33 replies to this topic

[Jaeger Team]

We'll see...

 

[Old Pilot]

Lil' cucaracha by Cox, REhco was the company that comercialized the rests...and some repro parts.

 

Nice pic !!!!

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks, of course Cox!
🙂

[Jaeger Team]

Power plant difference
The very first thing that catches your eye is that while the Cucaracha (lil) 1/32 features the Mabuchi 13 UO engine, the mini can am instead uses the more powerful (and heavier) 160D made in Hong Kong.
IMHO this fact penalizes the mini can am mainly in terms of handling.

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[Pablo]

I always loved the 13uo's.

You are on a roll, Maurizio. I'm definitely enjoying the ride  

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks Paul, that's very kind of you!
🙂

[Jaeger Team]

My friend, Calogero Di Mino, owner of the track where we sometimes race near Palermo, harnessed the 160D beast like this(very good!).
I think that, as Cox did in the Lil' Cucaracha, I could have a better result using the Mabuchi 13UO..

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[Jaeger Team]

My project is to stuff this Havlicek's custom made arm into 13UO.
It will be a long and complicated job but first I want to test it on the track as it is...

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[Jaeger Team]

...struggling to make the center section straight with the pliers as well the plastic pan with the hair dryer...

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[Jaeger Team]

...this tiny aluminum angular profile will be riveted/epoxied to the chassis and will be used to secure the motor at the front...

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[Jaeger Team]

...in the days in the mini can am 1/24 we replaced the front wheels with ball bearings without O-rings like this...
(smaller diameter and weighs only 0.6 grams more than the original wheel)
I assume it will also work in this 1/32 scale...

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[Jaeger Team]

...talking about the old Mabuchi 13UO...
endbell very brittle!

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[Bill from NH]

You could turn down a modern C-can or D-can endbell to fit. No, it wouldn't be vintage, but it wouldn't be brittle either.

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks Bill,
maybe I swap with this...
🙂

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[Pablo]

The world has almost completely run dry of rare endbells. The vintage police will surely forgive and applaud that substitution.     

[Jaeger Team]

Paul, thanks for the approval...
in this situation I would have liked to have the skills and abilities of master Rick Thigpen..

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[Jaeger Team]

My friend Federico Marino gave me this mini dream 1/32 material about 15 years ago and I'm finally making a race car out of it. Federico in his teen age, when he also competed in the slot car, had also made this interesting aerodynamic body. I will use it to do the first track test..

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[Jaeger Team]

...some tricks to limit the up and down of the plastic pan, a little weight behind the motor and it's ready to roll(er) and (maybe) rock...

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[Jay Guard]

Maurizio:

I was wondering if the sharp edge of the ball bearing fronts would damage the track surface?

It might be a good idea to at least put a piece (or two) of heat-shrink tubing on them to provide a little bit of protection for the track. 

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks Jay, I'll talk about it with my friend Calogero who is the track owner. IIRC the track surface was painted with two components poluretanic resin, very strong.
We use to race production Jk chassis, they always touch the track surface. Anyway your suggestion is iven more in keeping with the aesthetic, I'll do it.
🙂

[Jaeger Team]

...I tested this old little girl, very fun to drive!
I followed Jay's suggestion to preserve the track surface and applied a transparent heat shrink tube to the front ball bearings, so they kept the look of the past...

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[Jaeger Team]

..the next step will be to find and cut to size a pair of suitable magnets for the Mabuchi FT 13UO, I already know it will be a huge mess but it is necessary because the originals are worn out and the car has no brakes...

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[Bill from NH]

The original magnets weren't very strong when new. You could try to fit magnets from an FK motor or those from the JK or Proslot rebuildable mini motors. I've never owned any of the Mabuchi 13Ds. 

[Jaeger Team]

Thanks Bill, the ones you see in the photo are all magnets from the motors you mentioned. They're a little wider and a little thicker which is why I said it's going to be a huge mess!
🙂

[Bill from NH]

Do you have access to diamond hones which can be used to straighten magnet faces? A series of larger progressing hones will thin the magnets on the face side. If you want to do the backs too, one way to do it is slit a piece of 1" dia. PVC pipe in half lengthwise. Use each half as a sanding form by placing a piece of some abrasive paper on the inside of each tube half & sand away.

 

Today's magnets have much truer faces than most vintage magnets.