PB ACE - The Prototype

[Mike73]

After information and if possible loads more pictures of the PB ACE Prototype, the mid motored version that was trialed but never made it into production. Very interested in this car . I’ve seen one mag article on the prototype if I can’t find a car in the flesh I’d really like to build one if at all possible.
Thanks for reading

[Asso_man!]

Here is mine, ineteresting to see PB actually considered to build it as a mid motor like the Mustang and Maxima but went for the rear motored version in the end, which actually made it a failure. Still an incredibly nice looking car. These are probably one of the rarest models today, spare parts are also almost non existent. The model below is entirely original including the body painted as per the manual.

[Dadio]

Wow ! I'd never even heard of the Ace, actually after surfing a bit i found i had seen it in a video before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlupAYRRBo8 , very nice indeed ! Did the production version use 3 belts like a CAT then ? From what has been said above it reminds me of the Jealousy .

[Asso_man!]

Wow ! I'd never even heard of the Ace, actually after surfing a bit i found i had seen it in a video before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlupAYRRBo8 , very nice indeed ! Did the production version use 3 belts like a CAT then ? From what has been said above it reminds me of the Jealousy .

Yes it has three belts, two shorts for the rear diff and one long for the front diff.
I made a short video as well long time ago: https://youtu.be/aYlqstGRzjA

[Mike73]

Yep, its three belts, the rear belts are same as the Cat XLS and front to back belt exact same as the Maxima....

[Mike73]

Wow ! I'd never even heard of the Ace, actually after surfing a bit i found i had seen it in a video before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlupAYRRBo8 , very nice indeed ! Did the production version use 3 belts like a CAT then ? From what has been said above it reminds me of the Jealousy .

Good vid that, I recall that car being up for sale, had quite a bit of the original seller over the years but missed that beauty a great car. Hoping that Jason does run the car however meantime if you search youtube you'll also find this..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy1cDfH-t6c&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR0Q2Ginpr5YCZJUOWo1xmyDNMeAp8ACMGPrcVVgjIUM1bL4yliSL-et86g

Right lets get this thread back on track, anyone got any pics of the PROTOTYPE please......

[Mike73]

I need to pull my finger out and get on with this, lifes been a bit of a roller coaster ride so not made the progress i'd planned, however winters looming so time to get back to it... I've been looking for PB Maxima parts to build up the car, it differs from the Production PB Ace from both the front and rear diff mounts from what i can see. I've been scouring various sites for more pictures of the car and trying to find old racers or spectators from old events that may recall seeing the car on the track. One things for sure I'll get there one day with this build, can't be that hard
If anyone reading this does have links photos info please do post up or DM me

[K Rob]

Not much help, but there was a club member at Swindon in the UK that got one.
It was rubbish.
Wasn't helped by the driver lacking a bit in car prep, but from what I can remember it didn't fare well against the others cars it was competing against.

I thought about getting one a while ago, but I've given up now based on rarity and pricing

[Mike73]

Thanks K Rob, i suspect (but correct if wrong ) your mate may have had the production car rather than the prototype car. When the car went into production the PB Ace had a rear motor mount position much like the early optima, however when they were testing the car there was a mid motored Prototype version which is shown in one magazine article that i spotted and stuck on page one of this thread and as shown below, look carefully its a real mash up car with lots of PB Maxima parts strapped onto it but looks the business, a great bit of PB vintageness.

I've been harping on about this prototype car for a while now, to long, talking to folk in USA (Wade) and Aus (Jason) both who are huge fans of PB and in particular the PB ACE, as of course am I searching and rescuing these old cars.... I've searched high and low for more pictures any information of the Prototype and been threatening to build a car one day if i can't find the original prototype.

