|
|
 Posted - January 05 2018 : 8:09:48 PM
|
I am into the older Tyco/Mantua cars with the metal bases and metal trucks. I have over the years picked up trashed cars with the metal bases intact. I have wanted to combine these metal bases with bodies from 70s-vintage all-plastic cars.
It appears that the plastic cars all have a little round tab in each corner that slips into a hole in the plastic base. These holes seem to correspond with those in the corners on the metal frames.
Is it hard to pry the plastic bodies from the plastic frames on 40-year-old cars? Does the plastic get brittle, and do they break easily? I would like to do these modifications, but I don't want to destroy any cars along the way.
Thanks in advance!
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 71 ~
Member Since: June 21 2015 ~
Last Visit: February 02 2022
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - January 15 2018 : 9:39:39 PM
|
I believe those are twist-insert retainers. Kinda like a screw without a slot, they have steep threads which grip the plastic tower hole inside the shell. Are they hard to get out? Yeah, they can be challenging. can you damage the car body trying to remove them? yeah, you can.  . If you can get it pulled up some, you can get a grip on the head with some good needle-nose pliers, and twist it out. But it ain't easy! They were made to go in, and not come back out easily. But it IS doable with some patience. Buy a damaged car with that mounting system, and try to remove them for practice. I think they are metal, though, not plastic. And you're correct, they will mount over the old metal frames, same spacing and design. I've done it before on at least one car. But if I were you, practice on some already damaged rolling stock first to get some practice.
Jerry, train repair tech
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 3974 ~
Member Since: January 04 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 11 2019
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
