117 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

I started by consulting with an expert on the best body choice. A man who has more experience building these type cars than anyone. His #1 preference is the Dynamic Honda, at 1-3/4" width. So I have an ongoing search for the body. It could be some time before I find one.

 

I'm going to start with the motor. It needs to be short and compact and I've been wanting to do a "shorty C." It has to be early '70s parts with enough horsepower to push a heavy plate chassis. Probably needs a custom Havlicek short-stack made to custom fit the setup. The body will surface later and the chassis will follow.    

 

And away we go...

[Pablo]

Parts gathering is coming along nicely. I opened up my mailbox this morning, and found a surprise - a pair of fresh clean blue donuts. I have some new vintage set screw wheels from a friend. Rotorranch located me a repop Lancer Lotus 49B series 875 wide body on eBay, which is en-route.  

 

It pays to have good friends. Life is sweet   

[Pablo]

Body has arrived, very nice 

 

[Pablo]

Simple car mission statement:  Duplicate the style of an early 1970's GP anglewinder. As always, lots of influence and help from the masters. Not an exact replica of any car in particular.

 

Starting with a Mura "C" can, I'm going to make as short a motor as possible and fit a proper endbell and magnets. If I can't find a suitable armature here at The Ranch, Havlicek will custom build me one 

 

Body paint, interior and detail for the wide Lotus body will be Noose 

 

So I begin. I found a suitable (unpainted) can with new Slick 7 bushing. As double insurance against the can moving during trimming, I spot-soldered the seams with Koford silver solder across from the factory spot welds. Excess solder was sanded/smoothed.

 

I tinned the two chassis attachment points and smoothed them out as well. That way I can use Aero paste flux instead of acid for installation later 

 

 

[Bill from NH]

I've never split a silver-soldered can seam, but I've split many a Slotworks 16D weld reconditioning their cans. 

[Pablo]

Once the magnets are glued in, the can becomes pretty strong, eh? 

[Pablo]

I cut my can very much like dc-65x, and I'm glad I did. Rough cut with Dremel 409, Sharpied the edge, finished on the disc sander until the black was gone. About halfway down the spot weld - approx. .115" of material removed

 

 

Found a new in bag endbell. With a little coaxing she fits perfect and already passes the bushing alignment test 100%

 

[Pablo]

Always looking for better ways to do things, I secured a "C" can straightening tool in my vice with the Mura can over it to punch the endbell attachment hole locations. Then pilot holes, etc. 

 

 

Diagonally opposed Koford allen head self tappers complete. Alignment tool falls right through

 

[Pablo]

Buss bar solder points for shunts and lead wires acid tinned, then cleaned. Brush holder shunt entrances hogged out slightly. All EB hardware hit with a wire wheel to remove 50 years of patina for good electrical and heat transfer connections

 

 

A tip for the very few motor building freaks still among us - Bunky, make sure your EB hardware attachment screws never touch the can screws. It can drive you nuts trying to find out why your blueprinted motor won't run right. Mine were close on this motor, so I used allen self tappers, which are short enough to miss shorting out 

 

 

Usually, trying to make a 50 year old motor adhere to modern standards with modern tools is practically impossible. But this setup passed the test naturally, no forcing

 

[Bill from NH]

No speed item, but I liked twisting ~3/32" of tips of sheet metal buss bars 90 degrees to make a "shelf" for the leadwires. I always found it easier to solder the wires to a horizontal surface than a vertical surface, during a motor change..

[Jairus]

Also, cut the forward buss bar short.
That's what the pro's did.


 

[Pablo]

Thanks, I may cut the long one later after I see how the body mounts up.

 

Setup is en-route to Havlicek for a custom short stack .513-ish OD can drive arm, 27 wire, 35 deg. timing with modern ProSlot "C" mags 

[Pablo]

After studying the rulesets of the era, I have decided to go with the following specs:

 

WB 3 7/8", GL 1.0", Front and rear wheel track widths, 3.0"

Front axle slop 1/8" total

Front wheel width 3/16" min 3/4" min OD

Rear wheel widths 11/16", OD 13/16

Chassis width 1 3/4". Clearance 1/16" level front to rear

[Half Fast]

PW-

 

Didn't the Car Model rules as posted by Jairus specify front axle slop 1/8" from center total? (not per side)

 

Cheers

 

PS: Anyway I'm glad that Bunky made it through Covid

[Pablo]

Hi Bill    Good question. Things were changing so fast back then ........

 

Here are the rules I'm using:

 

http://slotblog.net/...mpionship-1969/

 

See Rule # 23 for the answer. It specifically states "-front axle/wheel assembly may move up to 1/8" to either side of center position"

 

Thanks for asking about Bunky, he is a survivor 

[Bill from NH]

I don't interpret than to mean 1/8" to each side of center at the same time. It's at one side or the other. The original "Cukras Slop" was 1/8" @ the front axle.

[Martin]

I read those rules too. I interpret it to mean 1/8" total movement also.

 

" front axle assembly may move up to 1/8" TO EITHER side of center position"

 

Not 1/8'' on both sides. IMO.

[Pablo]

If you are right, why don't the rules simply say "1/8" total side to side movement"?

[zipper]

We did have similar rules - and then some dck did change the chassis max width to 2" something. But we didn't have any bodies that wide! I had to take two, cut and tape them together...

[old & gray]

Paul,

 

As I remember, and it is only memory no documentation I can find, the front axle slide was 1/8" total. 

 

Of course some wise guy set up a car with all the slide on one side so that the front wheel would hang out the left side of the body in the donut. 

[Pablo]

OK I bow to the wisdom of the masters and thanks for correcting me, I appreciate it (especially when you correct me before I make my mistakes)    1/8 total slop it is. Here are the (3/32 axle) wheels I plan to use

 

[dc-65x]

Alright Pablo! Someone is finally going to use our repop Associated wheels. 

[Pablo]

Parts gathering continues. I promise to be a better listener 

 

Jet Flag, TQ 20 gauge lead wire, PCH precision axles (to be custom cut), and a used .040 x 1 1/4" wide drop arm stamped "THE 888"

 

[Bill from NH]

If you don't already know, the drop arm is a Parma used by Jan Limpach or one of his friends. 

[Pablo]

Cool. I hope it will work for this build, and I think it will.