22 replies to this topic

[don.siegel]

Ulrich, the small California-based model train component company, obviously entered the booming slot racing market as well. They are perhaps best remembered today for their suspension chassis, very popular at the time - and still today if ebay prices are any guideline! They first introduced a complete chassis with rear suspension for $3.98 in 1964, then followed it with a complete front suspension and steering unit not long after, for about a buck less.

So for $7 early slotters had their dream setup, 4-wheel suspension and steering. We all still thought that would make our cars faster, since they would really be like the big ones... The chassis was mainly designed for a conventional inline Pittman like the DC-70, or the RP77 from Revell-Pittman. It was mounted on its side, not flat...

But these weren't really the most powerful motors available at the time, and since slotters always like to change stuff, they quickly came up with modifications... First, I don't have a complete chassis to show you, but here's the assembled stock rear suspension kit, much more common than the front end assembly.




Followed by three variations on a theme, found on ebay some years ago before the price for these relatively common items skyrocketed (a complete one will now set you back about $200).
First, moderate mods to mount a Kemtron X503, Screaming Banshee, popular at the time, especially for Figure 8 tracks. Either this didn't come with a body as I found it, or it was so junked I tossed it (not a good idea, I know...). It turns out that the track on this chassis is pretty wide, so it was more appropriate for open wheel or wider sports cars - not all that common in 1964! The Corvette Grand Sport must have been a good candidate.





Here's a Novi for Indy, again with a Kemtron motor, but this time their special SR-21 "pancake" model.





And of course somebody had to try a rewound Mabuchi, adapted to the chassis, and this time with a scratchbuilt front end, a bit messy unfortunately, all under a Lotus-Ford body that's been cut down a bit...





Over the years I've accumulated a number of Ulrich parts for these chassis - but never the right one when I need it! None of the cars has really been restored for racing, but one of these days... And I've also already shown my Allard, using an Ulrich rear section combined with the K&B front steering unit.




Don

PS: wasn't really sure where to post this: it's not really scratchbuilt, but not completely commercial either...

[Steve Deiters]

Yikes! Looks like some fresh tires will do the trick!!!!

[RichKraft]

Goodness Don, I love it when you post these types of chassis.

I find the mechanical aspect of them so fascinating with all of the
coil springs and full steering fronts.

With the coils and gears and steering parts they remind me of clocks.
They are timepieces of an era gone by.

Keep them coming, it's a joy to see them.

You say the Corvette Gran Sport would have been a good candidate for one
of these cool chassis. Do you mean one like this?
The wheelbase is 3-7/8" and the width of the mounting points to chassis is 2-1/2"

[don.siegel]

I do believe that's the one Rich! The wheelbase sounds right - how wide is the body overall?

The Ulrich chassis with the wide rear wheels measures 3-1/8" in the rear, and the one with the narrower wheels about 2-7/8" wide...

Don

[RichKraft]

Don,

Do you mean the width from out side of tire to out side of tire or the actual chassis width?
The chassis doesn't appear to be as wide as your measurements, except at the wheel well area.

This body is wide at the wheelwells, much wider than at the front or rear, it's 2-7/8".

the very rear where the tail lights are measures 2-3/8"

The very front below the grill measures 2-1/4"

Under the doors where it would mount to the chassis measures 2-1/2"

To the outside of the partial wheel flares measures 2-7/8"

From the centerpoint of the rear wheel cutouts axle position to the rear of the body is 1-5/8"

From the center point of the front wheel cutout to the grill is 7/8"

The length of the body from front grill to back tail lights is 6-1/4"

I guess it will depend on where the chassis ends in relation to the axle points.

It looks to me like neither chassis goes to far in front or behind of the axle centers
for it not to fit but pictures can be deceiving. Measure it all and compare to mine.

It would be nice if it fits, I'd love to see it on one of these cool chassis,

[don.siegel]

Rich,

I was talking about outside of rear tire to outside of rear tire. That's really the determining factor for most slot car bodies! The chassis itself is much narrower as you say, and is not a problem!

Here's another Ulrich based chassis I did for a Caddy-Allard body, and in this one the overall front and rear widths (outside of tire to outside of tire) are 2-5/8"

[RichKraft]

It should not be a problem then Don. I'll package the body up and see what it costs to send it to France.
I'll PM you when I get the shipping charges.

[Gary Bluestone]

After many years I have finally built up one of these chassis. I only have the front end instructions so if anyone else can scan the rear suspension instructions , this would help others. Photos of my build will follow.

