There has been a lot of talk about tether cars on the H.A.M.B. as of late (cool, damn cool, really damn cool). As such, I thought I would add my two cents with a quick post. I know next to nothing about the little diminutive racers, but have always f... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Speedy Bill in Lincoln has a kick ass collection of these also. When I think about it he has all the cool stuff. I often wondered what would happen to a run away car?>>>>.
Way back in the 60's I had a COX .049 powered one with a Corvette body on it. It could be run as a tethered car, or in a straight line with a guide string running through two loops on the chassis. I seriously think that thing could beat pretty much anything up to it's top speed, which was advertised to be around 40 MPH. The drill was to start the engine, adjust the mixture, snap the body down, then drop the rear wheels onto the pavement. It would INSTANTLY be going flat out......
This brought back a lost memory.... Making my own Cox 049 powered little race cars. Made the frames out of brass tubing soldered together and ran them down a straight line of string or in circles. Those you pictured look cool.
Yes, it is an exspensive hobby. But it is a real kick in the pants. It's like building a Bonneville car and runing it but cheaper. Here is some of the cars I've built and run here at the Whittier Narrows track.
Great post! There are a few different levels that a person can collect at. The "big" cars from the mid 30's to the late 40's (pre war cars are super rare and pricey!) and then in the 50's they made smaller cars (mite size) these were more like a toy that a kid could run in his driveway or a vacant lot and not get hurt or make a lot of noise. These cars are just as cool and much cheaper to collect. Names like Rodzy roadster, Ohlson and Rice, The real McCoy, Fuji and many others. And finally there are quite a few reproduction cars available in both big car and mite sizes and most of these are really inexpensive. If I were going to find one to actually run and have fun with, I would definatly build a reproduction with a new "glow" motor and have a great time with it. It's also a great way to teach kids about engine size, gear ratios, and speed!
Something that has been bugging me for the last few weeks.... I would like to try and build a 1950's front engine dragster in approx. 1/8 scale with a 60c.i. model airplane engine, gear box & rear axle and flywheel from Gary Barnes, rear wheels and tires from something like "the big deuce", wire front wheels from Chris Garcia (awesome stuff) all assembled and ready to run in a frame like this.... With a homemade Moon tank and all. I'm not sure I would ever run it, but it sure would look cool in the display case! Has anyone ever built something like I am dreaming about? If so, please post a picture of it for inspiration to fire me up. Thanks.
There was a great article in MAKE magazine a while back on tether cars, including some history of these cars. This link might even take you to that history: http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol11/?pg=97 If not just do a Google search on "make tether cars".
Waay cool thread ... brings back childhood memories of many summer afternoons spent playing with my father's old tether car ... without his permission ... I never got "caught" ... but I never got it to run quite correctly either ... nonetheless, it was great fun and provided countless hours of entertainment! It was an orange-red Roy Cox Thimble Drome car just like this one: Sure wish I still had it today ... but pop's gave it to Gary "Goodguy" Meadors for his collection of tether cars.
I bought a collection of maybe 80 or 90 photos at Hershey a few years back that were from 1938-39 from a club that raced tether cars. I was going to do a book with them. Hmmmm, it's on the list of things to do! I WILL get to it one day.
If you want to see some fantastic old tether cars, go to the radio control show every year in Toledo. Its held in early April . They have a great swap meet with plenty of old timers present. There is a group of old guys who hand build their own engines. About 10 years ago, I saw a guy sell a 1920's world record car for over 10 grand. It was a beauty, all hand built with a .60 cu in engine. They also now make replica cars for less than $ 1000 !
What about late sixties control line cars? This was my favorite toy as a kid. Cox powered indy racer. This was a promotional item from Sprite, turn in 500 bottlecaps, you got the car for free. I asked every business with a coke machine, if I could have all of there used bottle caps, and just sorted out the sprite Rich
these are some great pics. i have a cyclone powered dooling f car a couple of roodzy,and a couple of the cox cars.
I,ve got about 100 - 150 original 8x10 photos from the Rail & Cable archives that were used in publishing the magazine back in the 40's. There is a lot of neat stuff in those old magazines!!!!!!
never seen those, thats pretty cool. especially since theres a track in whittier... i may have to sell my u line control airplanes and get into this!
Here is some info on todays form of this hobby. http://www.amrca.com/ Here are some videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUuQgvVOzk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ0Fvo51XLM&feature=related Turn up the sound!!!!
Here's a small collection of mite-sized cars (I've never had the cojones to spring for an 1/8-scale car): Left to right: .19 Rodzy, .29 McCoy, non-powered Cox TD, handmade wooden Offy sprinter, .049 Ohlsson & Rice, non-powered "Hyde Park Model & Supply". I have some plastic ones, too: a Cox Mercedes W196, 2 Cox Indy eagles, and a Wen-Mac "Johnny Parsons Special". Don't know where those are, so no pix. All are '049s.
Robert Ames self-published a really nice book in 1992 called "Vintage Miniature Racing Cars". It was an edition of only 1500 copies, and was quite expensive -- I think about $100. You might find one on eBay, and it's really a worthwhile book. Larry, it sounds like you bought a killer collection. Would you be willing to show us a few of them?
i had a cox sedan a few yrs ago! had to sell it on the ebay to buy some car parts...wished i kept it now!! kool thead!
There is an amazing book on tether cars called "Spindizzies" by Eric Zausner (http://ezspindizzies.com/), who I have become friends with over the years... His massive and ultra-rare collection of vintage tether cars puts anything the world has ever known to shame:
@Jive-Bomber Jay, Thanks for sharing those pics and the link to Eric's "Spin Dizzies" website ... I think Zausner is my new hero! ... first the (Moal Coachbuilders) "Torpedo" ... now this! ... but I will have to ding Mr. Z on one thing ... there's a "major typo" in his book/website ... everyone knows it was the "Dick Flint roadster" ... not the "Flyn roadster" ...
They used to set up a track at the P-Town GG show and run them... man, what a KICK! I would love to have one... even a re-pop one... Thanks for sharing! Sam
Wow...I never knew about these. A whole lot safer than a spinning propeller, for sure. I guess I'm gonna have to look into getting some plans or drawings to build my own, that is after I finish the project car. Great, just what I need, another habit to feed! Great thread by the way.
There is a guy at Whittier narrows who builds hot rod versions just like these out of old Buddy L & Nylint roadster bodies. You can pick these up for about $5-15 bucks on ebay. I've got a few waiting for the treatment. Cheap way to get a body.
Just Googling around ... found quite a few sites with great info & pics of vintage Tether Cars: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/01/08/tether-car-racing-in-the-1940s/ http://tethercar.net/ http://tethercar.com/ http://www.amrca.com/ http://www.onthewire.co.uk/manley.htm
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