16 replies to this topic

[gonegonzo]

Where do they race older style Brass Cars ?

 

Is there a series ?

 

How many of these cars are still alive ?

 

thx

Gonzo

[Pat McGee]

There's a Mid-West series (Michigan/Indiana) that features gravity unlimited as one of their classes.  Lots of info on the Planet of Speed BBS (sorry, Greg!).  Mike Low (bbr here) has hosted races featuring brass/gravity cars in Cali, and check with member sidejobjon for possible races on the East Coast.

[sidejobjon]

Gonzo,
Yes racing is cool , But get a work table togeather & have fun building Brass also. like Pat said were at? HOPE NJ area
SJJ

[gonegonzo]

Pat and Jon ,

 

Thx for the replies .

 

I'm in eastern Ohio / western Pa . border , 35 miles west of Pittsburgh , Pa .

 

I have several TYCO PRO and  2 first generation Riggen cars . I enjoy playing with them from time to time . During the famous Brass wars era , I was into 1/24th scale racing and missed the HO action . 

 

I have scratch built the 1/24th cars but never an HO . The brass panned A/FX cars look intriquing . Actually I'm intriqued by the whole brass car concept including the scratch built piano wire racers .

 

I primarily race T-Jets and AW modifeds with both Western Pa Slot Car Club and Outlaw Modifieds , both yahoo group clubs .

 

I'm searching the archives here for a more comprehensive knowledge base .

 

Where do you get small parts , bushings etc , scratch build or do you improvise using other materials ?

 

What about tooling ? Do I need some sort of jig or anything beyond my general HO tools ?

 

Are there any other web sites that pertain to brass cars ?

 

Are there any sanctions / groups specializing in brass cars ?

 

Thank you both in advance for any information .

 

Gonzo

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Check out the "Landshark" cars here and on ebay. Built out west. We raced them at the Big Shot Shootout here in So Cal not long ago.

[A. J. Hoyt]

Your timing is very good to go racing the "Brass Wars" cars. Some very new available items make it easier than in past decades to do so. One is the smaller can motors and pinion gears for those motors that facilitate making very good running in-lines and angle-winders with lots of room for scratch-building innovation on the chasses.

 

A second advantage is you absolutely do NOT need to make your own tires anymore with sili-sponge and slip-on silicone tires (with a plethora of double flanged rims) that work really well.

 

A third is that the brush tubes and pans (for A/FX cars) are being reproduced now (Doug Morris is a good source - he sometimes makes them and often has them available).

 

The other is the smoothness of today's tracks. The "standard" shoe pickups work very well (did not work as well back in the day with the sectional "lock and joiner" track) and the "wiper" pickups really last a long time - section tracks presented lots of "high" leading edges of rail that acted like a saw blade to wear grooves into them.

 

There are some new innovations coming out with wiper trailing edge containment (as seen at the BSS in SoCal) that, purportedly, makes it harder for the marshals to "screw" the wiper pickups when they twist a spun-out car straight again (really aggravating back in the day).

 

I encourage everyone to jump in and make Gravity class cars. We ran an IROC race here in CO not too long ago, where six cars were prepared for the six lane Scorpion layout, all six being a different design of what was run back in the day. The racers that stayed for that race got to experience the feel of what was an "unlimited" HOPRA car back when I was a teenager. If memory serves, the difference from first to last was only three laps at the end of six heats because the cars were so easy to adapt to, even though they all had their own "personalities". They kind of race like Retro 1/24th cars!

 

Keep it in the slot,

 

AJ

[chaparrAL]

Here is the main event at the first Midwest Gravity race at Lucky Bobs Raceway in Milwaukee.

1st Jim Keen LANDSHARK Anglewinder , 2nd Bob Dame   Pennington Sidewinder , 3rd Bill Macy  LANDSHARK Inline , 4th Scott Terry TCP pan A/FX

Really good drivers there. And an interesting mix of cars, no Slottech/WIZZ/BSRT cars.    GOOD!!!