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[Gary Bluestone]

After finding most of the parts, I still had to make a few, one of the rear spring pins, and one pivot pin. Without rear end instructions I had to figure out how the axle comes apart and goes together. The axle with the gear, goes on the right , the left side screws clockwize into it, that way it tightens on acceleration. I had to file the front lower spring supports to get them to fit cleanly inside the wishbones(photo 6). This was all part of trying to get the guide to sit down into the track. For that I had to get a longer 4-40 screw and spacer and added it between the guide carrier and the front end (photo 7). There is also some lead in the chassis for weight. Interesting to note that the Right side of the guide must be grounded , so the car runs with only ONE lead wire attached. Stangely the leaflet shows the ground on the opposite side. It does actually work.

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[Gary Bluestone]

Initial road tests indicate the need for more weight, deeper guide and the use of lock nuts on the rear wheels. I tried to lock the wheels on the axles by simply tightening them against the end of the threaded portion , to keep the width down, but lock nuts will be necessary. Besides that I may use an older looking cast gear, the Cox gear may be to modern. I did one other modification and that was to replace the upper through bolt, holding the rear assemble to the brass center chassis, with two short screws and nuts. It seemed that the whole assemble was getting squeezed together with the single through bolt. Other than that it ran great, very smooth when it wasn't popping out of the slot or shedding wheels.

[don.siegel]

Nice looking chassis Gary, and very sharp with those wire wheels!

The guide depth is critical and if built as indicated it won't be deep enough when using regular diameter front wheels. One of the articles in Car Model suggests a wooden shim between the guide and their aluminum plate and this seems to do the trick. (1/8" or so thick)

I'm not at home for the next week, so can't post any pics, but will be glad to do that as soon as I can...

Don

[Allan Feldman]

Don and Gary I think I see that the front metal guide carrier is cut in half. Is this right? I also have Russkit wires on my chassis similar to Garys and I have another chassis with a fixed front axle and guide mount rather like a Dynamics. It would be great to see if these chassis worked?
Regards Allan

[Gary Bluestone]

Allan , The guide carrier is cut away only around I brush screw, the other brush screw contacts the metal carrier which connects current throught the chassis to the motor brush.You can see in the photo showing the motor, that 1 motor brush is grounded on top with a brass plate, insulator and screw. You can see the guide carrier plate shape clearly in the insturction sheet, however it is shown on the opposite side .I don't know if these came both ways but I had to run the motor in the direction it would go, grounded to the right, even though our tracks are positve right. I just had to put the crown gear on the opposite side. It actually does work . I ran this chassis with only 1 wire.
I have had to add another shim to the carrier and am past I/8 " but can keep going and adding weight until I get good results.

[Hzqw2l]

Recently acquired NOS Ulrich 504 chassis kit.

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[Hzqw2l]

Ulrich 503 NOS rear suspension.

[Hzqw2l]

Ulrich 503 NOS rear suspension.

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[Mark Onofri]

All done without cad/cam! Amazing what you can do with a slide rule .

[old & gray]

All done without cad/cam! Amazing what you can do with a slide rule .

 

Like land men on the moon?

[Phil Smith]

I never really thought about that until reading or watching something about moon landing computer tech. It's truly amazing.

 

If I was a moon landing conspiracy theorist, which I'm not, that would be my main argument. Technology was not advanced enough to pull off a moon landing in the '60s.

[don.siegel]

I remember reading a few years ago that the typical cell phone has more computing power than the computers used on the Moon mission... 

 

And in the early years of the space program, until when I'm not sure, there was also the whole department of "human computers", as described in the movie "Hidden Figures" - probably a book too. I think it was John Glenn who wanted the woman at the head of the team to run the figures before he would go into space... 

 

Don

[Mark Onofri]

The funniest is that the same engineers who designed the Applo 11 computer are the same ones that designed the ill fated file injection for the 1980-81 Chrysler Imperial.
Then again, the SR-71.....done with a slide rule.

[Phil Smith]

The funniest is that the same engineers who designed the Applo 11 computer are the same ones that designed the ill fated file injection for the 1980-81 Chrysler Imperial.
Then again, the SR-71.....done with a slide ruler.

 

File injection. I had to ponder that a minute.

[Mark Onofri]

So much for spell check. As I've said before, it's a semi smart phone. Hmmm, I wonder if....I bet it was designed by the same geniuses. Good thing I don't have to go to the moon and back.