The 1971 Great Getaway Set was only released in Canada. It comes with 2 cars: a Paddy Wagon and a Demon.
Box art – front. Courtesy eBay.
The idea behind this set is to have the Paddy Wagon police car hide behind a billboard. When the offending car speeds through the stop sign, the Paddy Wagon is released down a ramp in “hot pursuit”. Now it’s a “lap after lap” chase, powered by a dual-lane Rod Runner. Swift justice is brought to bear when the Paddy Wagon catches up to the speeding car in the Danger-Changer criss cross and produces a track clearing crash. On the other hand, if the Demon out maneuvers the Paddy Wagon and no collision occurs, then the Demon makes a clean getaway.
Box art – side. Courtesy eBay.
Track components include 21 feet of orange track, 5 joiners, two 180 degree dual-lane curves,1 dual-lane Rod Runner, 1 Danger-Changer and 1 billboard with ramp and stop sign.
The Paddy Wagon has a special roof design so it doesn’t get hung up in the Rod Runner.
Paddy Wagon from the Great Getaway Set. Courtesy eBay.
For my demonstration I am making this as easy as possible. A working “billboard and police ramp with stop sign” is impossibly hard to find. So I am going to skip it and put the law breaking car on the track first, set it off and then add in the police car on the subsequent lap.
Here’s my track set up.
Oval layout with the Danger-Changer on the back stretch.
My breaking-the-speed-limit car is a white 1968 Shelby GT500 and the chase car is a black 2010 Ford Mustang GT sheriff’s vehicle.
The 2010 Mustang gets 20 laps to dispense justice by hitting the 1968 Shelby. If there is no contact, then the Shelby makes a Great Getaway
Here’s a track lap.
Fired out of the dual-lane Rod Runner: the chase is on.
Hard tilt into the first curve.
Into the Danger-Changer.
This’ll be close!
The chase goes on.
Banking into the second curve.
Cornering hard.
Into the Rod Runner for another lap.
Here’s how the chase plays out on my YouTube channel.
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So there you have it. The 1971 Hot Wheels Great Getaway Set.
On the heals of the 1970 Sky Show Set, Mattel released a new variation in 1971: the Flyin’ Circus Set.
Box art – front. Courtesy eBay.
Box art – back. Courtesy eBay.
The Flyin’ Circus comes with a Custom Fleetside Aerolauncher, 3 planes, 2 Zopters, 10 feet of orange track, 4 joiners, 1 universal clamp, 1 red trestle, 1 track trigger to launch the planes and 1 Zopter-Port.
Custom Fleetside Aerolauncher carrying a Zopter. For actual flying, the Zopters can only be launched by the Zopter-Port. Courtesy eBay.
Some of the track components including a Zopter-Port in the middle. Courtesy eBay.
The whole set. Courtesy eBay.
The 3 planes include a yellow race plane for gliding/barrel rolls, a blue delta wing plane for diving/barrel rolls and a green flying wing plane for loops. The Zopters come in blue/yellow and yellow/blue colors and function like helicopters.
Zopters and planes. Courtesy eBay.
While the planes can only be launched by an Aerolauncher, the Zopters can be sent flying from the Zopter-Port by any Hot Wheels vehicle. The Zopter-Port works by placing a Zopter on the black mount and turning the Zopter’s blades clockwise. This winds up the Zopter-Port. When a car hits the Zopter-Port’s trigger mechanism the Zopter’s blades are sent spinning by the twirling mount and the Zopter lifts off into the air.
Zopter-Port close up. Courtesy eBay.
So there you have it. The 1971 Hot Wheels Flyin’ Circus Set.
It’s still fast. Still fun.
Front page of instructions. Courtesy eBay.
Box art – side. Courtesy eBay.
Box art – back. Close up of Zopter-Port. Courtesy eBay.
In the quest for safety on the roads, researchers have taken to crashes off the roads.
The crash test dummy is one of today’s quintessential icons for saving lives. In the 1980s the U.S. Department of Transportation launched a road safety campaign featuring two talking crash test dummies: Vince and Larry.
In late 1970 Mattel put kids in charge of their own crash testing research by releasing a high speed race track designed for collisions…the Sizzlers Daredevil Duel Set. I say late because this set contains two 1971 Danger-Changer criss cross pieces. And several sources list this set as relatively rare, presumably from a limited production run before Mattel switched over to 1971 Sizzlers Fat Track sets.
