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Looking good.........

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com

Gonna have to find a Chim Chim figure now, lookin' good.

Very nice! :thumbsup:

Dan, Looking great, but where is the GRX? Can't wait to see painted cars and be able to get them...

*drool* I am impressed!
Lenny, thank you for taking this project on.
I need to own that one too!

:thumbsup: Berry Berry Nice :thumbsup:

Can't wait to hear when this is going to be available...

Jeff

Dan, Looking great, but where is the GRX? Can't wait to see painted cars and be able to get them...


Take a close look...isn't the second pic the GRX?

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.slotcarjohnnies.com/)

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:thumbsup: Berry Berry Nice :thumbsup:

Can't wait to hear when this is going to be available...

Jeff
Hopefully these will be in my hands shortly after Thanksgiving...

Nice effort Lenny. But it looks a liitle too big in contrast with the wheels.

...it looks a liitle too big in contrast with the wheels.I'm sure they'll be fine. These are photos from the factory. When I get these in my hands, I'll look at the overall size, how high they ride, etc and they 'll adjust them accordingly. They did an awesome job of implementing the changes noted on the first mockups.

Dan

I'm sure they'll be fine. These are photos from the factory. When I get these in my hands, I'll look at the overall size, how high they ride, etc and they 'll adjust them accordingly. They did an awesome job of implementing the changes noted on the first mockups.

Dan

They're looking great Dan!

I agree w/ dlw tho'. Try and keep 'em as low on the chassis as possible. :)

GP

good job man!!!! I buy some.

looks great Dan!
I will have to put these on the "must have" list.
Scott

We're getting closer to production tooling. Take a look at these babies!!

Neat stuff.

Speed Racer isn't really my thing but you're a local guy so I can support this :thumbsup:

'Doba

I'll get some of these to go with my JL MOPARS. If I HAD any JL MOPARS!!!

Dan,

They are looking great. Thank you again. I know I will be buying a least 2 of each. How are the other cars you had in the works comming?

Dave

Wow, those cars are looking great. I can't wait to place my order.

I have diecast versions of the Mach 5, Shooting Star, GRX, and the red #5 car from the Speed Racer Series. I think they were made by PM/JL, but do not know for sure. I have them converted to tjets, and they all run like hogs since they are so heavy. Let me know if you want to see a photo. These test shot photos look better detailed than the diecast cars I have.

I have diecast versions of the Mach 5, Shooting Star, GRX, and the red #5 car from the Speed Racer Series. I think they were made by PM/JL, but do not know for sure. I have them converted to tjets, and they all run like hogs since they are so heavy. Let me know if you want to see a photo. These test shot photos look better detailed than the diecast cars I have.
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Very very cool.... they'll be on my wish list for sure.

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:roll: Way to go Lenny.... Can't wait to see some (at least one of each) of them in my box. :thumbsup:


Jeff

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I've certainly picked a bad time to switch to 1/43rd scale.

I've certainly picked a bad time to switch to 1/43rd scale.
you can always come home...

Dan, excellent. I can't wait for the Speed Racer cars. make sure you let us all know when your website is up and running.

The plans are to offer my own 'T-Jet' chassis, but we'll have to see if I can get all the 'goodies' in it that I want (polymer mags, mean green-type arm or a variant of the Quadralam arm, copper electrical system and more...), and still keep the price low. Each 'performance enhancement' raises the cost of the chassis.

I will address these as I see fit. No insult intended to your plans.
1) polymer mags
Not necessary. It would be overkill in a production pancake chassis
2) mean green-type arm
This would be nice
3) variant of the Quadralam arm
Not necessary. It would be overkill in a production pancake chassis
4) copper electrical system
This would be a good thing

Other things I would rather see than 1 and 3.
A) A more consistant chassis made with stiffer plastic
B) Better quality control in the assembly of the chassis
C) Gears with shafts that were on center

Higher prices for better performance? Works for me.
We know what a "toy" chassis looks and works like.
Show us what a "hobby" chassis can do.

