AB Slotcars Mirage-T

[V12]

I like building cars from spares, some guys will know me for that. Now I started a new 1/12 project for a quite rare car. Parts have been collected through around 4 years, most of them new never used. Just the rear axle blocks are used but got a good clean.

First picture will be for the chassis as always but I won´t tell the name of the car for now. If you think you know what it is, please post the name.
When the correct name comes up the topic will be renamed.
If you have no idea please check which builds or restores I did before. I had a project for the same manufacturer.

update: Mirage-T

[Jirka]

This is old pan car about early 80's since there is no rear suspension, no slots/cuts between motor pod and battery etc. area. My wild guess is that this is ae 12i.

Jirka

[Phin]

Does it count if I didn't know the car from memory...but did know a website to look at to make the ID?

[V12]

Jirka
Yes this is early 80's car but no 12i. Indeed it is an European car and wearing not a single part borrowed from Associated or other American car.

Phin
Yes there is a museum showing such car.

[V12]

OK it´s the time now to uncover the new build. This is a Mirage-T made by AB Slotcars in Sweden. The Mirage-T is the successor to the Mirage 12 which was shown here too and found now at Classic RC.
The older car was build around MRP and Thorp parts where the new car was an all new design by Slotcars. Several unique details were introduced as ride height setting for the front and rear end also aluminium rear axle with clamping wheel and diff hubs. Ball diff with enclosed thrust bearing and diff spring.
Radio tray is a twin plate setup with the lower plate wearing the special MSC and voltage drop diodes for powering receiver and servos, also connecting everything for a very clean wiring. The top plate is wearing the battery in an angled twin stick setup, typical for cars made in Sweden.

But the main reason for starting the search for such car or parts for such build was the beautiful chassis.

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Ride height spacer for the front end could be used below or on top of the steering blocks and clamps to the kingpin. Note the notched design of steering block and spacer, so they hook on.

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Front end assembled with ride height spacer.

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Front end completed and mounted to chassis.

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Rear axle block and bearing adapter.

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Rear axle blocks mounted to chassis. Ball bearings and wing tubes added.

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Brace between rear axle blocs. Connects to keyed holes at the blocks and is fixed by the wing tubes.

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Front body posts and radio tray post added to chassis. Radio tray is not fixed by screws but uses body clips. I think this could prevent chassis tweak.

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Radio tray design is very different from most other 1/12 scale cars by using two thin plates on top of each other.
The bottom plate (left) actually is a PCB board as used at electronic units and wearing the mechanical speed control, the voltage drop diodes for supplying a reduced volatge to the receiver and servos, also the wires to the motor and a power switch for the receiver. The copper traces connect those parts. This way the overall wiring is very clean and reduced.

The upper plate (right) carries the battery which is used in an angled two-stick configuration. The sticks are fixed to the battery plate by tie-wraps. The copper plates are mounted to each of the plates and do the connection between battery, MSC and motor. The copper plates are folded before mounting to the plates and act as springs for making a strong contact. This means the typical weak battery connectors of that era were avoided and you just had to release three body pins for replacing and connecting a battery. But this also means each battery needs it´s own battery plate.

Both plates use a slotted hole at the front post for allowing flex to the chassis. And yes the chassis allows a lot of flex.

[V12]

The slotted hole seen toward the rear of the lower plate is used for the wiper of the MSC. The servo is mounted to the bottom of the plate and the wiper goes through that slotted hole to the MSC which rides on top of the plate. This is how it works, unfortunately I have no such special Mirage MSC.

[V12]

Both plates mounted to chassis. The area for the MSC could be used for an ESC as well, if it´s a small one.