Features VINTAGE SPRINT CAR PIC THREAD, 1965 and older only please.

Does Anybody have any pics of George Fonder in the Ray Brady Spl at Langhorne?
My Mother went to school with George, and even dated him a few times. As a kid i had the chance to meet him once, and i was star stricken!
This guy was one of the best ever in Midgets, winning championships a number of times.
Thanks for any help.

 

hi to all,
Just posted my introduction. I have been following this thread for about six months. Finally have something to post.
My friend just purchased this car, which is about a 1000 pieces.
Really would like some or a whole bunch of help! The cars frame has more junk and cut off brackets then you can imagine, has a all aluminum body with about a quarter inch of bondo. I took pictures of the frame with yard sticks attached for scaling. If I can succesfully post pictures I or he is looking for builder or fabricators name.
Thanks in advance.
D.T

 

Fred Flintstone, looks to be pretty FUBAR now. Somebody went midevil on those rails to fit in a bigger radiator and whatnot, and then scabed on those rear torsion tubes. Hard to say what it started out as but using your scale it looks to have a wheelbase in the 80-90 inch range.

 

Was that 37' tube axle in the last pic with the car?

The square radius rod monts on the frame will be your best "Identifying" mark.. That "block" would have stuck out from the body, and be seen in 90% of the picture angles taken of any car.

Is the engine bolting pattern for a chevy or something else... Buick, caddy, Hemi?? That might help to.

 

Some pictures from Dayton Speedway- Dayton, Ohio...

 

The big hole in the motor plate makes me think it had bellhousing, flywheel, clutch etc. Maybe a old sprint frame converted to a modified. (?)

 

Designs that work...

Here is what I mean on those mounting boxes..

The 19 is the Boles sprinter that is restored and still exists. Not saying your car is any of these cars, just showing what to look for. Those Boxes would have been there from the start. (maybe..)

 

Yep. that's why I asked.. The hole is HUGE!

 

Just ahead of the brake pedal, it looks kinda like a post of a roll cage has been cut off also.

 

Thanks to all,
The car was last run with a Chevy inline six. If you look at all the cut off marks it has had at least 3 different cages on it. The seat support or back is in one piece but cut off. The car has had a really hard hard life. I know the frame pictures were not the best, but in person the frame looks very much like a over grown or large Kurtis Kraft midget frame, larger tubing longer wheel base. It could also be a Shaila (sp), or a unknown copy. Right now the owner is trying to decide what to do with the car. It did have a early ford tube axel with mid fifty Ford pickup brakes and a complete stock Ford tube axel, wishbone and spring. agin thanks for all the imput.
dt

 

Trying to post pictures of the body.

 

Well, I can tell you what NOT TO DO!!

DO NOT REPAINT THAT BODY!

It's rare to find an entire body with original paint in that good of condition. If the guy, or who ever ends up with it, wants to restore it, BUY ANOTHER BODY and paint it to match. Then hang that on on the wall!!!

THEY ONLY ORIGINAL ONCE!

My vote, restore the frame, running gear, engine and all.. Then hang that original body on it.

By the way, "Don Milbourne" as a driver is interesting.. I used to race in the "DANNY Milbourne" memorial race.. Won that night once even..

I don't know if it's his dad, brother, or even the same spelling.

That's what I count on the Experts on here for!!

JD


BUT AGAIN!!! PLEASE DO NOT STRIP THAT BODY!!

....and PM me if the the guy decides to sell the car!


-

 

Josh, I don't think it's any relation to Danny Milburn, he was from the southside of Indy I knew him pretty well, as a matter of fact him and Staab were good friends. And Kevin Doran from Cincy used to help him, The same Kevin Doran that builds the Doran road racing cars. Has a very "California" looking paint job kind of reminds me of the same style of painting that the Gas Chem Car had, maybe it's the same painter. If you in CA. I would take the body by Stan Betz shop and see if he might know anything about it.

 

It appears, by the lettering, that it came out of Nampa Idaho. Many years ago we ran a open comp race at Meridian Speedway near Nampa and the companion class was 6 cyl. straight up sprints and modifieds. If you're not already aware of that, it might be a place to begin a search.
I can see some similaritys to the basic design of a KK midget frame. I don't think Kurtis ever made a actual sprint car, but I think he made some short w/b champ cars (?) It could be worth persuing with some KK experts.

