Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Frank ..

Rootie's pretty much right. Although TQ's did run smaller 2 cycle engines than he mentioned .. at least in this area.

Full midgets did run the 4 cyl. Pontiac Iron Duke for awhile. It looks very much like the Chevy II.

Now if that's a carb. sitting up on what appears to be an intake, that would be really odd for a full midget!!!! .... Starting after WW II mechanical fuel injection .. such as Hilborn, later Eggers & Vetting (E&V) and others became the hot set up on full midgets, while many TQ clubs required carburation.

Now ole eagle eyed Bob maybe right, much of the runing gear does appear to be light for a full midget, especially if it ran on dirt, as the tires seem to indicate. And yes the exhaust system also appears to be a small diameter for an engine of that size .. that is "IF" it is either a Chevy II or an Iron Duke.

Does the seller have any history at all about the car???????

Also as I asked (among other things) over on the Vintage Cageless Midget Thread .... was/is it set up to run methanol or gasoline?

 

Kinda depends on the price and your priorities I guess. It's certainly unique, nothing there that can't be easily fixed assuming the "tub" isn't tweaked or something. It's obviously been set up for parading around the oldtimers meets what with the carb and electric fan and all. If it were mine I would redo that trailing arm front to a conventional t-bar setup and ditch that single carb for some webers, dells. or even SUs, they would look way more racy. Other than that it's a pretty nice looking rig, I like the nose.

 

1982 Tony Bettenhausen 100- entire race

pre-race stuff

 

qualifiers race

 

100 miles in honor of the Bettenhausen namesake

part 1

 

part 2

 

part 3

 

part 4

 

and part five- the finish

 

I used to pass his place on the way home from work from time to time and I would see that car in his showroom. I was going to stop in and see if I could take a look once but it was gone. I don't get over that way any longer but I've heard his shop is shut down now. No telling what happenned to it ( the car).

 

Rootie and GearGuy........thanks for info and ideas on getting an Elto 4cyl. mated to a rail frame midget. I also have a copy of "Building The Standard Midget Racing Car" which is a re-print I bought off ebay and it does have a drawing and detail of a right-angle gearbox made by Robert Cunningham in Bellvue Kentucky in the 1930's and 1940's ? I need to get the Elto motors on the bench and start a brain-storming session. Thanks again.

 

Thinking about it some more, another source for right angle drive parts/ pieces might be off shaft drive M/Cs. For example, here's a pic of a mid drive off a old Yammy XS model. Compact and lightweight but they ran 75+ h.p. through them so it should be pretty durable. Again, just a thought.

 

There are several levels of reverse engineering possible:
Level 1: Any part on the new one will fit in an old one. Very time consuming & expensive process but worth it for valuable cars in order to obtain top resale dollar.
Level 2: From the outside it looks close enough to the original. Not quite as expensive but won't bring top dollar upon resale.
Level 3: It works the same but doesn't look anything like the original. Great for cars that will be runners and not museum pieces. Probably the best approach for active vintage racers. [Modified lower unit or MC take off would be good basis for this.]
Level 4: Works but not even the same concept as the original. Best reserved for play day replicas. [In this case, using a twisted belt drive or snowmobile V/S drive with a more modern motor.]

Authenticity costs money. In the example I wrote my paper on, a 1991 Bennetton F1 car, the difference between using a Level 4 [electric oil pump] and the Level 1 solution was $4000 in cost & $400,000 in value. In our end of the sport very few cars are worthy of a Level 1 solution, IMHO. I'm using currently produced innards for my VW midget restorations rather than "period" pieces because they won't support $20,000 in resale value.

If there are dimensions on that Elto drive unit drawing I'll be happy to design a Level 2 or 3 solution at no charge.

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

www.beytagear.com
Reverse engineering paper download is FREE.

