RC car museum exhibition – Norway. New go from page 4!

[LurkingCAT]

Sorry to say I have been nothing but a spy on RC10talk until now finally registering. Incredible forum – high quality and smack in the butter eye of my field of interests in RC – thanks to all of you! And thanks for having me!

My first post on this forum will be a presentation of a new temporary (May through to September) museum exhibition on vintage RC cars at the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology. This exhibition is covering the start of RC cars in Norway in 1975 through the golden years of the eighties to about 1990. Background for the history writing in this exhibition is archive material, collection of old pictures and quite a few hours of interviews with pioneers from the old days. The display consists of text, pictures, film and of course cars (about 50) and equipment. In Norway this is quite a historic event, in a physical museum maybe also rare internationally. By profession I am a technical museum conservator and cultural historian. Last year I was part of a project making a history of science exhibition at the stately supported Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology. While working on this project I came up with the idea of making a RC exhibition. After some back and forth reasoning they finally said GO! Just to make it clear, this is not something I got any pay for – just a spare time project. A friend of mine, another Norwegian known as “SHY” on several RC forums has been a great support. He is also the guy behind the web site http://www.ymr.no/historie.htm. This great site has been referred to earlier on RC10talk (http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13570), a massive contribution to the history of RC cars – unfortunately so far only in Norwegian.

I used to race back in eighties to about -92. Not the best driver, but quite mad about cars, mods and set ups. My entry to this magical world was, as for many others, Tamiya. I still enjoy the old Tamiyas, Maruis and other main stream classics, but my soul is resting in the palm of AE, Schumacher, Yokomo, PB, SG and Losi etc – 1:12 track and 1:10 OR (and of course at the bosom of the crazy universe of the mod firms). Back in 85 I was an eleven year old plague hanging over the counter at my favorite hobby shop drooling on the RC10, at that time ending up with a Tamiya… Soon heavily modified with Thorp and Hot Trick. Late 1986 I got my CAT. In my eyes (full of admiring tears) a car that topped the most heavily modified cars at the time tenfold. My obsession was cars and used all my available and unavailable resources on equipment. In the later years I’ve found some of my old stuff, been collecting, and had RC car history as a hobby. When I got the opportunity, I really enjoyed making the hobby in to an exhibition for the general public.
In the museum I’ve tried to have focus on other but my own personal interests, and made a period representative selection of things both recognizable to the general public (Grasshopper, Big Bear, Wild Willy etc) and competition. Pics? Here goes!

Best regards, David

[Bormac]

Awesome! Is that one of my old Topcat's I spy in there

[LurkingCAT]

To a certain extent the history of Norwegian 1:12 is Swedish (Mirage, Minicars and Carlsson). In the first national champs in 1981 eighteen of the nineteen top of the list were Swedish cars. One RC12E managed to make it's way in on 13th… The Swedish dominance lasted to RC12I. After 12I the Schumacher C car and Corally took the main lead - not the 12L.

The “Race box” belongs to a Norwegian driver starting off his career in 1977 and still going strong. The box was made for the first 1:12 Euro champ in Switzerland in 1981. Note the Futuba FP 2F rebuilt to pistol throttle (grip from slot car racing). The cars in this display are Mirage 12 (1979) and Mirage T (1981). Also added a picture from the national champs in 82 were you see the same box and radio in front of the owner in grey sweater. An orderly concentrated gang!

The red 1:8 is also Swedish – Carlsson Pro 80 (1980), the other 1:8 is the SG Columbia Mk II (1983).

The display with the 12I and some strange items has its own story. A prominent 1:12 and 1:10 OR driver called Terje Brynhildsen was one of very few in Norway making things and bits for the commercial market. In addition he also sold RC12I and some other stuff under his label RC Technics. What you see is a discharger, a very good esc and a motor tester (in the race box cabinet you see one out of his four different chargers). Note the paper on the tester with timings etc for some of the common old school motors.

The id card and the group photo is from the 1:8 world champs in Geneva 1979. The driver on the id card was one of the two first to get a RC car in Norway.

[LurkingCAT]

Hi there! The Topcat is SHY's and don't actually know where he's got it from - might be yours!

[LurkingCAT]

Some more random detail pics. The back in the day picture (1982 or 83) of the Kyosho Circuit 20 (Volvo 343 body) is depicting one of the Curcuit 20s in the exhibition. The red one on display got the 3th place at the first (noticeably bouncing) 1:8 national champs in 1982.

[LurkingCAT]

Last batch of pics. Losi 22 is in display for showing what is going on today... The SRB Sand Scorcher is quite special. A Norwegian called Svein Andreassen, a professional mechanics, made SRB mod bits for the commercial market – a Norwegian version of CRP or RCH SRBs. He made long wheel base butterfly chassis, front widening kit, ball diff, and rear mono shock conversion. The car depicted are the remains of this fellows own car.

[Bormac]

Hi there! The Topcat is SHY's and don't actually know where he's got it from - might be yours!

Yep, definately one of my old Topcats. I have pics on file of that paint scheme I did years ago.

Nice to see it as being part of your exhibit in a museum

[CAT3K]

Fantastic! It would be great to see this is person though.

Paul.

[LurkingCAT]

Hi there! The Topcat is SHY's and don't actually know where he's got it from - might be yours!

Yep, definately one of my old Topcats. I have pics on file of that paint scheme I did years ago.

Nice to see it as being part of your exhibit in a museum

As stated in the first post, SHY has been of help making this exhibition and also contibuted with 13 cars from his collection. I have got 33 of mine and then a few others borrowed. Maybe SHY got the Topcat directly from you? It is used but restored and has a polished chassis.

David

[LurkingCAT]

Fantastic! It would be great to see this is person though.

Paul.

Tanxalot! A bit of a stretch to Norway...

David

[LurkingCAT]

Not of much use to most of you, but anyway (I suppose the Norwegian is a bit of a fence to jump, even with google translate). Here are some links. The first one is a cut from a television news report. The cut starts at appr. 3 min and 20 sec (it’s not me talking or driving!).

http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/845819/

and one from the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (you can click your way further on from the flying SS)

http://www.tekniskmuseum.no/



The page from the museum is now changed (link no 2). You will have to click on the line; Fjernstyrte biler i Norge, 1975-90...

Links are now long gone (16.01.13)

[a01butal]

Wonderful exhibit and a great post (excellent grammar with pictures). Thank you for lurking with us!

[LurkingCAT]

Wonderful exhibit and a great post (excellent grammar with pictures). Thank you for lurking with us!

Thank You! Nice to be here at last, I've (mis)used this place for too long as a prime source for my own projects without contributing.

[drbelleville]

Man that is so awesome, and as stated before welcome aboard. Thanks for the writeup and pictures.

[DerbyDan]

Wow!! What a fantastic display - really nicely laid out & some real 'gems' in amongst those cars - in fact i'm sure we'd be happy to have any one of those cars within our own collections.

My personal favourite has got to be the set-up with the wooden race box & Mirage racers - kinda reminds me of the box I made with my dad, which weighed as much as the racing kit inside it!

I used my Beatties bag up until quite recently - funny to see one in a museum!