7 replies to this topic

[Slot Car Rod]

Here is my 888 chassis car I have run for many years.  My last attempt to run this car was about ten years ago on a blue King. I found the car had too much understeer even with modern rear tires.  Eric pointed out that the chassis was meant for orange tires and heavy track glue (around 1970), not for modern tires and a spray-glued track.  Back then, if the car oversteered too much, the track was just glued up more.

 

I spray painted and lettered this McLaren body, and added NCC-style air control spoilers. The interior is a modern painted one. The Mura C-can motor has a NCC 20 armature.  Wheels are 3/32" axle Riggens.

 

As Bill pointed out in my Schkee post, the chassis handles the way it does because of a lack of flex.  In my opinion, the .063" main rails are stiff and does not let the chassis flex much. .063" and .055" main rail sizes seemed to be the most popular back then with this style of chassis. McLaren Mk 8 bodies were very popular back then. The nose seemed to provide the right amount of front bite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

That car looks great,. Rod. Does that chassis have a number engraved on top of the drop arm? I think mine is engraved there with about 166. The bottom is engraved with "Built by Limpach." Mine never drove well with orange tires and full glue. I had Tony P and Lee Gilbert chassis with .063" main rails that handled beautifully with orange tires and full glue.

 

It shouldn't make much difference, but not all 888s were assembled by Jan Limpach. Later on, some were sold as kits. I know of at least one kit-built 888 in CA. We never saw kits in the Northeast. 888s were the first brass/wire chassis that were generally available through slot car distributors. Mine came from REHCo.

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks, Bill. I corrected the main rail information in the above post. 

[Steve Deiters]

"The 888 Wonder" chassis was one of those products of the era that was a real "game changer".  Such a worn out and overused cliche in today's world, but it truly was.

 

A very competitive chassis that could be bought over-the-counter at your local raceway when they were available and at an affordable price.  I say "when they were available" because the local distributors couldn't keep them in stock the demand was so great.

 

A legacy left by a great racer from that era-Jan Limpach.

[Bill from NH]

Once, when Modelville Hobby couldn't get 888's from REHCO, Dick Cafarelli the owner, had me build some brass/wire chassis he could retail for $10.00 to fill the local demand. I built 6 or 8 of them. At one of the '97 USRA Nats Warmup Races, I met a person who had bought one of these chassis 25 years earlier. When I asked, he said it drove quite well. I never knew who bought the others.

[Samiam]

I got an "888" chassis in an eBay pile. Didn't know it till I did some initial cleaning of the well patina'd brass 'n wire horde. An early hand engraved example.  

[Bill from NH]

Sam is it numbered on top of the drop arm too? Mine is also hand engraved & numbered 166 on the top.

[Samiam]

Maybe