Well talking with Wade and Jason, both liked the idea of building / recreating and Wade quick out the blocks and with the cad and eng skills to boot has started making a version, he's grafted something together as a 3D printed mock up and explains on the you tube channel that he has a mate willing to make parts out of ally. I love that the plan is coming together, i meantime Jason on the other side of the worlds also keen on a build and muggins ere, well so far I've got as far as sketching using the period Maxima parts which can be seen on the car as a scale to draw up a piece, rear gearbox mounts but alas no further just yet, give me time and i really do want an exact replica!!.. Oh i've downloaded some 3 d software so that i can pull together a DWG file, lets see if i cant get this done, i'll keep this thread going with updates of all the builds mine and others as they progress !!

Here are a few pics for amusement, appreciate the rear arm is a Mini Mustang but dimensions are the same width as couldn't place my hands on a Maxima arm at the time.

[Mike73]

Progress - I’ve found some real old pictures of what I believe to be the PB ACE Prototype with a PB ECO shell. Reason I thinks it’s the PB ACE and NOT the PB ECO is the livery as per the ace once released and position of the rear shocks on this car and also the front shock arrangement. I heard that a mid motor arrangement car and a rear motor car were both trialed at some events be interested if anyone can recall these, pretty sure one was Chesham another on the south coast near Hants

In other news I continued my CAD skills whilst sharing my pain in learning CAD and the trial and error with good friends in Europe and the USA Texas to be precise. The guy in the USA I'd sold one of my PB Ace's to and we've kept in touch since, I've shared all the back story on the PB ACE with the chap and he's got interested in helping me re-create the PB ACE MId more of that to come , heres my effort so far....

[Mike73]

Fast forward a bit further and i started looking for more magazines images of PB Ace's being run and raced not only UK based which seemed thin on the ground but also over in Europe. Anyone remember that 80' band BTW
Scoured the web and came across a few mag features, spotted a few cars and then came across a chap busy racing in PB kit a nice red jacket picking up trophies in the 89-90 era. Got excited, could this be a PB sponsored driver with an original Ace , further investigation I spotted the PB mid motored car in another photo.

Here are a few mag features of the lad and the car in question note the Cat bumper and mid motor arrangement…..My eyes were on stalks when I first spotted this beauty.
Having seen this I tracked the gentleman down after a while searching and when i eventually made contact he was very helpful and kindly sent pics and explained that he also spotted the original magazine feature of the mid motor prototype and used this just as I’ve been attempting to in order to build and race the PB Mid Ace back in the day

He raced successfully, if you search YouTube 89 / 90 there’s some great footage from 89 - 90 real grass routes stuff.
Sorry for the slow drawn out story but all this took months to piece togetehr and make contact....

Here are photos of the origianl magazine car and also photos of the plates made by the gent which he still has proper vintage race mods . So gives me a great steer for my build so a big thanks…
So meanwhile i continued trying to learn CAD and trying to draw these up slowly but surely with some decent measurements.

[Mike73]

So whilst my CAD effort wasn't bad and I guess I was getting there very slowly but surely, however thankfully my buddy Wade Skelton was taking an interest and was soon onboard on track. He got the bug with the PB Mid Ace and we had a fair few discussions on the concept. Wade over in Texas built a few versions up and has them running but I truly wanted an exact mirror copy of the original as shown in the magazine feature. After a lot of toing and froing and iterations on getting it exactly bang on i think we are now getting there, this is a 3D printed mock up version which looks pretty damn near.....
Car has been made up with original rear maxima parts suspension and trailing links etc. I've ordered a Schumacher XLS belt which is slightly longer to slip the belt over the top upper pulley as per the original, hopefully it'll all work. The next step will be to get the rear plates made in alloy when we are 100% on the fitment and running and then it'll be onto the front of the car, which again looks a tad different, by hours of trawling old mags for any snippet / pic of the car paid off as spotting the car at the Nuremburg toy fair again showed a slightly different front end arrangement to that finally released to the market. Will keep you all posted as progress is made.....

[Dadio]

That's looking spot on , don't know how I missed seeing this sooner , good job

[Mike73]

That's looking spot on , don't know how I missed seeing this sooner , good job

Thanks been busy with house extension bits and bobs of DIY but i'll get back to the hobby room and prototype soon. Need to get the plates made up in Ally so it looks stock