History Vintage "Cageless" Midget Picture Thread

Someone a while back wanted to know what the hood paint job looked like on Joe Barzda's rail v8-60 looked like. I think this is it



Answer would be....blank

 

If you are seriously looking for a restored vintage midget to own, we have 5 of them for sale on http://www.texasopenwheel.com

If you are interested in any of them please PM me and I will furnish contact numbers.

 

Here's one I lettered today.Not sure of the maker(the owner told me but I don't retain anything)but it was built around 1968.Unsure of the original engine but it now has a Volvo B18 or B20 and a Jones Q/C.Front end looks like a CAE.The grille is painted on and will eventually be replaced with a functional one as well as a nerf bar.

 

Some more pictures of Ronnie Evans

 

Thanks John,these are wonderful photos!

 

midget chevyII injector for sale PM ME

 

Thanks for the photo Jim, that's my car! That photo was in Life Magazine Dec. 15th 1947 in an article about midget racing.

 

Hey Guys I am trying track history on a driver. Do any of you know of Rex Bolin ? Midget racer from San Francisco area and relocated to Texas in the mid to late 70's .

 

Kingsbridge Armory. They sure drew some crowds back then.

 

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2440509095.html

Former Art Cross and Mario Andretti driven KK Offy. Looks like a very fair price.

 

Back in early May, my daughter, Judy, and I went to the Vintage Race Car Meet (Oval track cars) at Loudon. Here's a link to some photos from there.

http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/ta/loudon11/pg1.htm

 

7-5-2011 Richard L Greenawalt ( D i c k ) left this earth this morning.

As you have all been following on ( microracing.com ) and all of you that I have seen at the tracks, about his resent hospital visits, with all you kind works and prayers, I wanted to be the person to break the sad news.

Dad turned 71 yesterday July 4th, he had a great day at home, everything was fine, even this morning things were great, he had a great nights sleep, went to get a shower and then that when he went down, mom called 911 and the EMT's did all they could do, but it was to late.

Please remember my dad as a great guy, photographer, friend. I know no one can replace him. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Any questions please contact me at <!-- e -->[email protected]<!-- e -->

Mom and I thank you all.

Lee

 

So sorry to hear!! :-( My condolences Lee

 

A great loss. You are in my prayers.

 

A contact of mine n the USA wants to sell one of those old school V8 Sesco engines . If your interested i can hook you up with him

comes minus the turbo pictured

 

Regarding the Sesco V8 interested to see what would people estamate the value of this engine??

 

Here's a picture of dad doing what he loved.
Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers.
I am truly amazed how many people were touched by him.
Lee

 

Racing photographers are very special people. Most do not get paid and most spend a lot of their own money to get the shots. I've never met one who I did not like a lot.

I know you will miss your dad.

Doc

 

Very, very sorry about your loss, Lee. Our older photographers are a valuable resource.

 

Well folks, it kinda looks like I've created a huge problem for the New England Tractor's website. Something entirely not expected, for sure.

On Wednesday, I noticed the website could not be accessed. Here's the reason a message to me from Jeff Johnson, who has the NET website:


"good news and bad news.

good news is that your photo article generated a large spike in traffic to my website.

bad news is that if caused our site to exceed our allocated bandwidth causing our site to be shut down.

My main site will be back up sometime next week, but they have increased my monthly fee.
Between the increased fees I now have to pay to our webhosting and several days of lost sales from my business it looks like this will cost me over $5,000 to fix.

Unless I can find a cheaper webhosting company, it looks like I will not be able to afford to put the race report page back up."

Can anyone out there give us a little help on this, maybe?

 

I am involved with a technical board that uses huge amounts of bandwidth. We use a hosting service that is inexpensive and good. The hosting company is http://www.bluehost.com/

Doc

 

Good news! The website is back up and running!

 

Guys,
I really have enjoyed all of your posts and insight. I am a Newbie to midgets...been around IndyCars and Drag Racing all my life, but have realized that the men and women of Sprinters and Midgets were true HEROES!!

I just bought my first midget...I know little about it and unfortunately, the previous owner, while a died-in-the-wool dirt midget guy, has no idea on what MAKE this car is. The seller, Dick Billings from Milwaukee, supposedly bought it from a Mr. Schieffer (?) when the car was blue and white and Dick then restored it. According to Dick, the car was built "by some guy in Illinois." I would greatly appreciate anyone's opinion on what I have. I purchased this car knowing that I have no idea what it is but would love to know its MAKE and any provenance if you know it. Dick ran his car in a few vintage races in Wisconsin so somebody may know of it.

I realize that the rear wheels need changed!!!

Should I complete this car as an early 60's car or late 60's car????

Thanks, all!!

Ebert!

 

Ebert:
Contact Glenn Ohlendorf at Olendorf Racing Supply in New Lennox for help identifying your car. If it was built & raced in the Chicago area he'll recognize it.
Cages became mandatory around 1970 so you have the entire decade to work with. The rear wheels aren't all that bad other than width. Even in 1982 the widest wheels in the Edmunds catalog were 8".
Early 1960s was the end of 12" diameter wheels; only Halidbrand spot calipers fit in them. Late 60's saw better brakes with 13" wheels.
BZ Neil might chime in here. He did an awesome job making his car look 1960's correct.

