180 replies to this topic

[Toremeister]

Our kids in Iraq can't come home on GI pay! They have to pay their own airfare to their hometown! Of course, it's free when they get blown to hell. Yessir, Kalitta Air brings all of our dead soldiers home for free!...

Please, Mr. P, let Bryan solder up your heaps! Da acid fumes are making you all messed up and confused, 'cept for da crying part, youz got that one right, I have tears of joy. Cuz I get to go race with da East Coast guys again!! WOO-HOOOOOO!!!

[JerseyJohn]

T-man, I can't wait to race with the wildman!!!

[MSwiss]

It looks like Tore and Gorski are slot racing's equivalent to exchange students.

[Ron Hershman]

Mr. P sips milk!

Would that be milk or "soy" milk he is drinking?

[Ron Hershman]

It looks like Tore and Gorski are slot racing's equivalent to exchange students.

Or NASCAR's "silly season."

[68Caddy]

No, Ron.

Or NASCAR's "silly season."

It's the American version of F1 manhood.

Nesta aka 68Caddy

[Big Durl]

Dear Mr. DeLespinay...

Like all of America's youth, I look up to you for inspiration and guidance as to the best way to live the proper retrograde lifestyle. And so, your "build" of this Warmack chassis has sparked a desire to emulate your process exactly*. Some of my little friends say that there are no Warmack chassis available, either by mail or from my local raceway. They say that there is only the JK chassis. Papa says if you see it on Slotblog it is true, and so Mr. DeLespinay, please tell me, is there a Warmack chassis?

Little Durl



P.S. And while we're at it, how bout them TSRF D3 motors?

* specifications subject to change without notice. Contents may settle during shipping.

[68Caddy]

Big Durl,

I think this is just the first phase of the Warmack chassis. I think there is more to come, believe me.

Bryan, I guess you are taking us to the next level, I hope so?

Thank you,

Nesta aka 68Caddy

[TSR]

Mister Durl Sir,

It is obvious that whoever is telling you such fibs has no clue of which direction this planet is rotating.

ANYONE may get a Warmack chassis kit at several raceways including Buena Park, Mid-America, and others. In case these good places would be sold out and an emergency causes one to anxiously need one of the kits pronto, there is always ORDERING ONLINE. So please CLICKA HERE, MON!

As far as the D3 motors, they are available through plenty of raceways and also on the Warmack website, as well as from Electric Dreams and TSR...

And now, back to our little project, the first of which was completed today after too many interruptions by phone or visits.

Where were we before the disturbances and all interruptions, oh yes, assembly of the basic bits.



The vast majority of the soldering was performed with this 5-dollar gas torch.



Lots of acid and enough 430 solder to make sure that all the joint are filled with a decent fillet.



A quick cleanup to check that joints are solid. No worry about a bit of excess solder here and there, this is no concours job but an experimental car so as to verify my smoking theories. Time will tell.

The motor bracket torched in place, time to slide the piece of tubing that will hold the bearings.



Now time to split the side pans from the main piece:



A quick check with the main components to make sure that everything is straight and clears the required dimensions:



Soldering the pans hinges...



... and trimming the excess tubing:



Using .032" wire soldered parallel to the main rails, the pans are hung onto the frame and stopped by the usual Warmack-engineered stops.



The pans retain a fairly large "up" movement while being able to move by flex side to side in a limited motion. To make sure that the total width of the frame will always be within regulations, a piece of .020" steel wire connects the two sides through brass tubing stays.



Time to fit the front axle and I retain the brass tube for more rigidity and front-end bite. The axle is soldered to the tubing. I also added brass wire to retain the curb feelers from going AWOL in case of serious shunt.





The completed mess receives a final cleanup before assembly. Brillo pad here we come.



I also added two pieces of 1/16" brass plate weights to provide more downforce to the rear wheels. This is where I want the weight.



Another clearance check to make sure that everything is straight and flat before mounting the motor and the body:



The body has been painted by Noose for Mill Conroy, as this is... his new car.



At the end of the day, the chassis is very light at 55 grams including curb feelers, bearings, and front axle. So the total weight of the car will not exceed 102 grams but I have hopes of saving another 3 to 4 grams by using lighter lead wires and shaving weight from components.

Tomorrow we will finish the car and then go test it. Cross me fingers that it will rock and that some of my thinking about what will work will actually make some sense.

[Ron Hershman]

Will those "rabbit ears" pick up UHF or VHF??? And will new govt-mandated "converter" be needed???

