# AW/Aurora Torino comparison



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

C'mon, you guys knew it was inevitable... as soon as I got my hands on some new AW repops of Aurora stuff, I'd do an intensive comparison and a gruesome Dremel job. So here's my take on the new AWTJ Torino...

First off, these things are really, REALLY high. That's an original Aurora for comparison.




























Between the height difference and the wheel size difference, it's enough to give the impression that it's actually a larger scale. Even on a stock Tjet chassis, the AW is definitely 4X4 altitude:




























more in a minute...

--rick


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Nice Comparo Ric!

I guess when you can read the "Hong Kong" sticker it's time for a little High Karate with the dremel.

The tardo rear tires play a hand in the AW ride height equation, but your pictures clearly show that theres a fairly huge cushion of space from the git go.

Nice to have ya back!


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Lowering consisted mainly of hacking at the screwposts and removing the excess plastic around the windows, which is like more than half the weight of the window piece.










It probably helped that I opened the side windows like I do for all cars when I go this route... easier oiling and it looks better. Maybe it runs cooler too, but I never got as far as measuring... Don't forget to remove the little nubs on the bottom of the body that the window mounts to. They gave me a headache for a while as I tried to figure why the body wouldn't sit level... they interfere with the fronts of the gearplate rails when you get low enough.

I'm embarrassed to say that I overdid it on the rear screwpost, and I had the rear gear sticking up through the window opening a la Fray car. So I used an old broken guide pin as a spacer to bring the rear end back up. I think it looks really good now...





































I'm a little disappointed that the driver's door has a fingerprint in the paint. I'm not quite sure about the roofline, either... the 1:1 car has a gentle curve from the top of the windshield to the end of the trunk lid, which the Aurora does a good job replicating, while the AW looks almost like it's trying to be a straight line. Or maybe the roof is a little thicker than the Aurora, and that's what I'm seeing... but overall, I LOVE this thing...



















Now maybe if they do one in an ugly color, I'll pick up a body only cheap at a show to use the rear bumper on my Aurora...

--rick


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Oh, and here's a few gratuitous pics of a lowered AW Dodge, since I don't have an Aurora to compare it to...














































On this one, I overdid it on the FRONT screwpost... and the rear tires are a REAL tight fit in the wheelwells. I hacked the insides of the fenders, the underside of the trunk lid to clear the rear gear, the windows...

--rick


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## A/FX Nut (May 28, 2004)

Great job! I guess me and my dremel will be doing a number on one of my Torinos. Thanks for posting what you did. Randy.


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## 1scalevolvo (Feb 5, 2004)

I just got me a AW Studebaker Hawk that can use a little dremelation to lower it a bit !


Neal


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

ParkRNDL said:


> --rick


Never really noticed how cheesy they did the rear tailights on this one. Didn't think they looked that bad when I opened up mine. This has reminded me that I need to go back and lower them a notch.  rr


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Brings to mind a question....*

Has anyone ever removed the T/O wheelset from an AW or JL chassis and replaced it with nos tjet or like sized wheels and axles?? Maybe a move back to this more stock configuration would help them lower the 4x4 ride heights on the bodies??? I've pirated a few AW-JL wheelsets to use on some nos chassis, but never did it the other way around. Wonder how they would run?

nutherD


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

I have replaced the JL/AW TO rims with original Aurora rims on many of my cars. 
I like buying MM bodies and putting JL chassis under them with thin rims.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Yeah, I've done the same. TJ stuff fits fine. However, the AWTO speed is a bit much for skinny tires. On some that I've done, I've also changed the pinion gear from the TO 14 tooth to a Tjet 9 tooth... slows 'em down a little, changes their personality...

--rick


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## cagee (Apr 20, 2007)

ParkRNDL said:


> On some that I've done, I've also changed the pinion gear from the TO 14 tooth to a Tjet 9 tooth... slows 'em down a little, changes their personality...
> 
> --rick


Will same crown gear work I've always wondered with the 2 different pinion gears?


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

cagee said:


> Will same crown gear work I've always wondered with the 2 different pinion gears?


Technically, the gear mesh is okay, but the axle will let the crown slide away from the pinion unless you:

1. use the wheels to keep the axle centered and the gear close enough

or

2. put some kind of spacer between the crown and the chassis on the side away from the pinion.

Truth be told, the AW gears aren't as smooth and, well, "perfect" as the old Aurora ones, so if you have an old Tjet crown with the thicker boss or spacer on the side away from the teeth, you'd be better off using that. the smaller pinion will like the Aurora gear better, I think...

--rick


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

I just put original Aurora chassis under them. One of these days I'm gonna have a ton of AW chassis on e-bay.


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