'Superfast' wheel designs.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Great additions to this thread Matchboom, that USB-Microscope seems a worthy purchace. You have posted some interesting images of mould numbers on those wheels, so I thank you for going to the trouble of doing this.

I wonder if we can have a full picture of your #20a Green Marzel, as I would like to see the outer face of the wheels and being a 'PROTOTYPE' model, it is nice to see such an early attempt at identifying the wheels with hand scribed numbers into the tooling surface. I would imagine the wheels on the Blue Lotus above has similar scratchings on it's wheels!

Your Red Marzel with One 'Hollow' wheel is common practice for these to be mixed with 'Solid' wheels on the same axles and models, and while I have tied down a period when this started to happen, I am not offering a date for that at the moment.

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I really would to see the inside face of those early 'Pre-Production' wheels on the Lotus or the other models made along side it, anyone, please!

GHOSTHUNTER.

[tjlglass]

You could of had White or Red Superfast wheels.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thanks Tim, are there mould numbers on any of those you have shown or are these so early, they are void and used for assessment rather than any intention of fitment to a model.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[motorman]

I would also like to know the wheel size on the prepro #20

[GHOSTHUNTER]

I would also like to know the wheel size on the prepro #20

Being in the first batch of models made with 'Superfast', the wheels should be like those on the Blue Lotus in my earlier posting and shown in Green on the cover of that Canadian catalogue.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[tjlglass]

I will see if my ipad camera can get a better picture.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Now, looking at the wheels on Olivier's ("Matchboom"), 20A Marzal 'Pre-Pro' model, is interesting to see 'Hand Scribed' mould numbers and yes they are in reverse as the engineer simply engraved the number directly on to the surface of the mould. It obviously became clear to Lesney they would be making these models for a long time, so correct letter and number 'Punch Sets' were used once the models had got into full production.

Tim has shown some bright Red and White solid wheels of the type fitted to both the Marzal and Lotus models and must be considered as 'Pre-Pro' wheels and if possible Tim is trying to get pictures of the numbers, if any, from the inner face, but if there are any, I would expect them to also be 'Hand Scribed', in-reverse and of low value.

Olivier has very kindly offered to get pictures of several models mould numbers from examples that formed the first models to be converted to 'Superfast' and the first models straight to production with 'Superfast' wheels.

This is turning into a very interesting thread and hopefully will help us understand some of our early 'Superfast' models better.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[SMS88]

You could of had White or Red Superfast wheels.

Fascinating to see these, thanks for sharing

[Matchboom]

White and red prepro wheels are fantastic. yet I'm glad lesney kept the fancy for later (1971 Mod Rod)...

More numbers. First : Iso Grifo 14 A in dark blue livery. All wheels are treaded. One detail : Had to hold the car on its feet to read the front wheel numbers (E62 / E52). Usual upside down for rear wheel numbers (E61 / E24).

[Matchboom]

SF 05 A Lotus Europa. Dark blue example without side ridge, no labels, filled front bumper edges so of course with Superfast cast on base. I read 41A - C14 - E31 - 16D. All wheels are treaded.