What’s a good description of this set?
Track components include 28 feet of orange track, 10 joiners, 1 dual-lane Speed Brake, 1 dual-lane esses, 2 dual-lane curves, 2 dual-lane trestles, 2 Danger-Changer track pieces and 1 Juice Machine.
The track can be configured for either figure 8 or oval racing.
Here’s a lap around the oval circuit.
On the starting grid.
Accelerating through the esses.
Hold your breath! Into the first Danger-Changer.
That’s close.
Lanes crossed. Out of the Danger-Changer.
Steep bank into the first turn.
Onto the back stretch.
Into the second Danger-Changer.
Crossing past the Juice Machine.
Flying into the second curve.
Second curve tilt.
Crossing the start/finish line.
This is my YouTube video of the Daredevil Duel Set in action.
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So there you have it. The 1970 Hot Wheels Sizzlers Daredevil Duel Set.
At the dawn of the pony car era, the Sports Car Club of America created the Trans-Am Series. This automobile racing series is best known for its American manufacturers championship that featured:
Ford Mustangs
Chevrolet Camaros
Plymouth Barracudas
Dodge Challengers
AMC Javelins
and Pontiac Firebird Trans-Ams.
The golden era of Trans-Am racing is considered to be 1968 to 1972. The pinnacle year may well have been 1970. In that year Parnelli Jones, driving a Boss 302 Mustang, won the Trans-Am title by a single point over Mark Donahue in an AMC Javelin.
Mattel’s biggest set for 1970 is the Hot Wheels Sizzlers National Champ Race Set. It features a Boss 302 Mustang and a Firebird Trans-Am on the front box art.
National Champ box art – front.
Track components include 39 feet of orange track, 10 joiners, 1 dual-lane Speed Brake, 1 dual-lane esses, 1 dual-lane lap counter, 1 dual-lane speedometer, 2 dual-lane trestles, 2 dual-lane curves, 2 full curves, 4 half curves and 1 Power Pit.
Here’s the instructions.
Instructions – step 1. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – step 2. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – step 3. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – step 4. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – step 5. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – step 6. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – add accessories. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Instructions – last page. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
This is the assembled National Champ course layout.
It’s a long way to go. Time to charge up. I’m substituting the U.K. Power Pak for the original plug-in Power Pit.
L to R: A copper 1970 Firebird Trans-Am and a yellow 1970 Boss 302 Mustang.
Here’s a lap around the circuit.
Drivers. Start your engines.
Charging into the esses.
Splitting up at the first set of half curves.
Mustang out on the far left full turn.
Firebird husseling into the right-side full turn.
Back together after the second set of half curves.
Passing the dual-lane speedometer.
Full banked tilt into the first dual-lane curve.
Rushing into the dual-lane speedometer.
Clocking this lap’s speeds.
On the overpass.
Speeding past the Power Pak.
Full speed into the second dual-lane curve.
Racing into the dual-lane lap counter.
Clicking through another lap.
Crossing the start/finish line.
After the double DNF (did not finish) on the California/8 Race Set video, here’s the Firebird/Mustang rematch on the National Champ Race Set.
So there you have it. The 1970 Hot Wheels Sizzlers National Champ Race Set.
It’s still fast. Still fun.
1970 Hot Wheels Racing Magazine. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
1970 Hot Wheels Racing Magazine. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
1970 Collectors’ Catalogue. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
French and English text from the Canadian 1970 Collectors’ Catalogue. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
The original Can-Am race series began in 1966 and ran through 1974. This was a special class of automotive racing because its philosophy was “anything goes”. Engine sizes were unlimited, turbocharging and supercharging were common, and aerodynamics were unrestricted. Some of the most memorable race cars ever built came from this series.
Can-Am racing in 1968.
Mattel also took note and produced many of the cars that raced in Can-Am. Hot Wheels examples include the 1969 Lola GT70, the 1969 McLaren M6A, the 1969 Chaparral 2G and the 1970 Porsche 917. When it came to Sizzlers, Mattel made two “Can-Am style” cars in 1970: the Ford Mark IV and the Angeleno M70. In the real world, the Mark IV (part of the Ford GT40 line) was mainly used in endurance races like the 24 hours of LeMans. And the M70 never ran in the real world. It was a conceptual car from the designers at Mattel.
