Scratchbuilding - Why?

[Ingram]

Actually, having been out of the loop for @ 20 years, I realize that I. know very little about anything relevant to todays slot cars other than some very basic practices.

[La Cucaracha]

Faster is better!
I would like to get a Wing Car Series going but I don`t live anywhere near a track with the balls to run them.
If the scratchbuild cars you guys put together make you happy, then run them.
I just don`t see the point in spending all that time and effort to build something that isn`t even as fast as a $20 stamped steel chassis.

[La Cucaracha]

Actually, having been out of the loop for @ 20 years, I realize that I. know very little about anything relevant to todays slot cars other than some very basic practices.

I don`t think that much has changed in the last 20 years.
There are new parts but the same basics still apply.

[webbmeister25d]

IRRA/D3 hybrid? "build-from" sounds great!

Jim

[One_Track_Mind]

Faster is better!
I would like to get a Wing Car Series going but I don`t live anywhere near a track with the balls to run them.

Mike,Mike,how many times?

You put the time and effort into getting your probably 6 guys together to run a Wing car and I will run them at my Track.What is so hard to understand about that?

Oh,I get it! you don't have the Balls! to do it!

The part you don't understand about stratchbuilding is the self satisfaction one gets from building someting and saying I done it!

Again No Balls!

[La Cucaracha]

Brian- I have just been working and riding my bicycle, and haven`t put any effort into racing since the Nats.
I am going to see if I can get a sponsor or 2 for some Wing Races.
Then I will contact you and see if you want to host a race.
It doesn`t sound like you are very interested, even though you had some chassis and motors for sale the last time I was at your track.
If nothing comes together, I will probably go race down in Dayton this fall.
Cheers, Mike.

[CMF3]

(Cue "car crash" sounds...)

As analogies go …
Some people like to complain about what’s on some television channels or what some radio stations air, say how much they don’t like it, how it shouldn’t be on, don't know how anyone else would like it, and if they had their way…
They just don’t seem to understand all they have to do is change the channel…

So, what were we actually discussing here?

Oh yeah, finger-burning, not finger-pointing…

Looking forward to whatever build gets posted here as usual. I have no problem with Ret-Ro builds, hard body builds, nostalgia builds, no-rules see how fast you can go builds (and for those who don’t know, it ain’t that hard to scratchbuild a chassis that’s every bit faster than a flexi…; still working on the euro-types…), or any other type of scratchbuild; I like building them all myself, whether they can be “raced” in some designated class or not. And I just enjoy seeing what others are up to. Diversity = More Fun. That’s my worthless opinion.

(And Bill, thanks for being nice and describing my seemingly rambling endless posts here as “A ton of his information…” ; when you get that “time”, give me a holler if you have any questions or just want to shoot the...!)

(And Jim, I’d love to see some of your woodworking too!)

A few years ago when I first tried building Ret-Ro, and since there were no other scratchbuilders much less Ret-Ro racing in FLadada here, I made my “CanAm” builds so they would fit D3 or IRRA. That was some years ago, but for some reason I’m thinking the only real difference was the width of the front tires… I could be wrong, but I don’t recall any difficulty building the chassis to fit either or both rule set...

Well, now that I think about it, it would probably be better to talk to someone who pays “serious” attention to the rules…

[Scale Series]

First of all, I think I might like a bit more of a description from Ingram as to what a "D3 type Can-Am Chassis" is. I am NOT trying to split hairs, but D3 and IRRA have some different rules. Most of the rules are NOT chassis specific, but rather as to the body type and motor type.

We could build a Can-Am chassis that would be legal for both D3 or IRRA rules by using the appropriate motor and body. That is something we can do.

Marty:

About the only differences with the chassis is there isn't a 100 gram minimum weight restriction like in the IRRA. That's one area of creativity that D3 didn't want to restrict. The challenge of trying to build something as light as possible and still work. Obviously you can have a 100 gram car in D3 and most seem to be about 97 - 105 grams. Also D3's body choices dictate the overall length of the chassis. Other than the True-Scale Kirby Ti-22 most of the bodies are shorter. D3 also doesn't allow a coined steel tongue, but you use a coined brass tongue. The only thing I'm not sure about is the R-Geo dohickie alxle uprights. Not sure if they allowed their use sandwiched between rails like the IRRA allowed?

[One_Track_Mind]

.
Then I will contact you and see if you want to host a race.

HI Mike,
I would be honored for you to prove me wrong, that you can bring in more Wing car racers for a race V/S the amount of people that where at my place for the Penn/Ohio Retro Race.

where's Larry when I need him for numbers? But, I think it was like 28 people with over 84 entries over four classes?

It doesn`t sound like you are very interested, even though you had some chassis and motors for sale the last time I was at your track.

Yes, I do have Chassis+ Motors+ Boogie pre-painted wing bodies, AND you know what? There are still here! As non have SOLD!
Please, come and Buy them up!

[TorqueMutant]

Count me in, Marty. I want to learn all about this great hobby of ours. It is not enough for me to buy a car and burn up some track time. It seems to me that in building my own chassis, I will learn the sciences in handling and control that will make me a better driver in whatever class I race. Like many of us I need the instruction this board has to offer. As for the snob part .. I can figure that out myself.

[Phil I.]

WING CARS......RIGHT.....THERE TOO FAST....COST TO MUCH...GOTA HAVE A SPECIAL CONTROLLER....BULL $HIT.

