170 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

Thanks, Mike! I want to be able to design, build, tune, and race like you. Thanks for the "tumbling tips". :up: I should be tumbling like a tumbling tumble weed in a week or so.

Next up on the Montague Missile is the installation of the "whatchamacallits" and the plumber system.

And on we go . . .

[dc-65x]

Next I decided to hang the plumber rails. The front of the plumber is held together with a U-shaped piece of .030" piano wire. This is the system used on lots of cars of the period:



In the rear, things are different. Instead of another U-shaped piece to brace the plumber cross piece Joel used two of these:



Here it is installed along with our first of two "whatchamacallits”: :mrgreen:



Both "whatchamacallits" awaiting their special role in life:



They bulletproof the plumper unstops once they are . . .



. . . tied with shunt wire. Joel went to great lengths to help me figure out how he did this. In the end I gave up and just tied the suckers . . . I hope I got kind of close, Joel. .



Here are some original Camen pans and the currently-available American Line. They are dimensionally equivalent:



The pan down stops:



The pans use a third hinge to help bulletproof the front end:



The rear axle tube also needs to be bulletproofed with tie wire. Joel sent me some of the wire he used on the original chassis. The wire is steel. Below it is the copper shunt wire I tied the plumber unstops with:



I'm not the best at wire tying . . . oh well, at least I can tie my shoes:





Last to go on were the front axle springs and unstops. Oh, as you can see, Joel used dual body mounts on front:



It's finished except for the motor mounts. I know I'm a "Slowski" when it comes to building but this one went a lot quicker than a similar chassis. I've got 41 hours of build time in it so far:









Next up is the motor . . . my kingdom for a Pooch-modified Champion CEE can with ground sides. :mrgreen:

And on we go . . .

[Jairus]

Wow, that puppy could slip under the door easy!

Beautiful work, Rick . . .

[prplgeez]

Rick, you didn't just get 'close', this is a work of ART! Like I told you in a PM, if I had to go back in time I'd do my best to get this thing out of your hands to use instead of the original!! WELL DONE!!!

[dc-65x]

Joel likes it!

[prplgeez]

Oh, and Rick . . . don't you worry about finding a suitable can . . . I've got one with your name on it. You've EARNED it!!!

[dc-65x]

Thanks, Joel! :up: 8)

[Slotgeezer]

Totally! 8) :up:

[Tex]

Jeez. And this is a "repro". While it is an homage to the original and its creator, your creation is itself a stand-alone testament to your skill and artistic ability, Rick. The quality of workmanship is awe-inspiring. It's beautiful just to look at it. Your photography of it is phenomenal; it brings it closer than we could ever see it even when in our hands. Words are inadequate.

[dc-65x]

To be complemented by my scratchbuilding peers is more than I'd ever hoped for. To be complemented by the greatest builders . . . those who I'm trying to pay homage to is, well amazing. Thank you.

[prplgeez]

As Mike said earlier . . . I wanna solder like YOU when I grow up!

[slotcarcol]

Rick,

Beautiful precise work, as usual! Will you be fitting up period running gear and doing a body?

Would be great to see the original and the "new" car side by side one day.

Col.

[tonyp]

Beautiful, Rick . . .

[Hworth08]

Hey, why all the praise? This frame looks about like all Rick's other work. Just joking, a great build!

[Cheater]

Rick, let me join the chorus of posters who are amazed at the incredible craftsmanship you continue to share with all of us here at Slotblog.

Your "Joel" replica is just the latest slot car jewelry to be created on your jig.

Keep up the good work!

And kudos to Joel for his kindness in helping Rick during the recreation. Not every geezer (regardless of color!) is willing to do that.

[brucefl]

Rick were you shooting for an antiqued look the way the brass appears and the darker look of the piano wire,does this look mimic the original /cause if you were replicating our friend tony ps chassis they seem to be very yellow in the brass and extremely brilliant(bright) and the piuano wire was always like a proof coin/just wondering cause your work is approaching the level of a masterpiece with the contrast/but wondered as opposed to tonys shiny works was joels truly going in that other direction/im a true coneseur /tell me how do you clean up your solder joints on the pans.KEEP IT UP I LOVE THESE ARTICLES LIKE THE OLD CAR MODEL MAGS/PLEASE DO A TONY P INFAMOUS ISO CHASSIS/THERE ARE PHOTOS OUT THERE IN COLOR.

[dc-65x]

Thanks to everyone for their support with this project, it's really appreciated .
Bruce, the dark look of the brass and piano wire is my poor lighting. Steve Okeefe once told me, "Too much light is almost enough!" I think I'll give Edo's "soft lighting" a try.

The brass on the chassis looks almost like gold jewelry. The piano wire is also polished to a bright sliver color. You know the old saying, "If it don't go, chrome it!" I think this baby will go just fine though. Time will tell

tell me how do you clean up your solder joints on the pans

There would be a thin area on the pan (about 1/8" wide) next to the pin tube with solder on it where the tip of the iron touched. I sand this off with fine sand paper wrapped around a file. This is completely unnecessary but I did it back in the 60's and I still enjoy the look today.

PLEASE DO A TONY P INFAMOUS ISO CHASSIS/THERE ARE PHOTOS OUT THERE IN COLOR.

Tony was kind enough to send me an ARCO race winning ISO chassis and his Starship chassis. The ISO is next on my list of fun projects. There's a lot left to do on the Montague Missile first though.....I've just ordered some purple dye for the end bell on my Pooch tribute motor :mrgreen:

[TSR]

Hi Rick,
Do you have a correct Champion C-can or do you need some help?

[Horsepower]

KEEP IT UP I LOVE THESE ARTICLES LIKE THE OLD CAR MODEL MAGS.

YES, BUT BETTER BCAUSE THEY ARE IN COLOR~and they're free too.

[S.O. Watt]

Why grow up?


A stunning recreation. Kudos are well deserved.

As Mike said earlier . . . I wanna solder like YOU when I grow up!

[Maximo]

Rick,


I wanna bend - form - fabricate and polish metal like YOU when I grow up! 8)


-Maximo

[endbelldrive]

Formidable project, Rick. I'm looking forward to the motor build too and curious if Joel might gives us an overview of his motors circa 1973.

[brucefl]

Joel, buddy friend of mine, forgive me (credit where credit is due; you da innovator par excellence and your chassis, etc., were winners) but Rick, yours is a case where the copy exceeds the model. I've gotta see it with the other lighting (you da Vargas of replica builders).

May I make a suggestion: get a gold chain to match and I'll wear it! Forget about racing it.

Hey, when ya gonna fulfill my Hannakan list of chassis? PM me. :mrgreen:

[dc-65x]

Do you have a correct Champion C-can or do you need some help?

Thank you for the offer, Philippe. All I have is the later thin-walled CEE can. Joel did some searching and has come up some Pooch motor parts for the project. I will email Adam because Joel has some motor decisions for him to make. :up: This is going to be fun. :mrgreen: 8)

I'll post pictures of the Pooch-modified early thick-walled Champion C-can and the later thin-walled Champion CEE can soon. Below is what Joel told me last night:

PS: . . . the thin can you describe is probably the "CEE" can (as opposed to the C-can). It was a deep-drawn can similar in manufacture to the Mabuchi but somewhat better. Not nearly as good as the modified C's though . . . it was thin and the deep drawing process necessitates a taper in order to withdraw the form tool. I don't think any of the serious racers ever used one in anger.