The Pacific/8 Race Set captures the Ford Mark IV and the Angeleno M70 racing on 1970 era psychedelic track.
Track components include 28 1/2 feet of orange track, 10 joiners, 1 dual-lane Speed Brake, 1 dual-lane esses, 1 dual-lane lap counter, 2 dual-lane curves, 2 dual-lane trestles and 1 Power Pit.
Here’s the Pacific/8 layout.
And here’s the cars for today’s run sitting at the Power Pak charger. I’m substituting the U.K. battery operated Power Pak for the original plug-in Power Pit.
L to R: Lime green 1970 Angeleno M70 and a purple 1970 Ford Mk IV.
Now, for a lap around the circuit.
At the start.
Through the esses.
Leaving the underpass.
Hard into turn one.
Climbing the overpass.
Passing the Power Pak and entering the dual-lane lap counter.
Tilting into the second curve.
Heading for the Speed Brake.
Here’s my YouTube video of a 20 lap Pacific/8 race.
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So there you have it. The 1970 Hot Wheels Sizzlers Pacific/8 Race Set.
It’s still fast. Still fun.
Pacific/8 Race Set in 1970 Hot Wheels Racing World Magazine. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
1970 Collectors Catalogue. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Front page of Pacific/8 instruction sheet. Courtesy eBay.
Pacific/8 layout instructions. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Pacific/8 Race Set box art – front.
Power Pit – close-up of box art.
Two Sizzlers cars – close-up of box art.
Dual-lane Speed Brake with esses and dual-lane lap counter – close-up of box art.
Box art in color – side.
Box art – other side.
Box art – back.
Box art – end.
Sizzlers ad from France showing a Pacific/8 Race Set with a Power Pak.
Powering up Sizzlers cars in 1970 was done with several devices.
The Juice Machine is battery powered.
Juice Machine box art – front. Courtesy eBay.
Juice Machine box art – side. Courtesy eBay.
Juice Machine from 1970 Racing World Magazine. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
The Power Pit plugs into household current.
Power Pit box art – front. Courtesy eBay.
Power Pit front view. Courtesy eBay.
Power Pit back view. Courtesy eBay.
And Europe has its own version of chargers which include Power Paks/Power Pits. These chargers are battery powered like the Juice Machine but they look more like a U.S. Power Pit. In 1970, European power grids and plug in connections varied from country to country. It was simpler and more cost effective to manufacture one battery-based charger for the region rather than various plug in options.
The British charger is called a Power Pak.
British Power Pak box art – front.
British Power Pak box art – back.
In the rest of Europe this same charger is called a Power Pit.
The Euro Power Pit. Courtesy eBay.
A few words on pit stops. Charging electric cars in the real world takes time. On 110 volt household current most electric cars need all night to fully recharge. ”Fast” charging on 220 volts still takes a number of hours.
Charging a Nissan Leaf.
With Juice Machines, Power Pits and Power Paks we are talking about “dumping” in electricity in seconds not hours. This creates problems.
During the original release of Sizzlers, the cars came with 110 mAh (milliampere-hour) Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries. Charge time was 90 seconds. In 2006 Mattel re-issued Sizzlers with similar NiCad batteries. Charging time was again 90 seconds.
The beauty of NiCads is they have a low internal resistance to incoming electricity which produces only a small amount of heat. Plus the chemical reaction inside the charging NiCads causes cooling. So “dumping” in a rush of Juice Machine power worked! Trouble is Cadmium is highly toxic and a significant environmental hazard, so they are being phased out.
L to R: Original 1970 NiCad, 2006 NiCad, and current NiMH batteries.
Today I am running 650 mAh Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries from the Sizzlers Shop. Although these new batteries can hold 6 times the electrical charge, the charge time is not 6 times longer. The internal resistance to incoming electricity in NiMHs is high and the chemical reaction inside the battery doesn’t cause cooling. So “dumping” power into a NiMH battery causes tremendous heat production. If you repeatedly charge these batteries to their capacity at one time, a 7 to 9 minute Juice Machine charge, you will dramatically reduce the life expectancy of the battery. The Sizzlers Shop suggests a conservative 2 minute charge with a Juice Machine for long NiMH battery life. The Sizzlerking has done limited testing with 3 minute and 6 minute Juice Machine charges. Car running times are 10 and 20 minutes respectively, but the effect on battery life of repeating these longer charges was not completely tested.
