68 replies to this topic

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Not sure what is going on with tihs

[The Number of]

What would be the retail price?

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Sorry Bill I can't say yet.

[Duffy]

"The intention of these rules is to provide a class of scratch-built Sports Car slot cars..." Very first sentence. Well, I'm just shakin' my head.

As long as there's someone willing to lay down some bucks for their own convenience, there'll be a guy supplying a product. That's okay, if holding a sample chassis in your hands shows you how dead-easy these things are, per intention, and empowers you to build your next one--armed with nothing more deadly than a soldering iron, a combination plier, and maybe Dad's Hand Drill.

Then, yes, it's certainly a good way to grow the class.

Positing a broad-enough definition of "scratch-built," I am NOT saying anything's really wrong here. I'm mostly pausing to appreciate the irony.

Duffy

[Hworth08]

Duffy,

I was dumb enough to think the D3/IRRA cars were going to be scratch-built instead of kit cars!

Actually though, most of the winning jaildoor frames were built by only a small percentage of builders in the Golden Days. Three or four manufactures built some pretty competitive frames, especially the Champion 285 and the Cobra frames.

For whatever reasons some people just do not enjoy building a frame but do enjoy racing them. Thus a market, and need, for RTR frames.

[Duffy]

Ohh yah! I get that. But it's worth encouraging, vigilantly.

I've been back in this hobby a little over a year now; showed up at the start of JD, which was charmingly familiar--it was the moment I'd left, lo those decades past. Now, in those early weeks, as I was doiung my catch-up homework, I studied photos of D3 cars and wondered where I'd source all that stuff; but Jaildoor, now, that was instantly accessible to me, and I don't think it's all because I'd seen it Back Then--it's just logical.

And, as the guy who pushed me back over here kept saying, all you need for a winning chassis is to build straight, clean, and true. Passing that--build or buy, just make it an informed choice.

And now, I'm back to tearing a Parma FCR pan down to bare metal and am flabbergasted at how twisted the thing is! 'Scuse me, I gotta get busy...

Duffy

[Jay Guard]

FYI...

I have purchased both of these frames from the orginal builder and I can tell everyone that they are absolutely first quality. I've raced the sports car chassis and it runs great and fits a Lotus 40 body perfectly, no problems there.

Although I haven't set up the F1 chassis yet I have found a problem. Specifically, this chassis does NOT meet the max. width requirement of 1.330" (my chassis is approx. 1.5" wide) as set forward by the R&C Jaildoor rules. I'm not sure if the west coast rules are the same as the east coast rules but I just wanted everyone to know this. I will probably just remove a couple of rails from the outside of the chassis to bring it into spec but it's not a two-minute mod.

Finally, I really am thrilled with what I've got. They are beaufully made, and at a great price (approx. $35), but make sure to check your jaildoor rules before you buy.

[tonyp]

East and west rules are the same. They were written by both coasts..

[GTPJoe]

Jay,

The builder must have used a 1.00 inch wide motor bracket rather than a .750 inch one. Because 4 - 1/16 rods per side is a total of .500 inch for both sides plus the 1.00 inch bracket gives you the 1.500 you measured. Don't ask how I know this...DOH!!

But I do agree from the photos they look very nice indeed!

See ya!

[Bill from NH]

The builder must have used a 1.00 inch wide motor bracket rather than a .750 inch one.

I think it's 1" square brass tubing from Jersey.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

The F1 does look like it is not to the rules of 1.330". Also the motor bracket can be only .047" thick and these I believe are made from square tubing and may be thicker.

[idare2bdul]

If the over the counter parts worked back in the day people used them. Witness the cars that used substantial amounts of cast dynamic parts. We built often because there was no good over the counter alternative that was as good or as inexpensive or both.

The current rules were mostly set by the guys that were the chassis builders back in the day. Should I mention that they sanctified chassis building while making darn sure to eliminate motor building skills from playing a part. of current retro racing.

If somebody had shown up with something as cheap and effective as a Flexi chassis in the 60's they would have made a ton of money.

