Youth Newsletter of the Model A Ford
Club of America
HUBLEY
This is what you will find:
HUBLEY
Hubley kits can no longer be ordered
from Scale Models.
Scale Models, PO Box 327, Dyersville IA 52040-0327. Their phone number
is 319-875-2436. The street address is: Scale Models 301 5th St. NW, Dyersville,
IA 52040 - Phone: 319-875-2436 - Fax: 319-875-2753 This is a division of
the W. Ertl Company. There is no web site or e-mail address.
Hubley Models are out of production at the factory and spare parts can
no longer be ordered from them. It is not know when, or even if, they will
ever be in prodiction again. Perhaps writing to Scale Models will encourage
them to put the models in production once again.
Models can be found in local hobby stores until the supply is gone.
Look at swap meets, antique stores, malls, garage sales, and e-Bay for older
models. Some people think the older models will go faster. A few of the
Model A part vendors have a small supply of the kits. Try giving your favorite
vendor a call.
The body styles are; Town Sedan, Roadster, Coupe, Station Wagon, Pickup,
Phaeton, Victoria. With some clever work, you can combine 2 or more kits
and make different body styles by reshaping or exchanging parts. Spare parts
may be obtained from a different body style.
We have found that in one kit out of 10 to 15, the axle holes are too
big for the 4-40 fillister sheet metal axle screw that is supplied. It will
not fit firmly enough to hold the wheel in place. Filling the extra space
around the screw with epoxy might be the easiest way to fix the problem
if you do have this defect.
We have supply of quarter inch 4-40 fillister machine screws here and
would be glad to send you 4 of them which you can epoxy in and have a little
better adjustment than with the supplied fillister sheet metal screws. Just
send us an envelope with a stamp and your address and we will send them,
no charge. Also we have some 4-40 fillister machine screws that are 3/8
inch long. If you want to drill the hole a little deeper and tap it, we
could send those instead but this is difficult to do. The fillister screws
are a little hard to find in most hardware stores. Most of the clerks don't
know what a fillister screw is. If they do have fillister head screws, they
usually do not have this small size.
We are featuring the Hubley in some issues of the A-World youth
newsletter you can get free complilments of MAFCA if you are in school.
Just call 1-562-697-2712 to find out how to get a subscription started for
anyone in grades K to 12. The subscription cost is $ 10.00 per year for
others. Six issues per year start each August to correspond to the current
school year.
Your A-World editors know nothing about where to obtain spare parts
or model kits other than mentioned above. Nor can we identify or put a value
on models or kits obtained at swap meets or garage sales. Hubley made kits
other than Model A's. which we know nothing about.
The Suggested Rules for Hubley Racing:
You may use Hulbey, Gabriel, or Scale Models, Model A models of any
age. They are all the same but made at different times over the past 30
years with those brand names. There are 7 body styles, station wagon, coupe,
roadster, pickup, phaeton, victoria, and town sedan.
You may paint the cars any color you want or leave them unpainted.
They must weigh no more than 1 pound 7 ounces which is the weight of
the heaviest body style, the station wagon. You may add weight to the lighter
models if you wish. As some scales may differ, a small amount of variation
will be allowed at any particular race with the permission of the race judge.
Weights, if you add them, must be secured, not loose inside or on the
car.
You may file smooth, but not alter or modify the axles or axle screws,
or wheels, or tires. For example you may not put in ball bearings or use
a different type of axle screw. The original axle screws found over the
years in Hubley, Gabriel, and Scale Models are fillister head 4-40 machine
screws, fillister head 4-40 self taping machine screws, and fillister head
#4 sheet metal screws. These are the only three types of screws allowed
for axles.
Once the car is weighed in, the race judges will handle the cars on
the track. The track is often a 2 lane track. The Hubley Derby will usually
have double elimination races. You may be asked to take your car back to
the starting line after each heat race.
You may use a dry lubrication, such as graphite, on the wheels and axles;
your choice, or none at all. Because wet oily lubrication drips on the track,
in order to keep the track clean wet oil lubrication is not allowed.
The judges may ask the owner to stand at the end of the track for the
heat of the race their car is in and after the heat the owner takes it back
to the starting line for the next heat.
The judges may ask the owner to remove one or more axle screws for inspection
before or after the race.
Models may be raced in the following age divisions: 3 to 9, 10 to 13,
14 to 17, and 17 and over, and then overall between the winners of each
age division.
At some meets, at check in time, the track may be set up early for trial
runs. In that case the model must be able to run from the start to the finish
line to qualify to enter. Time is given to allow the car to be worked on,
if it does not qualify until it does, up to the cutoff time for registration.
Others may be allowed to 'fine tune' their cars on the track before check
in time if time allows.
Judges should make some provision for
a gentle stop at the end of the track. Experience has shown that cars stopped
by hand, even though that person takes care, damage will occur. A damaged car is unfair to the owner and spoils
the race for all.
Archie Cress, 17447 SE 40th PL, Bellevue WA 98008-5903
Frank Rosín, 9811 NE 139th St, Kirkland WA 98034-1806
July 2006