[Mazda]

You will be surprised just what a difference a good clean and a little lubrication makes to these little cars.
But they can be a little fiddly at times .

[Top Down]

I think your Dino is the only genuine TJet, all the rest are 'modern' AW clones.

As you've found - quality varies with the clones 

[Top Down]

The black 1974 Chevy Vega at the back row, far left corner is new and whines like a chainsaw going down the track.

 Could be it just wants oil on the motor shaft, top and bottom. Tjet/Tjet clones love oil - but only a drop.

Failing that it could be gear mesh - usually the one above the back axle.

[KensRedZed]

Thank you very kindly for the suggestions Mazda and TD.

I have 2-cars I'm considering for a possible first drag-race proxy. Finding out if these are legal, and shipping costs from and to Canada still pending.

These are the cars.

1974 Chevy Vega - Blacksmoke
1962 Chevy Bel-Air - Lawbreaker

   
   
   
   

I took the body off the Vega to see what's going on. The gears on the axle are flopping around like a dead fish. The plastic bushings/holes in the chassis that hold the shaft in place are very sloppy. Put tension on the axle, and you can easily see the top gear can tilt 2-directions. Defective I would imagine. I wonder if I can still get warranty after many years?

It's unfortunate that oil won't save the day today. That would have been much easier.

Is the car still legal if this type of repair is done? (Remove the gears. Install new plastic/nylon, and re-drill the chassis for proper gear mesh)

   
   

[Top Down]

If you like the body try some of other chassis under it to see which runs best. Of the two I like the '62 Chevy myself 

[KensRedZed]

Top Down,

I bought the Vega to install the new chassis under the Ferrari. Now I want to repair them both. We are funny that way.

Actually, these are my least favorite bodies which is why they were chosen. This is a test to see what it takes to enter the proxy. What cars are used or placement is not important for the test. If I were to pick my favorite drag-race body from the Tj's, it would probably be Ken's red zed at the top right corner.

So I should try several chassis. Find one of the smoother running ones, and install the 62 Bel Air body on it?

Thank you very kindy,
Ken

[KensRedZed]

I've read the rules and things just got a bit more confusing. I should have flipped these over to figure out what I have before anything.

We have cars with skinny front tires and no magnets. Slight magnetism from the motor only. Competitive, or not?

   

We have cars with medium width front tires and an extra magnet on one side. The rules say 2-magnets are allowed. Is there a chassis with 2-magnets?

   

Then we have this Stingray with wide tires on all 4-corners, and no magnet. Strange.

   

I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm showing up to a gun fight. But not with a club. A foam pebble maybe?

I can't see any chassis from the cars that are in the race. I am at a bit of a loss. Going in blind... However you want to phrase it.

Any help getting one car ready for the drag-proxy would be greatly appreciated. If these are all out of date. Please let me know?

Thanks a million!
Ken

[Top Down]

Andy (Woodcote) is best to advise you really but I'd say your smoothest/quickest chassis with a single traction magnet.

My fastest car had no magnet and was very squirrely off the line and about 2/3rds of the way down the strip before it hooked up. Installing wheelie bars tamed it almost to the point of 'neutering'. Shouldn't have messed with its natural verve. It sounded more fun for the proxy driver and was definitely more exciting to read about   

Your yellow 'Vette has potentially been messed with, although there were some chassis with large wheels/tyres all round. e.g later 'Dukes of Hazzard cars. They did more for looks if you like the 4x4 off road stance than they did for performance. (Ah - yours has been messed with as the back wheels are smaller than the front by the looks of it.

Look for your smoothest/quickest chassis in each group then the best of those :-) Remember, the drag strip is only about 10'-10' 6" long!

ALL yours have small, wide rear tyres. Worth buying a bunch of replacements for the whole lot from FranktheRacer, as Andy suggested.

I guess you're in it to win it - but have some fun getting there! 

Team Chesterfield were in it for the fun of the event, more than the win. Just to see our cars on track 

[KensRedZed]

TD. I appreciate your help.

If I win or lose is not important. But I'm a technical person that likes to tinker. I scratch build cars for that reason. RTR cars are not nearly as fun for me. Making sure the wheels don't wobble, the tires don't vibrate, and the gear mesh is proper from the factory are the fun parts of the pre-race.

Yes, I really need to get new tires for everything. Maybe some round wheels too.

The Dino chassis was disassembled out of curiosity. It was a mess of dried grease/gunk.

   

It seemed to clean up well.

   
   

Do I re-install the motor brushes dry, lightly oiled, or lightly grease?

Thank you very kindly,
Ken

[Top Down]

No, no, no. No oil or grease anywhere near the motor brushes! Those being the little copper/carbon coloured 'dots' in the apertures in the bottom of the armature housing.

Dry install.

You can clean those before reinstalling by placing them face down on a sheet of paper and just move them back and forth with your finger tip.

Reassemble the chassis dry, THEN apply oil with a needle applicator, one drop at each bearing point, axles, top and bottom of armature shaft, gears.

Other opinions are available 

(Having said this it's do as I say, not do as I do, as I have to admit none of my proxy drag racers were prepared for the first  series - and where I did do work for the second series - installing the wheelie bars - I managed to make my best little '37 slower  )