30 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

Like an abandoned baby dropped off on my doorstep, this chassis was in rough condition. But I liked the torsion plate so I took a better look.

 

 

The soft brass plate was worth salvaging and I think it's got potential. After solder removal and rough sanding, it's close to flat. I'll build it up just for fun.

 

[Alchemist]

Hi Pablo!

 

Hope all is well.

 

I'm looking forward to this buildup.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Ernie

[Bill from NH]

I'm guessing this chassis was built using R-Geo brass pieces.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Bill. If I had to guess, I'd say it's maybe from the beginnings of IRRA® ?

[Bill from NH]

I have a R-Geo retro piece that might be older. It has no coined tongue but came with a separate tongue to be soldered on. It was Joe Poulin's when he was alive.

[Don Weaver]

WELCOME BACK, PABLO !!

[dc-65x]

  Hi Pablo.  

 

Looking forward to your project.

[Pablo]

Thanks guys. Don, I never left, just "changed gears" a little 

 

I realized the GL is a whopping .975" !! IRRA® Can Am and GTC cars are usually about 4" WB and .9" GL. 

So I hit the pause button and will be looking at that before proceeding .....

[slotcarone]

That GL is fine. Many IRRA cars use 1 inch GL. That pan is similar to the JK kit that came out real early. I built a few dozen of them for customers with solid pans like that. They worked great at the time.

[Pablo]

Thanks for coming to my "emotional rescue", Mike K.     I put a flag on it and it looks like a good enough fit for a GTC body   

 

Found a new FSF 1.4" wide motor bracket with inner brace here from Tom Thumb Raceway, looks like it will work. 

[Pablo]

The plate is only .032 thick so I doubled the tongue with a brass .063 Chicagoland gizmo. A hard wallshot will probably just bend it somewhere else, but at least I'm trying 

Mini-torched on with 60/40, properly aligned and tilted

 

 

[old & gray]

Curse you Paul, just when I was starting to look away you bring back a worthwhile interesting thread. 

[Pablo]

  

Huerfano is coming back to life slowly but surely. The FSF super wide bracket isn't a good choice for this plate - a JK 1" wide hypoid is perfect. The rail slots on the front end are set up for a .078 and a .063 rail each side, so that "drives the show"

 

 

Bracket braced with .039 wires, top end notched for motor shaft entry (the newer motors swing huge pinions), axle tubes trimmed inside with reverse counterbore gizmo. Doesn't add any speed, just looks more sano    

[Pablo]

Split .055 bite bar: to compensate for the .078/.063 rail disparity I sliced pieces of 3/32 tube in half and soldered them to the .063 rails

 

 

I'm guessing this is what the plate was designed for

 

 

[NSwanberg]

Splitting the tubing! I like that.

[Pablo]

Overnight tumble got it down to fresh brass almost 100% - good enough for me.

Tops of front axle supports were sliced off a la Tony P. and pre-tinned with acid so a BB wheel/axle assembly will drop in and be soldered with paste

 

 

 

 

 

[dc-65x]

Nice work Pablo. It sure looks shiny to me. Did you bring a supply of that Mississippi water

that's worked so well for tumbling with you on your move?   

[Pablo]

Thanks Rick. Tennessee tap water is very similar to MS water - pure, clean, tastes great. The catfish up here grow big as a man so I guess it's good.

 

Front wheels will be ARP BB's, motor CR 102, and body will be a Bill Pinch lacquer painted IRRA® legal Kelly Lola T163 Can Am with a Boogie interior 

Like the world's luckiest orphan after a shopping trip to La Jolla  

[Pablo]

Once you've been to a major IRRA retro race tech inspected by Joe Neumeister, it gets in your blood.

When you pass, you feel like you accomplished something good  

 

ARP fronts on tinned wire axle, 3.125" wide, washed dried and ready to drop in 

 

[Pablo]

Huerfano is ready for body mounting. CR102 motor ready but not installed until pinion size is chosen. Front end clears about .025 (fudge factor) with legal rear height. Nothing fancy here, just the basics.

 

Lately I've been liking the James Cleave wire management style and that's how they are set up, tinned, trimmed, and ready to curl using the existing hole gizmos on the plate

 

 

 

[Pablo]

Huerfano is done, ready to test and race. Total weight as shown 107g. A pair of .032 thickness lead circles will fit nicely in the rear holes at ground zero, but we will test it first

 

 

Bill Pinch lacquered Kelly Lola T163 with Boogie interior

 

[Pablo]

The relic is ready for a test this Tuesday. 11T pinion is probably too big for the flat track, but let's wring it out anyway. Some lead added

 

 

[SpeedyNH]

an angled pinion?

[Pablo]

Of course. The bracket is hypoid

[slotcarone]

Looks great Pablo! I have never found any difference using a straight or angled pinion with a hypoid bracket. 

Either way after a race the teeth on the crown gear are now angled too.