# Mercedes Vibe top will not fit on chasis



## old blue (May 4, 2007)

I have a Mercedes vibrator top that i am trying to put on an AW chasis or even a NOS chasis but I do not see how there is room for the shoes. The screw post is too close to the front bumper. I have seen these converted, but short of grinding away at the bumper and front of the car how is this possible? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

Put simply, it's not possible.

Without grinding away behind the front bumper, that is. And to really make it look right you will also need to grind away a little more underneath the interior and hood and trunk. I've done it with both the Mercedes and Jaguar roadsters. Both look great and if it were up to Carroll Shelby they would be deemed GLH models for "Goes Like Hell".

Soon as the camera battery charges I'll post some pics.


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

By using a Dremel with a medium round cutting head I removed enough for clearance for the pick ups. But the body sat just a tad too high for my liking so I used a medium grinding wheel to shave the bottom of the hood, interior and trunk, the sanded the posts down until the body was as low as I could get it without the gears hitting the underside. Pic 2 is the end result. :thumbsup: 

BTW: in the background you get a preview of my latest project.


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

Thank you for the info. I was all ready to change out the vibe motor and was disappointed when it would not go together. I was considering bending the pick up shoes and shaving off the front of the chasis to see where I might get with that, but your pics prove me wrong. I did not mention that the other vibe I got with the Mercedes was the Jag so now I have two big grinding projects to do.

Speaking of projects, what exactly is your yellow truck made of?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Too adapt the shallow vibe bodies to a t-jet platform Aurora used a spacer! No cuttee!


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

The Jag should bolt right up. May need some minor trimming but not nearly as drastic as the Merc.

The truck is a cab and rear fenders from a cheap toy truck I found at Dollar General grafted to a Tyco F1/Indy body. Takes a lot of Dremeling, grinding, cutting, sanding, fitting, gluing, more sanding and sometimes a little cussing to get one right.


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

Aurora made a t jet version of the Jag xk 140. As Bill said, there was a black plastic spacer attached to the front post, slightly over 1/32" thick. Shame to cut up a 47 year old vibe when you can use a spacer - once cut you can't really go back. You want a cut out Merc, I'll send you one - rather give you and spare an original.


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

Since you will be putting a t-jet chassis under a vibe body, it won't be truly "authentic" anyway. I agree to preserve the body and modify the chassis. I have cut down the chassis for my Mercedes (I do have one routed out and a vette routed out), but I am now struggling with the shoes. I know somebody on this board has shortened the shoes to fit, so please post the how to.
Thanks
Jim


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

I can use a spacer on the Mercedes but I am not sure how that allows the shoes to have enough room? Is there a picture of the Aurora Mercedes?


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

Well, I solved my own problem. I kept looking at the body and thought if the pickup shoes were back just a little they would clear the front of the body. Then it dawned on me, I modified the chasis to allow the shoes to be angled back and still work. A moment on the dremel and suddenly the Mercedes body fit perfectly down on the chasis. I felt bad grinding away at the chasis for just a moment but when I saw it all come together I was amazed. I would post a picture but I am waiting on the windshield to come from RRR. Maybe someday soon.


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

Good thinkin'. :thumbsup: 

I did mine before RRR was around and I too was missing the windshield. I was also missing the glass for my Jag and the Tyco S Ferrari Testarossa. My solution to that at the time was clear Lexan cut and bent to fit, then secured with CA. They turned out so nice that when RRR started offering glass for them I decided not to change it.


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## christos_s (Jan 16, 2008)

*How do you angle back the pickups?*

How did you do that? Yes please post a picture!

I have 2 (blue and green) mercedes vibes waiting to be refitted



old blue said:


> Well, I solved my own problem. I kept looking at the body and thought if the pickup shoes were back just a little they would clear the front of the body. Then it dawned on me, I modified the chasis to allow the shoes to be angled back and still work. A moment on the dremel and suddenly the Mercedes body fit perfectly down on the chasis. I felt bad grinding away at the chasis for just a moment but when I saw it all come together I was amazed. I would post a picture but I am waiting on the windshield to come from RRR. Maybe someday soon.


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## christos_s (Jan 16, 2008)

1. Why cant I see pics here - in this thread I mean, I do see pics in others? from Dranoel Dragon for example?
2. Though this thread is under the category "Slot Car Modeling/Customizing" when I search the category pages by date, I do not see it. Anyone know why

PS. I am new with forums... it shows, doesnt it?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

It's about storage room Christos. We are only allowed so many bytes. As your pictures add up periodically the older pics get purged to free up space while the text remains.

As for the pick ups just give them a gentle shove. Remember to adjust the chassis on the screw holes either forward or backward so the wheels are centered in the wells. There is generally some play here. It is easy to just assemble things too far forward so that there is no wiggle room up front for the pick travel.


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## christos_s (Jan 16, 2008)

Thank you bill, 
i'm afraid though a little shoving wont do the trick if the vibe mercedes body remains untouched. The shoes need to be pushed back by about 3mm while the wheelbase cannot move back because of wheelwells on the body. Chassis customizing seems necessary. I wonder what old blue did, see his post above.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Got it Christos....duh....old blue no doubt trimmed the chassis front frame rail on an angle or notched it so the shoe hanger could be bent back.


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## christos_s (Jan 16, 2008)

So OldBlue you have any pictures of the chassis/pickups modifications you did on the Mercedes?


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*um.....*

  ????PICTURES????


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## wheelszk (Jul 8, 2006)

I'm with you tj I don't see any pictures :freak:


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