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gazza

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Great news.

 

Can't wait to pre book my first limited edition of the "silver bullet special limited edition" only 9999 to be produced, only available to pre order with a special gift not available elsewhere. SOOON.

 

Where bin ya Jules, we've all missed you.

Ashes to ashes funk to funky we all know Chris is a junkie.

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  • 1 month later...

The man himself has not been sighted for a while. We can only assume that he is elsewhere cracking the proverbial whip to get those toys into the eager hands of punters the world over.

 

But as you just asked the question, he'll probably be along himself shortly to tell you.

Computers. They'll never catch on.

 

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Tiny Tyers Targa - The build saga continues - Aging wood - A recipe for staining wood - Don't take a fence - Step by step paling fence - An old shed for my new cars - Wooden garage under construction

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Jules and I had an exchange on SCI a month or two back, but besides that his most recent post there was July 24, so he's around, or has been around in the recent past.

 

Hopefully the business is still going okay. Some new product - especially Camaros and other different styles - would help a lot I think. A lot of people already have one or two of his Mustangs, and quite a few have a Charger as well.

ff48s6.jpg
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He's still keeping in touch with that International slot forum that shall remain nameless, was last sighted quite recently there.

 

No doubt we'll hear from him when he has something to tell us.

Computers. They'll never catch on.

 

_AM_sig_zps00cdfd1a.jpg

 

Tiny Tyers Targa - The build saga continues - Aging wood - A recipe for staining wood - Don't take a fence - Step by step paling fence - An old shed for my new cars - Wooden garage under construction

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  • 2 months later...



 

Just got this off Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

Pioneer Slot Cars

 

Camaro models available for pre-order are;

 

p018 Blue Sunoco Ltd Edition 'Lightweight' T/A Mark Donaghue, Sebring 12hr 1968,

 

P011 White/Green Gary Gove 1967 Camaro Z-28 T/A, AL Green Chevrolet,

...

 

P042 Black Stealth Camaro 427 SS, Street Car. 21k Typhoon

Motor

 

P033 68 Red Z-28 Camaro Historic T/A No 44

 

P041 67 Yellow Z-28 Camaro, Historic T/A No 96

 

 

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Pioneer Slot Cars

Pioneer News;

 

Hot of the press: Pioneer announce eagerly anticpated release of Camaro in a range of Ltd and Standard production models to pre-order from your local Pioneer Stockist within 24-48 hours in US, Europe, South America.Models will be available in Early December, models to follow--

Edited by jimmi
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The horse has already bolted but here are some preproduction pics of the Camaro. Took three goes on the CAD to get them to this stage. The first two being thrown out as they didn't look "sexy" like a 67/68 Camaro should. Limited numbers being made for 3 of the 5 liveries. I'll go with the Al Green car please.

 

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cam2lores_zpsba15b8d1.jpg

 

cam1lores_zps51b32ff7.jpg

  • Upvote 1

cheers

rick1776

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I am a fan of the pioneer cars but looking at the camaro from a club racers view its going to take a lot of work to get that low to help the handling and that full interior will have to go or be seriously cut and shut.

 

Having said that it looks great, will fit in well with the scalextric offerings and if raced as a standard class should prove popular.

 

We modify at our club so I'll think I'll stick with my pioneer charger which has been lowered quite easily and the interior replaced with a home made plasticard one. They handle extra grunt well but the standard guide wasnt all that but a ninco prorace fits well.

Slot car scrap yard

Does your car have a donor card?

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  • 3 months later...

Jules Birley posted this message on a thread at Home Racing World regarding Quality Control in the Slot Car Industry. His post is reproduced here with his permission an that of Harry Wise of HRW.

 

The biggest problem for me, and slot car makers of similar size, is that the choice of China supplier was very small. Slot car production is a tiny market sector that generally allies itself alongside toy trains (in the same factory). The problem for several of the smaller makers is that the toy trains often find themselves at the head of the production schedule due to the much higher volumes. This was always easing Pioneer cars down the schedule. As soon as a 50,000 piece train order came through then my cars and several other brands simply were put on hold often for many, many months. To a certain extent this also happens with the larger brands, often resulting in poor QC as the production line gets up to speed again.

 

Worker 'churn' is also very high in the southern China provinces. This was a constant issue. I would find myself on the assembly floor showing another 50 new workers how I wanted the cars nailed together. This was because a huge sector of the workforce had simply disappeared and not returned from a vacation. (worth noting that many migrant workers can travel 1000's of miles back to their home town and can't be bothered to return).

 

Clearly, with better organized 'World Class' factories of which there are 100's of 1000's of examples, the workplace is somewhat better planned and operated. The smaller factories constantly battle with staff arrangements and demands for higher wages. From what I observed, there is very little job loyalty. The average worker will change jobs frequently and switch from electronics assembly to packing mobile phones to fitting rubber tires on slot cars; a few dollars a day makes the difference.

 

1000's of clients have a good and fair relationship with their Chinese suppliers and are pleased to receive top quality product. I suspect that many of these products can be clearly QC'd and regulated and are, very often, made by robots with a minimum of hand-made input. If the project is large enough they will have paid employees on the shop floor looking after the business interests of the brand owner. Hand-made slot cars and toy trains are quite unique in the fact that not only do they need to look good but they need to perform to a level that the buyer is happy with. It is the hand-made element that is the problem. This heavily relies on a worker being keen to get it right and there is the main hurdle – not many of them do in this particular industry sector. That is my view/opinion based on what I have witnessed on many occasions.

