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Why don't you build motors?


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#1 gotboostedvr6

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 01:22 PM

A simple question, Why don't you build motors?


David Parrotta




#2 havlicek

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 04:45 PM

... b-b-b-but, I do!


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#3 jimht

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 05:27 PM

And since you do it better than many, it's obvious that you're one of the reasons many don't build their own.


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#4 Jairus

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 05:31 PM

I do!

 

About two out of three are fantastic. The others I plan to send to John Havlicek for help... :wink2:


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#5 NY Nick

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 09:09 PM

I do - built five in the last week.


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#6 Danny Zona

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 09:26 PM

I never could. Nothing but turds.
Test, test, test and go test some more.
You're never fast enough!!! 💯

Preparation leads to separation.

Success is never owned but rented and rent is due everyday.

KELLY RACING 😎

#7 Samiam

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Posted 13 May 2017 - 09:54 PM

Building three 16Ds for PJR's Flexi races.


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#8 havlicek

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 07:50 AM

I never could. Nothing but turds.

 

I find that hard to believe. There's nothing all that difficult going on with this. It's a heckuva lot easier than building chassis or painting bodies.


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John Havlicek

#9 glueside

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 07:53 AM

I got tired of chasing the one magical bullet out of 100. Each month someone seems to come out with something new, or something gets outlawed and you are stuck the thousands of dollars worth of motors that no one else wants, but for pennies on the dollar. USRA allowed way too many changes to their rule set in a short amount of time and as can be seen from attendance; it has hurt them a lot.


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#10 John C Martin

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 08:46 AM

I never could. Nothing but turds.


BS!!! BS!!! I won with one of your turds at the Nats in 4-1/2" NASCAR, you were the best!!


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#11 Danny Zona

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 08:56 AM

I've definitely built a whole lot of motors. Holly Hill Horsepower.

I was just being a smart A$$. Imagine that. Ha-ha.

Motor building is an art. I was a pretty good motor builder in my day but a way better motor tester.
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Test, test, test and go test some more.
You're never fast enough!!! 💯

Preparation leads to separation.

Success is never owned but rented and rent is due everyday.

KELLY RACING 😎

#12 Danny Zona

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 11:28 AM

BS!!! BS!!! I won with one of your turds at the Nats in 4-1/2" NASCAR, you were the best!!


The good old days.

I remember you had the big dogs scrambling through their motor boxes.

I still have that motor and back-ups. They are laid to rest in the motor box graveyard.

Ancient history.
Test, test, test and go test some more.
You're never fast enough!!! 💯

Preparation leads to separation.

Success is never owned but rented and rent is due everyday.

KELLY RACING 😎

#13 Robert BG

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 01:34 PM

A simple question, Why dont you build motors?


Because I enjoy it... Seriously if this hobby was just about what I do at the track it wouldn't be much of a hobby. Building motors and cars for the matter is something I enjoy in my free time. ;)
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#14 Tim Neja

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Posted 14 May 2017 - 11:17 PM

Takes way too much time and money to build motors as well as everything else! I prefer to spend my time building chassis!!
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She's real fine, my 409!!!

#15 tonyp

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 06:55 AM

Ditto, I hated building them back in the day. When John Gorski walked into my office at work 10 years ago and said we have to start this Retro racing like they were doing at BRP my first question was, "Do we have to build motors?" I went through the era were we had to have a motor for every heat, that turned me off motor building forever...
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#16 havlicek

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 07:15 AM

These kinds of things will always get the same kinds of answers, because it's all about really subjective stuff.  It's kind of like asking... "why don't you bake pies?"... or... "why don't you do drywall?". People are just "wired" differently is all, and we could be asking: "why don't you paint bodies?" or "why don't you build chassis?"

Sometimes, instead of saying they just don't like it, people will talk about the "speed wars", and how winning became all about who has the biggest budget. I get that as well, even though there ought to be a place for those who enjoy that in slots (and there is!). Slots can get expensive enough even at the "low end" with $300 controllers, multiple motor programs, etc!

There should be room for all sorts of racers in slots, but the popularity of programs/classes where no motor building is involved speaks for itself... a lot of people just like not building motors!  They would probably be asking: "Why do you build motors?"   :D


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#17 Jairus

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 11:18 AM

""... wired" differently"  I see what you did there...  :laugh2:
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#18 havlicek

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 12:40 PM

:)


John Havlicek

#19 Justin A. Porter

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 01:49 PM

I enjoy it, but I'm not particularly successful at it. I enjoy bringing a motor back to life and hearing it run, but I can only point to one or two podiums that my motors have scored. 

 

On the other hand, motors my dad has built have been quite successful for our program, and he enjoys building and refreshing, so it works out well to drop off a handful of components with him and say, "Dad, could you make some power out of this?"



#20 havlicek

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 02:15 PM

... all I can say is, I've reached my quota of "likes" here for the day, but this would have been another one!
John Havlicek

#21 NY Nick

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 05:34 PM

Never got a fast sealed motor and at one time I was buying 5 motors  a race.

I race vary little now maybe 3 times a years, mostly Built motors OM 12.


Nick Cerulli

#22 James Grandi

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Posted 15 May 2017 - 06:09 PM

I always built my own motors when running a class that allowed it - and still do build for others when they request it of me. It was enjoyable in the same sense that I get from building retro chassis - there is a distinct feeling of accomplishment when you put something together and it goes well on the track.

That being said, motor building was not cheap. You spend a lot of money on tools to do it right, and then spend even more money on arms, magnets and setup components trying to make something work. I still own about 50 .560 16D arms, but only about half of them ever made for a decent piece, despite trying in multiple different setups. It has its upside, and its drawbacks - but is a skill I am glad to have developed to the amature degree that I have
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