How to build a BSP Tornado 1/32 Eurosport chassis

To build the kit you will need: .032 wire, .032 id brass tubing, .063 id brass tubing, .015 wire, and .032 id stainless steel tubing. Building of any slot car chassis requires care. Please ensure that you wear protective eye glasses and only use tools in the recommend way. Soldering should be done in a well ventilated area.

The order I build the chassis is not the only way, but is a method I have come to from building many chassis.

Below is a picture of the chassis frame. The pieces locate into the slots marked with corresponding capital letter.

Stage one is to clean up the chassis and all the slots. Use a diamond file if possible.

Stage two is the remove all the parts from the sprew and keep them safe!

The chassis has to be built the right way up. Check this NOW! The motor will drive the gear on the left hand side of the motor box, when looking from above with the rear of the chassis towards you.

The first picture shows the positioning of parts a (x2) and b (x2). They are all inline with each other. This should be done by placing a piece of .032 wire through ALL the lower holes.

The spine has also been ground into a triangle (point) through its length. It is easier to this before the wire is soldered in.

Build the motor box section up by putting the pillar blocks (c) into the slots and the brace (d) should interlock into the rear over them, overlaying the motor box. Remember to put the brace on the right way up! the brace abd pillar blocks should sit flush with the rear of the chassis.

Either side of the motor box is a long slot (J)

Solder piece j into postion ensuring that it is flush with the underside of the chassis and the longer 'leg' is on the outside.

If you wish to use an ear ring back to hold the leadwires, and want it very low in the chassis, position and attach to the spine before proceeding.

Insert a piece of .032 wire through the spine supports (a x2) and the rear b spine support. Solder this wire to b ONLY at this stage. Cut the wire flush on the front side and clean away any excess solder from around the base of the b parts. Grind the edge off the bottom corner of the spacer plate (M) , and I also reduce the width of the 'back stop' on the spacer plate.

Next is to position the guide plate and spacer. It is important to get this level (both front 2 back and side 2 side) when you finish so do not rush this. .032 bits of wire will locate the guide and the spacer plate to the guide rails. The spacer is ONLY soldered to the rails, NOT the centre. Adjust the position of the spacer so it can freely move side to side without catching the spine support.

To stop the guide from lifting, make a guide upstop roller from a piece of .032wire, .032 id brass tube and .063 id tube.

These should all fit over one another and the tubes between the b spine supports.

The wire locates in the upper holes of the b supports. Solder them into position, without using excessive solder and/or heat to cease the guide plate movement. The guide should now move side to side smoothly with no or very little up movement.

Now solder the rear of the spine wire to the rear spine support. Hold the chassis flat while you do this and until the joint cools.

The rails of the chassis are 2 lengths of .032 wire. They act more as shock absorbers in the design, with the actual stiffness defined by the spine.

Each rail is located at the back of the chassis in a piece of the stainless steel pintube. Cut the tube and bend the wire as shown. Drop it in the slot and insert the 2 very small unlabelled pieces into the cut on the inside if the slot. The curved edge should sit over the tubing. Solder the tube and the piece in, leaving the wire to move freely within the tube. This piece not only strenghtens this joint, but stops the pans 'hooking up' on the inside. Make sure they are flush when finished.

The front of the rail solders directly to the chassis. It should be soldered with the wire in the forward most position i.e. with the bend at the rear touching the tube.

The centre is now ready for cleaning, before moving onto the pans. Insert all the pieces into the corresponding holes.

Attaching the pans is very simple. There is only one hinge, with the rear being held in position by the stops.

Cut 4 pieces of .032 brass tube and 2 pieces of wire, after bending into shape as shown above. Drop into the slot and attach the front tube to chassis and the rear one to the pan. Make sure the pan can move back and forth to its full extent and then solder the wire to the FRONT tube only. The easiest way of doing this is cut a slot in the tube.

At the rear I like to restrict the amount the pans can move from side to side. I do this using the .015 wire so as not to affect the other movements.

The wire is put into 2 very small (approx 2mm) bits of .032tube and then squeezed flat in some pliers. Solder the wire into the tube and the tube to the outside of the pans.

Bar pin tubes and front wheels the chassis is complete. Before you go any further clean the chassis and check the following:

When the pans are held down the motor box cannot be lifted. Adjust parts g and h until there is NO movement.

The pan movement front to back is smooth

The guide plate moves side to side freely.

The front wheels are attached by a pin. This is soldered through the hole in the front of tha pan next to slot F. Make sure the front wheels do NOT protude beneath the chassis.

Cut off the excess pin, insert and solder the pintubing before cleaning again.

The finished article is pictured below.

Recommended set up is: Camen .250 set up with either a Camen 26/26 or Proslot 26/26 arm with around 6t 80dp/ CZ plastic 45t 80dp spur, BSP tyres and BSP Audi bodyshell.