 

It's probably a fair estimate that 1 out of 10 slot cars are faulty to some extent. The worker or the production QC guy or the factory owner simply does not realize that tires rubbing on the body, a poorly aligned chassis, loose parts, poor paint finish, wobbly wheels etc are important. To your average Chinese assembly worker these models are nothing more than a child's toy. Many of them do not even know what the model does, i.e, go round a track. Honestly, they do not. I set up a track in the factory and they were amazed by what they saw. It helped them realize what the consequences of a poorly made model were. They cottoned on that there was a performance issue that had previously escaped them.

 

The other huge problem at smaller factories run by 3 or 4 'bosses' is that they will save a few cents at every opportunity and expect that you (me) will not notice. Many of the 'issues' you notice on slot cars are also down to a substitution of regular specification parts. For example, motors, braids, magnets, rubber tires, wire and even plastic specifications will be changed if some savings for the factory can be made. When you get a new slot car that seems 'different' to the similar one you bought last year from the same maker you'll be able to work out what has happened: For example, the motor is different but it looks the same - new supplier. Braid too thick – new supplier, cheaper. Harder rubber, different Shore rating - cheaper supplier. Weaker magnets = cheaper and on it goes. It is a battle to spot this remotely until it is too late and the models are in circulation.

 

The above is just a small selection of the problems I experienced. Quite simply, I had had enough of pleading with them not to try and fob me off with sub-standard models and the increasingly lengthy delays. You can also add in the rapidly rising cost of Chinese labor to the problem list. I saw a 36% rise in the ex-works costs of a finished model in less than 18 months. The labor costs will keep increasing as the workers demand more and more.

 

It was time to get out before it got worse. I'm pleased to say that all my product, tooling and stock has now arrived in England. A new adventure now begins…..

 

Thanks for all your support,

 

Jules

Computers. They'll never catch on.

 

_AM_sig_zps00cdfd1a.jpg

 

Tiny Tyers Targa - The build saga continues - Aging wood - A recipe for staining wood - Don't take a fence - Step by step paling fence - An old shed for my new cars - Wooden garage under construction

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"The root of the issue is that the workers are at the factory to earn a bowl of rice but they need to earn more. The bosses need more profits so only pay what they have to. The average assembly worker is not a happy bunny and needs to earn more so they make collective demands. The bosses give in and raise the prices of the goods to the client. It is an ever decreasing circle that will have no happy ending. The workers quit in droves and the bosses do not want to waste production time in suitable training and this results in some very poor standards of work, not necessarily because the worker can't do the job but just that they are not quite sure what they are doing.

 

Incidentally, if any of you were wondering, China workers in several South China provinces can now belong to the countries first 'Worker Unions' since April 2011. They can now shut down a factory by walking out. A few years ago this would have been unthinkable. Union controlled labor now controls vast section of manufacturing workforces. This is the core reason for the rise in ex-works China prices. The QC issues are a spin off as a result of unhappy/untrained workers.

 

Naturally, any reasonable person would wish that the entire world could be paid a fair wage but i doubt whether that will be the case for 20 years or more as major manufacturing business chase across the globe searching for the 'new' China. Personally speaking, I like the general price and quality of Far Eastern made product but I can't help thinking that I would prefer if that was not the case. Having said that, more often than not there is no choice.

 

My QC and factory problems in China have propelled me to take action to save my product. My issues with China could never be regarded as typical of all Chinese industry, I have based my 'Tales from the East' on my personal experiences. I do firmly believe that China will begin to turn away from the manufacture of western goods as it begins the more profitable task of supplying the ever increasing consumer spending boom in the larger cities. It will then have come full circle and will have the ability and technology to be a self-sustaining economic powerhouse. I have a feeling that they may be smart enough to keep it that way.

 

I really hope that 1000's of businesses will return enterprise to the West and enable the re-employment - and training - of millions of workers over here that badly need a job. I just recruited a QC manager for this business. That's a start, at least!

 

Jules"

Computers. They'll never catch on.

 

_AM_sig_zps00cdfd1a.jpg

 

Tiny Tyers Targa - The build saga continues - Aging wood - A recipe for staining wood - Don't take a fence - Step by step paling fence - An old shed for my new cars - Wooden garage under construction

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Great to hear that all is not lost for Jules...

I wish him all the best in the future

 

I certainly wish to purchase more than a few pioneer cars... Probably starting with the lady luck charger...

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What goes 'round comes 'round. Good luck Jules you were always very nice to me.

 

ps You might consider moving production to Northern Ireland. We have lots of empty factories, plenty of skilled unemployed people and a track record for precision led innovative engineering like the RMS Titanic and the DeLorean. And the war is over. Well almost over.

Edited by chrisfromcrewe

Ashes to ashes funk to funky we all know Chris is a junkie.

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What goes 'round comes 'round. Good luck Jules you were always very nice to me.

 

ps You might consider moving production to Northern Ireland. We have lots of empty factories, plenty of skilled unemployed people and a track record for precision led innovative engineering like the RMS Titanic and the DeLorean. And the war is over. Well almost over.

Great examples Chris, one sank, one went belly up

Quickly read this post before it is deleted or i turn grey again

Gary

http://www.facebook.com/Rallyproxy2017

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