# How are you guys running your t-jets?



## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

I really like the fray style jets, but have seen some posts by other folks talking about running with weighted pans or super-stock modified, etc....

Tell me what you guys run in your groups, i.e. what you call them, what parts (magnets, motors, bodies, tires, etc.) you use on them, etc.

Thanks in advance, looking forward to seeing the creative ways people are doctoring these things up!

Marty


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

We run fray style but allow full use of Johnny Lightning/AutoWorld chassis and parts, including the tri-lam arms. Surprisingly, this has not led to any problems whatsoever. The guys with the fully juiced Aurora TJets built to strict Fray Rulz, with all the big buck specialty parts, still have no problem at all keeping up with the JohnnyJets. It gives the "traveling pro" guys better competition while allowing the budget conscious "local club" guys a competitive car at a significantly reduced cost. I would imagine that a JohnnyJet with CNC gears all the way around, a dynamically balanced arm, tungsten axle, $20 front end, and superlight body would potentially be able to spank the field because of the tri-lam, but nobody in their right mind is going to dump that kind of money on a JohnnyJet car they can't race anywhere else. Some things just take of themselves, and this is a prime example of a formula that just seems to work.


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

tri-lam arms.... is that the stock arm on the JL/AW chassis? I have built up one of these "fray" style and it does haul, keeping up with my best fray car for a fraction of the cost!


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Stock as a rock with slicones and double flanges stock width rims for stock class. Auroura chassis.

Fray rules for S/S . Auroura chassis.

Gonzo


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

> tri-lam arms.... is that the stock arm on the JL/AW chassis? I have built up one of these "fray" style and it does haul, keeping up with my best fray car for a fraction of the cost!


Yes, the JLs have a tri-lam, and yes, in race form they do keep up with the fray cars for a fraction of the cost. Works out pretty well, huh?


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*Michigan Modified T-Jets*

We run fray style T-Jets on the scorpion buck track with open gearing, open arm, lexan or resin bodies. 
JL chassis allowed, not much more then $50.00 for these race cars. 

On the oval slip on tires, Dash Sprint car body.

I'm sure you seen our set up Marty.

Link for those who have not:
http://www.daveshoraceway.com










http://www.geocities.com/daveshoraceway/08sprint5c.JPG


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

In my area, we run tjets in stock form, with slip-on silicones or double-flange rims w/silis and SS/Fray style. Many folks use JL/AW magnets in the SS/Fray class.


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## TJETDRAGRACER (Jan 25, 2008)

*In a strait line*

I don't know about all that point and changing lanes thing, I just hit the power button on my drag strip and the first car to hit the finish line is the winner. LOL


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

00'HO said:


> We run fray style T-Jets on the scorpion buck track with open gearing, open arm, lexan or resin bodies.
> JL chassis allowed, not much more then $50.00 for these race cars.
> 
> On the oval slip on tires, Dash Sprint car body.
> ...


Dave, yeah, I did see them, they look like a lot of fun, and I bet they fly with those lexan bodies!

AFXToo, I was amazed at how fast the JL stuff cranks, and without doing a ton of blueprinting.


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Ohoo,

I miss the comparison between your cars and Fray cars .

Wouldn't yours be an " open " or "Outlaw" car ?

Interesting class but don't take them to a Fray Class Race . lol

I do appreciate the low cost of a fast racecar.

Gonzo


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

We run ours Stock at my track. Slip on silicones allowed with stock rims. With choice of Aurora, JL-AW, Model Motoring, or Road Race Replica body. It's our slowest class but my favorite class. Randy.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Duffer's Night Out*

Straight know-nothing friendly home racing, basement style (I only wish I _had_ a basement). Once-a-year or so, with a new temporary track for each event.

A few years ago I dug out my old cars - some stock Tjets, some mildly modified. I added some newer Johnny-Jets. Timed them and grouped them into classes, A thru F. All cars with similar times go into the same class, no matter whether they're box-stock or modified.

What we _have_ done is: six or seven friends (none of us are serious racers) show up and we start with the F class dogs, picking cars by their looks, and racing crash and burn short races (with qualifying heats because there are more drivers than lanes). Then we move up to faster classes in order. Points for 1st 2nd & 3rd in each class race (not heats). Guy with the most points at the end wins.

