1 Topic by ProfessorFate (edited by ProfessorFate December 22, 2025 9:57 am)

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Topic: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

Hello slot car racers,

   I build slot car chassis from scratch, also known as "scratch built".  There are NO easy-to-follow instructions.  The body you are building the chassis for, are the instructions.  
  I try to build two chassis a month; some bodies will be unpainted as they are for someone who wants me to build a custom chassis. This is to show what can be done. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them as best as I can. I want the slot car hobby to live on.   
  In order to build a good chassis, you will need a good quality chassis jig, wire bender, wheel diameter blocks, 90-degree square, 80-watt solder iron, good quality solder (NOT the cheap crap), good clean brass & steel piano wire, sandpaper, a Dremel and some common hand tools (needle nose pliers, skewer/stick, ruler with 10th or mm increments & sharpie marker, your choice of tools). You will also NEED some patience, practice & imagination. 

Remember, it takes longer to do it fast and wrong than it does to build it slowly & correctly.  

Always use the best quality tools & parts to build the best quality items.
 
  I am not saying I am smarter than the next guy, because I am definitely not. It is that some people just do not know the difference between scratch built and a kit. i.e. (If you put together a Revell model kit - you did not scratch build the model) the same goes for scratch building a slot car chassis. This is Not a kit with instructions!

You may need to sign in to view the pictures.

Jim Mitchell

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/JM1.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/JM2.jpg

2 Reply by ProfessorFate (edited by ProfessorFate February 20, 2026 2:10 pm)

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

#1

Hello Slot Car Racers & builders,                                                                                                   

I started with an old Doug Haynes Resilient Resins McLaren M8A body, made in the 1990's which I won at auction on e-bay in 2005, NOS in the original bag. The body sat until 2022 when I scratch built the chassis for the Resin Mclaren M8A CAN-AM. I then painted the body. This is how it looks like today.

The car has some practice time so there is no driver installed. (The car ran very well at 7.461 seconds on Tom's track in Bend, Oregon during practice).

If there are any questions, I will do my best to answer them. 

Scroll down to view more builds.

-Jim

https://8upload.com/image/0291ba6f1dd7b6e1/DSC05944.jpg

https://8upload.com/image/33b5e21ccd76312e/DSC05962.jpg

3 Reply by ProfessorFate (edited by ProfessorFate February 20, 2026 2:13 pm)

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

#2

Hello Slot Car Builders, Collectors, & Racers:

I started with a Lindburg 1/24 Ford Cobra Coupe hard plastic model body made in the 1960's. I "scratch built" the chassis for the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona, then NickiJ in the NASTE slot car club over in Bend, Oregon painted the body. This is how it looks like today. The car ran very well at "Tom's World" track in Bend, Oregon during practice.

If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Happy New Year.

-Jim

https://8upload.com/image/a759b17bd5811777/DSC05967.jpg

  • wb0s
  • wb0s
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  • From: Vancouver, Washington
  • Registered: June 16, 2008
  • Posts: 6,018

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

Awesome Cobra GT Jim! Great job on the paint Nicki!

wb0s's Website

  • Registered: February 16, 2025
  • Posts: 55

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

Very nice builds on both cant wait to see them in person

6 Reply by ProfessorFate (edited by ProfessorFate February 20, 2026 2:17 pm)

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

Slot Car Chassis build of the month
#3
Hello Slot Car Builders, Collectors, & Racers:
  I started with a Revell Mustang IMSA GTO Series 1/24 hard plastic model body made in 1987. I scratch built the chassis for the 1987 Mustang.  This is how it looks like today. The car ran very well at "Tom's World" track in Bend, Oregon during practice session with no paint, windows or interior.  The body will get full paint and larger rear tires before the race next season at Dust Devil Slot cars for the 1980-2010 IMSA - DTM - GTO - Trans/Am hard body Challenge race. I will update the picture after it gets painted. I build a lot of chassis for upcoming races then paint them as needed. That way I can practice driving them without banging up the paint.
If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Jim
https://8upload.com/image/3d0fdf79ee4a4ed9/DSC05982.jpg

https://8upload.com/image/0ef49ea1657fc331/DSC05984.jpg

  • Registered: February 16, 2025
  • Posts: 55

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

very nice build. when will you have a schedule up for races you plan to have at your new track?

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

As soon as I can get enough people interested. We can also run teams of two if racers want to run the race and do not have the proper car and chassis for that race. Loads of Fun ...

Jim

  • From: Powell Butte
  • Registered: June 12, 2024
  • Posts: 30

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

Slot Car Chassis build of the month
#4
Hello Slot Car Builders, Collectors, & Racers:
 This chassis was a test for me to see if I can build a brass & wire chassis for a hotrod body, without having the guide hanging out of the front in order to pass tech of "no guide flag beyond the bumper". 
  I started with a Jimmy Flintstone Resin body 1/24. I scratch built the chassis for the 1927 Ford roadster. I tried to make it look like it was built in the late 1960's early 1970's using some old vintage parts available at that time in history.  This is how it looks like today. The body will get full paint, interior & photoetched grill whenever I get time to finish it. I will add the picture in this writing after it gets painted. 
If you have any questions, let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Jim
https://8upload.com/image/e94c11aecccd4de7/DSC05992.jpg
https://8upload.com/image/36200c187b979b79/DSC05989.jpg
https://8upload.com/image/47b280c3d2db8fab/DSC05990.jpg
https://8upload.com/image/dbae9ec980009a9f/DSC05991.jpg

10 Reply by wb0s

  • wb0s
  • wb0s
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  • From: Vancouver, Washington
  • Registered: June 16, 2008
  • Posts: 6,018

Re: Slot Car Chassis build of the month

That's cool Jim, nice work! Thanks for posting!

wb0s's Website