107 replies to this topic

[Mbloes]

I've always had good luck with red Loctite.

 

Ha sorry! I thought we were still on "bearings" and didn't know we had moved on to "body"!

[Pablo]

 I was going to try it, now you spoiled my fun. 

[Gator Bob]

Bob, I found a pair of genuine tapered hole Cox hubs in my vintage box of horrors. 

 

Tonight: donuts on proper 1/2" wide hubs, (body) glue experiments, and foam piece fitting. 

 

Lucky find. 

 

Did you get a hold of that kind of foam?

 

The only 'Cuc' roller kit I have... has the gray tires with 5-40 hubs. Don't know if any came like that.

[Pablo]

I actually found two pair of them. Professor Motor had the acorn nuts, Electric Dreams had the axle, and Hobbylinc had the styrene rods.

 

Don't know if the foam I sourced is "right" but it looks like it should work fine.

[Pablo]

Hope these are the right hubs - .507" width, tapered axle hole.

 

Found a pair of tan donuts and pre-cut them to about 1.2" OD and .67" width before gluing:

 

[Pablo]

Just thought I'd throw this in, John's new Chihuahua, Rudy:

 

 

Floor polish experiment. TSR says use "Future" to shine old Cuc bodies. I had "Mop & Glo" so I used that.

Right side wheel well with, left side without, looks like a huge improvement to me:

 

 

As you can see, the decals were a big disappointment. They scratch if you touch them. John can replace them with something better at a later date.

 

Glue experiment: It has been said the only glue that will work on polypropylene is contact cement, so I placed dollops of five different types on the inside edge of the body under the left front fin. Left to right:

 

1. 3M #80 Rubber & Vinyl Spray Adhesive (contact cement)

2. Loctite Vinyl, Fabric, & Plastic Flexible Adhesive

3. Super Glue (the original)

4. Permatex Clear RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant

5. JB Weld 2 part Plastic Bonder

 

 

Good:

- 3M (excellent adhesion and flex)

- Super Glue (excellent adhesion, but rigid)

 

Not good:

- Loctite Vinyl, Fabric, & Plastic Flexible Adhesive

- Permatex Clear RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant

- JB Weld two-part Plastic Bonder

 

Unless someone has a better idea, I plan to use 3M for the rollbar.

[Pablo]

Mop & Glo; I simply spread it on with a Q-Tip.

 

Not bad looking for a 45-year old body:

 

[Jairus]

Looks good, Paul!

[Lone Wolf]

Nice job, Paul. 
 
Here is what the rear wheels are supposed to look like. Black rubber with not much tire. Wheels are the wider type, almost 5/8" wide.
 
Cox La Cucaracha Super Cuc Vintage 1/24 slot car
 
As far as the foam, I have found some nice replacement foam inside a box that was used to protect the contents. Unfortunately I don't remember what is was exactly. I think it was a phone. Sorry I could not be more exact but that's where I found mine.
 
One last thing, to reduce the diameter of holes in metal I use different size metal balls (for different size holes) placed in the hole and lightly tapped with a hammer. It works very well. I use them all the time to reduce oversize holes in Manta Ray body mount holes which are almost always oversized.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Jairus. 

 

Thanks, Joe. That's a nice Cuc and the pics will help me.

 

I disagree with those wheels being correct. The correct axle is a tapered with 2-56 threads, and those don't have anything outside of the hub securing the axle. So I don't know about that. 

 

5/8" is too wide for a Cuc - that's why the outside edges of those are shredded from contacting the wheel wells.

 

Looks like those are the exact same stickers I used and they are junk.

 

I've got three different types of foam here, so I should be OK   ... I hope.

[Lone Wolf]

Paul,

The regular Cuc uses tapered wheels, wider on the later cars.
 
The Super Cuc uses wide set screw wheels with black rubber as seen here as well. These are the correct ones.

Joe
 
Vintage Cox La Cucaracha 1/24 Slot Car

[proptop]

I wonder how the rubberized super glue would work?
 
Can't recall the actual name of it, but Loctite makes their version of it... it stays slightly flexible.
Only potential problem might be is that it is black...

