58 replies to this topic

[don.siegel]

Glen, 

 

I think that Paul Gage up in Canado makes repro urethane tires for the Cuc - those would be the right size and you wouldn't have to worry about foam drying out, but not sure how they'd work on your track. 

 

Almost all the vintage events here in Europe are now pretty much restricted to urethane or similar, and that has simplified tire management quite a bit. Not to mention that I'm still using the same tires as 10 or 15 years ago! 

 

Don 

[sportblazer350]

Hi Don, I too like urethanes and I also like silicone rears, old and new. And yes- they do last almost forever! Only issues I have ever had to silicones is a few had edges break off in chunks, and one Candies hub cracked and broke off, otherwise flawless. Our track is well used for track rental time, and many bring older wing cars and add glue to the track and tires, so a bit lumpy with urethanes, but softer silicones absorb more and work well, such as silicone coated foamies.

 

    I'll order the urethanes that you recommended, and I know that they perform well on my home Carrera plastic track. I race my vintage Garvic car using vintage soft Candies on the rear, no matter how much or little spray glue is on a track, and that car does well, and is very consistent. I recently finished an AMT reproduction car using an AMT Mercury Marauder body and Prof Motor repro AMT brass chassis. I track tested it with foam rears and silicone coated foam rears, and I think that it was more consistent with the silicone coated rears, but have not tried urethanes on it yet.  

[don.siegel]

Same impressions here Glen. The Candies are great - if somebody could duplicate that formula they'd make a small fortune... assuming they started with a large fortune! (sorry, it's an old joke). 

 

I had a couple problems keeping the plastic Candies hubs locked on the axle, but otherwise they seem to provide the best overall traction of the period sillies, and better than any current types; less vulnerable to dust on the track too. 

 

On wooden tracks, it really depends what urethanes you use and what everybody else is using in the way of goop, etc., as you say. 

 

Don 

[sportblazer350]

Don, when you use Candies do you lock them on the axle with the white nylon flanged nuts that (sometimes) are included in the plastic tubes? I have many pairs of Candies in the factory plastic tubes, but they don't always seem to have the nylon locknuts. Those work well for me. And if the hubs fit tightly on the threaded axles, then they stay put even better. Yes i too wish that someone would reproduce them. 

[Bill from NH]

I have a pair I put on a car in '68 or '69. I never had a problem with them loosening up. I'll have to see if I used nylon jam nuts or brass ones to hold them on. In my own mind, I'd guess that not all threaded axles are the same O.D. & that the depth of the threads vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, I'd think that a blue thread locker could be used to retain loose Candies plastic hubs.

[don.siegel]

No, you're right Glen, I didn't use the plastic nuts, just regular brass or steel ones... Bill, I think I did use a bit of blue on the ones that loosened, but maybe it was after the fact! 

 

Don 

[MattD]

Model car glue and brass nuts help on old worn or stripped threads.   It is also possible to put a nut on each side of the wheel to lock it on.   They can be epoxy filled and re-tapped, but that's a lot of work for a tire that is probably just on a runner.

[sportblazer350]

continuing to finish project cars that have been piling up for years, as well as tuning cars to race in our Vintage Race Series. Here are a few Hardbody cars:

 this VW project has been above my workbench for i don't know how many years. I got this body in a box lot of slot car and model stuff, and i do not know if it is a model body or not. It is larger than 1/32 scale and smaller than 1/24, and is how i got it. I plan to make headlight inserts and eventually i will properly paint it.  I used a Sprints Plus chassis with an H&R Racing 26k motor.

 

this is a car i built about 15 years ago or more, and had been taken apart and i found it recently while going through boxes of project cars. I used a Protrack brass Hardbody chassis (i don't think they sell these anymore) and an AMT Chevy model kit for the body, built as a dirt track racer. Sanded down the old dried out rears and found some more soft rubber, so back to the track it goes.This car is what i based the Hardbody Racing series at The Race Place over 10 years ago which grew to add both BRM and Scaleauto hardbody cars and was a successful series. Hopefully we can get back to racing this series again soon.

