JK Sprint Car

Your home for scale slot car oval racing!

JK Sprint Car

Postby Wolseley Hornet » Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:05 pm

Still obsessing about Sprint cars in 1/32 scale.(And I've never actually seen a real one outside a video!)

Nobody seems to make a kit that is truly 1/32 scale. The Sprints plus chassis are tempting, but their wheelbase is way more than 88 inches(scale).

Curiously, the motorised Sprint Bandits come closest to 1/32 - certainly in respect of wheelbase but I guess their handling is a bit atypical because of the heavy die cast body.

Several years ago, JK made a sprint car kit in 1/24. I wondered if it might be possible to re-scale this and mailed JK to ask if they had drawings they might be prepared to sell, but got the reply that they didn't have any drawings.

Has anyone got one of these kits that they never got around to building?

David.
User avatar
Wolseley Hornet
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire. UK.

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby Nor Cal Mike » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:29 pm

David, I think the JK kit that you refer to was a stamped steel set up that would be difficult to cut down. It would be easier to scratch build a chassis to the size you want with from 1/16" brass tubing IMHO. If you simply want something to model, you might pick up a static 1/24 kit to take measurements from.

You are right that Sprint Bandit cars are pretty small in 1/32. I have made some slot cars from the Sprint Bandits. They aren't all that bad to drive, especially if you go for the wingless USAC style car. Cars made from Sprints Plus chassis can run on as little 3 1/2" lane spacing if you keep the width down. I build my Sprints Plus chassis as 1/24 scale cars with a 3" max width to run on my oval which is 3 5/8" lane spacing. It's a little tight but it is doable. I don't do serious Sprint Car racing, just play around stuff. If I did, I would build a 4" lane spacing track.

Mike
User avatar
Nor Cal Mike
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 1270
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:15 pm

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby Wolseley Hornet » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:28 am

Thanks,Mike.

I've already made a start, copying a Sprint car cage devised by 'Ryan from Ohio' in another site.
I adjusted his photo of the cage to the right scale length, printed a few copies, then glued one to a piece of MDF, and hammered in some pins to make a jig.
I've made four sides so far out of 1/16 brass rod - and they've turned out ok.
Motor bracket and guide-bearer shouldn't be too difficult, but I guess getting scale wheels and tyres will be a bit of a challenge.

As for the JK chassis,I didn't actually intend to try and cut one down.What I had in mind was to scan or photocopy the unassembled parts,rescale the image to 1/32,then get the image converted to a CAD file.It should then be fairly straightforward to get a CAD expert to adjust the image so that axle holes are a usable size, and the motor mount lines up correctly.

Finally,there are a number of companies that cut gaskets using laser cutters or water-jet cutters; and one of these could easily do the cutting out if provided with an appropriate file.

It could be pretty expensive, but worth finding out,I think,as the cost might turn out to be reasonable if a number of people wanted them.

David.
User avatar
Wolseley Hornet
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire. UK.

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby Nor Cal Mike » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:23 am

Sprint cars use tires that are pretty much like any other race cars albiet a greater disparity between front and back. On the 1/32 sprints that I built, I used Slot.it or Ninco F1 wheels out back and plastic Artin wheels from their GT1 Porsche's. The fronts were a little wide for a dirt sprint car but would look about right for a pavement USAC style car.
Image

Paul Gage makes a jumbo tire for the F1 wheel that would look better out back IMHO.
Mike
User avatar
Nor Cal Mike
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 1270
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:15 pm

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby Wolseley Hornet » Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:09 pm

Thanks,Mike.

I'll bear those in mind.

I can get Slot.it and Ninco parts from Pendles.

David.
User avatar
Wolseley Hornet
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire. UK.

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby VenturaAlfa » Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:42 pm

David,
Keep in mind you also have some leeway in terms of real life wheel base. The chassis we have used in the 1:1 sprint car depend on series being run in and track we were running at. Our wheelbase ranged anywhere from 82" to 96" inches depending on the length of the track, pavement or dirt, 360 or 410 car, and series being run in; (SCRA, CRA USAC, VRA, or a variety of others).
Our local track is a little less than a 1/4 mile clay oval. The sanctioning association is VRA they allow either the 360 or the 410 (cubic displacement if you've never seen a live sprinter). The 360 has a shorter wheel base that is adjustable based on track conditions. The 410 has a longer wheelbase that is also adjustable. The 360 we used would go from 84 to 89 inches based on track conditions. Our 410 went from 86 to 96.
Most of the chassis I have seen allow you to relocate the front and rear axle depening on conditions.
If I remember right the jk chassis is 3 1/4. That is almost correct for a 96" chassis which in 1/32 would be 3".
Ventura Alfa
VenturaAlfa
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 318
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:15 pm

Re: JK Sprint Car

Postby Wolseley Hornet » Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:46 pm

Thanks, Ventura Alfa, that's really useful information.

There are sprint Cars here in UK but I understand they are nowhere near as powerful as yours, so you don't tend to get the same exciting sideways action.

Sadly, after two coronaries, I wouldn't get a licence to compete in a car park manoeuvring competition, so despite being fit now, the nearest I'll get to sprint car racing is building slot car versions!

David.
User avatar
Wolseley Hornet
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:25 pm
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire. UK.


Return to Oval Racing HQ!



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests

cron