Scott

Agreed, don't worry about super magnets and extra hot arms. It would be better if the components are as close to a stock tjet as legally possible. That way we'll all have regulation acceptable replacement parts to use. But if you can produce the polymer magnets and quadralam arms, you'll definitely have a market for it.....

I will address these as I see fit. No insult intended to your plans.
1) polymer mags
Not necessary. It would be overkill in a production pancake chassis



Scott
Scott,
No insult taken... The reason for the polymer mags was so that the arm would perform better without overheating.

Dan

I like what I'm hearing!

I have no deep yearning for another plain vanilla TJet chassis clone. What would it give us that MM, JL, and NOS chassis aren't providing today? At best it would be competing on price. So you want someone else to foot the big R&D bill to flood the market with inexpensive TJet chassis stock. I see.

A set of poly magnets that aren't radically stronger than the JL/Super II ones would be fantastic. Poly bonded magnets aren't as sensitive to heat and shock as old style alnico magnets. The pancake motor is notorious for running fully saturated. A strong arm and strong magnets would be an excellent package and make the pancake live up to its full potential. It's not like it will turn a TJet into a magnet car or a rocket ship, it will just make it a much smoother and cooler running performance package. The drive stepper motors in PC hard disks often use poly bonded magnets for their good perfomance and stability.

I think you are failing to see the significance of what's being offered: a full RTR pancake car built from the ground up with a heavy slant to PERFORMANCE. Not a mass produced toy built for minimum cost and maximum profit. This kind of package in the $20 range is phenomenal. You pay nearly that much for a set of TJet/AFX poly magnets today. If you are uneasy with a gift horse showing up at your door and prefer a gift pony, then yank the good stuff out and slap in the cheap stuff.

Yes, putting hot rod components in a stock TJet format car will put it in a different racing class than the traditional TJets. But as long as it's inexpensive, readily available, and can take the traditional TJet bodies I believe it will be very popular in its own class. A lot of groups avoid exotic parts only because it raises the cost of racing and makes it harder for new racers to jump in. The big question is: what if cost is no longer a factor?

Time to think outside the box.

I will be running both HO and 1/43rd in the future.

I will be getting some of this stuff.

ok lets think about this here if you want to get into 1/24 scale you are talking 60 bucks for a steel flexi type chassis and body and then 24 bucks for the controler now we have the t jet and 20 bucks and again 24 for the controler and when they get threw for the evening they can go home work on there cars and test them out on there own test track before comeing back and seeing if there machanicing skills worked or didnt im thinking we are looking at a good thing here

I have no deep yearning for another plain vanilla TJet chassis clone. What would it give us that MM, JL, and NOS chassis aren't providing today? At best it would be competing on price. So you want someone else to foot the big R&D bill to flood the market with inexpensive TJet chassis stock. I see.


No, that is not what I am asking for at all.
I would like a hobby quality racing chassis with tighter tolerances than either the JL or MM chassis used. I would like the chassis to have less flex.
I would like the chassis to be able to plant all four tires on the track at the same time. I would like the gears to be round with a good mesh and the roll center in the center of the gear. I would like straight axles. Round tires. Maybe even double flanged wheels. I would like to have copper electricials, not nickel plated (On the arm and the chassis!). The magnets that JL used would be fine for me. A 6 ohm arm would be great. Overheating problems? Design the chassis with vents like an AFX chassis. (But I haven't managed to burn up a JL chassis yet, must be the 15 ohm arm...)
BTW, what is the amp draw on a chassis with poly magnets and a super II arm anyway?
Scott

Maybe we need to start a new thread to continue this discussion....

We are talking hobby quality price with better than hobby quality components. Wow.

