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Brass vs plastic chassis
#1

I have absolutely no experience in this area (have never even driven a brass-chassis slot car) so would like to find out what are the benefits , if any, of brass chassis vs plastic chassis types, running mag-less on Scalextric Sport track.
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#2

I have never raced brass on Scalextric but I have on wood.
Essentially it is much stiffer so all the bumps and breaks in a plastic track will be exacerbated.
It will likely be louder... there is a reason brass is used in instruments.

BUT
it will lower the center of gravity making the car more stable as it will be heavier "lower"
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#3

Brass chassis are all about keeping the centre of gravity as low as possible. Even if the weight is increased, the car will handle better due to the weight being low down and thereby reducing the likelihood of de-slotting.
Beyond that there are advantages of weight transfer to be gained if the chassis has hinges and movable parts.

Leo

Forum Precepts:  Don't hijack or divert topics - create a new one.   Don't feed the Troll.    http://www.scuderiaturini.com
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#4

40 years ago brass chassis cars were the enthusiasts choice, but since slot.it and NSR with their floating motor pods and adjustable chassis design there is no contest. Brass chassis on wood maybe still the king on ultra high speed circuits, but even at my local club on wood they are nowhere near as quick as an NSR Mosler. And on plastic track with ultragrip tyres an NSR without magnets is unbeatable, cornering as fast as most cars with magnets...
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#5

Beyond brass, in top-flight slot racing metals such as stainless-steel are used to great effect.

Forum Precepts:  Don't hijack or divert topics - create a new one.   Don't feed the Troll.    http://www.scuderiaturini.com
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#6

Metal chassis are bad news for Scalextric Sport Digital - unless you like your APB constantly going into “safe” mode.

[i]Slot cars are not life and death.  They are so much more than that[/i]  Cool
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#7

A well made brass chassis is a work of art.

I realise there may well be advantages to a plastic chassis, but I could never really just sit back and take pleasure in the craftsmanship involved, as I can with a brass chassis.
[+] 3 members Like JasonB's post
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#8

Thanks a lot for all the responses. At present I have two cars built for our 'kitbash' class at FRC  where we race on Scalex Sport Digital track: an Airfix (I believe) Escort Mk.1 using a PCS chassis and an Owners Club (Japanese model kit brand) 1965 Datsun Skyline using a home made plastic chassis with a Slot.it inline motor pod. Both use 14k rpm FC130 motors and run mag-less, as mandated by the rules. Both run very decently, the Skyline having gotten pole position and winning races on a few occasions. I have been tempted to try my hand at a brass chassis just for the sake of doing something different and wondered if the performance would be significantly different from my two existing cars. I am still toying with the idea and if I do ever get around to building this car, I'll certainly update the forum on the results.    Any suggestions where I might be able to get some tips on designing/building a brass chassis ?
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#9

Hello Steve, I build in 1/43 where we have no club scene, but we do have proxies. Our motors are small and have limited power, so lighter cars with plastic or 3DP chassis are usually quicker.

But I build brass chassis for the fun of it, which to me is a good a reason as any!

When I want brass chassis ideas I Google Brass slot car chassis and then Images. When I see a chassis I like I click on it to learn more.




   

   

   

   

   

   


Regards, Lloyd
[+] 5 members Like Lloyd.L's post
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#10

The distinction between brass or, generally, metal) chassis and plastic has become blurred on two fronts:

Performance: 25 years ago there was simply no comparison.  A decently designed and built brass chassis would run away from any RTR plastic.  The introduction of sophisticated multi part chassis by makers such as Slot It and NSR has raised the bar and it now takes a really good scratch-built metal chassis to compete. I believe that part of this can be ascribed to the advent of urethane tires whose superior traction is less dependent on weight for grip.

Construction: Light, strong complex shapes were once the exclusive province of commercial firms whose volume could support the investment in the necessary molds.  3D printing has brought with it the ability of an individual hobbyist to design and fabricate complex plastic parts.

I'm still in the ironmongery world because that's what I like to!

EM
[+] 1 member Likes Ecurie Martini's post
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