Register now to get rid of these ads!

Vintage Tether Cars

Discussion in 'The Antiquated' started by Ryan, Jul 22, 2008.

  1. woodythx138
    Joined: Feb 19, 2004
    Posts: 323

    woodythx138
    Member

    Nice picture, I think the guy third from left looks like Curly Glover of C&R tire fame and the Curly car.Chris
     
    rotten ron likes this.

  2. Won't happen for a while. :)
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  3. Crazydaddyo
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Crazydaddyo
    Member

    In case anyone is interested, there will be a tether car swap meet and fun run at the Whittier Narrows track Sept. 13 th. Info below:


    Clark Smith


    Dedication


    Gas Powered Miniature Race Car Fun Run
    and
    Collecto



    Please Bring your best "Clark Smith" Car out for the Display!!


    We will also be featuring a best of class award for following types of cars

    Manufactured Cars
    Custom Proto Cars
    Pre-war Cars
    Contemporary cars

    9:00 - 1:00 Sept. 13th 2008

    Race! Show! Buy! Sell! Trade!
    Cars! Motor! Airplanes! More!

    Located at the WhittierNarrowsRecreationCenter
    At the Tether Racing Track

    El MonteCalifornia,
    off of the 60 Freeway at Rosemead Blvd.

    For more info drop a line At: [email protected]

    Upcoming meets:


    Jan. 10th 2009
    Sept. 12th 2009
    Jan. 9th 2010
    Sept. 11th 2010
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  4. E Burfield
    Joined: Dec 31, 2006
    Posts: 130

    E Burfield
    Member

    Just got home from the A.M.R.C.A nationals in Long Island N.Y. Had a great time. The track was a little rough. I ran two cars one in class 9 and the other was class 10. Ended up pulling out two first place wins.

    Any body else out there running any cars?
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  5. couverkid
    Joined: Mar 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,132

    couverkid
    Member

    My parents had a friend who passed away maybe 10-15 years ago that had alot of tether cars his name was Larry Smith lived in SoCal was a big guy anyone have any of his cars. He had a friend that lived in long beach what had a bunch of tether cars also maybe clark?Just wondering.
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  6. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    I went to the meet yesterday that Crazydaddyo posted about above. Maybe 15 guys set up to show & sell their serious 1/8 scale cars, mostly with 4-figure prices. Beautiful, but out of my league.

    I found this for $5; funky but a nice shape. The body and wheels are nice enough that I wonder if it was built from an early wood kit.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. E Burfield
    Joined: Dec 31, 2006
    Posts: 130

    E Burfield
    Member

    I looked at that. it was in a blue bucket on the ground next to the table. very cool. I was the young long haired guy with the two kids. There was a mccoy hot rod in an orginal box unassembled for $250.00. that was a smoken deal.
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  8. Choptop
    Joined: Jun 19, 2001
    Posts: 3,303

    Choptop
    Member

    was just at Zausner's place the other day... amazing. It was hard to have a conversation... my eyes kept wandering around the room.
     
    rotten ron likes this.
  9. I know during WW II Frank Kurtis made wood race car toys and sold them to department stores. He could get no sheet metal or tubing to build full size cars, and did the wood toys for a source of income during the war. He hired a few high school kits to help in the assembly line and the painting. I never saw one of the Kurtis toys, but my dad said they resembled the later tube framed Kurtis midgets, as does this one. You might have scored a Kurtis Kraft!!
     
  10. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Wow! Whether it's a Kurtis or not, I like the idea that it might be!

    I have a couple of other handmade wooden '40s racers (a midget that I'm sure is from a kit and a Sparks/Thorne Indy car that I believe is scratchbuilt); I have a handmade Bluebird LSR car, a couple of old Pinewood Derby cars that have nice proportions, and a group of four imaginary open wheel cars built by an English forensic photographer!

    Not a lot of the homemade stuff survives, and a lot of it is too crude to be interesting, but I really like finding ones that were made with some sensitivity. Of course, they're scarce.
     
  11. Crazydaddyo
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Crazydaddyo
    Member

    Tony,
    There were many wood model kits. The wheels on your new car look like the wheels that came in the monagram kits. The early wood kits were what evolved into plastic models later. Some were pine others were balsa. Most of the later kits were for running on a string and were powered by a CO2 cartrige pierced by a special gun.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  12. axle
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 3,982

    axle
    Member
    from Drag City

    Awesome ! I have a twin to this. My only other is the All American Hot Rod. These things can get real addicting.
     
