Just recieved this dirty little gem in the mail

[MotoObscura]

I believe it is a Cadillac, correct me if I'm wrong. This is my first gold pan! Time to clean it up, but first, here are some before shots.




I can see lots of simple green in my future.
How should I clean up the box? I very slightly moist paper towel?

[scr8p]

other than the hard shot it obviously took on the front end, it looks like a pretty good car. it should clean up nice.

[REMJ666]

Looks like someone took it out back and buried it...I would take it apart and hose the chassis and nose plate off with WD-40 and soak all the plastics in simple green...Be careful if you leave anno parts in simple green for to long...I forgot about some shock caps and bodies that I had soaking and when I saw them the next day the anno was gone...So I no longer use simple green on any anno parts...

[marlo]

What is that wrapped around the MSC, nice clean chassis

[clm]

That should clean up pretty well and that looks like a pretty interesting custom speed control mount

Chris

[REMJ666]

Amazing how there are almost no scratches on the bottom of that chassis even thou it took one hell of a head on hit...

[Phin]

I'm digging that one custom aluminum replacement bellcrank.

[MotoObscura]

As I'm disassembling it, there are all these little hints that paint a picture of the previous owner. For example, there are little blobs of solder everywhere, loose in the box and chassis, the motor capacitors are fastened to the side of the can with electrical tape, and a business card in the box of a hobby shop that I suspect he bought it from. My guess is that he was new to the hobby, assembled it the best he could, and lost control on one of the first runs. It was then put back in the box, and left alone for 25 years.

[clm]

The rear tires say different, there is a lot of hard love put into those to get worn down so far

Chris

[orangemazda]

Woah! Nice Twizzlered nose brace! Good looking car though...or will be after clean up!

[Phin]

What's the name of the hobby shop on the business card? I'm seeing signs of maybe it being run as a carpet oval car.

[MotoObscura]

Chesaning Hobbies in Chesaning, MI.
I think you may be right about it being a carpet oval racer. I found the package card for that black bumper. It's a jg MFG. A-05B RC10 Oval Body Bumper.

[GoMachV]

What is that wrapped around the MSC, nice clean chassis

The metal around the MSC is a reverse switch.

[MotoObscura]

This thing is really dirty!

It is so convenient that all of the screws fit neatly in the gear cover. All taken apart and ready to be cleaned. Plastics and bare aluminum soaking in simple green, and the anodized aluminum will be washed in hot water and mild soap. I didn't take apart the hub carriers and hubs because I'm lazy.

I straightened out the front end the best I could with a vice. Here is a closeup of that homemade aluminum bell crank. It actually looks really well made using the proper tools. Not just something someone threw together with some scraps of aluminum and a hack saw.

[scr8p]

This thing is really dirty!

those are the fun ones to do. you don't really know how nice it could possibly turn out.

here's my last grungy one before and after....

is the stuff in that bowl going through a pre-soak soak or something? you still have a lot more parts to disassemble in there if you want to clean it properly.