This is one of 2 copies of this body I have acquired. Johnny Lightning/Auto World made a duplicate of this style but they chose to make it appear as a convertible with a raised soft top; I prefer this original, which is slightly smaller, since it is fitted with the rare removable hardtop option. It’s well-proportioned and, judging by the shape of the hood scoop, appears to be a 427-powered version, marking it as a ’66 or ’67 model. At the time I bought this one I didn’t have enough green cars in my sports car fleet. If I had to do over again I would probably choose a different color, but I can’t deny this one looks good, especially with the “Stones” wheels and the #6 roundel on the doors and trunk. It handles surprisingly well considering its short wheelbase. Its unlikely that many 427-powered Corvettes were actually used on racing tracks, but I know there’s some out there, and I’m always happy to push the envelope!
My very first attempt at fitting a set of custom wheels to my very first Thunderjet wasn’t exactly my finest moment…
Better than stock, but still wrong!
Having no idea what to expect, I thought I would just pull the stock wheels and axles, slip in my special aftermarket axles and presto.
Prest-NO. The new wheels were just larger enough compared to the originals that they didn’t clear the rear wheel arches.
Knowing that I was experimenting and learning, and expecting to make some mistakes as I did, I carved out the rear wheel arches of my hapless red Nova SS as carefully as I could with an X-acto knife to make room for those Torque Thrust II’s. I got them to fit, but the end result wasn’t as nice as I’d hoped. Thus I learned an important lesson: to buy one of these!
Couldn’t have done it without you, Dremel!
And it’s not just for fitting custom wheels. I have discovered that the Auto World Ultra G chassis are ever so slightly longer than the original Aurora T-jet chassis, and they also have a rear notch that isn’t as deep as the originals. Both of these present challenges when trying to fit many original vintage or reproduction bodies onto these chassis.
When working in HO scale, millimeters can become miles; clearances are often VERY tight and it is very common to have to grind tiny amounts of plastic off the bodies here and there in order the achieve the right look and fit. I often have to shave off micrometers from wheel wells, rear posts, the lower edges of rear window inserts, and sometimes even the insides of the bodies themselves in order to get it all to come together to way I want it. It can be time consuming and requires patience, but this is all part of the fun.
However, it would not be fun without a Dremel tool! A variable speed Dremel with a complement of relatively common attachments makes it all possible.
One example of the indispensability of the Dremel is seen here on this Model Motoring ’67 Camaro body. This is a great body that anyone would want, but it won’t fit the Auto World Ultra G chassis without some modification, which includes grinding out a significant amount of plastic from the front behind the bumper and grille in order to clear the tops of the pickup shoes. Without the Dremel and a grinding stone, this would be dangerous, if not impossible, to do without irreparably damaging the body
How to make a Jaguar E-Type ugly!
Another example of the usefulness of the Dremel: this Aurora-bodied Jaguar E-type looks great with its wire wheels and low profile tires courtesy of Road Race Replicas, but this body came stock with strange (and completely unrealistic) squared off wheel arches which would make fitting anything other than the original paper thin tires impossible. We’ve all seen butchered examples of this body on ebay with the wheel arches clumsily cut out using a knife, but with the Dremel and a proper grinding stone, the job can be done with the class and elegance befitting a Jaguar.
This particular car holds a special place in my heart; its one of my favorites, and its significant in being one of the milestones that launched me on this hobby.
Although I am a GM loyalist at heart, I have always loved early Mustangs; a real one is still on the short list of cars I’m considering the financial outlay to put in my garage. In the meantime, I have copious amounts of scale models of them from nearly every manufacturer that made one in 1:87 – 1:64.
The original Aurora Mustang…one of the few original T-Jets I’ve never wanted to own
But there is an exception: the original Aurora body, which I don’t like because it’s poorly proportioned and, frankly, goofy looking. When I found Road Race Replicas was making a new, correctly proportioned body, and a fastback no less, I had to have one. This was the 7th Thunderjet I bought, but it was the first one I had ever purchased as a body only from a “boutique” manufacturer that had to be assembled in the way I am now so used to doing. The bodies were offered in colors touted as historically correct 1965 Ford paint codes; most of the more popular colors were sold out by the time I found them, so I selected this one in “Honey Gold” for my first real slot car “build.” I fitted my own chassis, wheels, axles and tires according to the scheme I had chosen.
