17 replies to this topic

[S.O. Watt]

Here's a chassis I just finished, just prior to tossing it in the tumbler. The "Way Back Machine" was set to late 1966 and the style would have been a cutting edge pro chassis.
 
1966 saw a lot of chassis innovation with the year starting with a chassis style slightly more advanced than the old "space frame" built with the Russkit brackets. The top rail had almost been replaced with the ground hugging style still in use to this day. The rail configuration used here is pretty much what the 1967 frames used. More common were three-railers with a few builders playing with a four-rail such as this one.
 
Motors were able to propel the ever heavier and lower center of gravity chassis. How many remember the eye burning smell of a melting endbell?
 
The next build will be a virtual clone of the last inline I built in early 1968, just prior to the anglewinder revolution.
 
Enjoy!

[Don Weaver]

Lordy, lordy I love Jail Doors  !!  Especially when they're done this nicely...
 
Don Weaver

[Pablo]

Very cool, Tom, I love it.

I see some techniques there I've never seen before, like the redundant strengthener rod slightly in back of the flag post that connects all the rods.

Also the way the drop arm stop uses the forward cross tube as an influence point by pulling down on the rails and body when it encounters a dip in the track surface.

"Hey guys, I'm going down a little, follow me"

[S.O. Watt]

Pablo,
 
First of all, Thanks!
 
I built this chassis trying not to be too much improved on my building chops compared to then. With the exception of my Rick's jig, I pretty much did it old school. No wire benders, just used pliers, etc.
 
If you think that little fiddle on the drop arm is different, the next oldie I build will be, ahhh, surprising in a couple of details. During this period of my slotting, I had some big influences. There was Doug Henline who talked me into entering my first-ever race. Plus the local hot shots who were almost my neighbors - Bryan Warmack and John (Tore) Anderson.

[Cheater]

How many remember the eye burning smell of a melting endbell?

That's a smell that's almost impossible to forget, if you ever got a strong whiff.

They could have used burning endbells for poison gas in the trenches in WWI very effectively IMO.

[Hworth08]

Pretty, pretty, pretty!
 
'66 was a magic year with so many changes. Our local 240 foot track went from 10 to 6 seconds by late '68. 517 motors, "handling bodies", and anglewinders...
 
To the down-side, there was seldom a full field for the Tuesday night Sports Car race in 1968. You often had to wait for track time in 1966.

[dc-65x]

Beautiful chassis, Tom.    Are you going to build it up into a car so you can "see it move"?

[S.O. Watt]

Yes, it will eventually be a runner. The owner will be acquiring more bits for it so it can be assembled.

[Jairus]

One of my favorite types of chassis to build!  Beautiful example, Tom.

[S.O. Watt]

OK, it spent four hours in the tumbler. It is now ready for delivery.
 
I built this with no special tools other than my Rick's jig which was convenient for not needing jig wheels.
 
All bends done with pliers, the rear brace hoop bent by hand around a socket, etc. Virtually no solder joint "massaging". I even allowed a few not perfectly symmetrical bends to stay, pretty much how I built them back in the day. 
 
Now on to the next project...

[Dave Fiedler]

Way Sano Tom. Loved that era.

[JimF]

Spectacular!

[Bill from NH]

Beautiful work Tom! A quick look reminds me of some of Billy Steube's work.

[S.O. Watt]

Bill, 

While I can not deny that Bill Jr's style has a bit of influence, this has several other different cues in it. I didn't meet Bill Jr. until after he returned from his Army stint.

 

This chassis has the rear axle tubes that were made with 3/16 tubing and a short insert of 5/32 inserted at the outboard ends. This was before the wide scale adoption of axle bushing and then axle bearings, and helped ensure the axle didn't bind up during chassis flex and/or a wreck induced tweak. The evolution of the rear bracing was still progressing at this time.

 

I'm happy with its finish, much nicer than a wire brush and Comet.

[Bill from NH]

It is the 1-2-1 rail configuration of your chassis that reminds me of Billy Steube rather than its details. My first scratchbuilt in '67 had 5/32" axle tubes in a Russkit bracket. I don't build much anymore, but I've always been a wire brush & Comet guy, I don't own a tumbler. When I need a mirror finish, I have a jar of Mothers Mag & Aluminium Polish.

[endbelldrive]

Lookin' good!  Is that 60/40 or Sta-brite solder?  I never noticed the tricky rear axle tubes in those grainy magazine photos in glorious black and white.  

[S.O. Watt]

Neither Bob.

 

I use 50/50 and have since I bought 2 pounds of it. I've never had an issue with solder joint strength.

 

Lookin' good!  Is that 60/40 or Sta-brite solder?  I never noticed the tricky rear axle tubes in those grainy magazine photos in glorious black and white.  

[loudspeaker]

Hi,

 

This is very nice and brings back the sweet smell of flux. I'm trying to remember if this was late '66, or early/mid '67? Seems a little later than late '66?

 

Sandy