I wish I had a few of these as I have always be taken by them. Speedy Bills colection makes me want to go back and look agin and agin.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us Here's mine. Dooling "F" inherited from my uncle. Hornet 60 power. Unfortunately locked up.
They say you can hold a hair dryer, or heat gun up to the cylinder and it might free it up. Just go slow and take it easy on it, as you are dealing with real small engine parts.
No go guys....I can actually see that part of the ring is missing off the piston. Don't care if it ever runs again.
A model race car and model engine swap meet, hosted by Herb Singe, is held each year in conjunction with the Hershey antique auto show and swap meet. Attached are some photos from this year's event held on the evening of October 9, 2013.
These are my own copies of a couple of Tether Cars. I made 6 in total, I kept #1, the black car, and #6. I built 2 on commission. 1 of which was a copy of a V8-60 powered midget that is on Display at Ocean Park Ford in Surrey BC. My replica is in the display case in front of the parts counter there.
Ive always admired these cars so I finally decided to build one. This is not intended to be a reproduction of anything, but an original design that is a representation of, what I consider to be, the Golden Age of tether cars. The late 1930s an 40s when the cars were intended to look like real race cars of the day, but still be fast and competitive. My shop consists of a drill press, hacksaw and a bunch of files. I bashed the body out of .063, 3003 aluminum, gas welded from five pieces. The frame is constructed from several pieces of 6061, corrosion resistant aluminum. The plan-as-you-go method resulted in the bottom of the body as pictured being sawed off in preparation for a full belly pan. The rear end is a Gary Barns unit, the engine is a Woody Bartlet Hornet, the wheels are Dooling F repros, and the tires are Voit. The tires will limit me to 60 MPH until I can find more race worth items. The car should run in the 80s which would be competitive in the day. At the point pictured here I am about to build a fuel tank. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->
That looks very interesting. I don't know anything about BB Korn cars other than the display models I see on Ebay. Yours is obviously a running car. Looks like a great project to put back in running condition. What type of engine?
I don't think one of these have been posted yet . My Dad worked at California Hobby Distributors in Burbank CA as a young man . The story goes they had this in there display case on loan from Roy Cox . My Dad really liked it and he said Roy came in from time to time . One day Roy gave this to my Dad because the owner of the company, My Dad's friend had told Roy my Dad really liked it . It has been in the family ever since . I have no way to verify any of this but that is what I remember . Either way , it will continue to stay in the family and be on "display" Not sure how many cut away Thimble Drome's there are out there . I am sure there are a few more since they were used as displays in Hobby shops . Enjoy
A major collection of gas powered miniature race cars will be offered for sale this weekend at the annual Sabbatini's Collecto in Fresno, CA
Okay, about ready to go. As soon as I get the flywheel turned (farmed out to a machinist I'm afraid) I'll finish the drive-line, run in the engine, and off to the track. I'm showing it this way at the colecto Feb. fourth. After shakedown runs there will be some detailing and then paint.
It's so pretty in bare metal, it'll be a shame to paint it. Maybe consider painting some scallops and numbers on it, but leaving the rest bare aluminum.
Well thanks guys. Truth is it's not good enough to polish, but while the polished ones are pretty, I'm more into the era where they intended the cars to look more like real race cars, and I've never seen a polished race car. I'll do my best with the paint job.
Aero, Consider using this battery holder instead of the plastic one. Your car is so nice, some day I hope I get to build my own car. http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/174/174K-ND/568
Each year, Herb Singe and his son, Herb, Jr., host a gas powered miniature race car and model engine swap meet, held in conjunction with the AACA antique auto show and swap meet held in Hershey, PA. This year's model race car and model engine swap meet will be held in the Campbelltown Fire Hall in Campbelltown, PA, just outside of Hershey, during the evening of Wednesday, October 8. This event traditionally attracts a large number of tether car enthusiasts and a number of gas powered miniature race cars are offered for sale at this event. Attached is a copy of the flyer for the swap meet.
I have several 39-40 Mercury Dooling cars. One is a wall hanger,Missing a few parts, it is set up for a track with bearings on the bottom.I have another one complete which is a tether car. The early tether cars were larger cars. Look at the first picture compared to the 392 hemi valve cover. . Not a wall hanger