I totally agree with Noddaz that the single most critical factor is how the whole chassis is put together.All manufacturers need to strive for the best quality they can afford regardless of the parts they use. If the JLs and MMs aren't making the grade it's not because of their individual components. On paper the JL cars sound pretty darn good. But for all the extra goodies they added above what the Aurora Tuffys came with (tri-lam, Super II strength magnets, domed brushes) their performance is not nearly what it should be. I still remember the excitement level about the JLs being quite high among racers immediately prior to the first release. It dropped off dramatically once the cars hit the stores and were skipping down long straights like a manic poodle. They certainly hit their target market of being an "Adult Collectible." Fotunately, due to their TJet heritage they are tweakable. I'd rather spend more time tweaking my JLs to turn them into racers instead of tweaking them to compensate for their flaws. I still love 'em though.

If Dan is building a car with "racers in mind" as a primary focus that is a huge plus. Yes, he'll still have to deliver qualiity because slot car enthusiasts are a brutal bunch and will always point out every little detail that is amiss.

I'm not worried about the stronger motor magnets. We're talking motor magnets and not traction magnets that the motor has to fight. Pancake motors just don't have a very optimal motor to magnet orientation and too little magnetic mass in the rotor. They can use a lot more field flux than what they get with the stock magnets and spacing. I'm sure were talking about something fractionally better than Super II/JL magnets, not something that requires a block & tackle to pull apart. The arm will run cooler with stronger motor magnets. I've seen too many pancakes go south from weak magnets.

I believe the Aurora Magnatractions used polymer magnets. But those magnets are also working against the motor by serving as traction magnets at the same time. Arms tend to heat up when they are drawing a lot of current. The primary cause of high current draw is loading down the motor. When the motor is loaded down the back EMF drops and the arm current goes way up to compensate. Take away the mechanical drag that traction magnets cause and the arm will generate more back EMF, draw less current, and dissipate less heat. I'd expect some extremely decent RPMs. Zoom zoom, bring on the big blocks!

Building a new slot car is a huge leap of faith for anyone. I'm thrilled that Dan is taking on the daunting challenge and going in a direction that JL neglected (or whiffed on). He's obviously been reading the boards and listening.

Don't get me wrong, I'll buy them no matter what "flavor" they come in. But I don't know if I entirely agree with this:


I have no deep yearning for another plain vanilla TJet chassis clone. What would it give us that MM, JL, and NOS chassis aren't providing today?


MMs do not meet the performance mark of well-tuned original Tjets, and have been known to spontaneously combust. (Hey Scott, is that burn mark still on Doug's track? :D )

JLs are NOT the same as NOS, unless you're talking NOS Tuff-Ones, as the gearing makes them an entirely different animal to drive. That's not just the JL versions... I have half a dozen original Tuffys and have yet to get one tuned to where it's near as smooth for relaxed cruising as a good stock Tjet. I'm sure some will dispute me on this; that's just my personal experience. I've actually had good luck gearing JLTOs DOWN to Tjet ratios. I enjoy having some geared both ways, and I have a stock JLTO with the regular JL gearing and a Dragjet Karmann Ghia body and JW's rear tires that is an absolute ROCKET to drive--it handles great and is a blast. I also like the wider Tuffy wheels/tires for bodies that will fit them. But you can't put a JL chassis, the way it is, under an original Aurora Riviera or Corvette or Toronado or El Camino body, or even reproductions of them, without a wheel swap.

NOS? Sure, till REH runs out of them. When will that be? Who knows? Maybe next week (shudder), or maybe the roaches will be driving NOS Tjets around after we're gone. But they won't last forever, and the only one who has tried to provide a direct alternative is MM, and their product seldom measures up.

Like I said, don't get me wrong... I understand the marketing necessities of offering a product that will sell because it is new and different. I recognize that many (most?) buyers will like the performance enhancements. I'll support Dan and buy these no matter what flavor they come in. I just wondered if vanilla will be an option for those of us who prefer it.

