History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Lee:
I'm restoring the Harry Weed Edmunds-VW [LWM-393] and would like to see some photos of it during the late 1980 thru 1983 NEMA/ARDC seasons.
It was red & blue #3, sort of a Petty STP paint scheme. Most of the body panels (tail tank and undernose excepted) are the original paint, lettering, and decals.
Might you have some pictures of it in your archives? PM or e-mail [gearmanx@aol.com] purchase info if you do. I am fairly certain the Weeds raced it in Atlantic City.

Thanks,

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

 

That is what I have been searching for. The nose on my Hillegass appears to be the same as the 3rd one from the right. I have found a grill and will need to rework the nose to fit the grill as the one on the car is a Kurtis. Trying to get the car correct. When I stripped the paint I found the origional color on both the nose and the cowl but the car had been flipped bad in its early years and the tail was changed. I always thought the nose was origional to the car but could not find one that was vertical. I know Hillegass built very few midgets in the 30's and only have one to compair it with and it is the one they are calling the house car. That one has a different nose and grill but it was custom built for a chrome co. and the deal fell thru.
Thank You for the picture it is a great help.

 

I'll see what I can come up with, it may take some time due to I have to look through negitives. Do you know if the car ran at Williams Grove?
Lee

 

I don't think so Lee, Harry ran mostly NEMA and asphalt races.

 

An interesting story Harry Weed II told me during shipping negotiations on the car:

Sleepy Tripp had a sister car [LWM-394 according to Harry] on the eastern USAC swing in 1981. At Grandview for an ARDC race the night before the USAC show Sleepy borrowed a wing to join the ARDC field. Unbeknownst to him, Don Edmunds was coming out to tune on the car -they were amongst the first group of coil cars built- and the moment he saw there were wings on the car [from outside in the sign in line] he turned around and went home to California.

Can anyone confirm this really happened?

 

I can't confirm this, but it sure sounds accurate. Edmunds was as opposed to wings as I am.

Doc

 

That doesn't sound right to me. If the ARDC race was before the USAC series, which does NOT allow wings, why would they go back to California rather than sit the one race out and race the entire USAC series? I was there for that series but don't remember that happening. I DO remember either Tripp or Vogler borrowing a wing and finishing second in an ARDC feature at Grandview, but then winning the race, as the race winner was penalized for jumping a restart or something. I'm not sure if that race was one of the 1981 series in question or it was a different year.

 

After re-reading the post, I may have erred in thinking that the post said Sleepy went back to CA rather than just Don Edmunds. Maybe Don left but Sleepy stayed.

 

I think your re-read got it right. I would doubt that Sleepy and his car-owner would tow back to California for that. I know that Edmunds would not have been at a winged show.

I never really understood why ARDC got infatuated with wings. It did not make things more even. The guys who could drive like you and Earnshaw and Nick Fonoro still did the winning. It just added to the costs for the owners. The more hooked up you get, the more engine you need and the more parts break just from being hooked up.

I love this board. I have run into more folks I used to know and it is so good to know they are still around.

Doc

 

More of the EMMR tour.

 

From what I can recall, Charley did not use a head gasket on the engine, but instead had grooves milled around each opening/hole and had wire (copper?) placed in the grooves. Can this be confirmed by anyone?

 

I love this board. I have run into more folks I used to know and it is so good to know they are still around.

Doc

Doc: I agree with you! This is a lot of fun!!<!-- / message -->

 

I am wondering if any one on here may remember my family's car that ran with nema around 1970-1976. In the begining it was blue and gold #40 and later it was painted red. My Dad and brother were the crew and I was pretty young. It was never very competitive but I have great memories of going to nema races and seeing the different divisions we raced with (the supers of that era were awsome!). If there were any photos of our car I would love to see them, I have a few. It was a Curtis chevy 2. I believe Jack Doucette (sp?) did most of the driving for us. Thanks in advance and I am glad I found this discussion board, it the best!

 

A few weeks ago I was asking if anyone knew any thing about the midget roadster at the top of this photo. On the last page a photo was posted of the car at the bottom, to my eye these are the same car or built by the same person ?????

 

I see several differences in these cars leads Me to believe they are not the same car?However it could have been changed But why change bumper mounting positions, Side nerf and cage angled braces?
aXe

 

Ok it may not be the same car but guys make unbelievable changes over the years, everyone has a better idea. So tell me about the lower car in the photo. I am interested because the upper car is in my shop.

 

The top car looks like Doug Craig. Unfortunately Doug is no longer with us. He may have built this with Norm Smiser's help. Norm and Doug did many things.

Hope that helps.

 

Very common in the aircraft industry, they use a 'crushable' o-ring in the vital areas in place of a gasket. Gaskets are rare, usually replaced by exact tolerance machining or o-rings. Some of these midget pioneers were way ahead of their time.

 

Jim,
Thanks for info, I will try to post again tonight with info I have.
Steve

 

Interesting Ebay find. Says Racer 5C knows all about the car.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/73-7...ce_Cars_Not_Street_Legal_&hash=item519b07af1f

BTW: Still looking for contact info on Gary Schooley. Midget driver in Badger - late sixties early seventies. I am restoring an Edmunds midget that he once owned and drove.

Blacki-Suede

 

Blacki-Suede:
Gary is a Facebook friend of mine. I'll send him a message with this link.
Steep asking price on thar E-Bay stash, IMHO.

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

 

If someone has a intrest in this car PM me.
I am 40 miles away and i have seen the car as it sits. Be happy to help. From what I know it has a good chance to be the real deal. First Edmunds VW built.
Mike Stryker

 

Yea, I thought that was pretty steep too, but interesting stash. Gary is the missing link as far as images and contacts in my Edmunds, CBM-7, restoration. Have info, photos, and have talked with all of the owners of the car except Gary Schooley. Bob Lithgow, the original owner/driver has passed, but his wife gave me and Don Edmunds a ton of info, images, etc.

You were a lot of help along the way as well.

Blacki-Suede
aka Carroll Hamilton
386-576-3946
hamiltonfla@bellsouth.net

 

I was towing my car home from Indy on Monday and passed by Havasu exit and so gave Ray Alcaraz a call on the cell.
Despite serious health problems Ray is doing a terrific job in bringing this 3 day event (Nov 3,4,5) to fruition.
In addition to the vintage sprints and midgets of the WRA and WCVR SWC-West Coast Vintage Racers SW Chapter he and Billy Shuman have been able to get the involvement of a half dozen vintage indycars (including myself, Larry Pfitzenmaier, Bud Taylor of MO, Bill Barringer (son of Texas legend George Barringer), and a few other probablys including Parnelli Jones.
Hopefully all will show up, but you can never be sure.
Here's the flyer if you would be so kind to pass it around and if any have some connection with vintage indycar, midget or sprint car owners please ask them to call Ray to discuss participation.
http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/HavasuSpeedway%20Nov3-4-5%202011/scan0002.jpg?t=1316393452
Best Regards
To all the racers
Carl Schulz
Indio, CA

Here's link to some photos from last year's event
http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/Havasu Spdwy Nov 5-6 2010 WCVR SWC-WRA/?start=all

 

I am helping a friend who also has what is believed to be an ex-Schooley car and would appreciate having that information also.

Thanks

 

Speedwrench:
Which ex-Schooley car do you have? I wrenched on his ex-DariKool "space frame" car when Boyd Koneck Jr. owned it. It was pretty used up by then [1973].