What we lack now is the pyramid of slot enthusiasts we had in the 1960's. Only a few back then raced in organized racing. Most rented time and diced with who ever was on the track. Some would then race at their local track and a few would venture to bigger races. Too many raceways are now supported primarily by racers. If a business doesn't continue to bring in new customers it's not making as much money as it should and is vulnerable to downturns from a variety of reasons.

So while some might lament an over the counter Jaildoor chassis, I'll remind you that you can still build your own and race it. I can't build and race a D can of my own in one.

Anybody up for an ARCO Rules race?

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

Mike, we have been beating this dead horse from the beginning. And, personally, I like to thing we have had some fun races with each other without the formality of rules.

I still have my old Arco Tech Check. I will race you anytime...

And have!

I don't know if you know this, but Mid america has 66 era motors and bits including tradeship endbells! Sadly, a good period motor is probably going to cost 50 or 60 bucks assuming a hand would arm, even more. Philippe has rightly pointed out that I already have the bits and it isn't fair. To my mind, though, the modern FX super 16d is very much a "work alike" for our pro motors of the day. I do use various modern motors in some of my survivors that I race with friends a lot. You have driven some of them, as has Steube.

Fate

[HarV Wallbanger III]

?????

[Roho21]

Hi

Mike, we have been beating this dead horse from the beginning. And, personally, I like to thing we have had some fun races with each other without the formality of rules.

I still have my old Arco Tech Check. I will race you anytime...

And have!

I don't know if you know this, but Mid america has 66 era motors and bits including tradeship endbells! Sadly, a good period motor is probably going to cost 50 or 60 bucks assuming a hand would arm, even more. Philippe has rightly pointed out that I already have the bits and it isn't fair. To my mind, though, the modern FX super 16d is very much a "work alike" for our pro motors of the day. I do use various modern motors in some of my survivors that I race with friends a lot. You have driven some of them, as has Steube.

Fate

ARCO tech check. . . Wow! I still have one in my box! Thought I was the only one!

[Bill from NH]

Roger, I have two. One is factory, for the 3" tire width, the other I modified for 3 1/8" when we ran that width in the early '70s. To tell the truth, neither gets used much today, but they're still pretty to look at.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

Well, I kept mine for the simple reason that when I am setting up a survivor, it makes things simple.

and when some program wants to both argue about retro AND discuss "fair and equal"...the simplicity of the ARCO rules "ground" me.

There are a few of us around that have survivors and we sometimes get to run them. Just yesterday, an old friend and I were playing with '68 era inline F1s. The motors because of wear issues are old slotworks super 16ds. but the original A cans are sitting in a box if needed.

Fate

[MrWeiler]

argue about retro AND discuss "fair and equal"...

Fate

Fair and equal-isn't.

[George Blaha]

howdee,

 

Sunday  February 17 2013

 

 

There is a Retro East Irra jaildoor race for sport cars at Hudson Valley Raceway.

 

 

When I raced thes cars in the 1960's, I never knew I was ever going to do it again in the 2010's.

 

 

The motor and chassis engineering was fun and tough and required lots of forethought.

 

 

Today with legislated motors, it is less time consuming but still fun!

[stemmy]

do they still make and rtr chassis for jd.

[Noose]

Blair not commercially.  Duffy and Mike Katz have made most of the ones run out here.

[Pete L.]

Fellas,

 

 We had several Jail Door GP races at The Race Place when they were "in" several years ago. I also ran a JD race or two with the Retro East group back then, I wonder what happened to all of the Jail Door cars, both GP and Sports car...

 

Attached Images

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[slotcarone]

Hi Pete

I just had my JD sports car on the Purple Mile track at Modelville yesterday. Was more fun than the other cars I ran on that track. I for one wish we would start racing them regularly again! There are a lot of cars out there.

[NY Nick]

Me Too I love my Jail Door Sport car, never could get to any of the weekly races at HVR. 

Attached Files

•  newnewedit.mov   1.76MB   73 downloads

[Dave Crevie]

I like the original premise of the jail door class, in that you were expected to add details to the body. I like the added stacks, mirrors

and wheel inserts. And the true 3-D drivers.