History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Stan,

Thanks for the picture.

 

Stan,

If you ever would consider selling the nose piece, please let me know as I would love to have it.

 

Another picture of Chet

 

Thanks for posting this picture

 

Are there any photos of Harry Hull out there?

 

Would be nice to see a picture of him. Never seen what he looked like

 

It was great to see the ACOT cars at the Rhinebeck car show this past Saturday. Perfect day for the car show. Sorry I forgot the car owners (and his brother's) name, but here is a shot of my soon to be step-son in his car

 

test

 

Apologies if these pics have been posted before, these are a couple of years old from a classic speedway meet down under.

 

This is a cool pic, I owned the #99 car built and raced by Gene (stooge) Weyant. I wish I never would have sold it. here is a pic of it sitting by my barn.

 

I wondered if anyone might shed some light on this rail frame car I have. It has had a tag on the dash but long gone now. The frame was chromed originally. It has a Bennett non quick change rear and some type of aluminum steering box.

 

Another nice car Guffy. That one should be easy to identify as the craftsmanship looks top notch, probably not built in someones backyard. Hows the Indy roadster coming along? Is it for sale yet? HaHa

 

It hasn't been so far. It has enough little things to identify it if the rite photo pops up, and I would think it had it's picture taken? The tag hole dimensions are about 1by 4 inches. It reminds me of the picture in G White's Kurtis book of 2 pre war rail frame cars setting on saw horses under construction.
The Christiansen car has been side tracked about 3 times with other projects.

 

Looking good! I think roadsters look almost as good under construction as they do finished!

 

I suspect you have done lots of homework already, but when you say frame was "chromed", was it truly chromed or was it stainless, which would indicate a possible Solar frame ??

 

Really some neat vintage race cars.

If only many of these old cars could talk what stories they would tell us about from the good old day's of racing.
Jimbo

 

This is one of my cars we run with ACOT and Vintage Division of ATQMRA

 

If anyone reading this is involved in current midget and or sprint car racing I/we need your help. I know I'm not the only one that finds some of the bodywork of today's midget and sprint cars fugly. Not only is it fugly but it ruins the connection between the cars of today and the cars of the past. I find the Kurtis style tail to be the best looking part of the car. Thank goodness most of us still run that style tail. Over the years, they've shrunk the tail and in some cases made it a little square thing. Shouldn't someone put a stop to this? The other thing that bothers me is the bodywork on the roll cage. It hides the driver and makes the car look more like a modified. Most series rules will say something like the car "must be sprint car or midget appearing" I'm asking, for the sake of history, that we make the rules a little more specific and say things like, must run a Kurtis tail and no bodywork on the cage. I fully understand that technology changes and safety equipment will change the look but these two areas, the tail and the roll cage body work, can remain as is and not slow the cars down or reduce safety. Think of it this way, we're still on dirt tracks, push starting internal combustion engines, running rubber tires, steel frames, springs, shocks and even solid axles at both ends. Why not keep the look a little more traditional? I feel if it doesn't get written down in the rules, who knows what we'll see going around the track.

Who's with me?

 

Better run this by Sammy before his next "Chilli Bowl" build!.....

 

Surfref32, I'm with ya 100% Denny Z.

 

I have both current sportsman midgets [with down tubes] and a late 1970s VW powered vintage car. There is no hope in convincing the current racers to embrace traditional appearance through the rules. The "traditional" tail tank deal is enforced in the most annoying way possible. New tail tanks with bladders are over $1000. I wanted to use a $200 fiberglass shell over a steel container with foam in it -as we would have in the early 1970s- and was told it would be disallowed.
It works both ways though. My vintage car has a period correct wedge style hood and despite showing them a vintage photo of Mel Kenyon running the exact same hood a potential buyer was told it wouldn't be welcomed at a Florida vintage meet.
My friend Gregg Kishline, an artist in metal and fiberglass, keeps threatening to apply his skilled eye to the ugliness of current midgets. I have no doubt he could come up with a much better looking package than we have now,

 

You probably won't have any problem getting us old timers to agree but we don't set any kind of "standard" in todays car construction. I remember back in the 70s, some of the old timers******en about VW motors, rollcages and the like, but it didn't change anything.

 

Please let me clarify. I'm not saying current rules should mandate all cars need to look like 1948 KK midgets. I'm just talking about the roll cage body work and the tail. I believe a lot of people read this thread and some of them may have a say or know someone who has a say in the rules. I think it's reasonable and doable and I'm trying to get people to think about this and talk about it. If it doesn't start here with people who care about the past, I doubt anything will happen at all and midgets and sprints and modifieds and late models will be hard to tell apart in a few more years.

I'd love to see Mr. Kishline follow through with his threat.

 

Again It was great to meet you at the show. Did you run up at Fonda a few weeks ago? My cousin raced his lightning sprint up there and ACOT was there the same night. My cousin was running in 1st until a slower car turned into him and ran him into the wall.

 

18 days without a post, get with it guys or is the new format a barrier?

Posting photos of a rail framed midget that was displayed at the AARA meet in Van Wert, OH on the 4th of July, and at Winchester the next two days recently acquired by Don Beers.

Note the unusual one piece nose and hood and the beautiful spring perch which are only two of some unusual features of this jewel.

 

Thought I'd throw this up for a friend of mine who just bought this car. Any help with ID appreciated. Currently Crosley powered, though it had V8-60 power a few owners back.

 

Was the car in the Ohio area? Is the body steel? I ask because my dad built a Crosley powered TQ midget around 1961 / 2. I don't know where it went. His body shop was in Burton, Ohio. That looks like it could be his craftsmanship. He also built some body sections for cars that used to run indoors at The Cleveland Arena.

 

Yes, it was. Did your dad build the whole car? Supposedly two owners back removed a V8-60 Ford.

 

If it is the same car - and the color and other features look "right" - he built the body and used Crosley running gear to build the chassis. Somebody made him an offer and it was gone without ever having been completed to the point of firing it up. It left the shop painted a cream color - no doubt a hodge podge of leftover paints mixed together. That really disappointed one thirteen year old kid who had dreams of racing it.

 

I just came across this photo of my father in one of his early rides. Late 40's early 50's. Can anyone identify the engine or offer any info about the car itself. Track?