One of the absolute coolest things about running this joint is some of the emails I get. From top secret projects in the works to vintage imagery of the past, I get some pretty incredible stuff popping up in the ole Jalopy Journal inbox. Last week, I... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Every guy on here wishes he could've had the chance to jump behind the wheel of one of these as a kid.
Those have to be some of the greatest pics ever on the HAMB! I love the group shot, looks like something from Our Gang....Priceless. Thanks Ryan!
that is so cool, what a way to grow up! I do some PC work for some of the local roundy round guys, a few have their 12-15 or so year old sons set up with wicked 600cc mini's and even their own fully stocked support and crew trailers! amazing money invested in their kids hobby, that will probably turn them driving professionally for someone soon. Some dude had a methanol burning single cyl. cart for his kid, prolly in the 5-6 year old range! What a way to grow up indeed!! Damn cool vintage shots and thanks for sharing!
you got that right! I remember driving our homely go-cart out in the cow field with shit flying off the tires at break neck speeds, imagining we are speed racer or something and off in another world for a short time. Its amazing what the thrill of speed does for a young lad.
That's what I started with too, a pieced together second hand go-cart. I would ride that thing sun up to sun down. Never really thought about it but I was pretty good at keeping that thing up and running. To quote dear ol' Dad "You'll figure it out". As a kid I had no idea rides like the ones pictured even existed.
Cool.. just spent the weekend with my boy working on his Quarter Midget. Just wish I coulda had one myself as a kid.
Quarter midgets are too cool for words! We have a dirt track here that's been around longer then most of the members on this board..........if I can talk my brat out of BMX and Motocross racing, he'll get his ass strapped into one. They can get up to like 70mph? Zoom zoom~ http://www.vintagequartermidget.com/bodies.html
Brandy, do they make Pontiac engines that small? I wish I had grown up around that kinda stuff, rural Minnesota has farms and fields, that's about it.
First self propelled vehicle I had was a second hand go-kart i bought off a kid in the neighbor hood. No engine, just a roller. My older brother scored me a briggs 5hp engine from a rototiller and we peiced the rest together. Hooked for life.
Well, I'm thinking..........if we build a big enough, YET small enough car *16 year old kids race*, we can POSSIBLY stuff a 6cyl in there. Farms would have been the best place to learn to drive one!
The photo here is my Dad and I at the circle track next to the San Fernando Drag Strip July 1964. I still have the helmet in my closet. 12 years earlier my Dad was racing a Model A highboy at the Saugus dragstrip.
Oooh, I know where there's a Sprint 6 OHC motor laying around...that oughta scare the poo outta him...
I cant believe you used a line from Days of thunder for the title Does anyone make reproductions of these?
The point should be having fun. It's not so good to push a youngn' too hard too soon. Just ask Mark Martin. I hear his kid is burnt out already and hasn't even made it up to the junior division. Maybe that's what is pushing him so hard when he's at the age to be a greeter at Walmart. Frank
Great pic's. Made me a little sad to see little Jimmy's young face so happy and full of promise, then read that he was paralyzed in Vietnam.
Too cool! a bit off topic, but does anyone here have molds or a body for a half or T.Q. sized car? I have nephews with needs.....
On the flip side of that coin Frank.........there are a LOT of kids with a natural born need for speed, who are competitive as all get out; and live for the thrill. My brat is a natural on anything with 2 wheels and he never comes home with less than a 2nd place trophy. But that's ALL him, I'm one of those star struck parents who gets sidetracked by the shiny objects *read, his local track is next to the batting cages and museum*.
Hey, that is Bubba's kid. First pic I have ever seen of him or the car. Just hear his dad talking about it all the time. Apparently that little guy has some skills.
As a matter of fact, I was. Started in '55 at 10 years old. Drove this car, the first Kurtis kraft 1/4 midget built, to the first ever 1/4 midget national championship in Phoenix, Az, in '57. Cool to see Rick Goudy (name mis spelled in the pic) in the group shot. Rick and I had some good battles on some of the so cal tracks.
In the late 40s Popular Mechanics published an article on a racer powered with half of a flat head Harley, used Crosley and Austin parts for running gear and chassis. I used to dream of building one to race. I got into hot rods and drags until 59 when I saw my first Go Kart. I was hooked, raced short track and endro for 11 years. But once you get married things change if you have a keeper.