For next time I plan something a little different. Two-man teams. One drives, the other marshalls _for his teammate only_. Next class up, they switch jobs. This lets 8 guys race on 4 lanes without qualifying heats, and everybody has something to do in every race, so races can be longer and don't have to be crash and burn. The last event of the night will be* the 24 minutes of LeMans* with lighted AFX LeMans cars. One man drives, the other marshalls; at six minutes, they have a minute to pit and switch jobs (and the room lights go out or dim). At 12 minutes they switch jobs again, at 18 minutes they switch again (and the lights come back on for the last six minutes), so each man on the team gets to race a day and a night segment. The team with the most laps when the power gets cut at 24 minutes, wins.

Don't know how it will work, but I like the LeMans feel of the last race a lot.

Oh yeah. Blowhard razzing of other teams is encouraged, but if you're heard bitching that your dud teammate goobered you, you lose all your points and risk losing track privileges (i.e. don't get invited to the next one). This is friendly retro-fun with little toy cars, not ego-on-the-line competition.:wave:

-- D


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## tjettim (Nov 29, 2005)

The Fray rules are crazy.Just run lowered stock bodies
with no wheel well cutting.Add brass front ends,any
rear tire,make all the JL/AW parts legal and interchangeable.
Allow no other mods or aftermarket parts and just have fun.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

tjettim said:


> The Fray rules are crazy.Just run lowered stock bodies
> with no wheel well cutting.Add brass front ends,any
> rear tire,make all the JL/AW parts legal and interchangeable.
> Allow no other mods or aftermarket parts and just have fun.


Bless you.


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

I run mine around and around and around and around:freak:.....i'm getting dizzy.....:drunk::jest::lol:

Almost all of my Aurora tjets are stock with the exception of wheels. I use all types of wheels...stock, Vincents, MEVS, RRRs(mostly for show), MM aluminum wheels, AFX wheels, Slot Car Device Aluminum wheels, etc. etc. All types of tires also. A few chassis have had the pinion and crown gears changed. I'm just a hacker.....so "NO Rules" here. Just run 'em for fun.


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## Dranoel Dragon (Oct 9, 2007)

I have about a dozen that are set up for stock class racing. I have a dozen more that are set up for Mod class. I have about a hundred that aren't "legal" under any snctioning body or set of rules but are at least as much fun as the "race" cars.

(How 'bout a Nash Metro resin body with skinny whitewall silicones tucked up under the fenders and powered by a rewound arm and poly mags. It's a blast!)


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*Michigan Mod Set Up is the Bomb*



tjettim said:


> The Fray rules are crazy.Just run lowered stock bodies
> with no wheel well cutting.Add brass front ends,any
> rear tire,make all the JL/AW parts legal and interchangeable.
> Allow no other mods or aftermarket parts and just have fun.


Hey t-jet Tim, we would let you race your set up against ours :hat:

We love the open motor, set up.
Take that away and my guys would have withdraws..... 

http://www.daveshoraceway.com


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## tjettim (Nov 29, 2005)

That's the problem,every track has different rules.
If a person realy wanted to,he could make a custom 
armature that was easily 1/2 the weight of a stock
arm.What would an arm like that be worth to racers
in your club?


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## 00'HO (Nov 19, 2004)

*$100,000 yen*



tjettim said:


> That's the problem,every track has different rules.
> If a person realy wanted to,he could make a custom
> armature that was easily 1/2 the weight of a stock
> arm.What would an arm like that be worth to racers
> in your club?


My guys are cheap - just like me.

Build it, bring it, race it, it's been a while. 

History shows, you show, when the $$$$$ are on the line.

I think I have your mug shot still posted at the raceway !


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*how?*

I usually race one in each lane.... 
But not at the same time. I only have two hands...:tongue:

Thats not what you meant, was it...

But seriously, I like the VHORS/Fray type set ups.
But I also like Tuff Ones width (1 1/8th?) set ups...

Scott


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

I would love to _race_ a Fray car in race weekend. 

For running around the local scene, I prefer stock or tuff-one width cars for appearance sake. I have a mix of pure Aurora T-Jet, pure JL/AW Clone-Jet and hybrids (Aurora chassis, top plate, gears, axles / AW armatures, magnets, electrical parts). I know the hybrids are blasphemous but they recreate the hop-up performance I used to try for back in the day for reasonable price. Guys who comb through the 100 cases of T-Jets for the Holy Grail parts and sell the dross are my heros. :thumbsup:

The few local types I know share this set of preferences. I know more local slot heads that run 1:32 than HO. I am working to spread the gospel. :dude:

All the enjoyment stuff aside, my goal is to get to a Fray event next year (assuming I get my back gooped back to near Minty condition). :freak:

I also have similar AFX and Magnatraction hybrids that I really enjoy. Hutts love mutts. :hat:


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I generally run sitting down, but when the kids are running I end up standing more than sitting.. :lol: The lil ones run stock Xtractions, I run basically stock tjets of the aurora variety, and modified AW tjets with a 9 tooth pinion/ aurura crown to slow things down. Other than crash and burn (which the kids do alot of) there is no real racing here. My track is unfit for high speed...


