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Hi all, my son and I are lovers of the old Merit 1/24th scale kits of which we have a few. Now he built an Alfa 158 using Penelope Pitlane large vintage wire wheels to suit the scale. Alas, PP has been taken over by the vacuum cleaner which is Pendle Slot Racing who told my friend that they would "probably never" re-order these items, meaning that they've run out of PP's old stock.
SO...where can one buy 1/24th or BIG 1/32nd scale photo-etched wire wheels for slot cars? Just the frets would do as I can make the wheels on my lathe.
It seems crazy that in this day and age we are likely to have to return to scribed clear sheet to look like wires. Time was, I'd have had some photo-etched frets done, but the price of developing a wire wheel or any p/e fret now is horrendous AND you have to get someone to draw it as a file on a pootah! My skills as a technical illustrator are no longer useful!

Any pointers in a suitable direction would be appreciated as I have a Lancia D-50 and the W 163 Merc to supply with wheels too.

Cheers,
Martin

I just bought 2 sets of vintage wheels with inserts from Pendleslot - they arrived a week ago. I have a Merit D50 and Talbot that I plan to use them on.

I emailed Sean to check availability and he said they were not on the website as they were waiting for the centre knock off spinners for the wire inserts before listing them in their shop. He was happy to offer me plastic spinners as an alternative. I grabbed them without spinners as I will use the ones that are on the plastic wheels.

Give them a call or email Sean - I have always found them really helpful to deal with and I am in Australia.

cheers
David

PS. Would like to see some photos of the cars you have built already.

What tyres do you use? There is a chap in France who has some nice urethanes that suit. Will post pics if you want.

David,
that's very odd as my chum who has dealt with the Pendle crew for as long as Pendle has existed was told, when chasing his order that they were having trouble making up one order for him, never mind the five sets he wanted and when asked when they would re-order he was told many,many months, possibly never by the disinterested voice on the end of the phone. He understandably told them where to poke their feeble attempts and lousy service and has bought some Heller plastic wheels, although I have sent him a link to Profil24's excellent products. It seemed patently clear to us that Pendle had used up Steve Ward's original stock of these wheels since the unfortunate takeover of PP and couldn't be bothered to re-stock.
We are now looking at Profil 24's wheels and the fact that they make slot wheels which we assume the etched frets can fit into. Failing that I can use Profil 24's etches in wheels I make myself as I have a small lathe. Tyres...once again Profi 24 sell them or you can possibly use the Scalextric "Vintage" replacements.
So far, our models are at a clean up level, so not worth photographing, but I'd love to see yours.

Cheers,
Martin