History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Hey 28dreyer,
This photo will answer your question.......

 

Hi,
I'm a member of the South Australian Vintage Speedcar Association. I did some research on the issue of permissible engine capacities over the last 2-3 years. Ron Smith one of the senior members in our club provided me with copies of the rules as they were for a number of years. Of interest to the question posed is that in both 1950 and 1951 the rules as published by the now defunct RDA (Racing Drivers Association) indicate that the maximum capacity permissible was 212 c.i. Further superchargers were permitted on all motors!

By the time you get to 1965 things had changed. When precisely I can't say. I will need to pick Ol' Rons brain a bit more about that. The copy of the RDA rules at that time state that the max capacity was 155 ci. Superchargers permitted on cars up to 1550 c.c.(approx 95 c.i)

The answer to the ancillary question about reducing capacity I would hazard a guess and say, no. A further question for ol' Ron.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFB-pHZ2rzM

Some old midget films

 

Some color footage from 1930s/40s USA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCTItY3jmOI

 

Today,I was in a shop & stored in the corner was a chevy 4 cyl engine...The guy said he knew nothing about it other than he bought it at an auction...supposedly has lot of "good stuff" inside,etc,etc...I did lift the valve cover and it had aftermarket roller rockers ...so ,after reading a recent post on the 153/181 Chevy/OMC/Mercruiser engine...What casting numbers (block & head), etc do I need to look for..Where is a source for speed parts?...I'd naturally like it to be a 181/with the " good" head....He wasn't too keen on tearing it down to measure,etc...kind like "gimme $300,take it home and find out later.." .any info,leads,casting numbers,links to info on the 153/181, etc appreciated...

 

Any idea what it was used for ? Casting numbers probably wont tell you much if it as in a midget, easiest thing to look at is if the ears of the block were chopped off to fit in the frame. If it was, chances are it might have some other hop ups in it. But...The obvious things. Dry sump ? Injected ? Front drive ? There's a bunch of that stuff still around if you want to make something trick.

 

Here's what a mildly hopped up Chevy II looks like in a midget. I never saw another one with carbs. You can see a bit of the Vertex magneto which replaced the distributor. This motor has a stock Chevy head and valve cover. The Mercruiser head still has siamesed ports but the passages are a bit better flowing.

These motors eventually got V-8 heads grafted on to them & morfed into the exotic $30,000+ aluminum block/aluminum head monsters that are used today. Deppe & others made cross flow & 8 port heads for the Chevy II block. The Pontiac "Iron Duke" is similar and shares some parts but it is not the same motor.

 

..........................'OK gearguy, If you say so. Yeah, I liked Mercury Marine/Mercruiser's involvement with the Chevy II. Because so much of it directly impacted midget racing back when their cubic inch limits were 155cid and later some associations' limit of 200cid. Their first order of business was to cast up an all-new, 8-port Marine/Boat head to replace the rediculously designed cylinder head with the siamesed intake ports of the original 153cid. A few years later, they cast up an all new block with a 4" bore (to replace the 3 7/8" bore of the 153cid) and a new fully counter-weighted, (albeit cast-iron) crankshaft with a 3.6" stroke to replace the original 3.250" stroke of the 153cid. Even further, the 3.6 stroke c/s had a 2.100" rod journal which could be offset ground down to the 2.000" small journal to increase the stroke even further to 3.660" A .060" over bore marine block with a 3.660" stroke gave a guy just about 190 cid. And you're right again, a lot of V8 parts were interchangeable with the Chevy II.

 

Frank Brewer is in there, in his # 10 V8/ 60.

 

It was fun to watch the rooster tails and see how much of the track ended up outside of the guardrails.

 

In 1948 they brought over 20 U.S. cars and drivers to the U.K. for exhibition races. They divided them up into phoney "teams" to represent several European countries.

USA - Byron Counts; Jack Stroud; Inky Ingram; Crist & Richardson

"Great Britain" - Rosie Rousell Frank Brewer; Noel Coath, Fletcher Pierce & Joe Kennison

France" - Billy Martin; Art George; Fred Hatfield; Barney Dana & Kelly Johnson

"Belgium" - Al Hendrix; Frank Armi; Speed Boardman; Danny Harrison & Sam Dockery.

 

Was there ever parimutuel betting on midget racing?

If so, when & where?

 

Ken,
I think I heard they tryied it one time. I think itt was in the east at a horse track, I am not sure. I do not have any books with me to check. Maybe somebody on the Sprint car thread would know.
Jim

 

I believe Chris Economaki covers the betting fiasco in his book. Or else it was in Jack Fox's book. I forget.