Over on the 90s. I was into the G12 stuff. New chassis every 2-3 monthe and MOTORS.......$$$$....
I read about the F-wingers 2-3 years ago and tried to get the track in MO. to start it...The first sentence killed it. We got close outs on G12 chassis. We got Falcon 7s. We got bodies and paint and did some in single color....CHEEP....I dug out 2 OLD Zap chassis.. I had less then $35....I had a 3 OHM Parma that worked wonders with it.........I put 2 together with some Mossetti close outs that worked very well. We even got 3 other racers to race with us...I provided the cars......We had a ball....and NOTHING hqappened........It died......
Here in FL. Its hit or miss....Some times we get 9-10 others 3.....My ZAP chassis still work and I have won....And lost....But have a ball with them.....Rules...ANY Falcon motor. My grand daughters like a F7 motor and they ain't slow.... Standard wing config. 1/32 clearence under the gear and 3 & 1/4 width. No weight min.... AND PAINTED...
ITS THAT STIGMA...$$$ WING CARS & TOO FAST....

OLPHRT
PHIL I.

Now the peanut, rebuildable motors are here////Mmmmm Koford......with a mild 12 arm
PHIL I.

[Scale Series]

I dunno Phil. I put one together for my son about 2- 3 years ago when he was younger. $15 JK closeout wing chassis, $15 prepainted and winged body and a Falcon 7 motor. He loved it because it was fast and didn't fall off. Keep in mind I didn't try to figure out how to get more speed out of it since it was a play car, but it was full punch on a king green through yellow. Didn't seem fun to me when I tried it. Too each their own. Obviously people are racing them and and enjoying them, so that's all that matters. Maybe with the new Hawk 6 with the neodymium magnets and a 12 arm they might not be bad? It's too late for me I sold mine a couple of months ago on ebay for something like $60

[Ingram]

Hey guys.....Scratch building thread.....remember !

Marty,
I would go with an IRRA can am as NorCal Retro (Jim Fowler's group) stays pretty close to those rules. Very interested in basic design concepts and tuning techniques. When do we start !

[fl_slotter]

Well, I spent the time since the last post here over on the D3 Rules site looking at the rules. Rob is right (I think I've heard that before). D3 does not have a 100 gram minimum rule. One thing he did miss though is that in the D3 rules there is this one line item:

Section 3 Chassis states - 3g: No on-board automatic liquid dispenser of any kind is allowed.

I wonder what that is all about? I guess I need to say that the creativity of some folks that race slot cars is simply unbounded!

Also while over on the D3 website, I saw the (I believe) a Truescale Products Lola T160 in the photo showing one of their bodies. I looked through my 'test body' box and I have the same body sitting right in front of me. I tried it on a 'standard' chassis of 4 inches of wheelbase and 1 inch guide lead and it fits. From what I'm seeing we can build a 'typical' chassis that can be used either in D3 or IRRA competition with the same Lola T160 body.

Now, I had started in my first post in the thread that my favorite 'kit' is produced by K&S Engineering up in Chicago, Illinois. That remains a true statement. But for this build, I am going to use one of the new R-Geo Products Samurai 3 kits. One of the main reasons is the simplicity of the kit. RickB of R-Geo will shear the pans away from the nosepiece of the plate. This is one daunting task that a new builder will not have to face. RickB will also supply a .078 wire 'loop' so once again, a big part of the building is not going to discourage a new builder from giving this a try.

I had built this same exact chassis about a week ago and gave it a try this past weekend at a race. The chassis worked well, I did not. The chassis is competitive and will do what the driver asks of it. There were 3 other chassis in that race that I had built. I'm liking this chassis.

My goal here is to build a chassis from a kit by R-Geo that will give a new racer the ability to duplicate and build a car that is competitive. The chassis was smooth and did not have any funny quirks, so that type of chassis is something that can be used for practicing and becoming a better driver. All the parts will be bent on my wire bender, but can easily be bent with a pair of pliers. I just find that the wire bender - at least for me - gives me the ability to duplicate parts the same every time.

Usually we always wait until the end to show the finished project, but in this particular instance, I am going to post a photo of the finished project before we start construction. My reasoning is simple, I am waiting for my chassis plate to get in. Rick has already sent the parts, but I'm kind of waiting for local delivery.

So now you know what we're going to build and I'm hoping to hear from the U.S. Postal System very soon. Hopefully "The Merry Mailman" will "Ring-Ding" my doorbell.

Later, hopefully sooner later rather then later later.

[oldweirdherald]

No time for my usual sermon & "Can't we all just get along?" Rodney King quote...

but can everyone PULEEEEZE try to keep on topic???

If in doubt - take a moment to gander at the THREAD TITLE and the FIRST POST - before adding your latest thoughts or expounding your vast intelligence on whatever unrelated opinions or topics.

There are plenty of forums and lots of room for starting NEW threads on other topics here on OWH Slot Car Talk.

Also - sometime take a look at the OWH "House Rules" (no time right now to look up link). OWH is for sharing POSITIVE stuff about this weird hobby. The "playing with my favorite type of toy cars is better then your favorite type of toy cars" or "your favorite brand/type/scale sucks" type of posts are for the most part, considered a party killer, and frequently lead to locked threads or deleted posts.

I now return you to the original topic... which was:

SCRATCHBUILDING - WHY?

Perhaps an even better thread title could have been:

SCRATCHBUILDING - WHY NOT?