Hot Rods Rodding a King Midget ???

When I was a kid, two people in our town owned King Midgets, but then they were invented & made in Athens, Ohio, only 25 miles from us.

Inventors of the "Midget" promo-d it as the cheapest car in the country, and it WAS -- even cheaper than the Crosleys had been. BUT, the King could also be order as a KIT, cutting cost even further! Over the years, the Midget used a variety of lawn-mower-type engines , and later models could almost hold their own on the highway.

They were made from about 1946 through 1970 when increasing federal safety regs made them unprofitable to produce anymore . NOW, there is a national club, regional and national meets, etc.

Anyway, my PURPOSE here is not to recap King Midget history. Most everybody has at least heard of them. BUT, EVERYTHING has been rodded by SOMEBODY, right???

Have YOU or somebody you know or have heard of turned a King Midget into a hotrod? If so, what kinf of mill, trans, under-pinning, etc.?

 

There was one for sale on here recently in the Vehicles For Sale section,but someone thought it was a go-cart and had it moved to Misc. For Sale.

 

You're right. Small they were. Go-cart-like motors, yes. But, CARS, they were and had to be regitsered & licensed, like any other car.

 

my buddy vance has one that is all flamed and striped up
stock drivetrain but it goes down the road just fine
tk

 

does anyone have any pics?i dont think i have ever seen one.

 

We can post pix, if you want. But it's just as fast to Google "King Midget." You'll get all the history, pix, etc., you could imagine.

They WERE cute little cars BUT pretty darn whimpy in the power dept.! I think ALL came rear-engined, like a go-cart.

 

1956 King Midget Nice striping.

 

Wow! Louvres, even! (And the rac****'s tail is a nice Stutz Bearcat kina look!)

 

man i like it!!almost bought a crosley a yearago but the guy wanted more money than i had.i wish i could get one and put my 700cc honda motorcycle motor in one!!or maybe the 351w.wish i had money and room to do what i wanted!!i have built over 1000 cars{unfort****ly only in my mind}

 

I think they had one-wheel drive...I think first upgrade would have to be some kind of real axle with one of those high tech whaddycallits...differential?
Powertrain entire from a Harley Service car, maybe??
Think how cool it would be in your midget boxed in bumper to bumper by two Cadillac SUV's with drivers texting...your head is level with their exhaust pipes...they couldn't see you if you were on fire, but that doesn't matter because they aren't looking anyhow...
I've seen a few roadtests, one or two in Pop Mechanics type mags, one in Special Interest autos. I think one article said they came in a crate that could serve as garage!

 

There was one running around the BG HRR, I believe it was Kohler V-Twin powered.

Rich

 

I saw a couple at Good Guys DesMoines....

Would be cool with a Husqvarna 390 engine in it.... Just cause I like Husqies...

 

My dad bought my brother and I one when we were kids. 10 hp Wisconsin, 2-speed auto "trans", with reverse! We kept it on my grandparents farm....drove it all over (dirt roads, pastures, cow paths). Now those are memories.

Wish I had it back!

 

There's a guy in my town that has one with an four cylinder bike engine in it, no baffles. He runs some small slicks on the back and a wheelie bar. I might have pic someplace.
When i was kid a King MIdget got in a wreck in the intersection my folks house was on. The Midget ended up against the tree on my folks front lawn and the dash was broken in half from the drivers knees....but it was only fiberboard...
My Dad bought a go kart made by the same company when i was a kid, it was a two seater with reverse, headlights and tailights, but not street legal.

 

Rodding a King Midget ???

your ***le made me think you were on the wrong site for a minute!!!!

 

Saw one last year at Woodies on the Wharf...



WITH a radio!

 

Why is the steering wheel larger than the tires?

 

My shop just restored one this spring. A series 3, The second one that I have restored. I will have to post the finished pics. later. On the other p.c. and deleted them out of the camera. Crude but cool. most people think it a golf cart. or a crosley

 

I think these parts would make up a bad *** rodded king midget, but im trying to subs***ute a v-twin for the single cylinder kohler!


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=360802&highlight=mini+hot+rod

 

Ever drive one?

 

Breeder! I just KNEW somebody was gonna think of rodding the Burger King dude!!! LOL You, sir, are WARPED!!! (BUT, FUNNY!!!)

 

I think the enthusiasm on this thread just shows what an odd-ball little, against-the-grain kind of "toy" car for the STREET/HIGHWAY the Midget was. It was SO different, you couldn't help going up and asking the driver questions about the contraption!!!

The oddity of it is WHY I got to thinking that SMEbody would want to dump the BASIC drivetrain & suspension and, just, "make one BETTER" than stock! SEEMS people did and STILL dream of going a step farther!!! LOL

 

Almost bought a King Midget about a year ago. Someone beat me to it. As for your question about hot rodding them..... check out this link

http://www.midgetmotors.com/index.html

 

henryFloored, the English language pretty much escapes me right now, dood!

Hold-f--king moly! Did the guy fab the body of stainless? ****! GREAT-looking car.

I bet HE draws a crowd any time he take THAT out!!! Wow!

 

I remember when those were in the little adds in the back of Mechanics Illustrated in the 50's and early 60's. Kind of pre golf cart for the geritol set in Florida. I've got a Yamaha 440 snowmobile engine that would help that unit keep up with traffic.
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I'd stuff a 700cc+ Honda or Yamaha in one and have a bucketful of FUN!

 

skidoo snomobile 800cc 2 stoke 150 hp

 

Picked one up this summer. Working on customizing it now.

 

Mr48Chevy: You sure brought back a good memory, buddy . . .

I remember when those were in the little adds in the back of Mechanics Illustrated in the 50's and early 60's. Kind of pre golf cart for the geritol set in Florida.

YEAH, MAN! Those crazy things ("inventions") people were selling in little quarter-INCH-high ads! KING MIDGET was one of those!!!! AND in KIT form, too! lol. ****! BUY A CAR AND PUT IT TOGETHER YOURSELF? Heck, it worked!!! AND they were fun!

GOOFY, but FUN.

When you said "Geritol Set," it reminded me of when I was a junior-high-schooler. There was a handicapped guy, Bill Sauer was his name. Bill was frail in body, BUT he was an absolute hero to the kids in our town.

He couldn't speak well & had poor articulation with his hands. Neverheless, he didn't take charity. He had a concession stand at the city swimming pool.. The kids (myself included) just ***UMED Bill was like a cornerstone of our town; BILL was ALWAYS there at the pool -- handing over snacks & making change, SMILING & joshing.

WELL! Friday nights, Bill would pull in through the BACK gate at the high-school football games in his -- guess what? -- KING MIDGET. The grounds people, Kiwanis, Eagles, ALL the regular volunteers always made Bill comfortable and treated him like an honored guest at the games.

As someone said here earlier, golf carts were not very common back then, SO the MIDGET was the ticket!

Bill just died in 2008, but his memory lives on for any of the little kids who used to go to the pool or football games. Maybe I should forward this post to the King Midget Club, I guess.

 

What have I STARTED? Sno-Mobile engines in Midgies??? Holy ****, Batman!!!!!

Yer talkin's SERIOUS POWER!!!

Makes me laugh when I think about these things just-a-tinkerin' around OUR little town back in the mid-'60s!