History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Is this the same Dick O'Dea from Paterson NJ? He raced boats and had a Hobby shop.
If so, last year I acquired a 1/4 scale Pacesetter sprintcar owned by Dick until he sold it to a guy in Texas in 1983. I have the paperwork of the sale. Spoke to Dick via email last year, however it was too long ago for him to recall much about the history of the car other than he probably bought the car in a batch of 5 in 1980.
This is the jewel in the crown of my 1/4 scale collection.
How about that.....Another of his cars turning up in Australia.

 

Fred Johns from Roanoke IN also has a Tuffaneli midget

 

Found this pic. 1970

 

Here is the article that goes with the pic

 

Yes same Dick O'Dea nly it wasn't a hobby shop he was the northeast regional Mercury outboard warranty service person. Kept him quite busy he also owned a super v driven in USAC by the late Rich Vogler.

 

Fred Johns and I have consecutive numbered Kurtis midgets. Both bought at the same time by Tuffanelli. only difference is the amount of louvers on the hoods. The chassis numbers are 91 and 92.
Stan...................

 

Did Mr. O'Dea ever have a Lycoming powered midget that ran ARDC in the late 1950's/early 1960's? John S.

 

Re: Post #1062

Rabs32:
Gregg Kishline believes it is an incomplete home built 1/4 midget. Without more background its only value is as shop wall art or as a basis for a "new" 1/4 midget.

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

PS: With regard to the Edmunds-Mercury outboard V-6, Lars Lein set fast time at the NAMARS/BADGER Labor Day weekend show at Angell Park Speedway in 1976 in a very similar car. Vance Moore owned the car. As I recall it was .11 seconds faster than our 1946 Hamburger-Chevy II that day. Boyd Koneck, Jr. had us 3rd fast of the SIXTY cars present.

 

Yes same Dick O'Dea nly it wasn't a hobby shop he was the northeast regional Mercury outboard warranty service person. Kept him quite busy he also owned a super v driven in USAC by the late Rich Vogler.

Dick had another side to his business....... O'DEA R&D. INC.
It was EAST COAST HOBBIES
Dick was into large scale Toys.....
He must have been a man of many interests........
I wish I could find where the rest of his 1/4 scale sprintcars ended up!

 

I saw dick last september at a car show if I see him this year I will ask him if he has anymore. His home address is still the same if you have that. He closed the outboard shop a while back. You can try the adress on the letterhead. Bill

 

Found this shot posted by Dog427435 on the cool pictures thread

 

This one posted by T-Head in the May Banger thread.



Pre-war car, wearing #1, a title holder somewhere, Any-one know this car and/or driver?

 

Hey, where the hell did everybody go ?

 

Well,

I`ve been busy photographing current open wheel Dirt racing here in Central PA. In fact will be shooting photos Wed USAC/ARDC at Lincoln Speedway. Summer is a busy time for most of the regulars on here.

 

Tony, are you going to York for the street rod show,also are you gonna be shootin at lincoln sat nite. If you are maybe i'll catch you at one or the other or both .....Rich

 

Will be doing Lincoln,weather permitting,I doubt I`ll make the York Show.

I usually shoot in Turn 3 at Lincoln,and I also set up a ladder in T1 to shoot from.

 

I'll be on the lookout.....Rich

 

GEEZ!! Did I miss those shows?
I thought they were in July???

 

There will be an ARDC twin Feature at WG July 12

Susky has ARDC Midgets June 13.

I`ll have to check if there are more coming up. No more USAC this year,though.

 

Hello,

I have a half midget race car in good condition and would like to sell it. If you are interested, please email me at val.aid20c@gmail.com

Thank you!

Val

 

Don't hold too much faith in the accuracy of that book.

I've owned my KK Offy for 22 years. In the book he had it listed as belonging to some guy in Colorado or some other damn place.

I owned the car for probably 10+ years when the book was published. In my opinion I don't think there was adequate research.

 

I was taking a nap !

 

Would love to see photos and history on your Kurtis Kraft Midget and sure pleanty of members would also enjoy best wishes Gordon

 

Good ! Now I know where everybody went and I feel better.
Thank you.

Spike G

 

Good, now that I know where everybody went I feel better.
Thank You.
Spike

 

.....'This is the former Carl Williams car that was mentioned earlier. 'Good for the Kurtis book to provide somewhat accurate info. Among the previously mentioned owners, the top photo is Burt Foland driving for the Northern California midget and sprint car owner, Nelson Kinney. Burt ran the car mostly indoors at Oakland (CA) and a few outdoor races before he jumped into the famous Jack London Offy. The bottom photo is Ken Gandy who bought the car from Kinney for the 1971 BCRA season and ran the car for a few years when he wasn't busy running the sprint cars. He later installed a Chevy V8 head on the Chevy II and then sold the car to another Nor Cal owner/driver, Willie Frazier. Willie later took the Chevy II out and installed it in a more modern 4-bar chassis and obviously peddled the car to someone else. The caption on Gandy are the words of well known author and auto racing historian, Mr. Jack C. Fox. I'm kind of surprised that if Jack London would have owned the car at one time, as was mentioned earlier, Jack would have certainly known and mentioned it? 'Kind of makes me think London never owned the car???

 

Hey, Stan, I found a can of that checkerboard spray paint.

Spike

 

I can remember the late Walt Chernacol (?Spelling?) resting his long lense on his trusty ladder, at almost every race at Trenton (NJ) that I attended.

 

THANKS Tony !!!

I had wanted to catch one of the two USAC / ARDC shows, but Senior Citizens brain fade must have got to me! Oh well, next year I guess?

I'll probably go to the ARDC / Tri Track Modified show at New Egypt (NJ) late in the season with my two Grandsons (that's FUN), as it's near their home. Might catch one of the ATQMRA / Modified shows at Wall (NJ) Stadium with them too.

Does anyone know if their are any URC / ARDC combo shows?