--rick

(Hey Scott, is that burn mark still on Doug's track? :D )



Ummmm.... Why, yes it is... :rolleyes:
Don't tell anyone I did it....
Scott

The NOS TJet supply will run out. But so what? If it runs out before the demand runs out then a lot of business saavy people have a very compelling reason to fill that void with a suitable replacement. Unspent money piling up on tables will provide a lot of incentive for someone to jump in and grab the money. All that person has to do is send a NOS Aurora chassis and a bucket full of cash to the right Chinese manufacturer and say "make me 50000 copies of this." Minor design alterations may be needed to avoid copyright issues, but that's not a big deal at all.

Is there really a fear is that once the NOS chassis supply dries up then the hobby goes away? That makes the hobby seem rather precarious. I tend to assume that a lot of the folks that are still into this 40+ year old hobby have plenty of inventory to hold them over until long after their time on earth. Growing up I never had more than 10 or so cars in total. That lasted me 4 or 5 years. Extrapolating that out to just the JLTO cars I have I now I can hang on for a couple or few more centuries.

I'm cool with new.

As someone else said, Speed Racer isn't really my thing, but I am gonna support you Dan as much as I'm able.

Kudos to you on the time and expense you have invested, I hope it works out for you!

Dean

Minor design alterations may be needed to avoid copyright issues, but that's not a big deal at all.

I may be wrong on this, but as I understood it, the original patent from the Aurora Thunderjet chassis design has expired, making it fair game for anyone who wants to reproduce it.

I tend to assume that a lot of the folks that are still into this 40+ year old hobby have plenty of inventory to hold them over until long after their time on earth. Growing up I never had more than 10 or so cars in total. That lasted me 4 or 5 years. Extrapolating that out to just the JLTO cars I have I now I can hang on for a couple or few more centuries.

Point taken. On the one hand, you sound like my wife, who doesn't understand why I need to keep buying NOS chassis. On the other hand, both you and my wife are exactly right. Last time I tried to count, I had something like 200 to 250 running pancake-motor cars, and maybe another 50 to 100 inlines/mag cars. If I never bought another car, I could still stay in this hobby and have fun till my collection becomes my kids' inheritance. (That still doesn't stop me from cruising yard sales and flea markets and hobby shops for new acquisitions.) I guess knowing there's still NOS out there is like a security blanket... not that it makes any kind of rational sense or anything...

--rick

I REALLY like your ideas Dan. Body selection is right on. (That cheetah looks great!) If you can build a chassis as good as or better than NOS Aurora you WILL have a market. I like the idea of a quad arm and stronger magnets. Even if you offer them as "aftermarket upgrades".

GP

What i would love to see is a decent updated slimline chassis :) I have just started playing with these and I like what I see. Granted you have to work these more due to Aurora's tolerances being off on the crown gear and pickup spring tabs. However there strongest point is they are lower and narrower which means they will work on a lot more bodies and you will be able to lower any exisiting body much more. Now I would make the motor magnets stronger and a better motor brush also I would make sure the body mounting is exactly the same as a standard TJET.

Roger Corrie
Virginia Beach, VA

I've always been intrigued by the little slimmers but they've always gone thermal on me. They would benefit greatly from much stronger magnets. I've expermented with using neo dots as boosters on the slimmers and it does help. The stock magnets are way too weak and too far from the arm and don't overlap the arm enough. But I do like the fact that the motor is small and the chassis is narrow. I'd love to see a tiny inline motor powered chassis with the same screw mounting holes to fit those beautiful Aurora formula bodies.

What i would love to see is a decent updated slimline chassis :) Now I would make the motor magnets stronger and a better motor brush

Roger Corrie
Virginia Beach, VA


JB made some nice brushes for the slim line chassis. Called 'em "Thunder Slims" or something. http://www.thunderbrushes.com/

GP

Lenny,

If it is OK to ask, how are these coming along?

Dave :)

Lenny,

If it is OK to ask, how are these coming along?

Dave :)
I've been told that they might be here in January...

*sigh*
any updated pics?