Scalextric Frank Gardner Camaro

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This is on the release list from scalextric next year.
This is the Camaro that Aussie Frank Gardner raced in the British Touring car championship.
It has a link to another car made by scalex, in that this is the Car which ended up with the aluminium 427 from the number 7 Bob Jane ZL1 Camaro.

[HomeRacingWorld]

I like those Camaros. Scalextric did a pretty good job.

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[chris]

Hi Ted, I read that Gardner sold the Camaro to Dutch racer Rob Slotemaker. It was pretty heavily modified to race in Group 5. When Slotemaker was killed the car went to another Dutch guy who raced it for a couple of years and then stored it for over 30 years. They now hope to restore it apparently it is still complete but in pretty bad shape.
I'm sweating on that release as well, just hope they don't cheap out and forget the power bulge on the bonnet (hood).

Chris.

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Thanks Chris,
I remember that car as a kid,(spent a couple of years in the UK) I often wondered where it ended up.
I don't suppose you know if when the Dutch guys bought it, that if they retained that awesome Alloy 427 or not?
It would be great to see it restored.
If scaley forget the power bulge, which I suspect they will, theres always the option of plasticard!
An Aussie in a Big Yank Muscle Car winning the British Touring Car Championship and Moving on to Holland, That car certainly did it's bit for the UN.
Thanks for the info. It gives me somewhere to start to find out about her.

[dr fabio]

I doubt that Scaly will do the car "correctly" with power bulge hood, flared wheel arches and front air dam, but am happy to eat humble pie if they do.

cheers
Dr Fabio

[dreinecke]

[RazorJon]

that would be a nice one to build

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Thats a nice Model there Dave.
I just had a look at my Scalex Chapparal Camaro, they seem to have a fair set of wheelarch flairs on them, although not quite in the same league as this thing had. I think that if they tooled up for a seperate piece for the Bonnet Bulge and fitted that they might pull this car off.
Either way I think I'll have to buy one and have a little play around with it.

Just wondering, I know that the Trans Am cars had a 5 litre limit, but did anyone in the US race these Camaros in any other classes with the big block, or the Earlier 69 ZL1 ?

[VenturaAlfa]

Ted,

These cars were raced all over the short tracks in America in the 70's in a variety of configurations from street stock to some wild modifieds. They did not generally run big blocks because the 350 small block could be bored and stroked to over 400 cubic inches and would make all kinds of horsepower. My street car as a 16 year old kid, built with my dad's help, was a 454 with a tunnel ram and dual quads on it but that was a hot street set up not a true road or oval racer. It did win its fair share of street races though.

Google Saugus Speedway or Ron Hornaday and you will see what some of the modifieds look like. Hornaday won a Southwest tour championship running a Camaro modified before moving to the Nantional NASCAR series.

The cars also ran on road courses in other divisions of SCCA as well as USAC and a couple of other sanctioning bodies for road race cars.

I agree that the Hall Camaro will not require drastic changes to look like this car; a hood bulge and a slightly different front spoiler and you get this car. The yellow and black #48 from Scaletric looks like it might work as well.

Ventura Alfa

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[HomeRacingWorld]

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Wow!!!
Thanks Harry Thats Awesome.
I can't believe the different options you could order on these cars.
So the 70 Camaro had a biggest Engine option of 396.

The English must have had a pretty relaxed set of racing rules to let Gardner run that 427 Alloy Motor.

[dreinecke]

Yeah, but that isn't the motor you wanted - the LT-1 350 with a Muncie was awesome! I've driven a few equipped that way and that motor pulls forever.

BTW- while labeled a 396, it was actually 402 CI in 1970. Don't even ask me about the Malibu 400...actually the 402 as well. Confused? Call the marketing guys...

[Reslotted]

Malibu 400 thats the small block chev, right?

Thats a bit like that weird 400m Ford Motor that looked like a Cleveland, but wasn't.!!!!???
(Not to be confused with the FE series 390 big block)

We didn't get either of those 400's here, although the Locally Assembled Galaxies did get the 390. My dad had one, it had plenty of low down grunt, but was pretty breathless.