Hi folks, I'm looking to scratch build an old style tether racer with my son. After a pretty exhaustive search of the internets I haven't found any plans or similar. Anyone got anything they can scan, or maybe point me in the right direction?
If you can find the old Popular mechanics book titled THE BOY MECHANIC (there has been a reprint) it has several plans for tether cars.
http://www.tethercar.com/ http://www.amrca.com/ The second site has Aussie coverage. New and old cars. I know you need to balance the tether mount locations to the C/G fore and aft AND the verticle C/G. If the tether is mounted too low it will lift the inside wheels at speed, if too high it will "fly" the car off it's wheels.
A manually operated car is called a "pusher" it does not have a motor. You still run it with a tether, but basicly you stand in the center of an area and just swing the car around in circles (you are powering the car!). Much slower and boring compared to the sound and smell (fuel) of a motorized racer! Good luck and have fun with your project.
Just start off building a static model of one.....the main thing is to take the first step. Then build a second one if you think you can do better. Here is one I build many years ago. It has wood tail and cowl areas, and the sides are made from some 1/8" thick hobby shop plywood. The grill shell is carved out of a chunk of wood. The hood is .030 -.040 aluminum. The pan is some aluminum that I had a friend with a brake fold the sides down. The axles are threaded rod with an aluminum tube covering. The wheels and tires are model airplane from a hobby shop. The air cleaners are axle caps from a hardware store. The windshield is from a soda bottle! Give it a try, you will have fun!
Here are some plans for a Bantam Midget......13" wheelbase......and a "loose" example of a Bantam Midget. Many were built, very few followed the plans 100%. Most Bantam Midgets had the main body made with (pine), and the frame rails made with (Maple). This example, the only wood used is the Maple frame and the blue painted pine tail top.
I think some interior doors are made out of something close to 1/8" wood. Can probably find one for free somewhere.
Good idea.....now get building! Start by finding some suitable wheels and tires, and scale the car to those wheels. There is always a few cool looking tether cars on EBay, listed under "Tether Cars" .....find one you like, save the pictures and use them as a building guide.
Call Gary Arnold at TLC Enterprise.. Google TLC Tether Car . He is a world of knowledge when it comes to tether cars. He sells all types of parts and full kits. Good Luck. I started collecting and restoring w/ my sons when they were about 7 and we're still going strong. Enjoy.
8 years after the OP started this thread, he probably either got the car built or abandoned the idea.
Traditional 40's and 50's tether cars and repops are timeless and so is some of the info in this thread. If you lack the $ and the space to build a real hot rod, improve your skills and build a tether car from scratch, then move on to bigger and better projects when you can. It will also give you an idea of how much time it really takes to build something from scratch.
Hi all and Happy Holidays , finding myself interested in tether cars lately , I'm interested in building one . Above was mentioned Popular Mechanics , The Boy Mechanic had an issue on them , anyone know which issue or have one for sale . Thanks , Richard
Another (unfinished) Bantam Midget loosely built using the 1940 “Model Craftman Magazine”, blueprints from (post #9) above. I enlarged the image in the magazine to the actual 13” wheelbase dimension, on the blueprint.
I was never around tether cars until I went to the Goodguys show at Pleasonton in Aug of 1998 after going to Bonneville in a bucket list road trip. they had a track set up in a building and those things put on quite a show. I read about them in the late 50's and early 560's but my budget then didn't allow for buying the motor or other pieces that went on one.
I have a tether car mold and I thought about casting some. I have not casted anything before and could use a few pointers! I think the mold is steel. Gary
I had a good friend who was in the business of reproducing pieces from lost wax casting. He found pieces of a tether car at a Model T club swap meet. The tail, cowl grill shell, belly pan and the axles are all castings from his molds. I machined wheels for him. I didn't have a lot of interest until I saw the tires he made from molds he engraved him self. I was, and still am astounded at the lettering detail on the tires. The springs are pieces of a band saw blade. He made a form to bend the hood and then made a die to stamp the louvers. He even sewed the upolstery. Tony passed about 15 years ago and I still miss him.
Tether Cars come up for sale quite often on eBay as well as engines and other drive train components. I sold this Thimble Drome a couple years ago which is a more modern version even though I had it since the middle 50’s.
Here is my favorite O&R…sorry for the crummy pic. They are definitely the slickest looking mite cars.
The Jalopy Journal
