59 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

Chassis is a genuine Limpach as far as I can tell.

It has one of those "coatings" on it, so no rust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parts gathering and full assembly to follow.........

[Kevin Donovan]

What was the idea behind the ISO anyway?
Looks like it just lets the front wheels raise up out of the way and get the chassis down on the track where it belongs.
At least the modern cars have gone away from the useless front tires.

[Pablo]

This isn't an ISO. The front axle tube is solid connected via rails to the motor box and rear axle tube.

The drop arm hinges off the rails and the torsion plumber rails hinge off the drop arm.

It's a torsion plumber with the pans hard connected to the plumber rails.

As opposed to a full plumber where the pans lift and tilt via hinges.

 

An ISO is where the front axle is hinged and can lift independent of the main rails, like a La Cucaracha.

[Jaz]

Like the built-in glue shield!

[Pablo]

It must have been added; these cookie cutter chassis never came with built in goop shields.

[Bill from NH]

I would say it was a genuine Limpach too. I own #112 of the 888's & this one has a few changes/differences. Is it numbered on the top of the drop arm? I had read on here that some of his later 888's were built by others & some parts were sold as kits.

[Pablo]

No "888" markings at all. I think it is simply one of many Limpach variations, circa early 70's, sold for about $6.

Whatever it is, I'm going to do the best I can with it.

The owner wants it to be a runner but he's not going to drive it to death

 

Bill, I'm thinking can drive Mura soldered in, 64P gears, 13/16 OD rears, .750 fronts, Jet Flag, etc. What say ye?

[mjsh]

We always took the motor mount off and replaced with a piece of wire. Never seen one with drop arm cut like that.  This would be a perfect use of the Associated fronts. 

[Bill from NH]

The 888 was priced at $8.88 retail when I bought mine.  On the specs, i would say everything was okay, except mine used 5/8" Aguirre fronts, so check the front axle height. I think I ran a 24S arm, but it did not handle well in heavy glue. Any of the milder C-can arms, such as a Grp 20, X-12, Super Wasp, or Contender should make for a more driveable car. If you want a period body, try the O/S Lancer Porsche coupe or the open cockpit version. Both bodies have plenty of front end downforce.

[Pablo]

Cool. Thanks guys.

[elvis44102]

I would say it was a genuine Limpach too. I own #112 of the 888's & this one has a few changes/differences. Is it numbered on the top of the drop arm? I had read on here that some of his later 888's were built by others & some parts were sold as kits.

 That sure looks like Jans signature...

 

I was one of the "others"  i built some chassis in the early 1980"s for him as well as thread wheel hubs and grind tires and fill lotion bottles....

 

but with fading memory i don't remember drop arms with that kinda hole system

[Bill from NH]

I forget the exact year they became available, but in the early 70's I saw some sold by Parma. They were raw aluminum, had no cutouts in the cooling hole areas, & the end corners were square, not rounded off. I don't know if I have any, but they looked like aluminum strips bent over the top of a motor. I don't recall if the Parmas were cut to fit D-can endbells, C-can endbells, or both.

[Bill from NH]

 That sure looks like Jans signature...

 

John, the signature on the chassis Pablo has is quite different than that on the 888 I've had since the early 70's, numbered 112. I took into account that Pablo's was probably done with an engraving bit in a Dremel, whereas mine was done with an engraving machine & the writing is much sharper.

 

I never saw droparms like those either. They certainly weren't sold by Parma, like Jan's other brass chassis parts. Parma had solid & one-hole droparms. My guess is that it's a user-modified solid Parma drop.

[elvis44102]

 

John, the signature on the chassis Pablo has is quite different than that on the 888 I've had since the early 70's, numbered 112. I took into account that Pablo's was probably done with an engraving bit in a Dremel, whereas mine was done with an engraving machine & the writing is much sharper.

 

I never saw droparms like those either. They certainly weren't sold by Parma, like Jan's other brass chassis parts. Parma had solid & one-hole droparms. My guess is that it's a user-modified solid Parma drop.

I really haven't seen a signature in 30 years plus so i couldn't tell you what they look like, only my fading memory...

 

I mentioned that i made some chassis in early 80's but they were "Pacesetters" and several others i know made them. 

