69 replies to this topic

[havlicek]

That is one beauty of a chassis, Jairus!

 

-john

[Jairus]

Thank you, guys!

Snowed in today so still working on the chassis.

The split pans interfered with the rear tires once I started assembling. Some other details cropped up as well, but the coffee is hot, spirits high and the radio on.

Hopefully I'll have something to show for today's efforts.

[Jairus]

Been a while since I posted any progress. Life tends to get in the way like that.

But, the chassis is done and body mounted and ready for paint.


 
The hardest part was the darned guide and leadwires.

Racing flexies has taught me about the importance of setting up a guide flag. But threading for a nut is easy! Trimming and setting it up with a little screw... not so easy.

Also, the thick yellow wires that Bob used were nearly impossible to insert into the guide holes and insert the braid. Had to make a brass tool to ram the wires in place to make room for the braid. It's no wonder why we now use a guide nut and clips today.


 

[tonyp]

For next time, the way the guide screw was put in was like this:

The post was cut to half length and the screw and washer was screwed in. Then we would hold a soldering iron on the screw and melt the post down. The extra plastic would ooze around the washer making a wobble-free assembly. Crude but that is what we did back then.

[Steve Deiters]

#2 pan head self tapping screw. Installed many of them...

[tonyp]

Here is a picture.

[Jairus]

But, Tony, Bob's example was cleaner.

Not poking you about the chassis... but the lack of melted plastic on the tongue.

I am doing my best to replicate the original car so, while I did use the iron to set the screw... I also cleaned up the excess.  

And thank you for the info and cool pic.

[tonyp]

The picture is one of Bob's cars. Sometimes that excess plastic around nut would just fall off.

Car looks great. Keep it up.

[Jairus]

Body painted so now time to start lettering.

Here is the original compared to my chassis so far.


 

 
Already I notice the brush tubes suggest Champion. Crap...

[Jairus]

Remember that old saying by Don Adams on "Get Smart"?

"Missed it by that much"!

Well, I did... time-wise.

Was hoping to get this done this morning but Johnny Lightning decided to send me four new rush projects so decks are cleared for drawing for now.

Maybe one of these evenings I can cut up the 'diaplane'  and install it.

Final pictures will follow.

 

[havlicek]

Beautiful!

[Pete L.]

 Great work. Thanks for all of the photos along the way!!!

[Jaz]

For next time, the way the guide screw was put in was like this:

The post was cut to half length and the screw and washer was screwed in. Then we would hold a soldering iron on the screw and melt the post down. The extra plastic would ooze around the washer making a wobble-free assembly. Crude but that is what we did back then.

 

I can sooo vividly remember doing that! I can still feel the sensation you got in the iron as the plastic melted and bubbled and the screw sunk in. You had to hold in down the srrew with a screwdriver immediately after removing the iron or it would just go in any direction, not stay flat.

 

And that smell of melting plastic! Ewww...

[Regis4446]

Very nice job.

[Jairus]

Final pictures.

Calling this one done so I can get onto other projects.

 

 

 

[Eddie Fleming]

Outstanding work.

[dc-65x]

Very nice, Jairus!

[Don Weaver]

Absolutely spectacular!!

[Jencar17]

[Jairus]

Thank you, guys.

Labor of love and not perfect. But close as I could get it.

[NSwanberg]

Always wondered how to bend the uprights for the axle tube with that "spring steel"?

 

Brings back some bad memories. 

[Noose]

You did a great job!

[Jairus]

Nelson, this question came up a number of years ago when a past member was building a chassis with the BEE center section.

He heated the bend and reversed the uprights so the motor could be installed can drive the other direction. I believe that is how they bent them in the first place.

But... as others have suggested, the steel may not be as hardened as we thought in the first place.
 

[zipper]

Always wondered how to bend the uprights for the axle tube with that "spring steel"?

 

Perhaps annealing - I do have similar memories...

[tonyp]

The BEE centersection was pretty soft. It had a short life in the market because it would bend pretty bad in a wreck vs the Nutley style centersection.