 

this is one of the AMT reissue slot car kits that came out a few years ago. Built by my nephew Dave and i don't think that it ever made it to a track. So i plan to track test it as is and go from there. Thinking of making a brass guide tongue which i will solder to the inside of the chassis which will lower the chassis and move the guide flag forward and hopefully improve handling. And if these factory rubber rears don't provide good traction i will go to foam rubber rears. Maybe a motor swap too. I have read many posts of other builds that seemed to perform well with these cars so now it's my turn.  

[Bill from NH]

Neat cars Glenn!! My favorites are the VW & the Chevy. Have fun with them all on the track.

[sportblazer350]

thanks Bill. Yes the VW Bug is cool, can't wait to get it out to the commercial raceway, as it performs well on my home Carrera track. I like the AMT early 60's Ford as well, as lately i have my slot car eye on any AMT reissue model kits of Fords from the 60's, as well as other cars from that era. I want to build up a fleet of AMT reissue cars with the brass AMT reissue chassis and 36D big can motors, and if i find any from the newer reissue series with the earlier era body styles, i'll try them as well. I also want to build another fleet of 50's-60's Nascars and i'll use the H&R Racing brass chassis for those. 

[MattD]

I setup a couple new AMT chassis and they ran pretty good.   I threw away everything in the kit except the motor and the frame.   I soldered a 2 inch wide brass pan to the bottom of the frame and shaped the front for a standard 3/16 guilde.   I drilled out the axle holes and soldered in brass tubing to fit  in regular oilites in the rear and  a piece of tubing to fit a 1/8 axle in front.  then soldered a piece of brass tube from the upper motor bracket to the upper frame above the oilites.    Then soldered brass pin tubes to mount a model body.   When it was all done it ran pretty well. 

 

 When I started on the second one, I opened the box and threw away everything except the motor, realizing it was easier to cut a womp in half and solder a pan under it,  One procedure and the chassis is done.    It's  also easier to  cut a Sprints Plus in half and solder it to a pan or to buy the new LVJ frame which is a  2 piece unit.  All you do is solder the front and rear to the brass pan and your chassis done.    All these other frames are much easier and better than trying to use all bastard size AMT parts.   It's a shame they didn't offer a better chassis.   There was no reason to re-invent the wheel.   

 

They had a third release planned, but I guess all that junk is now in some Mexican landfill.

 

 

[sportblazer350]

thanks Matt for all of the tuning tips, i will try them on one of my AMt chassis. Which LVJ chassis are you talking about? I did a search and found only 3 different 1/32 scale chassis. I may use the narrow one for my 1/25 scale VW Beetle model kit as none of the chassis kits i have here will fit, all too big (too wide). 

[sportblazer350]

our next Vintage Race is Saturday May 11 at Dom's Raceway, Cream Ridge, NJ. Race starts at 6:30pm, track practice at 5pm. 2 races: 36D production chassis, inline or sidewinder, any body. Then American Line kit cars Sportsman/hot rods, with K&B 36D motor. 

[MattD]

Glen the standard LVJ is a 1/32 womp style/size frame.   It is  2 piece and adjustable and probably would be fine under a VW body.     Same with the narrow version.

I have just soldered a pan underneath and set the wheel base correctly before soldering.   It would be nice to have the frames available in 1/24 size.   All it would take is  for the front extension to be about 1/2 inch longer.    You could forget soldering and just use the threaded screws and holes to adjust the frame to the desired length.

[sportblazer350]

The Vintage Racing series is alive and well here in New Jersey USA. See the results from our latest race at Dom's Raceway from May 11 on the Race Anouncements forum. The next  classes that we are close to racing will be: Jaildoor, 36D Anglewinder, and small can Anglewinders. Time to get the 1967-1973 era cars back onto the tracks and raced. Here are a few pictures from our last race at Dom's Raceway:

  

[hiline2]

Sportblazer

 

 "I want to build up a fleet of AMT reissue cars with the brass AMT reissue chassis and 36D big can motors"

 

your fitting 36ds into the new chassis ? pics please ! 

[sportblazer350]

not the re-issue kit cars, the AMT 1960's brass re-issue chassis that originally used 36D motors, as sold by Prof Motor, Electric Dreams. The new kit cars do not use a brass chassis  nor is it a copy of an original from the 60s. With these newer chassis i will try to fit an H&R Racing small can motor.   

