1950 the interest in midget racing was dieing so a lot of midgets were streched to make sprint cars. That's the idea behind this build. I am building this chassis for my 40' x 60' miniseum. I have accumulated a treasure trove of rare vintage parts. How about a 2" open tube 201 Halibrand? All NOS from spinner to spinner. I replaced the Culver City cover with the San Diego finned cover. NOS V-8 60 axle. Houdaille shocks. I have a Halibrand caliper for the left front. Ross steering. In-out box. Parallel rear torsion bar rear suspension. I have the Firestone ribs for the front. The 1 3/4" OD main frame rail will have a 7/8" lower truss.
Sweet! Is that what they called a 30 x 90 car? Did I get that right, 30" wide with 90" wheelbase? You do realize we're going to needs lots more pictures & explanation like a 2" halibrand would be an open tube as the axle? with the gears etc staked to it? Is that right?
Sprint cars were usually 24" x 86"-87". The 30x90 cars came after the jalopys, coupes and hard tops. Usually cut down stock bodies. This #97 re-creation I built of a car Parnelli Jones drove. 30x90. 1960. then it progressed to the World Of Outlaw cars of today. Always 86" wheelbase. #A5 is a car I built in 1971. 30x90. MSC and IRA legal. Buick Skylark 1/4 panels. The other car with a race car body i built in 1972. 30x90 only legal in IRA. Open tube axles had a flange for the ring gear. T he ring gear had to be bored out and drilled to bolt on.
30 X 90 cars were also big time in central Pennsylvania for years up to the late sixties and those guys could blow the doors off a sprinter with them.
This is a very interesting note, Joe Sostilio set 1 lap track record on May 3 1953 in the Frank Curtis 87" wheelbase sprint car, the former Johnnie Parson's midget that was stretched in 1950 by Barney Christenson. that record was set at Williams Grove and lasted an incredible 18 years until it was broken in 1971. this is one sprint car that never got its doors blown off by a modified. and it ran a 220 C.I. Offy
Another stretched midget. This time a track roadster. And a real pretty car too. Jack Gardner C R A champ about 1951. Roaring Roadsters by Dick Wallen. WWW.racingclassics.com A great book.
2 more of really famous stretched midgets the 1st one the super famous #2 Caruso Kurtis Kraft midget that was Stretched in 1950 and Joe Barzda's Kurtis midget stretched in about the same time
Why a brake on the left front?. I thought the left front wheel only touched the ground for taking pictures and parking. Or is this for asphalt tracks? I wish Racer 5c still posted here between the 2 of you we could have a hell of a good thread.. Your work looks great just like the first time I looked at one of your late model circle track cars a Nashville Tennessee Speedway. Thanks for the thread.... Bobby..
^ K9, ifn you had only a left front caliper on your daily and hit the brakes hard, in what direction would the car tend to pull, or turn automatically, with no steering input at all? The left front only gets light / lifts exiting the corner, not running into it. Your right, it doesn't work well when it is in the air. Similarly, if the right rear tire is taller than the left rear tire, which way will the car turn automatically, with no steering input at all? Gary
GN I was being a wisenhimer I have brake bias on my dirt open wheel that cuts off RF brake and bias for front to rear. I use roll out or stagger Oh by the way your old friend Andrews of wheel fame is still racing and lives in mid tennessee
I took the white car to Nashville 1981 and the yellow car 1982. I really built the 1982 car to show car standards. Both cars sold to California buyers.
The detail on the yellow car was outstanding. You could tell by all the racers looking at it. at that time I was still bending tubing around a tree in my mothers yard and using a stick welder .After looking at your car and the Stan Yee unit I knew I would have to upgrade my workmanship.
In 1980 at the Josie's meet in Tampa, Jim Frankland(Also owned the 69 Staggervalve Fronty) had Frankie Schneider driving the Caruso stretched Offie for display purposes. Schneider was just playing on the 1/2 mile, & was turning consistant 24sec laps on 7" rubber & without a wing!! It really impressed a lot of the spectators, as at that time 24sec laps were considered good winged Outlaw times on that track!!!
The Jalopy Journal
