8 replies to this topic

[Mad Mark]

Just got my first Classic Manta Ray! Always kind of wanted one. Just stumbled on a auction about to end and snagged this for a pretty good price. Just wondering if body mounts should be parallel with bottom of chassis and if drop arm should be perfectly flat.

Must have been on someones shelf for a while. Never got a car with so much dust bunnies! What else is funny is I won a auction for two Lotus 30 bodies a few days before winning this car not realizing they are the clear spare body that came with the Manta Ray! That worked out pretty good... haha.
 

 

 

[don.siegel]

Good grab! 

 

Yes, drop arm should be flat, but owners probably bent them a lot to get better contact. 

 

Not sure about the body mounts, but assume they were flat at the outset too - again, depends what attitude you want for the body. Looks to be in pretty good shape, with just silicones on the rear instead of the original spongies. That was a very common modification, and what we all did at my local track until the good foam tires came along. 

 

Don 

[NHBandit]

Very nice. The body mounts should be parallel but maybe were bent slightly for tire clearance. And as Don said the drop arm should be flat. You have the later version chassis also with the added motor support. The early ones didn't have that. Here's the early version. 

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[Mad Mark]

Thank you for quick replies.
 
Don't know much about these to be honest but figured it was a later one with the Classic guide. It also has ball bearings in the rear that I just noticed... cool!
 
And also is that correct drop arm hinge? Hollow 1/8" brass tube? Is best way to remove that just to cut it and make a new one?

[don.siegel]

The hinge should just slide out throught that cutout in the chassis. 

 

I have the same model as yours, so here are some pix. The hinge on mine is odd: it is indeed a brass tube, flattened on one end, but looks like the cutout is on the wrong side to slide it out! 

 

Don 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

Perhaps your tube hinge, Don, was user-made & they crimped that end intentionally, so it didn't fall out while running.

[Mad Mark]

Soapy water Q tip Clean on chassis and wiped off body along with new braid. think Im done messing with it besides getting matching rear wheels. Feel like Im going to ruin it trying to take it apart any further its so flimsy and scratches so easy.



think I might like production cars now!

[NHBandit]

There's a nice pair of rear wheels & correct tires on Ebay currently. Search for seller Dustymoon. 

[Mad Mark]

There's a nice pair of rear wheels & correct tires on Ebay currently. Search for seller Dustymoon.

bid on those already. hoping to snag them. Thanks!