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

win43 said:


> I run mine around and around and around and around:freak:.....i'm getting dizzy.....:drunk::jest::lol:
> 
> Almost all of my Aurora tjets are stock with the exception of wheels. I use all types of wheels...stock, Vincents, MEVS, RRRs(mostly for show), MM aluminum wheels, AFX wheels, Slot Car Device Aluminum wheels, etc. etc. All types of tires also. A few chassis have had the pinion and crown gears changed. I'm just a hacker.....so "NO Rules" here. Just run 'em for fun.


what he said. :thumbsup:


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

out of the box, little oil, silicone tires and weeeeeeeeeeeee away we go.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

They run?


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## demether (Aug 26, 2008)

Hi, 

I race only at home, with my friends. My friends are not as slot addicts as I am, so I have to provide cars for everyone, if I want to race not always alone 

So my choices are decided by budget, but also by esthetic, as I am a modeller before a slot racer. I discovered tjets (JL/AW copies)a few months ago. So I don't race them for now, but I'm preparing a race class adapted to my goals, sort of "model car racing". 

I 'll use :

detailled wheels (vincent, RRR) with silicone tires
plastic or resin body (detailed, but not race tuned, or only lexan windows allowed)
stock JL/AW basic tuned (not after market parts, just polished gears, cleaning, oiling and tuned shoes). I was astonished of the result and performances (really fast ! I have a video if any interest) I obtained with just a good basic tuning on a JL chassis ! Day and night difference with the out of box car.


and the better for the end : old school fashioned (AJ's repro I beleive) brass pan. I 've ordered 4 of these to complete a first tjet class.


The first car prepared (missing the brass pan...waiting for the delivery...being a h0 slot racer in France is a complete adventure of patience and abnegation) : 




















Like usually, I'll post the results soon. 

Lot of projects I have (it 's why I started to post regulary on this board, because now I have the time and little money to achieve a lot of h0 projects I have for years).


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## TheRockinator (May 16, 2007)

We are just now starting up with a new class, for us anyway. RRR Stocker bodies, RRR wheels and Raised White Lettering tires, brass pans. Any t-jet chassis including Aurora, JL, etc. Any arm, any non poylmer/neo mags, any gearing. Can't remember who's idea this was but the guy is a total tool. Won't let me run a Willy's body even though it's CLEARLY a stock car! 

Later the, deciding to publicly yank Marty's chain. Rockinator

P.S. Bill, come on over, this is YOUR kind of racing!


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## martybauer31 (Jan 27, 2004)

TheRockinator said:


> We are just now starting up with a new class, for us anyway. RRR Stocker bodies, RRR wheels and Raised White Lettering tires, brass pans. Any t-jet chassis including Aurora, JL, etc. Any arm, any non poylmer/neo mags, any gearing. Can't remember who's idea this was but the guy is a total tool. Won't let me run a Willy's body even though it's CLEARLY a stock car!
> 
> Later the, deciding to publicly yank Marty's chain. Rockinator
> 
> P.S. Bill, come on over, this is YOUR kind of racing!


Geez, the guy who came up with that must be a real id.... oh, wait..... :freak:

It should be fun, looking forward to seeing how things turnout!


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## demether (Aug 26, 2008)

the return of brass wars ! ^^


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## TheRockinator (May 16, 2007)

And now another rejected body. He won't let me run a Batmobile decorated up as a stocker even if I put Helmets on Batman AND Robin. Days of ride along mechanics must be before Marty's (aka Evil Dick-Tater) time. 

Later, The doodoo-doodoo-doodoo-doodoo Rockinator


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## Gear Head (Mar 22, 2005)

Having never raced a REAL race like the Fray in my life, I/we run practically any tjet chassis. Lots of frankensteins. Some of my favorites are a Model Motoring chassis with a JL arm and thin sillies, a bone stock aurora tjet indy chassis with sillies (smooooth), a well tuned (and I mean a LOT of tuning) JL or AW with sillies all around, and after all that I'll take a break from builds and go back to a good running bone stock aurora chassis and it still captivates my interest. Always enjoy controlled slides through the turns with all tjets. I never use any traction magnets, and I remove them if they came on the chassis. Something about making these stupid little things drive as smooth and real as possible and feeling that control in my hand does it for me. I don't get it, nor does my TM. Do I need help? :freak:


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