13 replies to this topic

[Mike Patterson]

With the recent closing of Tom Thumb, I have been going through my collection of slot stuff, trying to decide whether to sell some of it or not. In the process, I found a couple of old chassis I built back in the mid 80s. At that time, I was racing Group 15s in the Tri-State USRA.

 

This first one is the last 15 chassis I raced:

 

 

The main rails are two pieces of 0.055" wire on each side, and the guide lead is 4-11/16". The chassis is illegal under the rules at that time, but I was never called out for it. The rules called for one hinge point for the body, but on this chassis, each of the small front pans is hinged, and the rear body mounts are floated individually.

 

And this one is the last 15 chassis I built:

 

 

The main rails are one piece of 0.055" and two pieces of 0.047" per side. Guide lead is 4-11/16". This chassis was never raced. The USRA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to switch to steel center sections, and basically outlawed any old wire chassis in Group 15. I had built the chassis to be raced the following year, but instead, it went from jig to storage.

 

I don't have many complete old chassis. I was constantly stealing parts from old cars to build new ones.

[Bill Seitz]

At least a few people complained that the wire chassis (usually purchased as "rolling chassis") were costing nearly as much as a spring steel chassis at the time, and the wire chassis wouldn't last more than a race or 2. One good crash could wipe out a chassis. There were advocates for changing the rules to spring steel.

 

I still play with designs like this, but unfortunately there are no racing classes for them anymore.

[mjsh]

There should be a retro-style class for these cars early to mid-'70s, spec tires and motor, but you have to run a chassis that you built.

[Bill from NH]

Mike, you build good chassis. Did you also build your own motors for them? If so, what did you use? Modified Mura Green cans? I never raced Grp. 15 myself, but I did have a couple arms. When I went to the '97 Nats Warmup races, all the cars were steel.

[Mike Patterson]

Bill, yes, I built my own sh!tty motors to match my ill-handling chassis. I used these:

 

 

 

These are Camen "cheater" C-can setups. A very fragile motor. It used a two-piece can, held together by the soldered in bushing, and the JB Weld holding the magnets in. Or not, as seen in the picture above. It also forced the USRA to get real anal about what constitutes a C can. Notice the end bell screws, and that tiny bit of can that extends past them? That was so the length of the can met spec. The flange was ground off the end bell so it could be recessed into the can, shortening the motor. Plus, the can was stamped out of thin metal for further weight savings. All kinds of gray areas were exploited.

 

I usually ran Mura arms.

[Dave Crevie]

Mike Patterson, on 31 Jan 2023 - 6:30 PM, said:

I don't have many complete old chassis. I was constantly stealing parts from old cars to build new ones.

 
Me, too. I have a box full of chassis, with no parts to put them back together again. Restore them, Mike, even if you don't have the right motors. You'll still have fun playing with them.

[Bill Seitz]

The Camen RM-835 still is a "can." I have one of the even less C-can strap setups with the poly "can" bearing.

[Mike Patterson]

I found another one today. This one was a Group 27 chassis, and dates from the late '70s. I think the center section was a Parma, and I narrowed the main rails down with a Dremel. Same 4-11/16" guide lead as the ones above. It's almost complete. All it needs is a bite bar/pan stop soldered back on.

 

 

Also notice that I used 3/32" wire for the front axles. None of that wimpy 1/16" stuff for me! 

[Mike Patterson]

Here's something you don't see everyday, if ever. Back in prehistoric times, all Dremel® tools were one speed: fast. The answer, was this:

 

 

The amount of control available was far superior to what they started putting in the tools themselves. I should also say that in all my 50+ years of racing, I have never seen another one in use in the field.

 

I'm still looking for Dremel's earlier version which used tubes instead of transistors. They are purportedly smoother, and offer better tone.

[Bill from NH]

I have one like the photo. I burnt the guts out but forgot what I was using. I sent to Dremel for the parts needed to repair it. It still works today but I built a Heathkit variable control that's more robust. I even set variable speeds on my Unimat with it. I've got an old one-speed hand-warmer Dremel packed away somewhere.

[MSwiss]

I had one.

 

Got it in about 1970 to slow down my olive drab Dremel 280.

 

I'm not sure if I bought it for $15-$20, or got it with S & H Green Stamps, a promotion from a local grocery chain, National, and a department store chain, Wiebolts.

 

It worked real well, cutting the RPM to barely running.

 

I used it just as much as a soldering iron heat control.

 

I may of lost it the 90's, coming back from a race, when a box with primarily my tools, didn't get loaded on the shuttle bus going back to the remote parking.

[breese]

Recently joined the forum after being out of the hobby for 30+ years.

Here are a few of the items I still have from racing at the old Grand Ave Raceway.

 

 

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[Bill from NH]

The Hi-Pro setup is by Walt Labree. He was a CT pro racer &motor builder during the 70s & 80s, now retired in Florida. That's an interesting chassis. Do you have other photos of it?

[breese]

Thanks for the info on the Hi-Pro setup....

I can make all the photo's you like.... What would you like to see?

 

I hope to run a few laps on it this week. Just rebuilt the G27 in it.