/drags for a bit of light hearted fun?

ian.stewart
08-11-07, 02:22 PM
maybe we should start a drag racing version at the shows/drags for a bit of light hearted fun?

I think Nick Shanley used to run one for either North Kent Roadsters?? or the Nasc, certainly it was at a few Custom Car shows at Ally Pally or Wembley

58 delray
08-11-07, 02:31 PM
langy, was the banbury track the one near a train station and did it have a massive banked curve at one end or am i thinking of some where else?

ian, thinking about it don't the BHRA have a scalectric one that they set up at the hop farm show?

scottie
08-11-07, 02:34 PM
maybe we should start a drag racing version at the shows/drags for a bit of light hearted fun?


there was a drag strip at the americar show (the one with the grafitti coupe at it) couple of years ago

scottie

Hot Rod Widow
08-11-07, 02:46 PM
Where was the track at Tottenham you got my mind working now

plumpcars
08-11-07, 03:15 PM
This has gone a bit off topic really and I don't want to be the first to get a wrist slapping on the new forum! ;o) Mind you, a moderator is involved!
Crusty there were 2 scales really. 1/32 is Scalextric sized. 1/24 is the size of most plastic car model kits that you buy. The cars were nothing like Scalextric though. Handbuilt chassis in brass and spring steel. Hand turned sponge tyres on spun ally rims. Highly tuned motors......different for each class and set up for each particular track. Bodies were clear lexan painted on the inside and pinned on, c of g very low.The 1/24 cars used side dams on the body to force them down onto the trac. The speeds were incredible.
I ran a number of American styled bodies in saloon car and then there were sports and F1 classes. Fave moment for me was at Northolt, pacing and overtaking one of the top names with one of my own chassis and a Dodge Daytona body, huge great bl**dy winged thing.
Tracks were 4 or 6 lane made of timber and with the groove routed.
In America there was a big following for HO scale which is about the size of the Hornby railway stuff. Cars available covered just about every muscle car and hot rod that you could think of.
Sadly I came into it too late for the big tracks at Tottenham, Southall, Hounslow etc.
I ran at Surbiton, Northolt, Bromley, North London, Coulsdon, Ipswich, Reading, Brighton, Bath, Southend, Birmingham, Aldershot and numerous others that I can't remember.
I also went to a drag meeting at Surrey Street Rodders place near Guildford in the early eighties. It was a laugh but the top runners were all running highly tweaked motors in what was supposed to be a stock class. Bit like the real thing really.....

Brizey
08-11-07, 03:27 PM
Pat (L) & Chris (R) at the opening of their Brighton Speed & Custom shop around `70-`71. The shop was at 180, Edwards St. They also ran the old "Roadster Register".
The guy in the middle is Tony Densham who used to drive the "Commuter" dragster back in the late 60s/early 70s. I last saw Pat & Chris at Micky Brays Funeral last year, they have`nt really changed much. Chris is into Ferraris now, much the same as Micky was.

Scottie, the dragstrip at the Americar show is run by Nick Shanley and friends!.

Steve (Plumpcars), maybe you could identify from the photo if it`s the same guy.

Langy, the racetrack in Hounslow, was that the one in a disused shop just along from the pool hall above Walkers the jewelers, if so, i went there a few times just to watch the racing, might even have spoken to you then?...

http://usera.imagecave.com/BRIZEY/PatChrisMedium.jpg

ian.stewart
08-11-07, 04:38 PM
Where was the track at Tottenham you got my mind working now

All I can remember it was a double fronted shop, Looking out of the shop, there was a Church diagonally to the left on the other side of the road, The only reason I remember the church is I was there for some race, and the church was hit by lightening and broke the window of TMR

ian.stewart
08-11-07, 04:41 PM
langy, was the banbury track the one near a train station and did it have a massive banked curve at one end or am i thinking of some where else?

ian, thinking about it don't the BHRA have a scalectric one that they set up at the hop farm show?

Thats probably the same one there are a few members of North Kent Roadsters?? among their members

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 07:31 PM
Long time ago now mate but i do recall a big banked curve but then again they all had one.

Havn't seen Barry for donkeys years but when i stopped racing he went into Radio controlled cars and excelled in that as well.




langy, was the banbury track the one near a train station and did it have a massive banked curve at one end or am i thinking of some where else?

ian, thinking about it don't the BHRA have a scalectric one that they set up at the hop farm show?

crusty
08-11-07, 07:45 PM
Have any of you got any old photos or even film clips of these models racing, all sounds really interesting, seems I missed out on this in the 70's.

58 delray
08-11-07, 08:16 PM
couple of web sites for you crusty,
www.bscra.fsnet.co.uk
www.leicester.slotcarclub.co.uk

andy

langysrodshop
08-11-07, 08:32 PM
Had a look at those sites, Do they only race 1/32 scale these days ???



couple of web sites for you crusty,
www.bscra.fsnet.co.uk
www.leicester.slotcarclub.co.uk

andy

58 delray
08-11-07, 08:39 PM
Had a look at those sites, Do they only race 1/32 scale these days ???

when i had a look at the bscra site earlier today it had a bit on there about 1/24th national results steve, so i assume they still race both scales,
there is a club in luton at the vauxhall motors recreation club which meets on a monday night and they race 1/32 &1/24, their contact details are on the bscra web site,
andy.
crusty, try emailing, bob.budge@dsl.pipex.com
for details of the leicester club,
andy

crusty
08-11-07, 09:05 PM
couple of web sites for you crusty,
www.bscra.fsnet.co.uk
www.leicester.slotcarclub.co.uk

andy

Thanks for that Andy, looks like a right laugh, couldnt get the second link to work which would have been great as Leicester is where I live.

