When a couple of the world's leading restorers of small race cars are stumped there is only one place to go for answers, the all knowing HAMB! Lance Turner & Gregg Kishline have resurrected many 1/4 & 1/2 midgets but when a guy up the road in Racine Wisconsin asked them to save this wood framed beauty they were stumped. The phone lines between Kenosha and the usual suspects around the world have lit up but so far no one can identify the origins of this car. Notice the remnants of advertising on the belly pan -says home built to me -but what class or club? Gas pedal indicates it wasn't just a push car. Is that the remains of a badge on the grill? Thanks in advance for any help. Chuck Schultz Official PR Hack for GreggKraft and Turner Auto Body
Great score ! It looks like a 1929 Dryer 1/4 midget however the grill has been changed the frame and the rest of the racer is Dryer
There are plans for a car similar to this in Mechanical Package magazine from September 1932 called a "baby racing car". It uses a wood frame and belt drive. Sorry, I can't get a picture or link to work, but the archive is easy to find.
I'd definately give it a homebuilt nod. 1. Several of the bolts I can see there on the front end are stove bolts. the square headed type. Those are usually a fair indication someone built it with nuts and bolts that were handy, without attention being paid to being either stove bolts or hex headed bolts. I can see one other that is a hex head, so it was a mix and match with what ever was handy. 2. It is patterned after a early car. it's a "Flat tail", rather than the later arched tail with a head rest. 3. I can't make it out, but what looks like it might have been a hand brake on the right side. 4. As for being powered by some engine instead of being a push car. ???? can't see anything on those rear pieces, that indicate it might have had a engine Nor can I see anything that might indicate that rear tail piece might have had any exhaust or intake scoop.or gas filler. It's too small to be a midget, and back in that era there were not any 1/4 midget racers or tracks that I know of. I might be wrong That being said, that is probably one of the best finds of some younger persons old car I've seen for a while. Even if it is in partial shape. HellRaiser
Early Morgan? LOL. Definitely a barn job. Possibly built for something like a Briggs N Stratton? Gary
http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/kingmidget1.html <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=640 height=100><TBODY><TR><TD rowSpan=2></TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][SIZE=-2]MUSEUM INFO |CONTACT|EVENTS|VIDEOS!|SEARCH[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR height=70><TD height=70 vAlign=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CSOBJ><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=4 width=765><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top rowSpan=2 width=104><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width=100 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][SIZE=-2]click to enlarge[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD vAlign=top rowSpan=2 align=left><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%"><TBODY><TR height=65><TD rowSpan=3 width=482></TD><TD height=65 vAlign=top align=left>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][SIZE=-2]Tour Index[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=middle></TD></TR><TR height=65><TD height=65></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=8></TD><TD>1949 King Midget Series I Claud Dry and Dale Orcutt's first car was a crude midget-racer styled car built on a wood frame. A hand-operated clutch or centrifugal clutch was available . It could be ordered in Kit Form or later as a completed car with a 6HP Wisconsin engine. The wooden crate is a replica of how the kit would be shipped to you. Kits were sold by small ads in magazines, and started as low as $50, increasing as the kit became more complete. By 1951, complete cars could be purchased for $350. Manufacturer: Midget Motors Co., Athens, Ohio, U. S. A <TABLE border=1 width=620 height=368><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Model: Series I </TD><TD align=left>Motor: Wisconsin, 4-stroke</TD><TD align=left>Body: Steel</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Years Built: 1947 - 1951</TD><TD align=left>No. Cylinders: 1 </TD><TD align=left>Chassis: Wood</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>No. Produced: Est: 500</TD><TD align=left>Displacement: </TD><TD align=left>Suspension Front: Leaf Spring</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>No. Surviving: Est: 25</TD><TD align=left>Horsepower: 6</TD><TD align=left>Suspension Rear: Leaf Spring</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Length: 7' 10"</TD><TD align=left>Gearbox: 1 + no reverse</TD><TD align=left>Steering: Peg and cable</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Width: 3' 10"</TD><TD align=left>Starter: Rope or crank</TD><TD align=left>Brakes: Cable</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Weight: 330 lbs.</TD><TD align=left>Electrics: 6 v</TD><TD align=left>4 Wheels: 4.80/4.00 x 8"</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Interior: Single seat</TD><TD align=left>Ignition: Coil</TD><TD align=left>Top Speed: </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
On the gas petal..it appears to be made from aluminum...can you make out what the writing says? I tried googling various ways of "Childs wood frame race car" and came up zip. Unless I want to build a kid a bed made to look like a race car. HellRaiser
HJManiac....good catch... The brackets on that 1949 King midget appear the same. The front axle geometery and fabrication appears much the same. Those front wheel, on that axle looks much the same. My guess though from the grill on that 49 vs the other, the one gear guy has found appears to be an even earlier one. It's still a hell of a find.... HellRaiser
<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER><CENTER>1946 King Midget One</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER><CENTER>1946 King Midget Roadster</CENTER></CENTER></CENTER></CENTER>
HJmaniac, Notice of how that flat tail on gearguys find, curves around like that one on the 49...The archives located mentioned of having a single leaf spring, front and rear...So does gearguys. So Mr. Holmes, I do believe you have solved the puzzle, and have identified Mr. Moriarti's little race car. HellRaiser
Here is a Dreyer ad from the December 1936 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine. The grille is different, but the vents show on the side of the tail section. PM me if you would be interested in it, I have a lot of issues from the 1930's Bob
new info from Gregg Kishline: >the 3-spoked steering wheel is Model T - repros are available. > the wood is measured in whole numbers. The one-by-four frame rails are a true one inch thick and four inches wide. [ I pulled the dimensions of the frame and will soon have a drawing thereof. ] > The front tread is about 42" to the centers of the front wheels. Wheelbase is approximately 69". Engine had a square bolt pattern, 5/16" bolts. Something like an old, old Briggs & Stratton, or a Maytag one-lung washing machine engine ...or equivalent. > 4 x-members - the two middle units are a full 2" square. > the wooden seat bottom was angled, screwed in place between the frame rails > the wooden seat back was screwed to the inside of the leading edges of the flat tail. > the front and rear x-members area true 1"x 2" > front frame width (outside): 14" > rear frame width (outside): 20 1/4" BTW, Gregg has been in touch with Junior Dreyer down in Indy; he is one of the "usual suspects" when things like this come up. To be clear, this isn't my project. I just handle the internet side of it for my lurking friends [who claim they can't figure out the photo posting or are just to busy to "waste" time on the internet. The owner wants the car "restored", whatever that means for projects without much documentation.
