[Carver]

I am trying to resurrect a couple of second-generation Monogram 1/32 chassis, those with a drop arm.

   

These wrecks are missing the suspension parts, I've tried to add weight to the swingarm for compensation.
Maybe I should fix the arms rigid instead?


Would appreciate seeing how you guys go about with this.


Cheers Carver

[Anthony B]

There were a lot of these chassis at last weekends Roncole vintage race. Virtually every single one was locked down in one way in another.  

That is my feeling as well. However this is best on public or shared tracks. If purely for home use I would leave it free to cover the bumps normally associated with home tracks.

[autoavia]

Without the drop arm spring these will be nightmare on any track and the correct spring is almost impossible to find.
I do have a couple of cars which still have the spring and they aren't really strong enough to keep the guide in the slot anyway even on our club's wood track so I would be inclined to lock the drop arm but I haven't worked out a satisfactory way to do that yet.

[chrisguyw]

Carver, you would be wise to freeze the drop arm regardless of what type of track you are running on...........................drop arms were not seen much after 1968,.....for good reason !!!

Cheers
Chris Walker

[Carver]

Thanks for your input, guys! Especially as you all confirm what I did suspect!
Actually, one of the chassis does have that spring, although not properly installed. It is, as mentioned, very, very weak and will not be used.
A bit strange, in other aspects these chassis are not too bad.

So, time to freeze! After all, it is late October in Scandinavia...

However, with weight on the arm, it works rather well.
Since there is one section of my track where a drop arm possibly could be an advantage I will, just for fun and nostalgia, test both possibilities.
I am talking about this downhill bridge section where cars tend to jump.

   

Btw, I am a genuine home tracker, the cars will run nowhere else.

Cheers
Carver

[autoavia]

 If you take the spring off don't throw it away. It is probably worth listing on Ebay as they are very hard to find and probably quite valuable to someone who wants a totally original model.

 Drop arms were essential in the early days of commercial raceways to cope with hills like this one at Wonderland in Southend-on-Sea 

     

 The second track in the background also had a series of ramps which climbed to almost head height before dropping back down again but by about 1968 most commercial raceways had flattened out the hills so drop arms were no longer needed.

 If you need small parts like headlights it may be worth giving Phil Smith a try as he took over BTS Mouldings who used to make quite a lot of replacement parts for vintage slot cars. The Lola is a great looking car but it is very narrow so they tend to fall over unless you are pretty gentle in the corners.

[Carver]

Thanks for the information, I had no idea these springs could be sought after. Did not know much about those jumpy tracks either...

As for missing parts, I normally build them from scratch, I am not much of an original freak.
The Lola is missing the rear glued on body part, I will shape a new one out of a piece of bass-wood. The Cortina tail lights will be the big challenge ...

Cheers
Carver

[autoavia]

As for missing parts, I normally build them from scratch, I am not much of an original freak.
The Lola is missing the rear glued on body part, I will shape a new one out of a piece of bass-wood. The Cortina tail lights will be the big challenge .

 Nothing wrong with not going for original. My 1/24 Cox Chaparral had no engine intake trumpets or exhausts so I made them from scratch along with the brake lights and my Lotus 40 was missing the roll bar so I built a replacement from brass tube and fabricated some brake lights. Both were built to be raced so non original parts which don't increase performance were acceptable under club rules although we are also allowed to lock the drop arm and fit a restrictor to stop the guide turning right round.

   

   

 I must admit it would have been a lot easier to buy copies of the original parts but those that were available were expensive and shipping form the USA added even more to the cost so I went with fabricated parts.
 The most difficult parts on your Lola will probably be the rear lights and the rear screen. You might find some modern resin wheel inserts that are a reasonable match if you are lucky.   
 You will probably find those thin wire drop arms flex a fair bit which doesn't help the handling especially on a long fast track.

[Carver]

I must admit it would have been a lot easier to buy copies of the original parts but those that were available were expensive and shipping form the USA added even more to the cost so I went with fabricated parts.

Could not agree more. After Brexit, I even try to avoid buying from the UK, it has turned out so complicated. Besides, I am a body scratch builder at heart...

Not pictured, but I have the original screens for the Lola. One problem less.

Great looking cars, btw!

Cheers
Carver

[Carver]

Nothing to write home about... But after some testing, I have followed your advice and abandoned the drop arms.
I ended up with a simple solution, it seems to work rather well.

       

The Porsche body was definitely over the hill, I have been cheating, using a new mrrc body kit.

       

Regarding the Lola, I was lucky to find Mercedes 1/25 hub caps in the parts box, Turned down they look much like Cortina tail-lights.


Cheers Carver