[sportblazer350]

our next NJ Vintage Race will be Thursday June 20 at The Race Place, 1151 Rt-33, Farmingdale, NJ. Raceway opens at 6pm. See more info in the Race Announcements forum. We will be racing our 36D class: production inline or sidewinder chassis. 

 

Also: the C.A.R.S. vintage slot car club is meeting at The Race Place on Thursday evening June 6.

 

          as well as a Retro Jail Door race at Dom's Raceway, Cream Ridge, NJ on Saturday June 22. See more info in the Race Announcement forum.

 

Lots going on with vintage slot cars here in New Jersey. All are welcome. Stop by at any of these events to check out what we are doing and join in for the fun.    

[sportblazer350]

reminder that there are two races this week here in New Jersey- see details above. A good opportunity to dust off some Retro Jail Door cars and even older mid 1960's 36D big can cars for some FUN racing! 

 

  In the near future the Vintage Series will add a few more classes to race:

- anglewinder 36D, such as made by Riggen

- 70's-80's anglewinder with ProSlot PS-4001 motors

- vintage jail door- same ProSlot motor as above, real vintage era builds as well as modern built chassis

 

again, more opportunities to dig out those older chassis, dust them off, add new rubber and motors and back onto the track for some more FUN racing.

[sportblazer350]

An upcoming class that we will be racing in our NJ Vintage Racing series will be Vintage Anglewinder with ProSlot PS-4001S motors. Here are examples of a few cars: a recent build using a 1970's period nos nickel plated chassis; the orange car was built many years ago using this same chassis, and at that time i used a Plafit motor, but they are no longer available; the green car is using a brass chassis from REH Distributors. I track tested the plated chassis, less body for now, and it performed flawlessly. I bit slower than Jail Door cars using the JK Mini Brute motors, since we are using vintage era chassis and we don't want to crash and break them.   Still to decide as to use open or closed cockpit bodies. hope you enjoy

 

 

this class is an easy way to use a vintage era chassis that many long time racers have laying around that have not been used or raced for decades, as well as these types of chassis are easy to find and are inexpensive. Plenty of re-issue bodies out there to choose from, so this will make for great vintage racing class. See these cars available for track testing at upcoming NJ Vintage races as well as the Jail Door races at The Race Place and at Dom's Raceway. 

[Bill from NH]

Glenn, i would think this would be a popular class of cars to run, no matter whether you use coupe bodies or open cockpit ones. Have fun!   

 

p.s.  That Proslot mini in the chrome chassis is running backwards, unless you have a specially wound arm in it. or does that particular motor have neutral timing/

[NJ Racer]

Glen

 

You should install  the correct period motors as the mini-motors you are using are not appropriate at all for the two chassis that you revealed.

[sportblazer350]

Ray- what period correct motor do you recommend, and one that is readily available? We race the 36D class as these motors are plentiful and inexpensive. I chose a modern motor for the same reason- available and inexpensive. I attempted this class a while back, but everyone's vintage anglewinder chassis had various old motors, many that were cooked,  and I don't know of a supply of motors and motor parts from that era that are readily available. So this class follows the pattern of racing jail door cars today, also using new motors. 

 

Bill- thanks, I will make the correction. Yes I see this as another fun class to race. 

[NJ Racer]

Both chassis’s are not designed for use with mini-motors that is my main point. I have the Nickel plated American Line chassis with a Mura 15, and recall using a Mura 12 as well. Most Cans of the long design will fit. My Brass Rehco chassis powered by a 36D. Mini-motors are too small and short for both motor boxes. While you were able to possibly use a screw with a solder tack they can easily shift upon impact resulting in stripped gears and other issues.

[John Streisguth]

I'll have to disagree with you Ray...most of the 'period" motors are hotter than some of the faster current flexi cars classes.  WAY too fast for what the goal is. I have one of those plated chassis with an NCC grp 20 motor...spins the tires half-way down the straight!  Remember, the tires that will fit these are narrower than current sizes.  You can always brace them in with some piano wire, which is what was done in the day anyway. Something a little faster than the JD cars would be appropriate. 

I just took a look at this motor in the Pro-Slot catalog...seems the timing must be zero, as it's listed for both CW and CCW use.   I guess I need to buy one and check it out myself.