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Lol @ Kiwi tin

RC10th wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2020 1:50 amLol @ Kiwi tin

Sharp eye!

Turns out I did take photos of the chassis before doing anything to it. Boot polish worked well in this case.

Wow, the difference is simply remarkable!
Good job!!

BOOT POLISH?!?!

Lonestar wrote: ↑Tue Jun 23, 2020 4:17 pm BOOT POLISH?!?!

btw, it smells great!

man, that's SOLID! this is one important tech tip!!!

but wait a sec... the boot polish is a real "polish", like an abrasive that smoothens surface irregularitie out, or a coloring paste that gives the color and shine? I'm very confused now...

Lonestar wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 2:55 am but wait a sec... the boot polish is a real "polish", like an abrasive that smoothens surface irregularitie out, or a coloring paste that gives the color and shine? I'm very confused now...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_polish

I don't believe shoe polishes are typical polishing compounds per se as I doubt they have any abrasives in them. They DO make a leather shoe surface shine, so in a way they act like a polish, but I think it's just the terminology. I think shoe polishes are mostly waxes with gentle cleaners and coloring agents in them. I could be wrong but I bet if you hit up your fogged-up headlight lenses with some shoe polish, it probably wouldn't make any difference after you washed it off. I imagine even toothpaste would do a better job because it has very mild abrasives in it.

It really did an amazing job on the chassis plate, regardless, but mostly because it acted like a colored filler to fill the scratches and flatten the surface, then "spit-shined" to a semi-glossy finish. I imagine if you'd spray WD-40 on it and brushed it with a nail-brush, all the cracks would be revealed again. Still, for a shelfer, it's a great tip and I would try it myself.

That's a good point. It's not a permanent solution but it does work to tone down the scratches and give a new like sheen to the plate. It is a multi wax formula that has petroleum based additives that evaporate after applying and the wax then hardens and can be buffed to give it the overall sheen. Once it hardens, It won't rub off easily on your hands. I assume if using rubbing alcohol to clean it, it would take the wax off. I don't mind if it's not a permanent fix but it will look fine for display after running the car a while. I will need to cut some carbon fiber plates for two other nib cars that are missing. If they turn out well, I will likely cut one for this car too but in the meantime, this will make it look better on the shelf.

I think that plate turned out perfect for the shelf. I wouldn't change anything.

Time to build up just enough to figure out what hardware to keep and which ones to upgrade. The Phillips head screws are likely to be left out. I will go with stainless button heads for those. The rear pod now pivots smoothly after all the super glue has been removed from inside the mono ball assemblies. I really don't know the purpose of gluing them up in the first place. After about a month of waiting, my replacement delrin hubs arrived all the way from France! The hubs convert the track width from 200 mm to 235 mm just by swapping them out. I like the way it can use the same axle and there is no need to purchase a separate wide version. The next real challenge will be trying to find the Delta style rear shocks.

When you go back to page one of this thread and look at the car you've started with, the transformation is nothing short of incredible!
I don't know when I've seen such a radical change.
The car is going to look amazing setting on the shelf.
Well done sir!!

Thanks! Its kinda fun in a sick way to bring a jalopy like this back to life. It also helps keep my mind off of modern day living....