63 replies to this topic

[Bill from NH]

Just a poor bleach job?

[Pablo]

Progress report:

-DUBRO bracket trued, braced, and duffied.

-Tongue is a Cobra/Chicagoland brass/steel sandwich.

-Chunk is .050 and will be trimmed with a taper to form fit between the center rails.

 

 

[Bill from NH]

I've never seen these motor brackets used on a chassis that was labeled DUBRO. Someone once posted they were made by another Cali company, but DUBRO is a popular name used for them. I forget who made that post, where it was made, or what company it named. It might have been a company associated with Associated. I've always called these brackets a REHCO AML 3000, but I know REHCO had nothing to do with their manufacturing.

 

You must have laid in a good supply of duffies.

[Pablo]

I have one pair left after this. When they're gone, that's it, back to cutting tubes

[Pablo]

Center section - Cobra .050" brass tongue on the bottom:

 

 

Doubled with an .032" steel piece up top:

 

[Pablo]

Don't know if it makes the car handle any better, but since I started checking my rails for straightness it makes a better build.

Everything lays nice and flat on the block like it should. I cut the bad spots out of the ones that fail inspection and use them for "whatever".

 

 

[Pablo]

Center section complete, twin .063" wire rails:

 

[Pablo]

Can paint turned out nice. VHT directions said 3 coats 10 minutes apart, followed by a 200 degree bake for 1 hour.

Final motor assembly with new, pre-radiused Mura 36D brushes and new ProSlot Speed FX springs:

 

 

Draws 1.4 amps at 3 volts, very smooth, sounds like a good PS 4002B

 

 

 

[Pablo]

Ready for an overnight tumble:

 

[Pablo]

Nice n shiny:

 

 

 

Ball bearings n duffies. ISO hinge pivots are brass on brass at the ends using .063 retainers.

 

 

Outer section lift is only about 20 thou - that's all she needs:

 

 

 

Short pieces of .039 wire stiffen and strengthen bracket face area:

 

[C. J. Bupgoo]

                      

[bluecars]

SWEET!!!

[Pablo]

Thanks, guys   Track test tomorrow.

 

 

I don't want to punch holes in the Mercedes body yet, so I mounted a Cucaracha test body of similar WB and width:

 

 

 

[Samiam]

WOW!

 

Super cool build Pablo.

 

And a unique motor that makes use of one of those homeless Puppies.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Sam, "homeless Puppies" is a good observation. A perfectly good arm is now very snug in it's new vintage home

 

Today's track test results:

-Great handler. She prefers to slide rather than tilt - overcook a turn, it simply drifts more. I ran it about 30 laps and never deslotted.

I was impressed by how nice an ISO car, even with fixed body mounts, can handle.

-Power is perfect for the car, and the motor was dead cool after the test (12.5 volts).

-Plenty of brakes; I had my Third Eye brake setting about midway and it was perfect.

-Gearing was fine.

 

This was with a junk practice body and non-independent front wheels. With free fronts and the Mercedes Benz 300 SLR body it can only get better

Post-test inspection to follow....

[Pablo]

Never let it be said I over-hype my vintage car track tests   I found a few flaws in my post-test inspection of the Mercedes.

I'm a newbie at arm dye application, and I see bare spots on the lams. No, the arm isn't contacting the mags. Simply a matter of a newbie paint job.

I'm sure there are tricks to it I have yet to learn. I can touch those bare spots up, but they may re-appear.

 

 

Koford drilled flag nut was for testing only. Waiting for a standard brass nut to arrive.

 

 

Donuts were sold to me as "Alpha Double Treated" but they cupped faster than a corn tortilla in hot oil after I trued them.

 

 

Looking at the huge pores in the rubber, I realize they are a far cry from the rubber on factory wheels.

Crap like that doesn't leave The Wolcott Ranch unless it's in a Hefty trash bag

I'll remove them and replace with Alpha Wonder.

 

 

Gears performed perfectly and show zero wear.

 

 

No other problems found; the car barely even got dirty

[James Wendel]

I will be curious to see the effect on the sweet handling when you toss those funky rear tires for something better.

[Pablo]

Better, if anything, but not much change, I expect. I am sure wonders will last much longer.

These probably would start chunking in about 10 more laps.

 

Yoda suggested just leaving the La Cucaracha body on it, and we had to practically pry it from his paws

 

[bluecars]

That's what I call a real TOYYODA. Was it made in Japan???  Car really is sweet

[C. J. Bupgoo]

             

[Pablo]

A very short piece of tubing soldered to the front axle inboard of the knockoff produces a free-wheeling right hand wheel.

The left side will be set screwed and spin the axle in the tube.

 

[Half Fast]

Very nice!

 

I love the appearance of the converging/diverging rails

 

Cheers

[Pablo]

Thanks, Bill Influenced by the works of Bob Suzuki (endbelldrive) and many others, of course

The car is done and ready for the body.

 

 

A couple dots of touch up paint around the gimbal:

 

 

Rears:

 

 

Independent fronts have about 1/16" side to side slop:

 

 

[Don Weaver]

Looking goooood!  The motor paint is fantastic.....

 

Don

[Pablo]

Thanks, Don   I think the body paint turned out nice also, but y'all can be the judge.

 

 

 

Decals are all inside, except for the license plate flag, numbers, and little red dot German inspection sticker: