664 replies to this topic

[Slot Car Rod]

Martin, Mike, and Rick, thanks for the kind words.

 

Porsche #97 started as an LS brand model kit of a Porsche Carrera #6.  The roof was replaced with a Monogram Ferrari #275P windscreen.  See page 4 of this thread for a picture of the model kit box.

 

Yes, Bill, the chassis for the McLaren is a Phaze III.  Ben Jones was known as "the Godfather of slot car racing" and a contributor to slot car magazines in the 80's.  He was a historian of our hobby.

 

Rodney

[Bill from NH]

I became involved with slot cars in 1963. Ben's name never traveled to New England, best I know of. I assume he might have been "west coast" or "scale only."

[Slot Car Rod]

Ben Jones' slot car box and a couple of his cars that I restored.  We miss you, Ben.

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[Slot Car Rod]

Cover picture with Ben's work bench.

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[Bill from NH]

Thanks for the update Rodney. 

[Slot Car Rod]

An LS brand model kit of a Chaparral 2C was used for this slot car.  I wanted the car to look like a Monogram kit car so Monogram Chaparral 2D running gear was used.

 

Also, I wanted the Chaparral 2C wing to articulate like the Monogram Chaparral 2D wing.  The wing changes to the downforce position under braking and in slow turns.  The wing flips back to shallow angle of attack under acceleration.  It took a few attempts to get the scratch-built wing mechanism to work.  The wing mechanism is a copy of the mechanism that came on the Monogram Chaparral 2D.

 

Rodney

 

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[don.siegel]

Very nice Rod, always enjoyable - and inspirational - to see your builds. 

 

Funny that none of the majors did a real 2C - maybe it was too short a transition period between the 2A and 2E... or just too hard to mold! 

 

Don 

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks Don.  I always enjoy your slot car builds and finds.

 

With this build, I wanted a 36D-powered Ulrich chassis car, so I combined a Dynamic motor carrier with the Ulrich chassis.  A few pieces made of aluminum were added for the conversion.  The 36D motor has a 4 volt armature installed.

The body is a Monogram 427 Cobra.  Ulrich cast aluminum wheels were used.  

 

The other car is Pittman powered and has Revell wheels.  The 36D-powered Cobra handles better than the Pittman-powered car.  I guess this is because of better weight distribution with the 36D car.  

 

Rodney

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[Isaac S.]

Very nice, I like it. 

[TSR]

Nice conversion with the Dynamic motor mount! 

[Eddie Fleming]

On the car with the Dynamic mount I cant see how the gears are going to mesh. The motor shaft looks way short unless there is something I cant see in the photos.

[Slot Car Rod]

Eddie, the motor shaft has been extended with a steel coupler and a short shaft.  The added motor shaft holds the pinion gear that is close to the crown gear..  There is no run out with this setup.

 

Rodney

[Alchemist]

Hi Rodney,

 

It's great to see your wonderful projects.

 

Thanks for sharing the details too!

 

Happy New Year!

 

Ernie

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks Ernie.

 

Here is the third Cobra in the above picture, my version of a Cobra coupe.  A roof was added to a Revell Cobra, with a little bit of vintage Ferrari with the headlights.

The chassis is a modified Plafit, and the wheels are BRM brand.

 

Happy New Year.

 

Rodney  

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[Slot Car Rod]

Here is an early anglewinder car with a flat wire Pete von Ahrens frame.  The card says Main Rails Square Wire.  It came as a complete frame.  The motor is an A-can Mura that has been lightened.  Steube armature.  Lola body painted by Rick Thigpen.

 

Rodney

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[tonyp]

Rehco made square wire for chassis building. It looks like this is what Peter used.

It was extruded square not 1/16th wire ground flat on both sides. If I remember it was .050 by .050. Took a lot of straighting before you could use it.


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[Bill from NH]

I thought the REHCO flat wire  was extruded .047 thick by .063 wide.. I have some somewhere, but I'll have to find it. I heard or read their square wire was brass, but don't have any of it.

[tonyp]

Positive the Square wire was Rehco, but I could be wrong. In any case someone made it.

Most flat wire the builders had made them selves at machine shops with magnetic surface grinders.

I used some I had made that was only ground on one side to .047 both in 1/16th and 3/32 width.

Someone maybe parma sold some flat wire that was ground but I remember it was really warped and unusable.


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[Bill from NH]

I've a few pieces Champion sold that are ground top & bottom & some extruded that REHCO sold. I have an old REHCO parts list a track owner sent me 20 yrs. ago. That's what gave me the idea they also sold square brass wire. I'll have to check my folders for that parts list, I know I still have it. 

[dc-65x]

Here are some pictures of new old stock "flat wire" from my future PvA  build stash.

 

The Champion 1/16" stuff is just ground on the top and bottom to .047":

 

 

The Cobra wire measures .050" square:

 

 

I also have some REHco stuff that junk. It's like spaghetti.  

[Slot Car Rod]

Thanks for the information everyone.  The wire measures .052" square on the PvA.  The PvA is shown with a chassis I made  back in 1969 with the same type of wire.  

 

Rodney

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[Slot Car Rod]

UHP  produced the only front wheel drive production slot car that I know of.  Here are a couple of UHP-based slot cars.  One is a Toronado Stocker, and the other is a Mannix Roadster  (custom Toronado built by George Barris for the MANNIX television series).

 

UHP contracted AMT to supply the chassis and other running gear.  AMT cars were rear wheel drive,  UHP turned the chassis around and added a guide flag/drop arm assembly to make them front wheel drive.  They also added a crude front axle differential that did not work.  Both of the cars shown do not have the differentials.  Others have noted that cars with the differential were very slow, and cars with the differentials removed or "shimmed up to semi-lock them" worked much better.  I added Riggen wheels.

 

Rodney

 

 

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[don.siegel]

Very nice ones Rodney; I wasn't familiar with the Mannix car, that's about when I stopped watching TV! 

 

What kind of tires are you using, and how do they drive? 

 

I briefly tried my Toronado years ago, with Riggen silicone tires, and it wasn't bad - but not competitive in a Nascar vintage race... so I used the originally planned MPC GTO - which wasn't competitive either, but I had wanted to try it! 

 

Your green one definitely looks better than my original Burgundy body without any decals... 

 

 

Don 

[Slot Car Rod]

Don,

 

Nice to see an original car.

 

I tried Riggen rubber-treaded tires and Paul's urethane tires (both types slightly trued) on the front of the cars.  The Riggen tires work great with no hop, and you are able to power out of the turns.  With these tires I cannot tell which wheels are driven.  Paul's tires have too much traction, and the car chatters in the turns.  Riggen tires work great in the rear.

 

The green car was painted and detailed by someone back in the day.  I like the period look.  I wet sanded the body slightly and cleared coated it.  The decals were getting a little crunchy.  With the Mannix car, I started with a hand-painted model (shown below). 

 

Rodney

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[Slot Car Rod]

1969 Dodge Charger. 

 

Dynamic G.E. motor and idler gear frame.  I was surprised how fast this car is.  Faster than my 36D rewind cars.  Handles great too.

 

Rodney

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