Thimble Drome Champion

The engine and drive unit are ready to drop in, the engine is n-rods NIB .199 and the drive unit came with the car.
The car had an .09 engine when I got it, what I didn't know was the 15 tooth pinion from the .09 will not fit the .15 and the .199 crankshaft.
That left me needing a pinion for the .199, oh crap, I emailed the eBay sellers with no luck then I tried Gary Arnold at www.tlctethercar.com.
He sold me the pinion so I could finish the drive, I also got the repro tires from him. Very nice guy to deal with.
I'll drop in the power train and almost done.



This shows the drives and gears that came on these cars, the 15 tooth pinion and 30 tooth ring gear is a 2:1 ratio, you could also get a 1 3/4:1 ratio
with a 16 tooth pinion and 28 tooth ring gear for the .15 and .199.

It took me a while to get the drive train set, it is really shoehorned in there. Only thing left is the hood decals, they are in the mail.
I really like the model, all it took was a lot of work and dollars squared. Got my eye on another .199 with drive unit for the next one.






Some of the cars in my collection

Crank:

Gary Arnold came with my enthusiatic endorsement. A first-rate guy and excellent resource IMO.

SD

WOW! Really Nice!

You did a really good job. Is the paint fuel proof?

Yeah, great job! It looks like new! Neil (n-rob), sent me a great copy of the manual that I will scan and get uploaded onto the Instruction Sheets page.

Outstanding job Doug.
I'm somewhat at a loss for words.
Thanks for doing it, and sharing.
I need a cigarette.
Bob

Unbelievably beautiful results.

Phil

Thanks for all the kind posts and all the help I got, I learned a lot about these cars doing my first restoration.
I didn't want to put it back to factory original condition, made it how I liked it.
I wanted to contribute to the forum and it looks like I'll never get to fly my .049 models, been trying for two years to get in the air so I went to the cars.
The paint and clear is Dupli-color lacquer from any auto parts store and is not fuel proof, been looking at a top coat of either SprayMax K-2 acrylic urethane
or LusterKote clear. I used K-2 in the past and it looks like glass but is costs and has no shelf life. Its really nasty stuff but bullet proof when its done.
Thanks again, crank out!

I found my second Champion car a few days ago, a new eBay seller did not do the homework and offered this at 39.00$ BIN. I jumped on it, the listing didn't last long.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roy-Cox-Thimble-Drome-Tether-Car-/271201941640?pt=US_Radio_Control_Control_Line&hash=item3f24e53888

I thought the car might be original and I would just leave it as is but the seat bottom had been cut for a different drivetrain. The original drivetrain has never been run,
the .15 engine is new as is the axle and gears. Wow, sweet find!

Since the seat has already been cut I'm thinking about mounting a McCoy .29 in the car. I found an adaptor kit that mounts the engine, it drops into the Thimble Drome body
and has axle, gears, flywheel, all the parts to make it work. I think this is the .29 I need.

Crank:

I'd repectfully point out that the rear-intake McCoy would be sucking exhaust from an already cramped engine compartment.

Good buy on the new car though!

SD

I should have never done it, got that first Champion tether car. Now I'm hooked on the larger cars, my wife is gonna KILL me.
Got this car from a nice gent name Tony Orlando from Springfield, Virginia. Tony is quite a craftsman and made this tribute to
Dick McCoy. Its a McCoy Invader and I'm in deep poop now.

Since you are in 'deep ' already. Here's something you'll like.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COX-THIMBLE-DROME-CHAMPION-15-TETHER-CAR-/281119609487?pt=US_Radio_Control_Control_Line&hash=item417408d28f

Or maybe you want to buy flowers with the rest of your money.  I'd go with the flowers, but what do I know.  I just go back from dinner with my beautiful wife of 21 year (today).

Wow 21 years, thats great! November will be my 21st, and I've used up all my flower power:hit_the_fan:

A size comparison, too big to hide under the bed!

The innards of the Beast, the cars raced in the 40s, 50s had spark ignition and had to carry points, coil, condenser and battery onboard.
To shut them down they used a switch that was tripped using a rag as the car passed by. This car was built from a kit from dick McCoy
in the early 90s using a .60 glow engine. All it needed was a battery and hot lead to the glow head with a switch to kill power once the engine fired.
To shut it down there is a mechanical fuel shutoff tripped with a rag. This engine looks massive after running .049s.

Lovely bit of kit!

Nice restoration! I'd love to own a T.D. Champ but they are little more than my wallet will allow. The closest thing I have to even looking like that body style is an old Pagco Jet .099 powered car and I have aluminum castings, tires and wheels for an .049 powered Dooling F

Shawn

My decent into tether car mania continues, I acquired this highly customized Dooling F car for the collection last week. The craftsmanship is top notch on the "dress up" parts and paint.
This one is powered by a McCoy .61, think I'll drop the Dooling .61 in the chassis. Dooling started production after the war in about the mid 40s during they're rise to the top of tether car racing.
The F car was one model that resembled the real racers of the time.

This is what they looked like new, 45$ back in the 40s without engine

My wife

That is one beautiful car! Great buy! I know a guy that knows a guy, and he is thinking of selling off his car collection. I might get my start!

If it helps, tell your wife you are working on some of those cars for me.