Decals from the Pat Dennis TycoPro prototype collection....

Here are photos of some of the decals used in the TycoPro line. These are vintage 1970's...

8803 Mclaren MK8B....(left side decals and right side decals! No detail too small)

These are the first decals:

Collectors note: as you can see in the packet on the left...."Received 108,800 sets"....remember, the initial order for TycoPro was an
astounding 400,000 units!

At the bottom of the note, you see the words "Proline Cars"...Proline was the code name used pre-release with
vendors and suppliers. Colin Woodcock (manager Tyco HK) coined the name...

The packet on the right has a note that says "Sample of Shipment Rcvd 4-7-70"...this is Pat's handwriting...right at the beginning...

Chapp 2-J decals...note this decal set includes the "STP" insignia, whereas the Chapp 2-G and 2-D do not...

Question: "who and how in the production line would apply the decals? HK or NJ?"

Answer: "These were applied at the end of the body deco & assembly line (assembly of any small parts, wings, etc) in HK. The girls (who all looked no older than 12 years old, but really were 16 and older) had small dishes with wet sponges and sheets of the decals sitting on them. They were slid into place by hand, positioned according to the master sample mounted above their workstation, then gently blotted with damp rags. A funny story about the rags used in HK, due to the huge clothing industry there, we could buy new scraps at little cost. The ones used for the decals were the cutouts from men's undershirts!"

Question: "decals vs paint masks, how is that decision made?"

Answer: "I made the initial decision to use decals for sharp details and authenticity. We usually discussed with production whether a spray mask could produce the desired effect. Production then made saamples to prove their point. Spray masks had been used in the train boxcar production long before the TycoPro line was developed and were electro-formed directly off a body in copper and nickel plated for durability. A mask washing station was located every 3rd or 4th spray station. The gals used airbrushes for the car bodies."

Examples of Mask vs Paint samples

A note about decal selection...."unless a car was a replica of an actual race car, all US cars have US sponsor decals (STP, Champion, etc) but European cars had off-shore sponsor decals (Lodge, etc.). Later, I think I was less rigid about this."

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Petty/Allison Grand National Set...special cars, special decals. Collectors know these cars to be hard to find in excellent condition....
These set cars were a one year only offering complete with (expensive) licensing agreement and special sponsor decals...

Question: "The Grand National Set. This set is the most desireable collector set, and the two cars in it, along with the light blue Petty Superbird are the most desireable "normal production" cars...It is generally believed that the Road Runner and the Coke Car are set cars only. Do you recall if they were ever separate sale? I have seen them (and have them) in very new looking TycoPro 2 cubes, but no listing in catalogues as available separately.

Answer: "To my knowledge Tyco was not permitted to sell them as open stock items, as the license agreement was for sets only."

Question: "When did the lt blue Petty Superbird come about (before or after the set)?"

Answer: "I did the Superbird long before the NASCAR set - you will note a "planted" reference to it in Bob Rule's CM column in his article about my attending the Grand Opening of his Mini Raceways."

Coke...      Petty

The detailed photos below will serve as a collector reference as these decals have become somewhat expensive on the collector market...

The sponsor decal sheet (above) was included in the set. Dimensions are 3.5" X 2.5"

The two pictures that follow show the rear of the "Numbers" decals used for the two set cars, but NOT included with the set.

Meyercord has been around for a long time...HERE is a 1952 Time Magazine article, about the company...a google or ebay search yields more information!

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8802 AP Vette (and others such as Cobra, Gulf Porsche)

This is what a "full strip" looks like...

8815 Super Gremlin

8807B Peace Bus

8818 Funny VW

8803 Mclaren MK8B (also used on the 8807 Drag Bugs)

8801 Porsche 908, (also seen on 8804 Chapp variation...decalled #2 versus #66)

8538 California Van, Mural

Historical Anecdote: These vans were originally rendered for management approval by Jose Rodriguez. ...(see Jose R's original renderings here)
however, "the (sp. production) van artwork was not done by Jose` - after I left Tyco, he refused to work for them and their new product art guy had to go elsewhere and commissioned some original art for the vans - as I was told at considerably greater expense that what I had arranged with Jose`."

8539 California Van, Aztec

8640, 8641 Catch Me and Gotcha Funny Cars

8626 GT Corvette

8647 '32 Ford Roadster High Boy

8646 Ford Vickie

8612 Baja Dune Buggy

8830 Trick Camaro

8831 Trick Mustang

8809C Baja Bronco

8802C Racing Vette

8822 Boss Mustang
"Note the penciled circle around the "12" (4th line, R/H side). This was a defect callout by me. The defects were usually either a void in the print, or a bubble/foreign material adhered to the paint. The vendor was advised and a replacement strip was sent."

8622 Ferrari 512

8834 Javelin and 8613 Datsun 240Z (white decal is hard to see on the right side of strip)

8602 Stars and Stripes Corvette

8601 Porsche 914

8815C Shamrock Gremlin