[68Caddy]

Ron,

You will find out when your hairy eight ball gets stuck in it?
Sorry but way too cool.

Nesta aka 68Caddy

[MSwiss]

I'm sure you engineered that they bend up in a big crash.
Otherwise it might be a bit dicey punching the bank next time around.

[Ron Hershman]

Sorry but way too cool.

Oh, I think it's cool... wait until your car gets a direct "torpedo" side hit from it.

[68Caddy]

Mike,

It's always dicey when you're punching it.

Nesta aka 68Caddy

[MSwiss]

Oh, I think it's cool... wait until your car gets a direct "torpedo" side hit from it.

Part 3 is when he cuts saw teeth into the front of them (just kidding emoticon).

[TSR]

I'm sure you engineered that they bend up in a big crash.
Otherwise it might be a bit dicey punching the bank next time around.

Actually Mike, I have some previous experience with a similar car with a similar set of outriggers. That car was actually successfully raced but was too fragile as the solder joints cracked on the outriggers after numerous and full-speed deadman crashes while trying to go there flat-out, but never bent themselves or bent the frame. The frame never got seriously damaged.

I gave it up solely because it was not QUITE fast enough, being 2/10s too slow around a lap, mostly losing in the donut. In the banking however, it was the fastest D3 car I drove so far, not slowing at all like so many others.

But it had a great feature: EVERY errant car that came in my way was simply thrown over mine and my car never de-slotted from such an impact, the cow catchers acting as they were intended. I liked that enough to try it again, this time mixing something proven with something still to be.

You see, the biggest problem we have in our King track races are... errant cars. It has ruined many winning races for Mike Steube, myself, and lots of others that would otherwise have made a podium. It seems that there are always one or two racers in trouble in each race and they spend their time losing it only to become obstacles to others seriously racing. Hence, a try to get around that issue... we are not allowed to use front diaplanes, so I needed something else.

I will soon let you know if it was worth the time, but if not, a quick chop of the Dremel will convert this into a super-lightweight King car with lots of possibilities and a proven track record in a slightly heavier version...

Worse come to worse, it may receive FM signals.

[MSwiss]

While I know a diaplane is illegal, is a reinforced Lexan box inside the nose of the body?

[Ron Hershman]

Worse come to worse, it may receive FM signals.

Or worse yet... AM sports talk.

What's the weight of the chassis/car?

[TSR]

Currently it is 102 grams ready to roll.

While I know a diaplane is illegal, is a reinforced Lexan box inside the nose of the body?

Whatever is inside the body is legal. I have been thinking about building a box inside on front of the body, to act in the same way as the cow catcher. That would probably mean painting the body on the outside but why not?

I am going to try this first, as the first try was encouraging, and if that does not do it or other issues appear, boxing the front of the body may be an other way to accomplish the same purpose, throwing errant cars OVER mine!

[Bryan Warmack]

Philippe,
For the last several years I have watched your difficulty with all these "errand" cars that get in your way. Watch out for the "errant" cars this weekend

[Rick]

Bryan, why is it you and Stuebe and Sterret dodge these errant cars so well and P has such a time with them??? You guys are all in the same A main, right?

[redbackspyder]

Beautiful build, Philippe.

Let me know when you guys are going down to BPR this week to test. I would love to see it.

[Tex]

I've reinforced the nose of bodies underneath with plastic and tape. I extended such reinforcement to strengthen the front wheel wells also, being the weak points they are. Indeed, a cowcatcher effect was achieved. I even reinforced the front end of a NASCAR body withg 1/16" piano wire, bent to fit the curvature of the front bumper of the body.

[Hworth08]

Philippe,

If the bumper bars prove effective, in the future a person might consider adding another bend to the bar so the inner half of the bar can be mounted in tubing soldered parallel to the front axle.

That would be somewhat similiar to the way NASCAR required the front bumpers to be mounted when real chrome bumpers were used. Two 5/8" bolts were used to to hold the bottom mounts and two 1/2" bolts held the top mounts. In a hard crash, hopefully, the top bolts would shear, the bumper raised up to absorb a lot of shock, and if all worked well, the mounts would "catch" the bumper and not let the bumper pivot and drag if the car could be driven away. The nose of your frame "should" catch the bumper bar and only need for the outside mount to be re-soldered. If all worked right?

[TSR]

All good advice is good... thanks!
From the inventor of the breakaway "Pepe Bumper"...

We will know as early as tonight if there is success or failure...