It wasn’t easy! RRR designs their bodies for the original Aurora or identically sized Dash Motorsports chassis, and not for the slightly larger AW Ultra-G platform, so there was a LOT of little modifications to be made: first I had to cut down the rear frame rails on the chassis, then had to find the right shims to give the body enough clearance, but still had to grind down the bottom edge of the rear window insert where it tucks under the sill to clear the rear gear, and then I had to deepen the rear screw post notch on the chassis, and thus I then had to shave a little off the rear post, and even with the low profile tires I had to grind just a hair out of the front edges of the front wheel wells…
All this was daunting for a noob, but I saw the potential in it, and I wanted it to work so badly that I held on to the patience necessary, determined to make it work. It took many hours of experimentation and test fitting, and I must have taken the chassis off and screwed it back on 20 times. When I finally made my first successful run around the track, I stepped back and looked at the best looking slot car I had ever seen, one that looked just like a real Mustang…and I smiled, because it was mine!
I’ve since raced the hell out of this car; it was the second one I burned the motor out on, but I just replaced it and kept on racing! Stylistically, it’s never changed; it has always been fitted with the chrome reverse wheels and low profile tires. At one point I did affix a set of white racing stripes to it, but later took them off; I think it looks fine just the way it left the factory! There may come a day in the future when I decide to sell some or even most of my collection, but I’m quite sure that this is one that I’ll never part with.
Wheels & Axles, Wheels & Axles, they go together like… …like depression and Paxil!
And if you didn’t like that rhyme, you come up with a word that rhymes with “axle.”
The stock Auto World Ultra G front axle is a straight pin that cannot be used with custom wheels
Of course its no surprise that fitting custom wheels to a slot car also requires custom axles. The front axles of the Auto World chassis are a straight pin that cannot be reused with either the Vincent or the Road Race Replicas wheels.
I have found 2 solutions for this:
The Road Race Replica shortened axles show at bottom in comparison to a stock axle at top.
The best solution by far is once again courtesy of Road Race Replicas, who sell shortened axles specifically designed for T-Jets. They are high quality and affordable, and have the perfect amount of slack from side to side for almost all wheels one would want to fit. I highly recommend these.
Another option which I have also used extensively is to simply shorten the ends of the AW splined rear axles by nipping about 3/16” off each end and then grinding down the rough cut edge with a stone attached to my Dremel tool. This is easy to do in part because the AW axles are made of soft material…something I’ve seen several people complain about! This is a slightly less elegant solution, but it works fine for those times when you don’t have those nice shortened axles. Bear in mind that for this method you will need 2 rear axles, to use 1 each for the rear and front.
Stock Auto World axle, cut down and ground with a stone attached to a Dremel. This particular axle has also had its center “narrowed” by grinding.
Occasionally I have found that a long wheelbase Ultra-G chassis has a front axle that rubs against either the front screw post of the body, or, more often, the shim I’ve installed on the front screw post of the body.
In addition to grinding one side of the shim, I have also had some success grinding down the center of the axle by using my Dremel with a grinding stone on a low RPM setting. Installing the axle in the chassis with the wheels on the ends, turn the axle slowly using your thumb on one of the wheels while grinding the center of it with the Dremel until the center has been reduced in size. Yes, this will weaken the axle, but its not like the front axle of a Thunderjet is bearing a lot of load; as long as you don’t grind almost all the way through it, it should hold.
INDISPENSIBLE TOOLS OF THE TRADE: a BSRT wheel puller along with a set of Delrin guide pins, body screws, a 1/8″ drill bit for widening screw posts where needed, and a new set of silicone tires
One tool I have found indispensable for the procedure of removing wheels is my BSRT wheel puller. I bought this on ebay when I was first starting out, having no idea where to find them and thus I wound up in a bidding war and paid an outrageous price for it. Even so, it has likely saved me a great deal of effort and heartache by making wheel removal damage-free. However, note that there is also a companion wheel installer, and while this is great for certain kinds of wheels, these are not to be used on the types of wheels I am focusing on in this blog! A wheel installer produces far too much pressure for the wheels I use on my cars, and would definitely damage them. These wheels have to be put on the old fashioned way: by hand. Better toughen up your thumbs!
And if you were wondering where all those stock wheels I’m removing from all my chassis go:
Having built (at this writing) roughly 120 T-jets, and putting custom wheels on 98% of them, I have an awfully big stash of take-offs
If anyone is interested in over 100 sets of unused Auto World T-Jet Ultra G front and rear wheels and tires, I can make you a great deal!