 

carl s,
That looks like the car I remember. It was a long time ago[1966]. What surprised me no on was impressed with how fast it was compared to the times we were running. It sure was loud and if it had the same tires we had it might have made the feature. Remember only the fastest 18 and maybe 2 from the consi made the feature. It also looked really light. Wish I could remember who hot lapped the car, it was was of the then present day drivers.
Jim

 

I used to watch Jackie race at the Tulsa Speedway. Before that, I used to watch his dad Angelo race in the Tulsa area.

 

Can't take picture's so time to build things. New Revell 1/25 scale midget model. enjoy!

 

Here's a couple sprint car slot cars I race. enjoy!

 

According to Bil Taylor, former CAE crew member, short course starter at B'ville and retired Solar engineer, that restored the car on display at Solar in San Diego. The wheels were changed to steel after the first 100 sets because it got too expensive to keep making the stainless ones and keep prices in line. I recently aquired a '30's midget in pieces and the guy that had it last thought it was a Solar because of the two Solar wheels it had. I am trying to identify it's heritage and will post some pix when I can steal away some time. We suspect it may be a Clyde Adams but need more pictures to be sure.

 

Met Jackie at Ascot Park in the mid 80's when we had the Bowes Seal Fast #1 sprint car on display for televised "USAC Thursday Night Thunder". The car was sitting on the Motorcycle jump and Jackie sat and talked with me the whole night.

He won the Silver Crown at the Indiana Fairgrounds in 1974 in the King-Bignotti turbo Offy. I understand he has a shop in the Speedway area, great guy!

Offy 220

 

Being from Oklahoma, I'd love to have the footage of the 74 Hoosier 100!

a clip we put out last year

 

more of Jackie here

 

A little of Jackie here too,

he built the first super you see here, blue and white Torrance super

 

Brian26,

Thanks for posting the videos!

Offy 220

 

Not anymore, he moved to Prescotte AZ

 

Roy,

Thanks for the update.

Offy 220

 

Ken,

The owner doesn't have any idea about the history. And because the engine blew after only a few laps, the current owner and previous owner aren't on very good terms. So, tracking down the history that way won't work too good.

The engine is for sure a Chevy II 4 banger. Current owner bought the intake and carb and put it on. The car has always been on gas, not alky.

He only ran it a few times, always at a rented track session with one other midget owner. At the last session, with new engine, the other midget owners son (in his 20's) hit the wall and semi-rolled their car. It was a no cage car. The car laid on its side, alky was flowing around and there was no safety folks on site. Anyway he barely escaped major injury.

This was an eye opener for both of them that these are dangerous play toys. So, the non-caged car was sold and the car in the pics has sat idle since.

I'm pretty sure I can get it for a little less than $10k. But because of the aluminum monocoque construction I'm on the fence. Maybe someone else here wants to "STEP-UP". I need another race car like I need another ................

 

HEY EVERYONE!! I have'nt had time to keep on here cause of our indoor show this coming weekend.

Don't forget!!

CINCINNATI CAVALCADE OF CUSTOMS, Fri, Sat, and Sun. My vintage race car display will have 70+ Drag cars, open wheel cars, gassers, and traditional Hot rods!

Come hang out, have a beer and tell some lies!

If you come down, ask any of the people in the "SURVIVORS ALLEY" display to find me, they usually do!

J Shaw

 

In my mind the aluminum monocoque construction makes the car fairly unique and to the right person collectable.

The incorrect intake & carb would have to go & proper injector setup found (unless the corrent owner has it) .... the narrow exhaust system seems wrong too, as does that electric cooling fan.

Probably only a guess too, whether the new engine (by the current owner) has all the "goodies" in it, or if it's a fairly stock piece??? ... Plus, without tracing the history back .. there's probably no way of knowing if the Chevy II is correct to start with. .... Who knows what else???

An interesting car .... with a lot of ands, ifs, buts &/or maybes .....

BTW Frank .. Haven't had a chance to call the chap we communicated about, however will do so soon.

 

Josh, hope the show goes OK. Andy is bring my Coor's car down. Have a good time and hope the weather is OK.
Jim

 

I started to rebuild Lockards badger 1. Thought I would post A cupple photos if any one would like to see them. Tom