Morning, And let me say thanks in advance for reading all this. I'm having trouble posting pics because for some reason they're too big so until I can get the ****ing resolution changed you may have to cut and paste to "make" this a real car. Sorry. A friend of mine just got this midget car handed down to him from his dad. His dad is a native Angeleno who got this car as a kid, probably pre-teens, in the late 1940s. His dad was around 21 in 1959 if I remember right, so there you go. Years later, my friend wants to restore it, but it's missing a rear friction shock, the original rear end, we think, and the motor. My friend thinks it was factory built; he remembers a tag with a serial number. He says his dad says it had a single-cylinder alcohol-burning five-bolt motor made by a company called Lincoln. Does that ring any bells with anybody? I know somebody out there is probably using one of these engines as an anchor in their b*** boat right now. Also, they think it had independent rear suspension--but now it doesn't. Now it has a rigid rear axle with a stupid lawnmower motor (car was traded and then gotten back, which was when the engine went missing). It needs a friction shock, the IFS setup, a friction shock for the rear driver's side, a gas tank--anybody know what that looked like?--a steering wheel that hasn't been cut in half ... and a complete restoration. I'm the historian of the group here, so anything you guys can dredge up I'll p*** along. No, this thing isn't going on eBay EVER! But I am looking for those two issues of Popular Mechanics that had midgets. Don't worry, I already found them. They're easy. Parts and info are tough. Any ideas? Thanks again guys, Theo Douglas
The last quarter. Paste these all together, if you're MacGuyver, and you'll get a sideview of the car. Thanks!
Here's the nose. This might be a clue for anybody. Also, forgot to mention that it has a full bellypan.
Hard to tell by the photos, but it looks like a quarter midget to me. These were raced by kids on 1/8 and 1/10 mile ovals. Lots of them had Continental single cylinder engines back then. Frank Kurtis in CA built hundreds of them and Ralph Potter in Indianapolis bought Kurtis' designs and tooling and built many more.
Yes, Yes Stevie Wonder did take those pictures for me. We're buds. Seriously, fellas, anybody wanna tell me what this midget is? I already know my pictures ****.
i canlt really help identify it but i beleive that the shape of tanks and the shape of noses similar to that did not com about untill right around 1950...the center arched section on the tail and that longer arch nose were i belive hiligas midget and sprint designs around 1950...i could be wrong...but thats just what comes to mind zach
Theo, it kind of looks like an Offyette. I have one, fibergl***, tortion bar rear suspension, rack and pinion,transverse leaf front suspension. It is monocoque[sp] meaning no frame, the suspension is bolted to the gl*** body. They used Continental engines with 5 headbolts, which goes along with the Lincoln story. They were made about '56 to '60, alot of the little magizines ran articles and ads on them. There were other Co.s that made them, too. With a better pic, I will search my book to compare.
Theo, I dug out my little Car Craft with several articles on these racers. There were car names like Kurtis-Craft, Walhborg, Race-Craft,Mantz,Moss, and Hayman. There was a shop in Mill Valley, Ca. called the Pitstop. Ads for aluminum rods, fuel injectors, cams.
Sorry no help with that one here, but hey, when are you going to join us for Long Beach Hamber Thursday Happy Hour? Mike
[ QUOTE ] <font color="green">Stevie Wonder take those pics for ya? RASHY </font> [/ QUOTE ] <font color="green">Damn, tough crowd. Well since I was previously no help, here are a few renderings I found from the 50's... Does it look kinda like these? The info on these is that they had two cylinder Indian engines in them and were solid rear axel. RASHY </font>
There was a front cover of Hot Rod full of midgets in the 60's. I'll have to ask my buddy tomorrow the exact month. I gave my copy to him, because he has one that was featured on it. Tommy
Checked with my buddy today. The Hot Rod mag was Feb. 1958. His car is the red @ white #58 at the bottom of the page. It is a J@O Engineering car. He also has a Curtis Craft with "Snoopy" on it. Both are OLD, like me and him. If interested,I might try to scan a picture of it. Tommy
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