52 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

The "A tale of two Harveys" saga began when I acquired a Lancer and Dynamic version of the iconic Harvey Aluminum Special body. They are among my favorite 1960's bodies but they were in sad shape.

 

The link below shows the the bodies "reincarnation" and lots of cool period article about the full size racer:

 

A tale of two Harveys

 

I've been waffling on how to build up each of these bodies. The Lancer is pretty much a scale body and the Dynamic is a "Low and Wide" racer version. Then I found this period Dynamic bodied racer:

 

 

 

"Floating pans", wide grey rear tires and a Champion powerhouse motor:

 

 

 

This little period "shop car" has become my inspiration for my Dynamic Harvey build and the Champion 517 motor will be rebuilt and power my new build. The roller then goes to my buddy Rodney for a restoration so it will live again.

 

Here are all the bits and pieces of the original car:

 

 

Here's the Champion powerhouse:

 

 

Looks a bit rough on the outside:

 

 

 

Next the motor comes apart to see what awaits me inside...........

[Pablo]

[Bill from NH]

Rick, I've got a factory painted Lancer that I built up in 1967-68 & two REHCO repops that are labeled as Lancer. Both of these repops have extended noses like a Dynamic, so I assume they were pulled using a Dynamic mold rather than a Lancer.. Someday I will build a clone of my 67-68 Lancer bodied car, but build it better.

[dc-65x]

Hi Pablo  

 

 

Someday I will build a clone of my 67-68 Lancer bodied car, but build it better.

 

Me too Bill. I'm building the cool early cars I've always liked as best I can.....fun stuff! 

[dc-65x]

Here's the motor torn down to all its grungy components:
 

 
The parts are degreased for inspection:
 

 
The armature need attention:
 

 
You can see the low spots on the comm as it's being trued up:
 

 
The arm is ready for action. It was discussed in an earlier thread on Champion motors that these particular armature insulators were color coded to identify the wire size. Red is 26 ga. and this are does have a heavier wire than other 28's and 29's I have:
 

 
The parts ready to reassemble. The only parts I'm replacing are the shunted brushes, bare endbell, endbell bearing.................

 

 

.......and the loosey goosey crapo ball bearing in the can. I pressed it out of the can bearing holder. The first time I tried to remove the ball bearing from a test can, it popped right out. On this can it came out in pieces shown on the right.

 

Here's the crapo ball bearing and its oilite replacement:

 

 

The rebuilt motor cleaned up nicely:

 

 

I added my clear Teflon brush spring insulators. Now the brush spring and therefore the endbell spring post are completely insulated from the current and heat:

 

 

The new endbell is tapped for 2-56 machine screws:

 

 

She looks like new and is ready to roll:

 

 

There is always a risk with these old arms that corrosion got inside the comm. It could blow at any time but it will be fun to see it run again.

[dc-65x]

I've always like this car from a 1968 issue of Model Car Racing Journal. The 5-spoke American Mag style wheels aren't "scale" but I think they really pop on this slot car:

 

 

I decided to go with the threaded version these period Cox wheels on the front and turn down a pair of set screw versions to make wheel inserts for my Riggen rear wheels:

 

 

Here what I used for the fronts...........

 

 

............and for the rears:

 

 

I've got the Cox mags for wheel inserts, crispy critter 50 year old grey donuts, and some first generation Riggen set screw wheels with black tires. I hated to remove those new old stock black tires from the rims........ ..........so I checked out there later production Riggen AA wheels. All I had to do was trim down the flange on the AA wheels and they're almost identical to the earlier Riggen wheels.

 

Riggen AA wheel on the left, modified AA wheel in the center and first generation Riggen set screw wheel on the right:

 

 

I was really worried about the crispy grey donuts busting apart when I tried to mount them. I lucked out and they mounted and trued up nicely:

 

 

Here's the Cox wheel's transformation into a super cool wheel insert for the Riggen rear's:

 

 

The finished front and rear wheels/tires, 3/4" fronts and 13/16' X 5/8" rears :

 

 

The front axle is next....

[Pablo]

Perfection

[SlotStox#53]

Never get tired of watching your turn wheels into inserts

Love the choice of car to build & the finished wheels will suit it perfectly

[dc-65x]

Thanks guys. I have an assortment of Cox wheels which are beautiful but I avoid using threaded wheels whenever possible. I'm glad I can give them life on a car as a wheel insert to dress up a plain aluminum set screw wheel.