Chuck Schultz
Winfield, Illinois

 

Chuck,

Many thanks for your help! The car has 12" Halibrand Solids on the front and Dick put on some crummy wheels on the rear that he had and I have the two 13" "Window" Halibrands for the rear which are 13" X "8 six-pin which I dont think work. I think 6" wide work best. I think the solids work, subject to what you and other experts think. By reading your posts, I realize that you are good friends with my Kenosha friends, Gregg and Lance. I love those guys and Gregg just restored my Dreyerette last summer. GREAT guys!!!!

Thanks! E

 

Plenty of midget wheels on sale at the Miller Meet in Milwaukee yesterday. I posted a couple photos on the Sprint Car thread of Gregg Kishline getting a few laps in the 1960 Bowes Seal Fast laydown Offy. It fulfilled a boyhood dream -he first saw Indy cars at the Milwaukee Mile at age 8 with his father & grandfather.
Also of interest was the 1947 Marchese-Offy, back in the Marchese family after years away. The Marcheses built tube frame cars before WWII also, long before the famous KK cars.
The Kenosha gang has the Fredrickson roadster on display as a restoration in progress. Probably the only race car frame built with sections of aluminum fire truck ladder.
If you are within driving distance of Milwaukee the Miller Meet is a must see annual event.

 

Ebert,
Your midget reminds me of this car. It is a Doug Carthers midget from the 60's and Doug always used Edmunds midgets as far as I can remember.

 

Ebert:
It definitly isn't an Edmunds. I have an e-mail from Mr. Edmunds stating that all of his cars have wishbone rear suspension. There was a car built in his shop while he was Super Modified racing in South Africa that had a Z link rear suspension but he "disowned" that one.

I suspect this car was once the #5 of Bob Schnieder and raced in Badger. A number of years ago Circle Track had a story on Mr. Schneider's midget collection, which at the time included #5 & the Dretzka #8 rear engine outboard.

There were several "guy in Illinois" who built midgets. Harry Turner's shop was on Westrn Ave. In Chicago, Max Riechenbach was in Lombard, Tom Misclich was in the south suburbs. A car from any of them would be a treasure. Glenn O. will figure it out.

CS

 

Guys,

Thank you very much for your insight and information. I DO believe it was from Mr. Schnieder's collection as I remember seeing his name on the car before it was restored by Billings. Those pictures are headed my way. Do you know if Mr. Schnieder is still around? Thanks and I will be in touch with Glenn.

Great news about Gregg's run at the Miller Meet! I am sure he is on Cloud Nine!

Best,
Eric

 

While looking for historical pictures for ARDC midgets and East Coast stock cars, I came across the fabulous picture of the 1956 ARDC banquet on this forum posted 12-10-2010 by Doug (Sprinter 2). My Dad, Walt Mordenti, is standing in third row, second from left.

Walt now lives in San Francisco with his bride of 66 years, Margaret. Walt turns 90 this month, and we are having a big birthday celebration for him tonight at his favorite North Beach restaurant "Tommaso's Ristorante Italiano." Family and friends from all over the Bay Area will join us. I found the ARDC banquet picture while looking for pictures to make place mats for his celebration.

Walt raced from the 1940s-1980s. He is probably best know as an owner/builder/mechanic, who also drove the tow truck and served as the pit crew, usually all by himself. He had a red, Kurtis chassis, Ford-powered #78 midget racer (chauffeurs Dutch Shaefer and Roger Bailey to name a few). Later, when he was in his 50s, he added "driver" to his resume at the 1/2-mile high-banked dirt track at Lebanon Valley Speedway, NY in his big-block, super-modified, AMC-powered, open-wheel #36 Gremlin/Rambler American stock cars (body had to match motor). In the 40s/50s, he also wrenched on Hudson stock cars with other Waterbury friends: the Mordenti-Mambrino-Mordino trio. I remember #12 Hudson stock car, affectionately known as the Tank!

I am the little girl Joyce who was always at his side at tracks like Pine Bowl (with outhouses!), Old Bridge, Islip, Freeport, Savin Rock, Riverside, Stafford Springs, Plainville, Danbury Fair, Hersey Fair, and Army-Navy Stadium (I can sill smell the fumes of the indoor track). He raced his midget at Daytona on the sand, winning recognition for the Flying Mile. He was a spokesperson for Oilzum oil. My favorite drivers were Freddie Meeker and Mark Donahue.

Walt still goes to work every day in his mechanic blues. He is world renown as a Hudson mechanic, and he is very active in automotive circles, rebuilding carburetors, engines, and transmissions for vintage cars. He rebuilt a '53 Hornet sedan for me in the 80s, then rebuilt a '53 Hornet coupe for himself in the 90s. Both are daily drivers. If you Google "Walt Mordenti and Hudson Hornet," you will find lots of current information about him, including pictures of his car. He writes a regular Tech Tip column for the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane (HET) Club magazine. This month, he and Margaret will drive their Hudson Hornet to Oklahoma for the Annual HET National Meet. Walt frequently wins the long distance award and oldest driver award.

If this thread is still active, I hope that race car fans who remember Walt (or who are just crazy about racing history) will send their birthday wishes to his email account: [email protected] [waltmordenti-at-aol-dot-com]. If you have some pictures to share with Walt, I am certain that he would appreciate them. Walt carries his iPad every where, so he is not hard to reach! Drop him a line.

Thanks for the memories, Joyce