I am not much of a thread starter but lets see stuff from Frank Kurtis. He did lots of interesting stuff. Even if it is a different shot of a car already posted. Indianapolis, midgets, 1/4 midgets, sports cars, & ? Here is a Kurtis Kraft 500A Indianapolis car
When you can build a car like this out of a totaled 1941 Buick Roadmaster 4-door sedan, as Frank Kurtis did, you have some kind of talent!!!!!
The first Kurtis 1/4 midget. Frank built this one as a favor to my Dad. There was so much interest in it, Frank tooled up and went into production on them. I won the first 1/4 midget national championship in this car in '57.
Me in Dad's second Kurtis V8-60 midget. This car, built in late '46, remains the only KK midget ever built with out a head rest on the tail. The car is currently in the JB museum.
Our second Bonneville Studebaker. The only car ever to come from Kurtis Kraft built for land speed racing.
Neat story, Dean, but how did you do it with no legs? LOL. It's hard to believe there was any space for them! Gary
Dean: I didn't know of your Dad's and your tie-in with Frank Kurtis! Imagine, that perfect Roadster Pickup coming out of Frank's shop. My friend Richard Ruth told me of Frank's friend/metal man that had worked in the shop for years, Richard was at a Racecar swap meet and looked over a Midget tail for a gent. Richard authenticated it almost immediately from the technique he was able to spot on the underside work. Kurtis cars were close to Millers, when you examined the engineering and style.
In the Mid-50s, I used to go work with my father at his Buick dealership in Glendale on Saturdays. I remember I used to sneak off and walk a couple of blocks to go hang out at Kurtis Kraft when it was on Colorado Blvd. I used to have stay behind the little chain Frank had at the door at one the concoction of little warehouses and garages that was where he was building Indy Cars, Midgets, Go-Karts and, of course, the infamous Kurtis 500S, Frank's ongoing effort to bring his racing expertise to the "weekend warriors" of the day. Who would ever have thought that some 50 years later, I would own one...
My facination with Frank Kurtis is in the early years mostly pre war. Custom '31 ford Atlas plating special around 1932... Rebuilt Atlas plating Special and the Atlas shop truck....
Thanks for those posts Great stuff Does anyone have any more photos of the prewar midgets with rail frames and headrest tails?
Pre war midgets... [/QUOTE] Note in this photo: The beautifull rail frame midget on the right, known as the "Jewel Box" built by Kurtis for Charlie Allen and driven by and later owned by Roy Sherman. The two rail frame midgets under construction on the saw horses, the guy between them is Kurtis employee Ted Halibrand.
I've got some more pics of sprint and midget cars, but I'm not that familiar with the makes. I know some of these are Kurtis, but unsure about others.
Dad's first Kurtis, very early, 1946, KK chassis #4 in front of Eddie Meyer's shop. Dad scratching his head, Danny "Poison" Oaks to his right, and my godfather, Dean Whalen on the left. They were in the middle of changing the carbs over to Alky, and Dad seems a bit puzzled.
The Jalopy Journal