It says in brochure above ^ for the King Midget Race Car that the tread is 42" and the wheelbase is 65". I think that pretty much nails it. (Quote Greg Kishline: > The front tread is about 42" to the centers of the front wheels. Wheelbase is approximately 69".
[QUOTE BTW, Gregg has been in touch with Junior Dreyer down in Indy; he is one of the "usual suspects" when things like this come up. To be clear, this isn't my project. I just handle the internet side of it for my lurking friends [who claim they can't figure out the photo posting or are just to busy to "waste" time on the internet. The owner wants the car "restored", whatever that means for projects without much documentation.[/QUOTE] Contact these guys: http://www.kingmidgetcarclub.org/kmhistory.html The International King Midget Car Club.
You guys are amazing. Gregg sent me the following in two middle of the night e-mails: <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <wunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> The Dreyer suggestion... Dreyer cars of the 30's had wooden sides and a cast wrap-around cap as a front crossmember. No such evidence on this car - the frame is all wood except for the spring perch. Also, this car has an engine cradle made of flat stock. The Dreyers had an engine mount (cast aluminum) that slid fore-and-aft (right hand-actuated), to provide clutching action as well as reverse - pretty sophisticated in its time. [ I restored one.] This engine mount is simply screwed to the top of the wooden frame members, doesn't move at all. I do appreciate the ideas, nonetheless. Also, the cowl flare is a pie-cut and welded piece - well-executed by someone familiar with cowls and common practice, as they were made in the late 20's and all thru the 30's. Early cowls were holes cut into wrapped planes, very elementary. If only this thing could talk. [Photo is Junior Dreyer's restored 30's Dreyerette, in his dealership on Washington, in Indianapolis. He graciously allowed me to photograph the innards whilst I was restoring a 1954 version of that car. The '54 car featured an all-metal frame.] Wow, what response... The rear axle (and any suspension) remains unclear. Only clue is the two vertical holes through each of the frame rails, symmetrical L and R. My first thought was an underslung pillow-block bearing mounted at that point (yielding a solidly-mounted rear axle), but the mention of a possible rear cross-leaf spring has me wondering. [The King Midget plans show a diagram that suggests a transverse leaf spring behind the rear x-member, and radius rods that attach to the frame sides in the seat area. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of RR attach points on the frame sides and no rear spring perch, causing me to lean back to the solid-mounted rear axle notion.] As I played with linkage on the right side, two conclusions were reached: 1) One lever pulls a 1/4" rod forward, when actuated. This would be consistent with a wrap-around band brake. 2) The other handle also pulls a rod (clevis-ended and currently bent, but it should be straight), which is attached to an angled 'bell-crank' of sorts. This bellcrank is drilled for a pivoting bolt and an added piece creates a symmetrical fork, slotted at both ends. This bellcrank mechanism would create movement to the right side, when actuated. Not sure what mechanism was actuated, tho. Hmmm.... I will straighten out the bent actuating rods and see where the mechanisms want to lay. Both 'handles' mount externally on a common pivot bolt (with wingnut-adjustable spring tension), and both show evidence of corrosion consistent a 3" wooden handle having been present for a long while, before disappearing altogether. Foam has been taped to one handle. These things were hand-applied. Why? Brake and clutch is my best guess. The LF radius rod is missing, simply flat stock as on the right side. There is no steering hoop, just the self-supporting Model T shaft - I will look for evidence of a hoop. Car is still with the owner, .5 hour down the road. Wheels are just a guess, but the axles on the front spindles are a clue. Axle diameter and 'period-correct' would suggest 8" wheels, like from a wheel barrow, at that time. Ten-inch wheels would not have been commonly available, pre-war or immediately post-war. Everything else used to assemble this car was readily to be had. Wheels were not exotic. I really enjoy automotive archeology. gk
Cool little car. It's just screaming homemade to me or a least partially homemade. The belly pan appears to be made from an old "gasoline?" sign. These things were popular projects back in the late 40's and early 50's. Popular Mechanics and Science and Mechanics offered plans for similar cars. Boy what I would have given for something like that when I was a kid. Tom
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