10 replies to this topic

[Jairus]

In 1947 there were three general classes of racing cars in use in America. The largest of these is the Championship Speedway car as typified by the Indianapolis cars where the wheelbase must be 99 inches or more. The second class in size is the dirt track racer where the wheelbase is 91 inches. The third class is the Midget, which as a rule, has a wheel base of around 70 inches. The midget size is usually about three fourths that of the dirt track racer. As to the wheel tread or track, the usual plan is to use the standard passenger car tread of around 56 to 58 inches for speedway and dirt track cars. The midgets have the track decreased to about 44 inches.

A number of years ago I got the chance to meet and talk to Dave Kurz. One of the things we discussed was one of his wonderful illustrations called “Don’t Ask”, the subject matter is a 1937 Ford flatbed with a 60 Flathead powered midget racer on the bed.
I have wanted for many years to build a flat bed and midget just like the illustration but the lack of suitable kits has always had me at a loss.
Work on the flat bed stalled when I contacted a resin caster who, after going out of business, said that he had a master for the wheels in his storage unit and would send them soon as he could.



One year later I was hoping that I could get the whole project done for this year at Greater Salt Lake International Model Car Contest but…since I make part of my living building and painting other people’s slot cars… it seems that building models in my spare time just doesn’t have the same thrill it used to! Go figure....

At any rate, this long-term project has never lost its desire for me and so I present some of what I have so far and have ACTUALLY begun construction on the midget!



The starting point is a Monogram Midget racer kit, which looks like it scales out at 1/20th scale. However, Rod & Custom Models build a 1/25th scale midget from this kit and following the instructions in that June 1964 issue should not be too hard…




Many more pictures of this project will be hosted on my Fotki account if anyone is interested.
http://public.fotki....rus/1/dont-ask/





Using the drawings reduced to correct scale as a plan. The front axle had to be narrowed to fit the requirements for a Midget. Not yet sure yet which powerplant I will be using... but I'm leaning toward a Model A with a Riley two port head because I love the look of two carbs poking through the hood and a set of exhaust pipes on one side.




Most will notice that I didn't use the cut lines from the article after-all.... The R&C Models build was a "Sprintcar", also know as a Silver-crown or Dirt-tracker which is larger than a Midget. Also, the build looks like a late 50's early 60's representation where my car is intended to be strictly post-war 1947!


Next comes a lot of sanding and shaping.... 8-)

[Jairus]

Okay, body smoothed out and rear axle attached. Time to create motor and radiator mounts up front.

[Jairus]

The wheels are finalized (for now) and I managed to get the front motor mount installed. Engine is sourced from the Revell 1931 Woody. Front wheels from the Monogram “Orange Hauler”, while the tires can be found in the ’31 “A” sedan. The rear rims are from the AMT parts pack re-release with the Allison (before the Stevens International release) and the rear tires are new Revell (fronts), also found in the ’31 A sedan.



Onward and upward....

[manitouguy]

jairius - this is a great thread - really enjoying watching you develop this one

i have a couple of vintage articles on the 3/4 midget from some late 40's / early '50s mags - not sure if that is an even smaller version than a standard midget?? but i think it is? - not sure if they would be of interest to you or not? if so let me know - i had them out as i was learning about the midgets myself and just posted to my blog (on slotforum ) re the strombecker midget cars.

at any rate thanks for posting -

Ron

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

Jairus, when did sprint cars go to the 86" wheelbase?

I have a couple of the old Dubro Midgets in 1/24. Some years ago when the local track was running "1/32" sprint cars (sprints plus runnning gear), I ran the 1/24 midget body on it. No one noticed! A surprisingly good body for an "old school" vac.

Fate

[Jairus]

Ron, never heard of 3/4 midgets... but Quarter Midgets started out and remain a youth based racing program one step above go-karts. One single cylinder engine of specific CC's and wheel base are the requirements.

Fate, Never did any research on where and when the different types of dirt tracking got started. But all three programs were well established by the end of the war and the wheel base restrictions and horsepower restrictions are still enforced to this day regarding Sprint cars and Midgets.

Of course we all know that the rules and restrictions regarding the Speedway cars has changed and fluctuated...

[Larry Mattingly]

Three quarter midgets, better known as TQ midgets, were quite popular on the east coast, and were also used for indoor racing.

In fact, there is a big two-day event for them at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Look for Lou Cicconi to be a player there. I think they match-up with 600 mini-sprint class. If I'm not mistaken, they race them together. The TQ's actually put on a much better show indoors than the full-size midgets.

One of the bigger TQ clubs in recent years was the Can-Am group which used to run at the old Niagra Falls Convention center. That group ran primarily pavement, and featured RE and offset Oswego-style supermodified cars, along with the conventional upright cars.

As for sprint car wheelbases... 86-88 inches is the norm, but you used to see a few 90" chassis on the PA super-sprint trail.

LM

[manitouguy]

i have just posted a good 3 pt article on history of midget racing, as well as a couple of articles on 3/4 midgets too - over at my blog on slotforum

jarius more progress pics please!

ron

[Jairus]

Ron,
no progress on it sadly because I went to the track today to test my proxy car. Maybe this evening I will work on the radiator mounts and front axle.

J

[Dave Wilson]

Fantastic work Jairus.

Do not know where you find all that time to do fantastic builds one after another.
Thanks for showing all of us your work.

Dave

[Dooner]

Jairus,
Thanks for posting the 1947 midget thread. It brought back old memories. My very first model was a midget I got around late 50s early 60s. My father was a sign painter by trade and he used to letter race cars. I remember painting my midget on the basement steps using some of my father's One Shot sign paint. I remember having a tough go at it because I had not yet perfected the art of thinning my paint with turpentine. Little did I know then that I too would become a sign painter by trade.