  13. axle
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 3,982

    axle
    Member
    from Drag City

    Choptop, That collection is amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  14. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    Well, so much for Kurtis Kraft. The solid red (Monogram) car in your photos looks identical to mine, except that mine has no hole for the CO2 cartridge.

    I remember the wooden kits. The first kits I ever built as a kid were wooden airliners, military ships, and a couple of "Ace" balsa kits.

    Thanks, Dan!
     
  15. I've got a few old Prop Rods and teather cars in my junk. Some of them are in these pictures.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    FWIW. :)
     
  16. GuyW
    Joined: Feb 23, 2007
    Posts: 649

    GuyW
    Member

    My dad had that same black duece highboy tether car...

    ...he sold it a few years back...:(
     
  17. I just found this on the tube... 200mph!!


    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T31juxlQuGA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T31juxlQuGA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  18. VonMoldy
    Joined: May 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,562

    VonMoldy
    Member
    from UTARRGH!

    I hate you guys. Another thing I need!
     
  19. pappatyrone
    Joined: Oct 22, 2007
    Posts: 156

    pappatyrone
    Member

    I remember when I was a small kid growing up in Pueblo, Colorado, there was a tether car track at city park. I would beg my dad to take me there whenever they ran their cars. It was a real nice facility, and there were lots of cars. I've often wondered what happened to them. This was in the late 40's or early50's. If anyone in the southern Colorado area is interested in trying to get tether car racing started again please PM me. Maybe we can revive it.
     
  20. Just got one just like this today. What kind of value? Not for sale, just good thing to know. Thanks in advance, Michael:D
     

    Attached Files:

  21. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    That one's CO2 powered, isn't it? I bought one about 20 years ago for $15 or $20. It's not at all a common piece, and it's quite nicely made. Good catch.
     
  22. I've never seen the CO2 cars before and love the fact that its a streamliner.
     
  23. terrarodder
    Joined: Sep 9, 2005
    Posts: 1,101

    terrarodder
    Member
    from EASTERN PA

    There is a nice selection of those cars, at the America On Wheels Museum in Allentown PA>, on display right now. Along with old race cars, worth seeing. Will be there till sometime in April 2009.
     
  24. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,239

    Spooky
    Member

    WOw....
    There is a track made of concrete in Cheyenne, Wyoming that was used for these cars way back when. It is in an old park that has a steam locomotive near by.

    My story of the Red Racer is about a Cox Thimbledrome that is a "pusher",
    the non-motorized type.

    I hope to find a All American Hot Rod that was made in the 50's to add to my collection.

    Love these things!
     

    Attached Files:

  25. mow too much
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 906

    mow too much
    Member

    Yeah, I have always thought these cars where to neat for words; But as my wife says grow up and quit winning you can't have everthing..........But darn it, I want it all !!!!!!!!!!
     
  26. Crazydaddyo
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Crazydaddyo
    Member

    It is time for another meet. Lots of neet stuff to see. Cars running on the track too.



    [COLOR=black][FONT=Arial]Gas Powered Miniature Race Car [/FONT][/COLOR]Fun Run
    [SIZE=7]and[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=7]Collecto[/SIZE]




    9:00 - 1:00 Jan. 10th 2009

    Race! Show! Buy! Sell! Trade!
    Cars! Motor! Airplanes! More!

    Located at the WhittierNarrowsRecreationCenter

    At the Tether Racing Track


    El MonteCalifornia,
    off of the 60 Freeway at Rosemead Blvd.

    For more info drop a line At: [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL]


    Upcoming meets:


    Sept. 12th 2009
    Jan. 9th 2010
    Sept. 11th 2010
    Jan. 8th 2011
     
  27. Update: My 3 year old has claimed this one. Hell, it has replaced his teddy bear. He won't go to sleep without it.

    Can't hardly complain about that though.

    [​IMG]
     
  28. 50Fraud
    Joined: May 6, 2001
    Posts: 10,101

    50Fraud
    Member

    I read your Red Racer with interest for the double reason that I'm into these things, and that I had a toy design business for a few years called "Red Racer Studio".

    As for the AAHR: did you see this on eBay? It looked really nice.
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...1499&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab=Watching
     
  29. Crazydaddyo
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Crazydaddyo
    Member

    Anyone going to the swap?
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.