Santa Christmas Legends rebuild

[slothead]

When the Christmas theme Legend cars were released I intended to get them thinking all that would be needed to make legit racers out of them would be renumbering. But I never actually bought them because having Santa Claus as the driver with his bag of toys in the back didn't seem to fit in my racing series. I mean is his suit even an approved fire suit? He doesn't have racing gloves on and in an accident and possible rollover isn't that bag of toys a hazard?

I would consider adding them to my Legend series if there was an easy way to replace lovable Santa with a regular scale driver and lose the toy bag. Has anyone done a rebuild like this?

Are the Legend interior parts available? Ideas?

[Fathead59]

IMHO , I would leave them as is just to race them during the holidays or wait a few years and sell them on the bay .

[Frank9129]

Santa is known for driving anything he can get his gloves on.

[ra7c7er]

When the Christmas theme Legend cars were released I intended to get them thinking all that would be needed to make legit racers out of them would be renumbering. But I never actually bought them because having Santa Claus as the driver with his bag of toys in the back didn't seem to fit in my racing series. I mean is his suit even an approved fire suit? He doesn't have racing gloves on and in an accident and possible rollover isn't that bag of toys a hazard?

I would consider adding them to my Legend series if there was an easy way to replace lovable Santa with a regular scale driver and lose the toy bag. Has anyone done a rebuild like this?

Are the Legend interior parts available? Ideas?

From many of the Christmas movies and Christmas TV shows I've watched I think Santa's suit is actually more prone to fire. Perhaps though the bag of toys is actually brightly wrapped in car safer barrier.

I am not sure if the interiors are available separately but Pioneer is pretty good about parts availability so you might just have to find a place that has them.

[Jules]

You can now see from the images above that Frank is actually the original Santa. He probably won't want me telling you this but he is nearly 117 years old.

I expect it his beard that is the real fire hazard. I was careful to add a green colored fire extinguisher into the cockpit of the Chevy 'Legends of Christmas' model. Smokin' Santa often has a fat one on the go so just in case the stiff breeze entering through the windshield whipped out some burning hash that embedded itself into the beard and he caught alight, he can reach for the can. It's just to the right of the seat. Have a look.

With regard to interior cockpits for the Legends Racers, fully decorated 'race style' cockpits can be made available but only if you have been a really good boy.

Many other parts are available for all the cars. The list has 245 items on it right now. The only US dealer that stocks every single part currently available is Nitro Hobbies out of NJ.


Jules

[slothead]

Jules - those of us 'in the know' have been aware of Frank's true identity for awhile now. It requires a 5 star security clearance to have access to that level of intelligence. It only takes a 4 star clearance to play poker with the Roswell aliens.

I have been a really good boy this year and would love to have interiors to put in the Christmas Legends to expand my roster. I checked out the Nitro Hobbies inventory to see what's available and didn't see Legend interiors. I'll keep looking and if I can get them will buy both Christmas themed cars.

[Frank9129]

Gentlemen, I resemble that remark.

[Fathead59]

Hey Jules , does that mean we will have to wait until Christmas to get the ' race style ' cockpits to replace Santa ?

[Dave Kennedy]

When Jules and I discussed this idea about 2 years ago we'd talked about what the car would be that would have the Santa in it. We'd thought at that time that it made he most sense to have it be an open topped car like the Carrera Mercedes that had been done years ago.
I'd also mentioned my idea that I've floated for years... with no takers... about a one lane (but maybe 2 lane) Christmas set designed to be big around enough to go around the average Christmas tree. I'd pitched this idea a few times at Carrera and also with Scalextric and also.. if you can believe it... to the buyers at Christmas Tree Shops during Toy Fair in 2019. Each time I'd gotten blank looks in reply. How can it be such an odd idea to have a slot car track sold as a one-time purchase to go around a Christmas tree?
The Santa car was part of suggestions I've also done at every company for seasonal cars. Christmas and Halloween, maybe alternating years so the market can buy the same Christmas car for 2 years and a Halloween car for 2 years (with a year overlap to sell down stock).
There's a company called Lemax that makes a freaking fortune doing this type of seasonal diorama stuff...

[slothead]

Dave - I like the idea and would do my best to convince my wife we needed one. I'd suggest 2 lanes with a crossover section so the car going around changed lanes continuously. But, we have a nearly year old 'barn find' kitten that chases down anything that moves and chews on it mercilessly. Then it picks it up and walks around the house with it in it's mouth before depositing it in her water dish.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Wow, Dave. People really buy that stuff? If I built any of that they would come get me with nets. I did help build a theater on a large O Gauge railroad that had actual chase lights running that blended from one color to the next on the horizontal and vertical parts of the marquee. We had posters for "Strangers On A Train" on the side walls on either side and spelled out on the marquees, sideways and vertical. Wait- maybe they are coming for me with nets. That thing took 3 experienced modelers a solid week to build.

[Fathead59]

Well , I hate to say this , but I think Santa suit should be fire retardant , because of how he gets into everyones houses on Christmas morning . Doesn't he come down the chimney , and really Gentlemen what is at the bottom of a chimney but a fireplace .

[SpeedyNH]

good idea, but i would think that most people put out the fire when they go to bed.

[slothead]

Hey guys, don't forget Santa has Christmas magic going for him. Even if he caught fire it would go out immediately and he'd be fine. The jolly fellow can fit down any chimney and get into places without them just fine. Christmas magic is amazing stuff, best in the universe. I think he must have a miniature black hole in his pocket for unlimited power to bend the space-time continuum and allow him to exceed the speed of light and essentially be in multiple places at the same time.

Dear 'ol Saint Nick is most welcome in my clubhouse and VIP tower, I'd just prefer a purely human driver's figure without toy bag in the car when the green flag waves. Imagine the hate mail a driver would get from kids around the world if he bumped Santa out of the lead in the last turn of a close race.

[RvE]

Dave - I like your Christmas Tree slot car set idea.......lots of folks do the train set around the tree, so why not a slot car track! Makes sense to me. But I sort of go overboard at Christmas. I am one of those folks that builds a Christmas village using Lemax items. As you noted.....Lemax has a huge business with folks that buy and build Christmas Villages every year.

Here is my village. It has about 14 buildings, including a "merry go round", about 50 persons, 5 vehicles, a working train, 20 street lights, and a park with a skating rink! Its quite detailed to set it up and hide all the wires, etc. It usually takes me about 8 hours and my back is killing me by the time I am done being hunched over the table! I started the village about 10 years ago with my kids......and the village just kept growing! Something to think about for next Christmas, cheers RvE

[Dave Kennedy]

cool stuff!

[SpeedyNH]

i have O gauge trains all around my living room each christmas for like 40 years, going behind the couches and in front of and in back of the tree. from when i was a kid myself.
my slotcars are elsewhere, but i really like the Santa car.

[slothead]

Jules - I just checked INASLOT to see if Legend parts were available there and to my great surprise sheer beauty greeted my eyes - P062 & P076!

Hope they will be at USA dealers soon.