MisteR Tee
14-11-07, 10:38 AM
Way back in the 60s, there was a very active Model Drag Racing scene going with a monthly meet taking place at various locations, including the Philips Sports & Social club in Croydon. The track was handbuilt by the members & the timing equipment (yes, there was an accurate electronic system) was built by Peter Bartlett, the (original) BHRA treasurer. Once I've found them I'll post some pics of the track & some competitors.

The (new) BHRA has a similar track now that they take to various events, notably the Xtreme Wheels shows, where it proved very popular & brings out the competitor in you!

timetravel
14-11-07, 03:05 PM
Model Drag Racing on here... http://www.ukdrn.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=55&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Brizey
14-11-07, 06:57 PM
Model Drag Racing on here... http://www.ukdrn.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=55&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Cool Nick, i had my old roadster at that show at the Brighton Metropole hotel.
We were all lined up along that track when we heard that Dennis Priddle, Nobby Hills, Bootsie and Dave Stone were having match races.

The majority of the bodies used were from the old 1/16th Revell dragster/Funny car kits.
If i remember right, Dennis ended up top dog that day...

timetravel
17-11-07, 11:41 AM
Pat (L) & Chris (R) at the opening of their Brighton Speed & Custom shop around `70-`71. The shop was at 180, Edwards St. They also ran the old "Roadster Register".
The guy in the middle is Tony Densham who used to drive the "Commuter" dragster back in the late 60s/early 70s. I last saw Pat & Chris at Micky Brays Funeral last year, they have`nt really changed much. Chris is into Ferraris now, much the same as Micky was.

Scottie, the dragstrip at the Americar show is run by Nick Shanley and friends!.

Steve (Plumpcars), maybe you could identify from the photo if it`s the same guy.

Langy, the racetrack in Hounslow, was that the one in a disused shop just along from the pool hall above Walkers the jewelers, if so, i went there a few times just to watch the racing, might even have spoken to you then?...

http://usera.imagecave.com/BRIZEY/PatChrisMedium.jpg 10 years earlier and just across the road from Brighton Speed & Custom at 181 Edward Street was the Sussex Speed Shop. I found this ad in the 1961 Brighton Speed Trials programme. Could this have been the first Speed Shop in the UK? and how many forum members remember popping in there for some Allard heads or maybe an Aquaplane manifold? http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m149/timetraveldvds/46014.jpg

Enfo54
17-11-07, 01:56 PM
Anyone remember the slot track above the station at Hampton Court?. Only raced there a couple of times.
http://getyourwebsitehere.com/scratchbuilt/index.shtml
Found this site for all vintage slot stuff.

Remember the chassis building articles in Model Cars?......used to love that stuff. Some where real works of art
http://getyourwebsitehere.com/scratchbuilt/gallery/gallery006.html

Brizey
17-11-07, 10:14 PM
Could this have been the first Speed Shop in the UK? and how many forum members remember popping in there for some Allard heads or maybe an Aquaplane manifold? http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m149/timetraveldvds/46014.jpg

I can remember early sixties southern based Spedeworth F2 drivers talking about the `Hi-Tune" shop as a place to buy Aquaplane tuning equipment.
London area based drivers went to V. W. Derrington in Kingston. Derringtons started in 1919 selling tuning equipment for motor cycles and then later branched into car tuning, selling `Aquaplane` parts...

kc
17-11-07, 10:42 PM
Way back in the 60s, there was a very active Model Drag Racing scene going with a monthly meet taking place at various locations, including the Philips Sports & Social club in Croydon. The track was handbuilt by the members & the timing equipment (yes, there was an accurate electronic system) was built by Peter Bartlett, the (original) BHRA treasurer. Once I've found them I'll post some pics of the track & some competitors.

The (new) BHRA has a similar track now that they take to various events, notably the Xtreme Wheels shows, where it proved very popular & brings out the competitor in you!
amazing to know that when i was younger, this was going on 100yds away from my home, used to walk past the phillips games club every day on the way to school!
kev

Enfo54
18-11-07, 12:14 PM
London area based drivers went to V. W. Derrington in Kingston. Derringtons started in 1919 selling tuning equipment for motor cycles and then later branched into car tuning, selling `Aquaplane` parts...
Derringtons eventually moved from the shop on the corner to a place over the other side of Kingston and was run by Vic's son but it never seemed to have any stock and soon closed down. Mid eighties I think.

plumpcars
18-11-07, 05:47 PM
Paul....Did the Hampton Court club go on to become the Surbiton club?

Enfo54
18-11-07, 10:20 PM
I'm not sure, I was stiil at school when I went there, probably around '69