History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Made some progress this weekend, it was finally warm enough to work a little. I finally got my hood molded, trimmed, and mounted. Now it is really starting to come together. Next up is a windshield and a dash.

 

I`ll jump in and say-That is a Midget.

 

Hi Buildy,
I believe the car that George Rice is driving is the Frank Curtis offy

 

Thanks Wynn`s.

I don`t have that era of ARDC straight. Lots to learn here!

 

Neil, the hood looks great. I like how it is trimmed, a 'minor' amount that only allows the necessary hardware to show. So many are cut so far that you see all kinds of things and loose the lines of a beautiful midget. Great job.

Blacki-Suede

 

Lots of fun.

 

Here's a couple of program items from Cherry Park, here in Conn. (autographed)

 

BZNEIL,
That's beautiful. Where is the fuel filler going to be located? Keep up the pics. Thanks

 

Check out this Ebay listing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1935-Single-Overhead-Cam-Offenhauser-Midget-Race-Car_W0QQitemZ200430307043QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRace_Cars_Not_Street_Legal_?hash=item2eaa93c6e3#ht_10092wt_1165

 

Can't think of too many cars more desirable than that one...

 

Thanks! What a beautiful,historic Midget.

I`d need to hit the powerball to afford that one.

The photo of Bob Swanson and Barney Oldfield is really great,too.

I`ve got to start checking e-bay motors more often!

 

Buildy,
I have a few pictures but they are in Ky and I am in Florida foe the winter. When I get home I will try to learn to scan them and put them on here.
Jim

 

Thanks Jim.

I wish I was down there myself about now.

Have a great time in FLA.

 

I just about fell off my chair when i saw the price of that midget.

Probably well worth the investment.

 

Hugh M, do you have the cover of that program?

 

With a lot of help from this thread and others, Don Edmunds and I have researched my midget back to it's build in, 1965, for Bob Lithgow, Steator, IL. Lithgow passed away five years ago, but Don spoke with Mrs. Lithgow, as well as Dee Tattersall, and obtained all the info, including a stack of photographs. Mrs. Lithgow remembers driving to CA to pick up the car. All of this matches the history given to us by King Kramer who raced the car in the mid-seventies. Lithgow - Scooley - Kenyon (bought and sold) - Kramer - Rockey. Rockey was the last owner/driver. Three more owners after Rockey and prior to my purchase, but never raced. We have spoken with all of them. Very cool process.

Bob Tattersall drove the Lithgow Offy on occasion and we have a USAC certification of Tattersall setting an eight-lap heat race record (1968) at Joliet, Ill in the Lithgow Offy. You may notice the Kurtis style nerf bars. Lithgow owned a Kurtis prior to this Edmunds and we feel he utilized the Kurtis nerf bars to clear the existing Offy header. There have been subtle changes over the years, maybe Offy to Chevy II isn't so subtle, but other than that only minor changes.

Attached are current and 1966 images.

Thanks again for all of the help
Blacki-Suede

 

Tat in the car at New Bremen Oh 1967.

Ken Coles photo

http://www.colesracingphotos.com/Cars/Midget-Cars-1950s-60s/10717160_arkcK#746507667_oVHoA-XL-LB

 

Thanks, there are two pics of the Lithgow Offy, with Tattersall at the wheel, on the Coles site. #13 and #107. I will need to purchase those to go along with the rest of the documentation on my midget.

Thanks Again
Blacki-Suede

 

Carroll ..

I do NOT see any evidence of the weight jackers that you had mentioned .. NOT on either side of the car in the pictures?

 

Hi Ken Schou,
Sorry I have not responded sooner to your request. Midge tells me that when he got the car that you asked about it was blue and white with a silver leaf #21. He recalls being told that Shorty McAndrews drove it. He first painted it red before changing to all black, the way you remember.

 

Hey guys, I know this is supposed to be cageless but this was the only thread I've seen & enjoyed so far, I don't know if any of you are doing any restorations on any 70's early 80's Ardc, Nema midgets. I've got a wing off of Eddie Hunters last midget that is looking for a free to a good home. Car was last run I believe in the late 80s maybe early 90s, I'd rather see it go to a good cause then cut it up for scrap or other projects......Rich

 

If they bought the wing from the Seymours, I probably built it. They bought a bunch of them. (Speedway Air Flow Ent. )

 

I don't know where Ed got it from,it might have came with the car or might have been a leftover from his earlier midget, thing weighed a ton, probably the same as 2 or 3 of the later model ones we ran up until 2005, I always thought it would fall on it's side like the flintstones cartoon!

