371 replies to this topic

[Dave Reed]

Maybe at YOUR Raceway but if the IRRA does not approve it why bring it to an IRRA race?... Do you just want to cause trouble?..

[team burrito]

That's scary when more than two persons agree with me...

Make that three. Now that's weird!!!

[Larry Mattingly]

Since when do we need to get our chassis approved? I thought we just showed up with our creations, if they meet the rules, we race...............?????

Mark

I don't think the 'approval' rule applies to individuals... You are correct. Build it, enter it, and the Tech Nazi decides if it is legal, or not.

The approval rule applies to parts, motors, chassis', bodies etc. being sold by a manufactuer. Thus the need for the FX and Slick 7 to be approved by the BoD. The Warmack and JK chassis' received 'approval'.

LM

[John Streisguth]

John, the IRRA website has 2 articles on how to build. Also a list of Tools of the Pros.

My bad...somehow I missed the article on the Samson chassis, I thought they were all on building the "kits". That's exactly what I was talking about. I mean, the only other thing that you can do is build it for someone .

[Rick]

Retro isn't for everybody, I don't think that was ever the intent. The toothpaste is out of the tube with the Warmack and JK kits, and the powers that be have capped it there. The former kits can be built and modified to many configurations and types depending on how far the builder and how much time they want to spend on cutting and grinding. Still basically scratchbuilt in reality and appearance when completed. If one cannot see the difference then an impasse has been reached again. Retro probably isn't for you.

Mark, at your track your racers build all those oval cars that are much tougher to build with almost no production parts and soldering lots of wire together to make roll cages and nerf bars, etc. A Reading modified makes a retro is like comparing a Eurosport car to a Flexi. I would bet I could build three retro cars in the time it takes to modify one Womp or FCR chassis into race form.

Almost anything you throw together with some pans will work if it's flat and rear axle is perpendicular to the guide. It's really not rocket science. Racers may not be able to build as pretty as TonyP but pretty is something that comes with practice, not in a bottle on the pegboard.

Greg wants to save the industry. The industry must save itself.

Besides the ruling bodies have both given thumbs down to the S7, so the whole debate is moot. This has been in the works for a year and I am surpised it took this long to surface. Buy a kit, clone it all with piano wire and some brass plate, and enter it. Probably will work good...

[Noose]

If a IRRA board member can point me in the direction of where the rules say a chassis needs to be submitted. I'd appretiate it. other MFG's may appretiate it as well.

Right on the first page - The Mission Statement -

Samples of any new items for use under IRRA rules (such as motors, bodies, commercially-built chassis, etc.) should be sent to the appropriate committee chair for further review by the board and committee members. Items should be readily available to dealers and raceways.

And that is the same page where it says:

The purpose of this organization is:

• to promote a return to the spirit of slot car racing fun from the ‘60s, using scratchbuilt slot cars,
• to define slot cars that reflect the appearance of actual racing cars from the above time period,

[Noose]

Besides the ruling bodies have both given thumbs down to the S7, so the whole debate is moot.

D3 might have already but as noted, the IRRA has not received a sample for approval so technically no statement has been made.

[Noose]

If you were to print out the complete set of rules this would be the first page. One would also see the last two parts

Any part, material, technique, or rules interpretation not specifically allowed
under IRRA rules is not legal and is prohibited!

The IRRA reserves the right during technical inspection
to disallow any car that does not meet the intent of the rules.

[Rick]

They should have known going in, that thing would not fly. Technology is not our friend if you want to continue keeping it going. This is first one, then next month one with another type of center rail for some tough road course with slits in here and there for proper flex, Ver 1.1 then the next month ver 1.2 and the beat goes on. Let the racers do the R&D and then modify it until you have the perfect chassis. Just like the JK chassis has obsoleted almost evey other flexi-type chassis out there, to the point it was banned in Europe. We could all save a lot of time and effort and just put retro bodies on C-11s or whatever number is in vogue this week, and everyone would be racing retro? NOT!

[Noose]

We could all save a lot of time and effort and just put retro bodies on C-11s or whatever number is in vogue this week, and everyone would be racing retro? NOT!

LOL... we call that the Flexi GT class, Rick.

[Cheater]

Greg wants to save the industry. The industry must save itself.

You're misquoting me, Rick.

I believe it should be a part of IRRA's mandate to grow participation in retro racing and that if we do that, it will benefit the 1/24 commercial slot car industry. Nowhere have I ever said "save the industry".

As for the industry doing ANYTHING in its best interests, can't say as I've seen much of that in the last 30 years.

[TSR]

D3 might have already but as noted, the IRRA has not received a sample for approval so technically no statement has been made.

D3 has done nothing yet because nothing has been submitted.

[Sleepy]

Personally I'd rather race with 20 guys that scratchbuilt cars and are proud of what they designed and come out and race them, have fun and have a great weekend, than race with 75 people running snap together model kits. Retro is about the cars, scratchbuilt cars.

This statement, if it is the opinion of many, really clears up the thinking behind Retro racing for me.

[TSR]

Retro is about the cars, scratchbuilt cars.

And we have a winner.

[Hworth08]

Well, actually NONE of today's Retro frames are built anything like the frames of the cars they are supposed to represent. They don't even use drop arms! Of course someone will reply that they once built a car without a drop arm so it's perfectly legal.

Then Slick 7 comes out with a frame that people can easily relate to as a modern GT-12 frame and most are ready to really put the brakes on the mis-placed techonology.

The 1980s JK kit is fine and welcome. The 1990s are way too modern? The bodies are 1960s.

It's hard to please two or three hundred people.

[Josh Crutchfield]

Retro isn't for everybody, I don't think that was ever the intent. The toothpaste is out of the tube with the Warmack and Jk kits, and the powers that be have capped it there. The former kits can be built and modified to many configurations and types depending on how far the builder and how much time they want to spend on cutting and grinding. Still basically scratch built in reality and appearance when completed. If one cannot see the difference then an impasse has been reached again. Retro probably isn't for you.

Rick,

Meaning of scratchbuilding from Wikipedia.
Scratchbuilding is the process of building a scale model from raw materials, rather than building it from a commercial kit, kitbashing, or buying it pre-assembled.

The JK kit can be built in many different configurations but the problem is they are not. For the most part thay are built using torsion movement with no cutting. So in reality it is kit building and not scratchbuilding.
I don't see much difference in the kits except for pillow blocks which I can make with a Dremel and drill press.
The Slick 7 and FX kits could be built in just as many different ways as the other kits.
Kits should of not been allowed in the first place.

Why does everyone have a hang up on pillow blocks? The Spirit of retro????
I have yet to see any pics from the '60s with guys using electronic controllers, fish rubber, angled pinions, and hypoid motor brackets. Wouldn't these items also go against the spirit of retro?

Josh

[TSR]

Well, actually NONE of today's Retro frames are built anything like the frames of the cars they are supposed to represent.

Maybe where you are, but not where we are...



This is not identical but similar to the last inline cars before anglewinders took over. It is precisely in the spirit of what retro racing was three years ago and should have remained. NO ONE used a center rail acting as a center hinge then, every car had a drop arm.

It is time to return to the design of main rails on EACH SIDE of the motor, and an actual drop arm, as well as banning one-piece plate front ends if retro racing is to survive.

And I for one am going to push for a revision to bring back retro racing with inline motors away from Eurosport replicas in disguise.