 

Again thanks for all the replies.
If you are interested in more pictures of this car, a Jerry Malloy Modified from Salt Lake City and a no history upright 1970's I have a account with more pictures at www.photobucket.com/whitedt . The owner is not interested in selling, he just likes racecars.
Thanks again D.T.

 

Corngrower, on post #7220, any info on the #25, car on left?? It looks like it could be a Hillegass of which the Bowles #19 was also.
mlight9.

 

mlight9-
I believe the 25 is Chet Wilsons 'Offy Killer' which he built himself. Wilson standing and Harold Leep in the seat.

 

Yep.....Wilson's "Offy Killer" 25 car has been up this way for some Oldtimers' events. I believe Cliff Blundy brought it.

 

It gets around to the midwest shows pretty regular. I'm sure it's debatable, but I've always believed the 'Mighty Mouse' logo was the origin of 'mouse motor' regarding the sbc.

 

Hi Rootie,
I agree, that frame looks to have started life as a Kurtis midget. It was common out here in the East to stretch a midget frame to a sprint car, Ken Hickey did it several times to include the Sam Traylor and Jake Vargo sprinters. Could there be a number on the chassis?

 

There was a lot of KK midgets that got streched in the 50s after the midget boom fizzled out, not to mention Champ cars that got shortened. Upon further research it seems that Kurtis did indeed build a few sprinters based on the KK 2000 short wheelbase champ car. Not sure what all was different, other than a smaller tank/tail though. Apparently one of them was the Engle-Stanko car which was disscused here a while back:

[But by 1949, it was obvious the Blum chassis was out of date. Engle ordered one of Frank Kurtis' tubular chassis sprinters complete with a 220cid Offy engine. This was one of only five or six purposely built Kurtis sprinters which were based on the highly successful KK2000 championship car. As a paint chip, Engle sent Kurtis a Bicycle Brand Ace of Hearts playing card, with orders to paint the new racer the same red as the heart thereon.]

 

Unconfirmed, but I was told that the Offy Killer was damaged somewhat extensively this summer at a Kansas event. The individual that relayed it to me was running a supermodified the same day.

 

Thats a bummer, hope they can get it fixed up. Responsible, for a large part, of changing the face of sprint car racing.

 

Here is another old car that I have wondered about and I know you guys will have some answers. In the spring of 1954 Marv Faw built a dirt track Ranger powered 'Roadster' for IMCA action. Mr. Faw, I think, was from the Minneapolis, Minnesota area but he built this car in Sioux Falls,South Dakota. The finished car was a sleek looking piece but I don't think it was very competitive. The only photo I have seen is on page 121 of the Buzz Rose book 'SHOW BIZ IMCA RACING'. It is not a very detailed photo but if you look closely you can read Sioux Falls, South Dakota on the hood. I would suspect it is a sponsor name followed by that address. Anybody out there have any answers?

 

I just picked this up.... any ideas what engine this is from? It is an EVM injector.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399820

Pics in the link.
Thanks

 

From another post..Walt James Passed away....RIP <hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> A hero to many and an icon in Midget racing passed away this past Wednesday. I was fortunate enough to meet and race with this man at his track in Willow Springs, CA.
Anyone who knew him, knew that he was a great man and race car driver and he will be missed.
Here is his funeral info:
Riverside National Cemetery

22495 Van Buren Blvd

Riverside, Ca. 92518

Friday September 25, 2009
10:15 A.M.

 

I have an EVM injection for my midget. The one I have is for a Chevy II/Mercruiser inline four. The bolt pattern on the one you have is different than the one I have. Maybe yours is for a Pontiac super duty?

 

Does Anybody have any pics of George Fonder in the Ray Brady Spl at Langhorne?
My Mother went to school with George, and even dated him a few times. As a kid i had the chance to meet him once, and i was star stricken!
This guy was one of the best ever in Midgets, winning championships a number of times.
Thanks for any help.
He ran at the Horne in the 50s.

 

The Engle Stanko car was destroyed in a wreck, there was absolutely nothing left. We acquired the next Engle car, the one Crockett perished in.

 

A few from Tucson..late '50's. I recall the 59 driver was named Zimmerman. I think the roadster was at Mc Cluskey's shop.