 

This pictured chassis is more early 70's vintage (especially with motor mount!?) when i was in high school i used to stop by frequently (Jans mom even made supper occasionally)

 

Funny thing is/was I dont really think of Jan as a chassis builder at all, i do remember him obsessing for an hour or more trying to get five thousandths more clearance at a race...

 

When Jan decided to go "Professional" he started having more stuff like Gorski controllers and Dave Bloom bodies...I know he had the car he won some European race with in 1983 (Paul Pfieffer built chassis) cause I completely copied the chassis as the last slot car I built.  Jan was a good driver not so much a builder

[Pablo]

Owner has approved this powerplant:  http://slotblog.net/...20-c-can-motor/

 

I thought the chassis wouldn't need much TLC, but upon closer inspection it obviously needs corrective surgery.

The rear axle tube alignment is a mile off, found some hairline solder cracks, and gouges in some brace wires.

I may as well fix any and all problems then tumble it.

 

 

1972 rules will be used:

-5/8" OD fronts

-13/16" OD rears

-3 1/8" max widths

 

Parts gathering so far:

-Mura "C" motor with 42 degree Champion Group 20 arm, all new parts, BB's on both ends

-64P gears 9/42. Spur is a Camen (thanks to Phil H. for verification)

-Steube Associated magnesium front wheels

-Limpach's Cuts rear wheels

-Jet Flag

-VXB unshielded ball bearings

 

[Pablo]

How about this this body for it?

Genuine Champion Waters/Dave Bloom Ferrari 612.

WB is perfect, about 3 7/8", and width is perfect 3 1/8"

 

 

[Pablo]

We always took the motor mount off and replaced with a piece of wire.

I did a rough mock-up of the gears and motor, and I can see why you would discard it, Mike.

A motor mount on a left hand can drive anglewinder like this is useless, and the motor needs to be positioned further left anyway

[Bill from NH]

The body looks good.

 

Your spur gear isn't a Faas because the Faas gear hubs are about 3/8" dia. on the back side & yours is bigger. The Faas hubs don't flare out like that one either. Do you need a dab of Camen "Grease-it" gear grease? It might not be any better than white "Lubriplate" but its what most people used in the day to break in metal gears.

 

West coast builders were using motor mounting plates on can-mounted motors weeks, if not months after eastern builders dumped them. I don't still have it, but my first wing car chassis had one, 3/4" fronts, & 7/8' rears. I ran it in one race, then probably took it home in a brown paper bag.

[mike1972chev]

How would that rear axle tube get THAT far off???   Could it have been assembled wrong once upon a time???

[tonyp]

Could be a Camen gear.


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[Jaz]

Anyone notice the unusual build of the rails?

 

One the gear side, the main rail runs the entire length. On the other side the main rail stops just past the motor box.  

Interesting flex characteristics???

[Bill from NH]

I noticed it. Maybe it was built that way for a particular track, or maybe it was built by somebody with a kit.

[MSwiss]

The rails are sort of shifted, biased toward the right side of the car.

 

The reason?

 

For endbell clearance / fitting the motor in?

 

I traveled a fair amount with Jan, back in the "Van Rossem, free trips to Europe", era.

 

A super entertaining, outgoing guy.

 

I always thought Retro racing would of drawn Jan back in to some occasional racing.

 

But so far, no dice.

 

If Jan happens to be lurking here, we miss you.

[Pablo]

Looks like a pretty standard design for a can drive to me.

Once they went to can drive, rail(s) went all the way back to the axle tube.

 

Jeff, you mentioned a "motor box" but motor boxes were made obsolete by using can drive configuration.

This chassis has no motor box. Mura made endbells with cut outs to allow the non-gear side rails to pass under them.

 

Anyway, I did some preliminary work. Flag is trimmed/blueprinted, sharp edges of nut rounded and polished, all four rotating surfaces faced, pinion width trimmed

 

[MSwiss]

 

Here's a pic of a Rick Thigpen build.

 

The rail configuration is symmetrical.

 

IOW, both inner rails don't go all the way back.

 

With the Limpach, one inner rail goes all the way back, and the other doesn't.

 

And one outer rail goes all the way back, and the other outer rail, doesn't.

 

 

Same with this Bill Steube Jr. chassis, which I guess is the original, he is cloning.

 

 

Or a Limpach 888.