After the "year of love" that 1967 had provided... '68 was a very turbulent year.
Vietnam ramped up with the "Tet Offensive" and the "My Lai" massacre, we lost our first nuclear sub, "2001 a Space Odyssey" was released in the theater, Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Russians, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King were shot and killed. (whew!)
On the hobby front the model car industry was still going great guns while the slot car industry began seeing a down-turn with tracks starting to close because of inactivity. Mostly due to the boomer generation moving on to adulthood (cars and girls).
Slot Racing professionally had suffered a revolt of it's own.
The innovation of the "Anglewinder", just a few months previous, had builders on in a crash 'trial and error' program to seen just what chassis version to build in order to make these table top machines go even faster.
The months April, May and June were before the plumber chassis was invented... but well into the tilting pans and motor box era. And that is where I want to venture into with this build.
Not a replica per se... just an exercise in fun for a change following along with the innovators of that early era.
Most popular bits used back at the time are shown:
Re-popped Lola T70 spyder for a body
Cukras/Mura "A" can for power
Riggen wheels for grip with new rubber
Cox for a guide
Cobra for gears (not sold on that just yet and might go Weldun or Cox)
Lots of race reports and chassis build articles featured in later '68 Car Model mags show the variation in pan, tongue and rail designs. So... I am pretty open to what was used. Some winners like John Cukras below ran little more than an earlier 3-rail jaildoor anglewinder chassis to win. While others on the east coast were using 4 rail (brass and music wire mix). (See Tony Przybylowiez "Team Nutley's Winning Easter Chassis" article in Oct. '68 CM)
I sort of like the simplicity of the Cukras chassis and will probably go that route.
The key to this project is the motor of course.
It's a piece I've been working on for years.
A replica (no... not original Pdl) of an original first gen Cukras/Mura motor built with all original parts!
Arm features an untied com and came out of an early Mura "A" can.
Can and end bell also early "A" with no can mounting holes.
Mura Magnets of course.
Only thing I added were the shunt wires.
Thanks to John Cukras for the correct unused can decal.
Sings mighty sweetly and might be a gernade. But will suffice for this project.
Only thing I've done regarding a chassis is bending a motor box and cutting a drop arm.
But the day is open....