I want some non-mag cars for a small dirt oval and the bodies I like, '30s-'40s coupes and '50s-'60s sedans, seem to be pretty much geared toward Tjets. Sounds like the original Aurora chassis are maybe slower but better built, while the new AW incarnations are faster but a bit iffy in quality control. True? Aurora chassis come in several flavors; standard, hot rod, wild ones, etc.- which one do I want? Some bodies are short- or long-wheelbase; Tjet front axles can be moved for either, right? What about rear wheels and tires for decent grip and long wear? I don't have to have the fastest car on the block, just something smooth-running and not too fussy. Thanks for your suggestions.
Any pancake chassis can be iffy, NOS Aurora can be more expensive although not as consistent
for armature & motor magnets to AW/JL. Either chassis can have poor gear mesh, bent axles
and wheel/rim issues. Tweaking/tuning is the challenge.
The T-Jet based chassis, whether from Aurora or Auto World, has a long and short wheelbase for the front axle so that is not an issue.
Original Aurora chassis can still be found new, although they will cost between $5-$8 more than an AW/JL chassis. The Aurora chassis will use brass gears along the top plate, while the AW/JL chassis uses 1 brass and 2 plastic. If you go with Aurora, you will want a standard chassis, not the hot rod or racer chassis; these are the same as the standard chassis, just with longer axles and larger wheels. The AW chassis, whether the regular or Ultra-G, should have the potential to be faster than a standard Aurora, though that also comes with its own set of issues (like matching it with the correct controller).
In terms of quality, many have pointed out that the later batches of Aurora chassis (the only ones which are available new today) are not as good as the earlier chassis (due to mold deterioration). The AW quality problems have been well documented, although it seems each release gets better and the later releases seem to generate far less complaints.
You will have to tinker with either the Aurora or AW to get it to run its best, but that is the challenge you accept with a pancake car. It may be my favorite part of the hobby.
Joe
Last edited by Grandcheapskate; 08-18-2012 at 08:01 PM.
I would suggest checking with a dealer that sells AJ's silicones. Not sure what hubs you are using so its probably best to talk to a dealer.
Please support your local hobby shops if you can. If no one near you carries AJ's, let me know and I can hook you up with a dealer that sells by mail order (T-jet parts too).
All the talk about the "good" tjet chassis being gone is debatable. The top notch builders are cranking out some awesome cars, and no, they aren't doing it from some stashed away secret stock they are sitting on!
Just plan on picking up a few NOS chassis from where you can, and some DASH magnets, some Wizzard or BSRT brushes, and some new pickup shoes and springs.
You can likely get away with not swapping axles at the beginning, but should get some modern made hubs and tires. AJs are good, as are several other brands such as Balls All Out HO, RTHO and others.
Some of the "fancy" wheel tire combos are just for looks and not racing.
There are several guides online about tweaking and cleaning a Tjet, so find a few and have some good fun!
Being somewhat new to T-Jets myself, there's a lot to learn to start to make them fast. As mentioned above there are several good guides out there. For me, working on a car with the help of an experienced builder is a huge help. If you let us know where you are located, we might be able to hook you up with someone in your area. If you are into dirt modifieds, do a google search for resindude. Great bodies.
I've been in and out of basement racing for almost 50 years. But last year came back in and last year right where you are now. Thats what I went with a small dirt oval and about the same kinds of bodies.The tuff ones have a little hotter motor and higher top gear speed. You can gear and motor any car dosnt really matter. Heres what we did to have some fun racing. Dont use the big tires. Get the small silicones that go on the small stock wheels. If your on a dirt oval you want to spin and slide. You want a nice curve 18-15 or 15-12 for a 4 lane. Even if you dont use all the lanes you can hang the tail out and not knock the other car off the track if hes trying to pass. If you use smaller curves its different you come in slow up kick the rear end out its super quick. A bigger curve you drive it around. Get some black electrical tape smooth plastic kind. Put it on your racing groove in the curve will slip even more and require driving it around to the max and still pull some speed in the straights. Another nice body to have is a late model it has a lot of rear body after the wheels and really like to slide. I think a cool thing about the tires is that almost act real. You do a lot of laps the inside tire will blow off the rim its like a blown tire. If you get into liking it they make a double flange small tire hub. It keeps the tires on but they wear out chunk up and just break like a blown tire but takes thousands of laps. Also on a dirt oval the cars need a lot of oiling if your just running around practicing
In terms of quality, many have pointed out that the later batches of Aurora chassis (the only ones which are available new today) are not as good as the earlier chassis (due to mold deterioration). The AW quality problems have been well documented, although it seems each release gets better and the later releases seem to generate far less complaints.
Joe
Joe - I'll have to strongly disagree with you on this one! Yeah, you can still pick up some bad Aurora chassis that is for sure, but all the top builders that sell to the public are using these very same chassis that are left, and making some super duper cars. I know for sure they aren't doing them based on some secret stash that they are working from.
Back on topic....I would recommend that as a "newbie" to Tjet style chassis, you stick with the original and plan on buying a few extra top plates and motors to have some to try and build the best car you can. The newer Dash motor magnets are what you want for added performance.
The AW and JL cars are tougher to work on when it comes to adjusting the brush springs tension, where as the Aurora cars are much more forgiving.
There are plenty of great replacement slip-on tire options, ranging from the skinny format to wider , which would be the choice for your fair ground bodies. The new Pro Series from Super Tires are looking very good, and if you head over to the Pancake Forum, you might be able to snag a few free pairs from their free promo they are doing.
For front tires, you want NO grip at all, so the harder the better. Grip up front just slows you down and does nothing for handling.
Ask plenty of questions, there are plenty of Tjet Geeks on here and we'll lead you in the generally right path.
Just keep having fun, that is the most important part!
HOCOC has been running the type of cars that you are talking about for many years. Either the original T-Jet or the or its JL/AW clone can work well. I have reviewed the comments that other posters have made and I agree with the majority of them. I have bought dozens of NOS T-Jet rolling chassis plus a whole bunch of loose armatures over the past five years. Maybe I just have bad luck, but most of the armatures have been just plain junk. Some of the suppliers claim that the stuff they sell has not been picked over, but looking at the armatures, that does not necessarily appear to be true. If you just want cars to run they don't have to be rockets, but you at least want cars that can get out of their own way. The main problem with JL/AW cars has been that the axle and armature shaft holes tend to be too big, but I have developed a method for fixing that.
Right now we have a class just for JL cars, in the future we will probably also allow those to be run in classes that are now strictly for Aurora chassis. The hitch is that we do try to use rules that are compatable with other clubs and they would have to buy into that idea.
If you have the time go to the HOCOC Yahoo! site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HOCOCSLOTCARRACING/
and look through the picture albums.
Help me break into Thunderjets
Linear Mode
