Stock T-jet

Recent changes will be highlighted in blue.

Preamble:

The following document outlines the Stock T-jet rules for club racing in the Western Pennsylvania Slot Car Club.

The rules are written with the intent of providing a precise specification that will define each car’s construction. It is fully expected, and in fact intended, that the racers will adhere to these rules as they design and build their cars. Any breach of these boundaries will result in the disqualification of the car.

BODIES:

1. Body must completely cover the chassis when viewed from above except for legal stock openings (i.e. windows and vents)

2. Bodies must be of the hard shell variety. (No vacuum formed bodies)

3. Bodies must be complete with windows, bumpers, drivers or roll bars as originally manufactured.

4.  Bodies must be originally manufactured with two screw posts specifically for mounting to a Thunderjet chassis: e.g. Aurora, Model Motoring, MEV, Playing Mantis, etc. and easily identified as such.  No AFX, Tyco, LifeLike, G-Plus, etc. No molded-in glass will be allowed.  Glass must be formed to fit its own specific body, and must be a separate piece. No ill-fitting or flat pieces will be allowed. No added-in plastic or other materials, including Flamethrower-style bodies, will be permitted. No wide, specially formed VHORS, Fray type bodies please.

5. Bodies must be readily available for anyone to purchase.

6. Body must be fastened to chassis using two screws.  The body screws must be of the pan-head type.  Flat-head screws are not permitted.  Flattening of screw heads is not permitted.  Countersinking of the screw in the guide pin or chassis is not permitted.

7. Fender wells may be trimmed inside the fender only enough to accommodate oversize tires (i.e. MM ’55 Chevy, see tire rules).

8. Bodies may be lowered but not lightened.  No hogging out.

9. Bodies may be trimmed only as necessary to allow them to fit loosely onto the chassis. For example, the ’58 Corvette to allow pickup shoes to move freely and sides of some bodies to allow movement.

10. Split screw post may be repaired using plastic, aluminum, or brass sleeves only.

11. Screw posts may be replaced with plastic only and must be positioned at original location.

12. Front and rear glass is required.  Side windows and excess “glass” inside the roof area may be removed.

13. Fenders may not be flared, unless originally manufactured as such.

14. No body openings other than side windows and front grills are allowed.

15. Body shape may not be altered from original molding.

16. Body must pass freely through a 1 1/8” tech block.

17. Body classes:

  • Vintage Trans Am (Trans Am Series Race Cars, pre-1972)
  • Vintage Muscle Cars (Street American Muscle Cars, pre-1972)
  • Vintage Le Mans Sports Cars (Vintage Sports & GT Cars, pre-1972)
  • Vintage NASCAR Stockers (pre-1972)
  • Vintage Open Cockpit Sports Racers (1952-1972)
  • Vintage American Sedans (pre-1972)
  • Vintage “Haulers”

CHASSIS:

1. Chassis must be original stock Aurora Thunderjet with all copper components.  A lighted Aurora Thunderjet chassis may be used only if all lighted components, including the wires, light, solder and brass clip, are removed.

2. Bearings, bushings, spacers, and shims are not permitted.

3. Weights and handling pans are not permitted.

4. Chassis cannot be cut, sanded or drilled in any way except for trimming the rails on the gear plate for body clearance (See rule #14).

5. Pick up shoes and springs shall be solid copper and manufactured by Aurora, Model Motoring, American Line,  BSRT (model 504 only), Slottech or Wizzard. “Ski” shoes or other pick-up shoes where the original contact point has been lengthened are not permitted.  The contact point may not be lengthened.

6. Pick up shoes may be bent to allow better surface contact with the rails but must remain stepped. The step point must remain at its original location and may be only slightly flattened.  The contact point may not be lengthened.

7. Pick up shoe travel may be restricted either by bending the rear hook where it connects to the chassis, folding the front hook were it meets the front chassis tab, creating the so-called “z-bend,” or by installing a non-metallic restrictor ring at the top/front of the shoe.

8. Pick up shoes cannot be weighted.

9. Shunt wires, “tiger tails” or other soldering is not permitted.

10. Guide pins must be original design, any color plastic. No rear or swivel guide pins are permitted.

11. Guide pins may be glued to chassis but two mounting screws must be used (See rule #6 under Bodies).

12. Guide pin may not be countersunk to allow lowering of the front screw.

13. Gear plate clamp may be bent or dimpled but may not be cut.

14. Gear plate rails may be trimmed to allow for lowering of the body.

 

MAGNETS:

1. Magnets must be stock Thunderjet as originally manufactured. Original color combinations were green/orange, green/white and black/black (1 magnet has a small white stripe).

2. Magnets may be shimmed using non-metallic, non-ferrous, and non-magnetic material only. Magnets may only be shimmed on their back side, not the side facing the armature.  Chassis cannot be cut to allow repositioning of magnets.

3. Magnets may not be sanded or cut.

4. Magnets may be matched.

5. No traction magnets are allowed

 

ARMATURES:

1. Armatures must be stock Thunderjet. Thunderjet armatures are typically painted gray and have green, red or gold windings or a combination of all three colors.

2. Armatures must measure 16 ohms or higher when measured from pole to pole.

3. Armatures may not be balanced.

4. Armatures may not be rewound or de-wound and soldered tabs may not be altered.

5. Armature spacers are not permitted.

6. Armatures may not be shimmed.

7. Armature laminations may not be trued, shaved or cut.

8. Commutator plates may be polished but may not be shaved, trued or altered.

COMMUTATOR BRUSHES:

1. Commutator brushes must be copper/carbon compound.

2. Brushes must be flat surfaced top and bottom. Scoring of the brushes is not permitted.

3. The only acceptable brushes at this time are Thunder Brushes, Wizzard or original Thunderjet.

 

GEARS:

1. Armature pinion, idler gear and driven gear must be stock brass Thunderjet.

2. Armature pinion gear must be 14 tooth.

3. Idler gear and driven gear must be 24 tooth.

4. Final pinion gear must be stock brass original 9 tooth.

5. Crown gear must be 15 tooth, original Aurora black/gray nylon.

6. Gears may be soldered or glued to their respective shafts.

7. Gears may be lapped and polished.

8. Gears may not be drilled or lightened in any form.

9. Gears may not be beveled.

10. Smaller diameter or “specialty chassis” crown gears will not be permitted.

11. Identical replacement gears are permitted and must be made of the same materials as the stock parts.  No CNC machined aftermarket gears will be allowed.

 

TIRES/RIMS/AXLES:

1.  Any tire is allowed, provided it is a readily available part and is manufactured to fit

the stock rim.  Tires may not exceed standard replacement width for acceptable after market narrow tires i.e., Thunder Slicks, Black Hawks, etc.  No O-Ring front tires are allowed.

2. All tires shall be equal to or greater than 0.350″ diameter.

3. Wheels:

  • Aurora stock original, MEV, Model Motoring, and HO Reproduction.  Aftermarket rims must be plastic reproductions of the Aurora stock original T-jet rims.
  • Double flange “skinny tire” rims constructed of plastic only.  Metal rims are not permitted.

4. Only stock 7/8” axles are allowed.

5. Front tire/axle may be allowed to float from side to side. Lateral movement may not

exceed 1/32″.  Plastic spacers may be used to extend width to a maximum of 1” with tires.

6. Rear and front hubs with tires must pass freely through a 1” tech block.

7. All four wheels must touch the track.

8. No additives are permitted on the tire surfaces, e.g., belt dressing, tire dressing, oil, etc.

Revised 1/2/2014
JAB