On the History of LA thread there is a photo of midget racers being booked for a fire code violation in 1936. Apparently the result of a feud with the Gilmore folks. Anyone have the back story on that one?

 

Before my time .. 1938.
Yes, a horse track (trotters) .. the Roosevelt Raceway, Long Island, NY.

From what I was told by a few who were there (Tom Galan for one) is that it didn't last long, as the racing &/or wagering officials QUICKLY figured out that the races were being fixed!

I was told that it was discovered that signals, using flashlights, were being sent from the pits to the grandstands .. alerting those aware who to bet on for win, place, show, etc. .. as a sure thing.

 

On eBay ....

1946 Gertler midget
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1946...ce_Cars_Not_Street_Legal_?hash=item230645c696

Original Vintage 30's Richter Midget, RARE Low reserve
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Orig...ce_Cars_Not_Street_Legal_?hash=item3cabbf64ff

 

(WARNING: THIS IS NAKED PORN)

Test and Tune Saturday at 10 AM. Raceway Park, Shakopee, MN

Took these just now.

I've got a little work to do.

 

MORE NAKED PORN

Wouldn't take all the pictures in one load.

 

Good luck, that Studie motor is really neat...

 

I think the porn got censored on that try.

 

Do the rear leafs rotate in the mount with an adjustable stop on the inside like a torsion bar? That is cool, I have never seen that one before.

 

exactly

 

BZNEIL...Looked at your profile and see you have a Chevy II midget and that you're in Cinncinnati.

AARA will be running May 15 and 16 at Washington Court House, OH., as well as three other Ohio dates during the summer. As many of you know, AARA started the Vintage racing thing in 1973

There has been talk this year of including some "non conforming" cars on a case by case basis. In your case that means a bit new, the engine, and probably a cage. If you or any one have any interest, PM me.

I usually tow to Ohio once or twice a summer. Depending on several peoples health, in addition to the normal Offy heats and "stock block" heats, we could have a four car Studebaker midget heat this year.

 

That sounds like a fun event. I will try to attend if I am free that weekend. Here is a pic of my car in its current state. I hope to finish all the fabrication, blow it apart, and have the frame powder coated by November, then rebuild, chrome, paint and polish everything over the winter and be ready for vintage meets in 2011.

 

Hours and hours

 

Good progress yesterday for an old fart. Here's where I'm at this morning.


Focus today is getting the Duplex steering in, pitman arms co-ordinated, and drag links preliminarily adjusted.


Have a morning appointment tomorow on the alignment rack to make sure both axles are heading in the same direction.

 

Hey;
Why would you want them pointing in the same direction? Aren't you in a turn all the way around? Great Job Pal!!!!!!

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS !!!!

The date is set for the 5h Annual Warren Township (NJ) Antique/Classic/Race Car/Motorcycle Show !!!
Sunday, September 12th .... (Rain Date Sunday, September 19th)
http://www.warrennjcarshow.org/

Famous midget, sprint car, champ car owner .. of days gone by .. Ken Brenn has A LOT to do with the race car portion of this show.

If you have a vintage race car, antique car, custom car, hot rod, show car, muscle car, truck, motorcycle, truck, fire engine, etc., etc., etc. that you enjoy, that your proud of here's the place to show it. Same goes if you enjoy these vehicles & the people associated with them .. it will be a wonderful way to spend a day.

I went last year & had an absolutely GRRRRRREAT time. It was a fantastic way (for me) to see so many folks from different forms of racing, that I hadn't seen for all too many, many years .. as well as renew aquaintances with some that I do see, but all too infrequently .. meet others that I've long admired .. plus enjoy the cars too.

Those with vintage race cars of ANY kind .. if you would like to talk to Ken Brenn about the show Private Message (PM) or eMail me and I'll forward you Ken Brenn's home phone number.

Many of you HAMBer's have race cars &/or vehicles of all sorts that I'd love to see there. Even if you don't have a car to proudly show, but you enjoy them &/or the people associated with them as I do .. it's THE place to be if your from the North East on September 12th.

I HOPE TO SEE 'YA THERE !!!!!!!

 

Great Photo! It takes me back to Lakeside Speedway in Denver, when I was a kid, and the pits during the night races under the lights, looked very much like this photo, but the car count was close to 60.....
Darryl Clarke

 

you were right the first time, it us covered in "let em ALL go" by Economakie. (great book)
Darryl Clarke