What about more completely charging NiMH batteries by repeating 2 minute charges over a period of time? The battery would cool down with each break and you would get closer to storing a full electrical load. Right? It’s brilliant ideas like this that get you front row seating in the School of Hard Knocks.
Exhibit A: “Honest. All I did was put in a 2 minute charge, wait 2 minutes and put in another 2 minute charge. That’s only half of the NiMH battery’s capacity!” As you can see from the picture below, there is something wrong with the middle of the Juice Machine after repeating this little charging maneuver several times.
Open up the back…and…Yikes!…the larger load in the NiMH battery was raising resistance in the Juice Machine’s wiring so high that the exposed, internal wire overheated and melted through the case.
A classic piece of Hot Wheels memorabilia ruined! Excuse me while I recite the School of Hard Knocks mantra: “I’m an idiot, I’m an idiot, I’m an idiot.”
Exhibit B: Repeat charging won’t work with a plug-in Power Pit either. Fortunately, I don’t have a Power Pit, otherwise I’d probably have combustion/destruction pictures to go with it too. The Sizzlers Shop tells me the internal diodes (circuits that restrict the flow of electricity to one direction – namely, from the Power Pit into the car battery) are only designed for 110 milli-amp loads and will get overloaded and burn out with higher loads. So don’t even try it!
Let’s change tactics. Can you trickle charge NiMH batteries to full power? Sure, but that requires a special charger for these small batteries that is probably hard to come by. Even so, can you imagine being in a race and making a 1 hour pit stop to take on a full charge? Waiting the original 90 seconds is excruciating enough in the midst of track competition.
For myself, I’ve developed a fondness for the Juice Machine. It’s simple and lets me put in a 2 minute-ish charge with ease. The Power Pak has a nice appearance like it’s bigger U.S. cousin, the Power Pit, and can charge cars with the flexibility of a Juice Machine. The only draw back with the Power Pak is the little red charge button. You hold it down with one finger. The problem with this becomes apparent about 30 seconds into the fuel stop. Your finger gets tired! With the Juice Machine you can use your whole hand, so keeping the power on for 2 minutes is easy.
Having a fresh supply of batteries on hand for the Juice Machine and Power Pak is easy too. I use rechargeable D-size batteries. Each one holds 2,500 mAh of power.
Here are the instructions for the 1970 Juice Machine (English and French language Canadian version).
Juice Machine instructions – front page. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Juice Machine instructions – steps 1-5. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Juice Machine instructions – back page. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Here’s my video for the 1970 Juice Machine.
These are the instructions for the 1970 Power Pit.
And the instructions for the British Power Pak look like this:
Power Pak instructions – front page. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Power Pak instructions – steps 1-5. The “HP2″ batteries are the same as North America’s D-size batteries. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Power Pak instructions – back page. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Here’s my video for the 1970 Power Pak. I’ll be using one of these for the 1970 Pacific/8 Race set, the 1970 National Champ Race Set and the 1971 Super Circuit Set.
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So there you have it. The 1970 Hot Wheels Sizzlers chargers. They provide the power that makes Hot Wheels Sizzlers still fast. Still fun.
1970 Hot Wheels Collectors’ Catalogue. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Juice Machine box art – back. Courtesy eBay.
Power Pit in Pacific/8 Race Set. From 1970 Racing World Magazine. Copyright Mattel, Inc.
Power Pak box art – side.
Power Pak box art – end.
Power Pak front view. The blue Corvette image is from a Super-Charger. I put it on because I always liked it as a kid and I still do. Even though the box image shows a Corvette, the actual sticker contents don’t have it.
Power Pak front-top view.
Power Pak back view.
Power Pak side view.
Power Pak other side view.
Power Pak bottom view. “Made in England”
Power Pak internal view. Like the Juice Machine it runs on 2 or 4 D-Size batteries. Unlike the Juice Machine, the internal wiring is shielded by red and black plastic insulation.
1. For more in-depth battery information check out the Stefanv.com website:
