Here are some parts that we didn’t use.
The original white steering blocks that slip onto the #8-32 7/8” long chassis screws don’t seem up to the task of creating a truly awesome RC10 of near period correctness. The MIP-style ball bearing steering blocks are way more awesome.
The original front suspension mounts have a significant amount of play in the hinge pin hole. They are too loose and too worn, or too damaged by impact. Black ones made of a revised material provide a very tight fit and seem much tougher. Small tubes made of nonporous alumina ceramic having an inner diameter of a very precise 1/8” were machined. This is an extremely hard material. These inserts could be used to “repair” the front suspension mounts so that they don’t have that play anymore. This would involve altering the original part, by drilling it out and by inserting the alumina ceramic inserts. You want to have the hinge pin rotating in the A-arm and not in the suspension mount, by the way. With this very hard material it’s difficult to insert a tightly-fitting hinge pin without marring its metallic surface (e.g. titanium grade 5), unless glue is used.
In photo you’ll see a shock collar (or “spring preload tensioner”) from a Yokomo-era car. I have three of these but not a fourth. These have a grub screw which digs into a shock body. They look super cool and work well but they put a mark into the shock body.
Original ball studs are not used anywhere. Their ball diameter is 4.3 mm or less and they don’t provide a tight enough fit for our purposes. In trying to show off a beautifully designed car it would not be appropriate to use sloppy linkage.
Associated part #8830 is a very well-made and well-designed sway bar ball mount with a very nice through-hole (for piano wire) and set screw tightening mechanism. The material is a hard aluminum. The ball is 4.3 mm in diameter, or of that general size. It’s a great choice for swaybars but is not period correct. It does not offer the challenge of manufacturing a period-correct swaybar and its ball diameter is larger than the 3.9 mm we’re using for our swaybars.
The two plastic low-profile nuts came with the ball bearing MIP-style steering block kit. I am using aluminum nylock nuts instead for a more precise and secure adjustment capability.
Original turnbuckles and white RPM ball cups are in photo. Both of these have too much play (when put on original ball studs) for our purposes. Perhaps one or the other could work with the slightly larger Lunsford balls. The open eyelets being used currently provide a 180 degree adjustment increment instead of the usual 360 degree adjustment increment you have with ball cups.
Original battery tray from one of my original cars is also pictured. I can’t get the yellow off by using various test chemicals. The yellow color does not match the white parts on Matt’s car. It’s yellow from age and cruft. We’re trying to mount the battery lengthwise in the car, by using only one battery cup as was done in original one-off RC10 prototype, hand made by Curtis Husting. A quirk that many of us have experienced is that all of the early chassis have holes drilled slightly off to one side for this single battery cup mounting position, and these stock holes are lacking the countersink on under side for a flat head screw.
(The end.)
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