Projects 1950 Murray Pedal Car

I got it in my head that I wanted to restore an original pedal car for my daughters first birthday a couple months back. Unfortunetly I couldn't find a salvagable one for a reasonable price until 10 days before her birthday party. I found this one on CL for $75. It sounds dumb but I nearly killed myself trying to finish it by the deadline and still work. If you include trips to the hardware store and running for parts I probably have 60 hours into this thing. I did it and just wanted to show it off I guess.


Special thanks to;
-SAFARIKNUT (Ray Smith) for the amazing stripes and letters
-Don at DNA Interiors for the upholstery
-Ron at The Collision Shop Westland for use of his paint and booth. Also for staying until 2am Friday so I could finish painting it.
-Devin from FCA Customs for short notice sandblasting
-Tracey for donating the axle and a few other parts I needed. Also for making the one of a kind brass hubcaps
-Dave Jarvis for some last minute machine work
-Andy at Starlight Welding for Tig welding the bearing cups and the cracks in the badly pitted seat pan. I would have blown it apart with my mig welder.

I couldn't have pulled it off without you guys!!

My daughter loves it and tries to climb into it every time she sees it.

 

I got one just like it except that mine is a chain/sprocket drive. You have given me incentive to work on it for my grandson!

48 Poncho

 

Oh man, I've gotta finish mine before the little one outgrows them! But which one, the '54 Stude looking one, or the sprint car?

 

Great job. Way to make deadline. Congtats.

 

Great job on your kiddy car!

Woe is me! These years of watching little kids getting nice pedal cars or stroller cars from their Dads and Grand-dads are making me feel so bad... the attic stash of pedal cars is still in the attic and the grandkids are now 16m onths, 20 months and 3.
So, I guess at 61 I still a chance to get them riding. How to choose what they will have though. I've got a 34 Plymouth, 41 Chrysler, 49-52 Chevy, Roy Rogers "NELLYBELLE" Jeep (Pat Buttram drove the Jeep though), and weird dual lever steer 3-wheel car that has a GTO style nose and T-bird rear and 2 girls and a boy to choose!

 

you mean one of these weird 2 levered 3 wheeled things?

 

And sweet job by the way.. Yours looks great.

 

That's the one!

 

very nice. kind of has a Studebaker look to it with the headlights and grille

 

Ten day turnaround, ........ that's amazing! Turned out great.

I'm restoring a 1950 Murray Comet like the one I had as a kid. (look left) Ain't no way I could have done it in ten days, and I started with a very solid car. Nice work!!

Hey Pasadena.... , how about some pix of that stash of cars in your attic?

 

great looking ride,love the seat. any parts sources beside speedway? i have acouple of tri cycles and pedal cars i need to get done.

 

Very nice job on a Murray dipside. I'm a pedalcar addict.. 40 and counting. I could quit if I wanted to..........Yeah, right

 

The only repop parts on it are the wheels and tires. I couldn't stomach the idea of buying a bunch of overpriced poorly made parts for it. Any other parts I needed I made, repaired or tracked down originals. Speedway wanted 40 each for their wheels. I bought a used china made (ick!!) dipside pedal car copy on CL for $80 and stole the wheels and tires from it. It was the same car speedway sells. If you don't mind the repop stuff they are a good parts source for an original because there are only minor differences. I painted the wheels in the same pearl as the body.

Thanks for all the compliments guys.
Seeing what other HAMBers did for their kids is what inspired this project.

 

First of all, the pedal car is awesome, i bet your daughter does love it.
I have a Murray Champion straight side. My uncle bought it for me when I was 1-2 yrs old. When I had a son, it was still in good enough shape for him to play with it. Now he has a son that is two and I am wanting to restore it for him, but funding, as always an issue. You mentioned you were able to obtain parts (China) at a much cheaper price. I was curious if you could tell me how I may contact this vendor or other good quality parts cheap..

Thanks is advance,
Barry

 

My first hot rod from 1958, a Murray Ranch Wagon.

 

This is the one I made for my son.....

 

The car looks great , Loud&Fast - good job (fast too !) .

I restored this one for my daughter's 3rd birthday . The only repo parts are the bell , the hubcaps & the original style stripe kit . It's a '63 Murray . I now have a 50's BMC wagon pedalcar to restore in my spare time , lol !

 

I had the same one

 

nice job on the pedal car,,,they can be a very time consuming project,,hope your daughter drives the wheels off...
the blue car in the background I did 27 years ago for my own son,,the 36 Steelcraft is on my bucket list

 

Looks great. You nailed it!

 

That looks great --nice job---- JUST A WARNING enjoy those little kids while there young you'll be shocked at how fast they grow up -------