Delta Phaser project

[V12]

As some of you may know my main interest in vintage rc cars are the 1/12th and 1/10th pan cars with Delta cars being one of my "most wanted areas".
Some days ago I got parts for the Delta Phaser what was the very first Delta electric car.
The Phaser was released 1979 and sold as a conversion kit for Team Associated RC12E cars. There was no complete Phaser kit sold.
The parts I got are all brandnew and never used. I didn´t get all the parts but most of them. Also I don´t have a RC12E as a donor car so will have to look for the additional parts needed.

So things are starting here.
These are the parts from the conversion kit.

[V12]

Regarding the larger parts on the first picture the chassis and radioplate are fibreglass of course. There were no graphite parts for the Phaser.
The onepiece rear pod is typical for the Delta electric cars but it´s not exactly the same for all of their 1/12th cars.
The first version from the Phaser had holes for the very large rear axle bearings as used by the RC12E. Also there was no hole for mounting of a center shock as the Phaser had no shock.
Later Delta pods had smaller bearings and different versions of holes for center shock mounting. I have seen four different versions overall until now.

The large rear axle bearings were a little problem to find in the beginning but I have now one pair of them coming.

[V12]

Got the special rear bearings today. These are near double OD size as todays 1/12th rear bearings.

Building the Phaser starts now.

[V12]

The parts from the Phaser conversion kit were prepared for better finish and assembled.
All hardware used is original Delta stuff.
This is now the current state.

[Jirka]

I there any rear suspension on Phaser? Rear "bulkhead" seemed to be installed straight to the chassis. Is that similar what other cars in that era were (like AE 12E)?

Jirka

[Charlie don't surf]

Damn!!!! that's something!

[a01butal]

Got the special rear bearings today. These are near double OD size as todays 1/12th rear bearings.

Building the Phaser starts now.

Delta must have made those rear pods for a small size bearing also because I've got one sitting here gathering dust.

[GJW]

damn cool car, spotted a fair few parts for sale 3 months ago and was really tempted. you resto is fantastic

[V12]

I there any rear suspension on Phaser? Rear "bulkhead" seemed to be installed straight to the chassis. Is that similar what other cars in that era were (like AE 12E)?

Jirka

You have to see the Delta Phaser was released in 1979 so same time era as the RC12E. That time at least the electric road course cars didn´t have any suspension. The Phaser was one of the first cars using chassis flex as something of a first generation suspension.
Look at the shape of the chassis, this is actually just a frame. For more chassisflex the chassis, radio plate and rear pod are connected just with the same two screws. The radioplate thickness is just about 0.04" (1mm) for the same reason and not connected to the chassis at the front. From the pictures from the lower side of the chassis you can see there is a hole for the radioplate but it wasn´t used. Delta did recommand using a thin stripe of servotape instead but even this was used just as a spacer for the radioplate to rest on, there was no physical connection between chassis and radioplate.

For the front there was no suspension also, Delta invented the front springs with their Super Phaser prototype at the 1982 worlds.

For the 1/10th cars there was a similar car using a frametype chassis like this the PR-7 from Precision Race Cars.

Here are two additional pictures where you could see the mounting and flex of chassis and radioplate connection.
Using different spacers below the rear pod you could change ride height.

[V12]

Got the special rear bearings today. These are near double OD size as todays 1/12th rear bearings.

Building the Phaser starts now.

Delta must have made those rear pods for a small size bearing also because I've got one sitting here gathering dust.

Alan
I think the pod was gathering enough dust now. Maybe the Associated cars don´t tolerate the foreign Delta part any longer.
But speaking of the bearing size this first pod from Delta used 5/8" bearings, the next versions for Super Phaser and Spyder used 1/2" bearings and just the last version of the pod with ride height adapters used the same 3/8" bearings as today.

[V12]

damn cool car, spotted a fair few parts for sale 3 months ago and was really tempted. you resto is fantastic

Yes I saw that Phaser chassis at fleebay also but was not succesful as some other guys. Meanwhile I´m happy I didn´t get a single chassis.

Thanks, I try achieving the Phaser as true as possible to the state as being run that time.
For this reason I will use RC12E parts for completing the Phaser.
This means RC12E steering blocks, kingpins and wheelaxles... if I can find them. Also steering rods and rear diff.
As for rear body posts I think the wing tubes and collars from RC12E is the same also, so have to look for them again.

For the wheels I have RC12E wheels/tires already what I got with an other car. Newer wheels as the Delta or TRC wheels were not available that time. What may be interesting would be the yellow/orange Parma wheels what I have seen on some cars. I´m not sure when they were released but I have seen them on a picture with an other Phaser and they really look cool.
Someone has those Parma wheels?

Any suggestions for completing the Phaser?

[V12]

Someone knows these Parma wheels? What time were these sold?

[GJW]

yep they are from the 84 world champ, parma euro panther

[Charlie don't surf]

damn cool car, spotted a fair few parts for sale 3 months ago and was really tempted. you resto is fantastic

Yes I saw that Phaser chassis at fleebay also but was not succesful as some other guys. Meanwhile I´m happy I didn´t get a single chassis.

Thanks, I try achieving the Phaser as true as possible to the state as being run that time.
For this reason I will use RC12E parts for completing the Phaser.
This means RC12E steering blocks, kingpins and wheelaxles... if I can find them. Also steering rods and rear diff.
As for rear body posts I think the wing tubes and collars from RC12E is the same also, so have to look for them again.

For the wheels I have RC12E wheels/tires already what I got with an other car. Newer wheels as the Delta or TRC wheels were not available that time. What may be interesting would be the yellow/orange Parma wheels what I have seen on some cars. I´m not sure when they were released but I have seen them on a picture with an other Phaser and they really look cool.
Someone has those Parma wheels?

Any suggestions for completing the Phaser?

I have the 12e steering blocks and various other NIP 12e parts if you want to pm me with exactly what you are looking for

[LTO_Dave]

For the 1/10th cars there was a similar car using a frametype chassis like this the PR-7 from Precision Race Cars.

Was this the car that had a carbon fiber chassis made in the shape of a rectangle with no suspension? I remember seeing it in an old RCCA magazine.