Vintage KART guys??? I got this 1/4 midget...

Hey,
A buddy of mine just got a real complete 1/4 midget. he wants to turn it. Anyone interested?

 

Great post. I remember one of these sitting behind a buddy's house when I was growing up. I was still probably single digits age. I believe some of the younger teens had stuck a 250 yamaha motorcycle engine in the thing but had never made it actually go (probably kept someone from getting killed). I probably logged more hours in it sitting still than a driver ever did with whatever vintage motor it originally had. When I got a little older I tried to buy it and it disappeared one day. I remember really being bummed...

 

This is pretty neat! I've been trying to find some info on some of these old quarter midgets but didn't come up with much. I have a '61 Wahlborg with a Clinton 5hp. (For those of you who have the Feb. 58 hot rod mag., Its the larger car from Wahlborg on page 31.) its a pretty nice restored little car that 'Santa Claus' brought me when I was 10. (12 years ago) I sat in it alot, but it ran poorly. No, I can't fit in it anymore. Actually, I think he got it at the Jefferson swap.

I'll try to get some pictures and post them soon.

Casper, you've got a good looking shelving unit there!

 

I've had this Bruce Bromme built Sidewinder for many years, hope to restore it someday soon.

 

Wow !

Do I see a Maytag engine alongside the seat in that first picture ?

 

Johnnyfast, what are you smokin'? I think it's the hubcap from the FWD truck you see.

 

It's GOOD smoke !

Sure looks like a Maytag flywheel through these bleary, half-open eyes.

I gotta get some help.

 

Yes I remember the track in Coffeyville, KS...my dad raced there some back in the mid 60's. Currently I'm trying to rundown some info on that track and a track in Bartlesville, OK. I just imagine all those guys have kicked the bucket. Dad is still kickin @ 87 and if his car is still around...with a lot of luck I'd like to give it back to him. I'm sure it's still around either in pieces or maybe a collector has it. It was a early (micro midget) front engine car and ran a Mercury outboard engine. It was red with the number 43 on it. Joe Morris is his name. Any info would be appreciated. alan.morris@leggettmachine.com

 

Viking

 

If your dad was Doug Caruthers, then Jimmy and Danny must have been your brothers, and Lonnie would be your cousin. I raced against Jimmy and Danny from 55 to 59. I got to run at the Jelly Bean Bowl just once in 55 before they built the Matterhorn over it. Also raced with some other's you might have heard of. Mike and Bobby Olivero, Rick Goudy, Dean Thompson, and Dale Pulde come to mind. Broke my heart when Jimmy died. I had him pegged to be one of the all time Indy greats. Those guys went into TQ's after 1/4 midgets, and I went into straight line racing. Have often wondered what would have happened if I'd stayed with circle track. Been posting pics of my dad's midgets on the Vintage Sprint Car thread. When I finish those, I'll post some of my 1/4 midget days. You might look up who won the first National 1/4 Midget championship at Blakley Stadium in Phoenix, 1957.

 

Wonder how many know that's Danny in the Viking Craft ad?? Best looking 1/4 midget ever built, because it was an exact replica of a Kurtis full midget.

 

Any ideas on who made mine??

 

Your car is a Racecraft with a screwed up front end. Never came from Racecraft like that. They used a nice little tubular axle and cross spring. I would cut that crap off, and find/build an axle for it. Racecraft was in the city of Rosemead, on Garvey Ave, about a mile from our machine shop. I'll did through my scrap book and see if I can find some Racecraft pics.
.

 

These are the 2 best Racecraft pics I have. Your grill was changed. It looks like a Vikingcraft grill. In the Webco ad you can see the front axle. Looks like tubing in the center with ends cut from plate. Johnny Parsons Jr. spent the summer of 57 in California. He stayed with the Mayfield family here in La Verne. Roy Mayfield's son Tommy drove a Racecraft, and Roy promoted a Racecraft for Johnny to drive while he was here. They toured all over the state with the two 1/4 midgets.

 

Any idea what it's worth?

 

I think it was the other way around-they were Continenals and used on such things as REO Lawnmowers back in the '40s & '50s. Detroit Engine Co. bought the design/rights and produced it as the DECO. It was adopted as the standard engine for Quarter Midgets. One of the unique things about it was the shaft driven external ignition-the breaker points were under a little removable cap on the outside of the crankcase. You didn't have to do a major disassembly ro service the points.

 

You are correct. The Continental "Red Seal" engine was 7.5 cu. in. and rated at 2.5hp. Once we started modifying them, we ventillated a lot of the cast iron blocks. The LA dealer for them gave a discount for "quantity buys". $22.50 each, if you bought 25. My dad bought 25 twice, and distributed some to others in our association. If they wern't blown up too bad, dad would braze patches in the block to save all the porting work on a new block. Dad worked with another one of the dads, Carl Shoji, and they built a little dyno. Twords the end they were getting almost 9 hp out of a 7.5 cu. in. flathead on menthanol. Over 1 hp per cu. in. out of a flathead ANYTHING was unheard of in 1957.

 

Thats a tough call. I'm not really in touch with the current market. I know, like full midgets, a car with history is worth a lot more than one without. There were a lot of Racecrafts built, so it's not the rarest of 1/4 midgets. I know there is a national 1/4 midget news publication, and they have a vintage page. You might see if someone there could give you an idea. Like anything else, you have to have something someone wants real bad to get big bucks for it.

 

Picked this one up a few month back..... 1957 Wahlborg

 

Here is my new find. If anyone know what the maker and year I would be greatful.

 

I had a 1/4 midget as a kid, raced it a few times at Cajon Speedway.

It was a bitchin' little car, chromed front axle, nerf bars and rollbar, and built by Kurtis, I think.

....wish I still had it...

 

check out vintagequartermidget.com lots of info/pics. good luck

anyone hear of a Preston midget?

 

The 1/4 midget thing never really caught on here in the Southeast. Don't know why? We raced Sprint karts, which are offset dirt racing karts with all kinds of different engines. I started out on a Margay straight rail, then moved on to the offset karts. I drove a factory backed Cobra Kart at the end of the deal and raced Limited Modified (5hp Briggs that made around 20hp), and Open Modified (5hp Briggs and Honda's that made around 28-30hp), 2-cycle Open (any single cyl. reed or rotary valve, made 42-45hp). We were clocked at 112 mph on a flat 1/4 mile, by a TN. State Trooper.

Later,
Kevin

 

I'm looking to sell it if anyone is interested.

 

Yes, I would say it's a racecraft with a messed up front end, mine had a tube axle with torsion bars.

 

I have the same one framed, it's to neat for words............................

 

I was searching for 1/4 midget info and found this Hot Rod magazine cover. I am on this cover! I am next to the 35 cents price in car 56G. It was a Kurtis 500. I was 4 years old. My name is Greg Dinsmore.

 

Jonny, Dick Billings wheels and deals in Quarter Midgets.....he runs an alternator and starter rebuilding shop around 37th and National ave.

-Dennis

 

Greg, your the MAN, living proof you lived every boys dream. Rod & Custom ( little books ) cover 1/4 midgets and carcraft covered mini bikes alot of informatioh can be found I had a racecraft that I was going to fix up but you can't do it all so I let it go.

 

A late welcome to the forum Ed. The side bars and body look like my Offyette. Does it have holes in the front like it ever had a grille? What suspension is on yours?