I'm collecting parts to build an offset roadster along these lines. This picture shows GREG WELD at the IMCA Tampa race in the early 60's. I have collected everything to build an offset roadster even an offset 3" open tube Halibrand. The engine has been rebuilt. I am going to use an X-Shift 3 speed trans instead of an in-out box. Dennis 704 788 8225
I'm not sure if it is the same car, but a few years back I saw a similar "Weld" car with a cage (looking like a super modified versus sprinter) at the sprint car museum in Knoxville. Here is a photo, just in case it can help. And if so, it might be worth a trip to see it!!! I can't post them all now, but I can add some other pix later this afternoon if you need them. Later... added the rest of the images... sorry for the crappy composition, the car was hard to shoot with the display items. Gary PS there are a few HAMBers who raced in Tampa during those years who might be able to add some info, too.
I think my pal Scott Perrott has one of these as well. I will see what I can find out. Might take a while though...
No, the mechanical rabbits were built later than the car in question around 1967 and had much different bodies.
Thanks, Rootie----your the man. I was just at the museum in Lincoln and seen one of the "rabbits" on display, would of liked to get a closer look at it, but I got close enough to see it was a work of art. Bob
Also, didn't Greg's brother Kenny build several copies of that car? Kenny's kids were still living in the Brownsburg, Indiana area and running a CNC head porting company called WeldTech.
As I remember it, there were only three of the mechanical rabbits. The one you saw was driven by Joe Saldana. The last I saw of Greg's car, Lee Brayton out of Coldwater, Michigan had it and I'm not sure where it went form there. Don Brown's personal car was purchased by Todd Gibson to be converted to a pavement car ( the rabbits were never intended to be pavement cars) and got trashed.
Totally unrelated, but kinda cool, I saw this roaster style midget at Indy in 2014 at that first, big vintage car show at IMS. The owner is from Valrico, FL (literally 15 minutes away) but I'm embarrassed to say I've misplaced his business card and can't figure a way to contact him again (yet). The car's lettering indicates it's a 1959 build by Fred Pete, Akron, OH so I think it's an original car and not a clone. Why didn't these roadster style cars ever take off on the short tracks, legislated out by rule book revisions? Gary
try one of the Ruttermans from Zepperhills fla. They recall every thing. Another is Buddy Berlarski from Mobile Alabama. He raced these cars all along the fla coast.
In the mail today I recieved a note that Eddie Roch is coming out with a new book on Fla racing. He ended up with Bobby 5X5 Days vast photo selection. If you want more info PM me and I will send.
This is an offset 4 bar roadster I built back in the day. I call it the mechanical wedge. Originally I had an 1 3/8" legal USAC ca ge on it. When I sold it to Gene Coleman [Coleman Racing Products] I changed the cage to 1 3/4" IRA specs and raised it about 3". Gene is all of 6'3". I have more pictures but haven't figured out how to "save as JPG"
Just stumbled on a sprint car chassis. See my thread "FIELD FIND" With almost all the components I need to build this sprint roadster. Just need a right side steering box and an offset axle. I think I will have to build that out of 2 axles.
Obtained a really nice very early Hilborn at a good price at the swap meet 4-8-16. going to sell the 2 1/16" injection that came with the sprint car.
Spending most my time on the flathead powered track roadster so there has been no progress on this sprint roadster. I sold the 2 1/16" Hilborn and obtained a nicer and more desireable 1 13/16" Hilborn. I had the stacks ceramic coated. I obtained an aluninum Mopar right side steering box. I may or may not use it. When the time comes, I might just buy a new Schroeder. PS: Those are the Ken's Equipment wheels I will be useing.
More dumb luck. I traded the my sprint car rear end to Jay Gordon from Texas for an offset 301 rear end. Not many offset axles around. He even delivered it on a business trip up North. I really like the bird cages. The plating is still quite presentable. I couldn't clean up the magnesium so I had it bead blasted. I will paint it satin gray. I also obtained some Hurst pie crust slicks. 7" for the RF and LR. I will be using a Towel City 8" RR. Also obtained Ken's Equipment [Hawthone, CA] aluminum wheels. Cheaper than Halibrand and won't tarnish.
Maybe you should change the title of this thread....Like a build thread...Not much here about Greg Weld.
Greg Weld died several years ago. He was the guy that built the race cars and made Weld wheels in Kansas City .
Kenny Weld, Greg's younger brother built race cars in the Northeast ( Weld Modifieds in the mid 1970's) and was the man behind Weld Wheels. Kenny passed away years ago, Greg passed some years before Kenny did. The car that's featured at the top of this thread was likely built by the Weld family in the early to mid 1960's. "Pappy Weld" was the acknowledged brains behind the operation and the kids learned from him...
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