 

Ken, see images on post 736 above. Right side shot shows a hand operated right rear weight jacker, just like the one on my midget. If you are refering to two weight jackers (front and rear) Edmunds believes he only built one car in that configuration and it was for Stround - the car that eventually went to Ken Brenn and then ??? (I believe you helped us locate that car) The Lithgow car has a hand brake on the left side, and I have a bung on my chassis for what appears to be a handbrake. Not all Edmunds cars had handbrakes, only if the buyer requested it. If you want more info I'll go off line.

Blackie-Suede

 

Couple pages of stuff sent to me a few years ago by Dick Downes of Larkspur, CA. Not sure if Dick is still around. He used to be on the editorial staff of Racing Wheels, where these photos came from. They were from early 1970s issues of the newspaper. Wish I had good 8X10 glossies of these shots. Northwest midgets from the 1930s and 1940s.

Only thing to correct, that I'm aware of, is that the number 58 car is Ernie Spalding, not Val Hoyt. Hoyt is pictured below the 58 car.

 

As I remember, mine only weighed 20 - 25lbs. 20yrs. ago + Mad Cow now=vague

 

Carroll ..

What I didn't mention & to the best of my knowledge the Stroud / Brenn / Petraitis (S/B/P) car is no longer in New Jersey. For a few years now I've heard (from numerous sources) that it was sold to someone in the midwest and in turn sold once again (Chicago I've heard more than once) some time ago and is in a collection of some sort, restored as a generic (so to speak) Edmunds. Second hand or more info..

That car has a much richer and more extensive history here in the east, then it did in Stroud's hands.

QUOTE CARROLL
~~~~~~
It appears my car had both a front and rear weight jacker, like the Brenn #35 and like the Blue #35 Stroud car, probably both the same car. Don says this is the only car he ever built in that configuration.
~~~~~

I apologize .. yes, the pictures in Post #553 here show the right side of your chassis with very obvious eveidence of a weight jack having once been there. Can't see the other side, but I'm guessing that you somehow mistook the much more simple bung for an outside hook (brake handle) on the left side, as also being a for weight jack .. maybe????

The many obvious differences in the S/B/P car & yours were also quite easy to identify.

I'm curious about something however. When you have time, would you be kind enough to take a closer, more detailed picture (or pictures) of the 1/2 rear torsion bar set up & eMail them to me? ken_schou@verizon.net THANKS in advance.

Although the rich east coast history of the S/B/P car is extremely special to me, in so many ways .. the type of Edmunds that interests me even more is the early 4 cross bar space frame cars .. of which I've located two and am on the trail of a third The two have been sitting collecting dust (both also covered with miscellaneous yard, garage & household type "stuff") where they were last parked, when they last competed some years ago.

I'll eMail you about something that you have, that if you're not going to utilize, that I may have someone who has interest.

 

Just my personal & humble opinion .. cages are OK with me, only because they were a VERY NECESSARY safety progression .. but best when painted black or some other dark color that seems to make them much less noticible.

But as far as wings on midgets &/or sprints ... YUK!!!!

Yes, I realize that a wing absorbs a great deal of energy in some flips .. but appearance wise to me they are TERRIBLE.

Sure they have an aerodynamic advantage too .. but if no one has them .. so what.

When I was at the Riverhead (NY) Raceway and we ran a midget show (NEMA - North East Midget Association) we always insisted on a wingless show .. even though that's not what they regularly run.

For the last few years, here in the east, the ARDC (American Race Drivers Club) has gone completely wingless. The result? Closer competition and much, much better shows (they run only dirt) with the cars again going SLIDEWAYS through the corners.

Now if they'd only make the high right side side panels they have today (that protect today's drivers from rocks & dirt) out of Lexan or something .. so the fans could once again SEE the drivers in action, me thinks they'd be doing something!!!

 

THANKS MUCH Wynns #1. That was a BEAUTIFUL example of a Kutis Offy.

Do you happen to know where he &/or Dutch found it?

THANKS AGAIN.

 

FROM RABs32's signature
~~~~~
what smells better,laquer, nitro,or weed!
~~~~~

I'd say either the fumes from a crankcase full of hot castor oil &/or the methanol exhaust fumes from a midget or sprint.