 

 

Check out Lucky Bobs Raceway web  site for your HO racing needs. He has LANDSHARK inline motor brackets with bronze bushings and inline chassis kits for like the third place car pictured above,in stock.

[gonegonzo]

I'm hoping that there is no intent in moving G-Jet type cars into the gravity scene is there ? I'm into this as it deals with vintage style slot cars .

Thx ,
Gonzo

[A. J. Hoyt]

Make no mistake, G-Jet cars have evolved into "magnet" cars, with significantly more magnetic attraction from the motor magnets than they had when they were first released. They have no business being called "gravity" racers. While Gary's comments in the web site of why G-Jets were designed and first introduced are worthy goals, racers always want to go faster. The difference in speed of the new generation releases makes the old generation obsolete.

 

That fact notwithstanding, the G-Jets are still a very fun class when running them absolutely stock (only G-Jet parts allowed) and a very good investment. In our CO racing in MHOSA, I had a great time racing the first generation G-Jet car for several seasons (the car did not wear out - part of the reason it is a great investment - it just became obsolete based on newer-updated releases). We have run them over 12 hours in enduro races with only the pickups needing to be changed out. This is way more than a dozen normal race weekends. At $60, that is about $5 a race - you will spend more on gas getting to the races than on wear and tear of components! It's a great concept.

 

I would propose that these releases of a faster, improved model get a new name (or, even, version number) and everyone "lock" their rules so that that version is raced for a period of a couple of years (or much longer) before allowing any parts from the new release. This way, racers could get a good return on their investment before abandoning it for the newer release.

 

To comment on this topic (drift), it may be appropriate to start a new thread. My biggest point is that G-Jets are their own kind of fun - not a builder/mechanical traction kind of fun that the gravity racers are.

 

Keep it in the slot,

 

AJ

[gonegonzo]

Thx AJ for your reply . I wasn't aware that the G-Jet had a magnetic attraction now . I thought they were what they were when developed at first .

 

I respect the new car but really have no interest in getting involved with them . I have a vast archives of slot cars . I've narrowed it down to racing T-Jets and drag racing 1/24th scale cars . I'd like to lighten my load with the extra archive material .

 

I would be interested in getting involved with the TRUE gravity cars though . The scratch built chassis cars , the Riggen's , TYCO PRO's and the others . It's all a nostalgic trip for me plus the fact I am a builder both in slot cars and 1=1 cars as well . How do they say ? " It's in the blood " !

 

I missed the first Brass Wars while racing 1/24th cars . Maybe I can catch up on some of it now . 

 

Gonzo  

[bbr]

Even T-jets have an small amount magnetic attraction that will affect the handling. Most Fray racers will run as low as possible to take advantage of the magnetic attraction.

The gravity racers in the Mid-West have a "Pin Test" for magnetic attraction. A Fray Jet will not pass the "Pin Test".

i also believe that the East Coast Brass Cars, the can motor cars, will not pass the "Pin Test".

If you want to race with no magnetic attraction, then applying  the "Pin Test" .

[gonegonzo]

Thx Mike .

Gonzo

[Mark Johnson]

Some neo motor magnet G's and storms have passed the pin test and raced in the midwest series .

[sidejobjon]

Gonzo,

See you race1/24 Drags. Look up Skip-pack PA HO drag racing at its finest. Next race November 7 Maybe see you there

SJJ

[gonegonzo]

Hello John ,

 

It's been years since I dag raced HO scale . My cars are all obsolete as even then we ran by our own rules . To attend that race would mean a 7 hour drive >>> too many miles >>> . I'd love to attend just to see what goes on but at this time I don't see it happening . Thx for the invitation just the same .

 

Gonzo

[sidejobjon]

Wierd your in pa 7 hrs I am in NJ like 1 hr 30. Can't believe PA so big.
Sjj

[gonegonzo]

Pa . is a long state east to west and a big state overall .

 

I wish there were closer races so we all could play .

 

Gonzo