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Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 5:42 pm
by GoMachV
This mold had been sitting at the injection mold shop since April 1991. Originally there was a one million pull guarantee so long as the mold lived at the shop. We never hit that so it was technically still under warranty. Unfortunately the injection shop went through a change in ownership a couple years back and a recent change in location. I was finally able to track it down. Good thing too, cause we will need more cranks before too long 😬. Last run was made in 2001 from what I can tell by the box I have. That puts fluorescent yellow era 1991- 2011 (there was a long dead space until 2011 when they were reissued) and 2011-2022 the school bus yellow era.

I am leaning towards white on the next batch to both differentiate the batches and because it would allow them to be dyed any color to match any scheme. Colors are always too limiting. As much as I would love to do fluorescent again I just don’t think it’s a good idea.

Anyway, enjoy some pics of a part of the industry most never see. Daryl had said he didn’t even know what the mold looked like.

Btw, the Lethal Weapon cases/pulleys and the truck wheels appear to be gone forever. They do not have records of those molds ☹️

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:14 pm
by BattleTrak
That is awesome! Thanks for posting it.. I vote for black but white works too.

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:19 pm
by Frankentruck
Very cool bellcrank mold.

Bummer about the truck wheels. I've still got my green A&L wheels on my old Turbo Optima that's buried somewhere at my parents home.

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 7:15 pm
by MarkyDents
Both amazing to see the bellcrank mold and very sad to here about the others, especially the Lethal Weapon cases.
I believe you’ve got the right idea going white as well. 8)
Super descriptive label on their case :lol:

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 7:49 pm
by RPMfieldtester
Wow Jeff, something we thought would never be seen again...great to see it resurface!

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 7:52 pm
by GoMachV
As I sat in front of the abandoned building I was losing hope fast!

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:22 pm
by duckhead
Thanks for sharing the pics, very cool! Nice little time capsule and some insight into how molds were made back then. 8)

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 11:17 am
by alane
Awesome to see this, Jeff! I'm surprised you were able to track this one down after so many years.
Would've loved to see the Lethal Weapon case mold, sad to hear it's gone.

Re: Team A&L bellcrank mold

Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 12:44 pm
by GoMachV
I’m not done trying, they moved the shop it was in a few times and I’m sure the mold is still there- somewhere. Based on the dust and lack of markings outside the box on the steering mold I bet the wheel and lethal weapon molds are at the bottom of a huge stack of molds covered in dust. Every once in a while I fire off a message asking if they have found anything. When I was there in December I offered to come help look for em but they didn’t want me to.