 

Edit: Loctite super glue ultra gel control... black... rubberized...

 

I am looking, just out of curiosity to see if they make it in any other colors?

[Mbloes]

The regular Cuc uses tapered wheels, wider on the later cars.
 
The Super Cuc uses wide set screw wheels with black rubber as seen here as well. These are the correct ones.

 
I thought there was a book somewhere with all this stuff in it...

[Bill from NH]

IC2000 is one version of it, Tom. We've mounted urethane tires to aluminum rims with it. I haven't seen it, but there is a clear rubberized CA glue, too.

[Pablo]

OK, Joe, I stand corrected, thanks. 

 

But the wheel clearance issue remains...

 

The body above the rear wheels bulges up and tapers downward at the sides - 15/16" OD wheels that extend beyond that bulge will rub. Thanks to Gator Bob for pointing that out. 

 

Maybe when they changed to wider rears they should have changed the body to accommodate them.

The second one you showed looks like the rear width was slightly less than the first, yet the wells were hogged out (especially on the right side). So I know there was some wheel rubbing going on.  That one looks to have original stickers, by the way.

 

I don't want my clean new tan donuts touching the body, so I'm going with 1/2" wheels, tapered axle, and acorn nuts.

 

The motor is stock (except for the can BB) so I don't want or need a lot of traction anyway.

 

 

Hi, Tom. 

[Lone Wolf]

Paul, didn't want to come off as a pompous know it all, just trying to help.  

[Pablo]

We've known each other a long time, Joe; no way I would ever think that of you.

[proptop]

Howdy, guys... 

 

I see that someone put a link in my post above... thanks... it's kind of 'spensive though, ain't it...

[Pablo]

Yeah, Tom, for $28 I could have gotten John a brand new windshield instead of a jury-rigged water bottle. 

[proptop]

That Cuc is turning out real nice, Pablo... gotta wear shades cuz of the Mop-n-Glo. 

 

I think I need to look in my fridge to see what kind of R/C tire glue I might have still stashed in there... it's still good yet...? (Thanks, Bil.l)

 

Some of those R/C "tire glues" are semi-pliable so that the rubber tires don't go slinging off the plastic (usually nylon) wheels. And they cost a lot less... IIRC I got a 2 oz. bottle for ten bucks.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Tom. 

 

Mailwoman just brought some acorn nuts, and an axle. Hello, perfect 2-1/4" center to center footprint width, and goodbye body rub.

 

Hey Bob, how do you like me now?

 

[Pablo]

Chucked up the Cox tapered axle in the "poor man's lathe" and polished it with 2,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper:

 

 

It gave me a thrill to polish a 45-year old part:

 

 

Needle bearings polished:

 

 

Three foam choices:

 

 

That's all for now...

[Pablo]

I wasn't happy with the water bottle windshield, so, in the end, it got a simple straight up strip of Lexan:

 

[Gator Bob]

Mailwoman just brought some acorn nuts, and an axle. Hello, perfect 2-1/4" center to center footprint width, and goodbye body rub.
 
Hey Bob, how do you like me now?

 
Hmmm... let's see... skinny, tan, shaved, slick... and she's a 'Cuc'. 

What's not to like about that?

[Pablo]

You got that right, Bob.  Your foam dimensions were very helpful.

 

The flag is now planted:

 

 

I ended up using pieces of the tan donut holes, cut square-ish and secured to the center section with 3M #80. Mine are about .215" height and place the front wheels at a perfect height - slightly above the block:

 

 

I don't know about other Cucs, but this one required 30 thou of spacers outboard of each needle bearing to prevent the main spacers from riding on the flanges. This flaw, and several others, are probably why many Cuc owners back in the day were unimpressed with the performance and simply gave up. 

 

 

 

.915" OD:

 

 

Just didn't have the heart to solidify the bearings yet. I left it stock, no JB Weld, no reinforcement, nothing.

John can track test it and if it needs to be secured, we can do it. It passes the drivetrain test as is with flying colors:

 

 

Holy cow, bending styrene rod is easier than I thought:

 

 

Now, where did I put that doggone chrome paint?