[dc-65x]

For an independent front wheel setup I tried a go to standard Riggen wire drop front axle, Dynamic axle reducers, Mini-Auto piano wire spacers and some 3/32" brass tube:

 

 

The Cox wheels are a blind thread so there's no simply soldering a washer on the front of the wheel to retain it to the axle.

 

A short piece of that 3/32" tube retains the axle reducer and the Cox wheel simply threads over it.

 

A paper spacer made sure the axle reducer would spin freely after soldering the retainer on.

 

 

The Riggen axle is the perfect height for the 3/4" tires but it's too wide for the Cox wheels. Rather than bending up a new axle I decided to simply cut out a section of the axle and insert it in a piece of 3/32" tube:

 

 

The 2 ends of the axle will butt up against each other in the tube and the tube's notches will allow solder to flow along the full length:

 

 

I'm using a REHco rear bracket and one of my last pair of "duffies" for the axle bearings:

 

 

The bracket's motor bearing hole was opened up from .250" to .320" and some piano wire bracing added:

 

 

Time to get everything in the Rick's Jig..........

[Regis4446]

Thank you Rick for these explanations, it is very clear and very precise with the photos.

[olescratch]

Ideas, plenty of good ones being given here!  I hope you won't mind me using some.

[dc-65x]

Thanks.    I hope showing what I've decided to do in my projects will encourage others to dive in and start building....even if they use what I'm doing as a way not to do it!  

[dc-65x]

I figured out the layout of the chassis on my "acid free" setup fixture then duplicated it on my soldering jig.

 

 

The setup took me way longer than soldering everything up:

 

 

The center section cleaned up:

 

 

4 brass rails like the original chassis:

 

 

The inner rails are one piece and soldered directly to the "arms" of the motor bracket to form the lower axle brace:

 

 

 

The original "inspirational" chassis and mine for comparison:

 

 

On to the front axle.........

[Pablo]

:clapping:Just never get tired of seeing precision   

[dc-65x]

Thanks Pablo. Here's the center section with the front axle installed:
 

 

The solder flowed like crazy into those 4 holes to lock the axles in place:

 

 

Here's the brace behind the front axle:

 

 

Next up is the drop arm. I'm waffling between a plate drop arm like the original chassis or building up one from a zillion rods. Hmmmmmmmmmm............

[dc-65x]

I decided on a plate style drop arm and a Dynamic Low Profile guide like the original chassis. Here's the guide flag and Dynamic pillow block to mount it:

 

 

Here are the parts before soldering. Note the .018" deep cut I milled into the Dynamic pillow block. This provides a nice "stop" for it to butt up and align against the plate drop arm:

 

 

Everything soldered up using the jig for alignment:

 

 

The drop arm was left long. This allows the right amount of solder to create a nice fillet to stay in the joint and the excess to be dragged back (note the puddle of solder).

 

 

The excess plate is cut off and a nice solder joint is left:

 

 

The finished drop arm:

 

 

The chassis ready for the "floating pans":

 

 

A comparison with the original "inspirational" chassis with my wider drop arm version:

 

 

Time for the pans..............

[Pablo]

[olescratch]

Like the drop arm tutorial!  Definitely gonna locate some of those pillow blocks to try it! 

[dc-65x]

Hey John, PM me your mailing address and I'll send you a Dynamic pillow block to try.

[Bruce Wayne]

Yummy, that's a big and beefy guide tongue!
It's got the fat where you want it ☺

Outstanding spit and polish too Rick, can't tell the brass from the solder joints!

As an aside, may I please ask how you maintain that finish with your cars in storage?
Is it with an oil or wax coating?

[dc-65x]

Hi Bruce,

 

PdL once mentioned he used liquid spray automotive wax to preserve the finish on chassis.

 

I finish polish the chassis with Flitz metal polish that is supposed to have some preservative properties. Then I just wipe any fingerprints and other crap-O-la of the chassis after I handle it and let it take on a natural patina.

[dc-65x]

I decided to follow the lead of the original car with its 1/32" piano wire pan hangers inside pin tube hinges. I did substitute heavy 1/16" thick pans for the thin original pieces:

 

 

I like the way the original builder placed the pan hinges as far inboard on the main rails as possible. If mounted on the outside of the main rails, the pans would hinge like short little flippers.

 

 

Nothing like 1100 degrees of heat and lots of acid flux to make a mess. Time to put the buff to it............

[olescratch]

I'd like to ask if you use an iron or mini torch when you build?

[dc-65x]

Hi John,

 

I use a Weller 50W 1100 degree iron with a temperature controller for everything from 1/16" plate to lead wires.