Low Rider
Call me a throwback to the sixties if you want, after all I am over the big four zero ... There is something about the moldy oldies of slot racing that bring back fond memories ... such as the pungent aroma of oil of wintergreen tire dressing. For me this one set of wheels embodies all of that, a sweet deja vu ...
Gliding along almost silently with the marbleized silicone slicks flashing in the light, it is amazing how smooth and quiet a set of pure sidewinder 64 pitch gears can be. This car was is equipped with a 20-tooth pinion and a 62 tooth Weldun aluminum axle gear. Ancient stuff that ! You will not blow anyones doors off or pull 15 g's in the bank with this car, but it is fun to run a car that is not a clone of the purple thingee running three lanes down the track.
The body shown is a pre painted 41 Willys made by Dubro back in the 1960s. Old bodies like this are back in vogue these days. Back when this was written you could ask your raceway to order one of these from REH Distributing in Cincinnati, but not the case today [repro available from Booth Machine]. Other antique bits for this project include the Cox brass tube chassis (#3820), 7/8" ball bearing fronts by K&B (#212), 1 1/8 inch Candies silicone rears, 5-40 thread rear axle (3" long), a 1/8" plain front axle (2.5" long) and a Mabuchi 16D motor. Best sources for these goodies would be EJ. Hobbies in Grand Rapids Michigan, or ask your local oldies collector.
First step in the build process is to adjust the sliding front chassis section to the proper wheelbase for your body and solder in place. The rear chassis axle tube should be jigged with a couple of gears to the right height and moved fore or aft to be in position to mesh with the pinion chosen. Carefully silver solder this rear tube in position, the original small screws would not hold for long . A touch of solder is also recommended on the front edge of the motor spring clip to keep it in place. Take the original magnets out of the l6D motor and find a home for these in the nearest trash can. A set of current Mura type mags will provide much better power and brakes. A current armature (like a Mura Challenger II) would provide more than enough motive force. A brass sleeve fitted to the plastic spring post of the motor will prevent the heat from melting the springs into the plastic. Aluminum spacers are cut to set up the front axle width. Use some fresh "Loctite" to mount the front wheels with only a minute amount necessary. Bend up the original body mounting tubes at about a 45 degree angle and use straight pins to mount the body.
HAPPY CRUISING !
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