• wb0s
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Topic: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

For years I have had difficulty mounting hard plastic bodies on chassis using a pin/tube style body mounting system. Pin tube mounts work great for clear bodies before you paint them, but what if you are looking to mount or re-mount a body that is already painted? Or worse yet a model car type body you can't see through at all?

Through the years I've tried it all, careful measurement, a marking/cut out guide, marking the bodies on the inside while sitting on the chassis, even using a bright light from inside the body to try to highlight the tube positions. Well I think I have finally come up with something that works accurately, first time, everytime!

The key tool in this process is aluminum tape. If you don't have any of this stuff I suggest you get some. I use this tape for many different things, holding chassis pieces in place while soldering, marking and set up, repairs, and even for detailing to simulate aliminim parts. It is a little expensive, but the large rolls it comes in will last forever!

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3695.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

I took these photos while mounting a 1/32 body on a custom chassis, but the procedure works for any scale body/chassis combination.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3691.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3692.jpg

I used a set up block as a working platform, but any flat piece of wood or plastic would work.

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

I first test fit the body on the chassis. After aligning the chassis with the body wheel well openings, I marked on the body with a silver Sharpie, where the leading edge of the chassis sat. Many bodie's wheel well openings align evenly with the edges of the chassis, this one did not. The photos show the chassis leading edge referrence point mark on the bottom of the rocker panel.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3693.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3694.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

I then cut a short strip of aluminum tape approximately the length of the side of the car body.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3696.jpg

I then stick the aluminum tape to the side of the set up block with half the length of the tape positioned above the block.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3697.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3698.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

Then I place the chassis, bottom side down onto the set up block and slide it over against the aluminum tape. The side of the chassis is placed against the sticky part of the tape, with the leading edge of the chassis even with the leading edge of the tape. The tape holds the chassis in place. I do one side at a time.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3699.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3700.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

With the side of the chassis stuck to the aluminum tape, with your finger lightly rub the tape against the chassis pin tubes to leave an impression in the tape. I then use dress makers pins to punch a hole through the aluminum tape and into the pin tubes. This marks the pin tube holes in relation to the chassis position.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3701.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3702.jpg

Mark both pin tube holes and remove the chassis from the block. After removing the chassis you have a piece of aluminum tape attached to the side of the block with the chassis pin tube locations clearly marked. Again, I do this one side at a time.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3703.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

After the aluminum tape is marked the body can be placed on the block. Be sure to maintain the correct front to rear orientation in relation to which side of the body/chassis you are working on. Many times there are slight differences between left side and right side chassis dimensions.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3704.jpg

Place the body bottom side down flat against the block, and slide it up against the aluminum tape. Be sure the leading edge of the tape lines up with the referrence mark for the leading edge of the chassis. The tape will hold the body in place on the block.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3705.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

The tape clearly shows where the holes should be drilled through the body for the pins.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3706.jpg

I use the dress maker's pin to make a small indentation to keep my drill bit from slipping while starting to drill.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3707.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

This is the type of thumb drill I use for drilling the pin holes through the body.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3709.jpg

Carefully drill through the body using the aluminum tape as a guide for the hole's locations.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3708.jpg

After you complete drilling the holes, check the fitment of the body to the chassis.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3710.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

After completing the first side, use the same method to drill the pin holes in the other side of the body. It is critical that the edge of the tape lines up with whatever front or rear referrence point you are using on the chassis.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3711.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3712.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3713.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

In this photo you can see how the leading edge of the tape lines up with my silver mark on the bodie's rocker panel. This ensures that the chassis will be located correctly in relation to the wheel well arches/openings and locate the wheels/tires correctly.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3714.jpg

Here you can see how the chassis lines up with the silver referrence marks on the body when mounting is completed.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3717.jpg

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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

These photos show how well the body fits on the chassis when done. The body is nice and flat to the bottom of the chassis, just as it should be. The body did not require any final sanding or grinding to make it level with the bottom. It came out perfect first try.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3715.jpg

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/IMG_3716.jpg

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13 Reply by Mitch58 (edited by Mitch58 January 12, 2017 4:56 am)

  • Mitch58
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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

MR Saager has one of those chassis. It will be interesting to see how they perform. BTW, that is how we mounted the bodies to our Drag Cars. The first cars I built for your track were mounted this way. It took me a while to figure out how to make body post.

  • wb0s
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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

As a matter of fact, that IS Mr. Saager's chassis, and body.

The pin tube body mounting system has been around forever, and for mounting clear plastic bodies it is nearly perfect! When mounting a new clear body you can see where the tubes are and just push the pins through the body into the tube. It's when you can't see through the body that I start having trouble!

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  • reek455
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Re: Mounting Hard Plastic Bodies on Pin Tube Chassis

Thanks for this helpful guide.

Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win.