Knuckle midget racer

We are taking this to Davenport.....where it can be seen in person. Pa will post the pictures shortly.

This was built, and raced in the 40s, with a 1940 knuckle motor.

[Pa]

Here ya go Tom. Awesome machine !!! Pa

Knee action shocks and a live axel, looks like a blast! What are the skids on the front end for? Any brakes?

There's a brake on the left rear wheel....a cast aluminum brake drum, and hand lever operates it. I believe the skids are to protect the front axle from collisions.

The steering box is from a 20s Franklin automobile, the double row chain to the rear axle is driven by WR sprockets. Ford model T steering components, and american Austin auto front springs and front axle. The body is all aluminum sheet metal. Oil pressure gage is 30s Rolls-Royce.

push started i assume? will look forward to seeing it in person at D port.

john

Neat car, Tom. REALLY cool! This was the poor man's way into racing back in the 30's and 40's. They used what they could scrounge. Later cars had ford V-8 60's, and for a rich team Offy 110's.
I don't see any model T ford components in the steering, though. A model T front axel is a beam axel and would of been narrowed for the car. It looks like model A ford spindles. Transverse springs front and rear without a transverse locator bar would of made for some interesting handling in a bumpy corner. I'm guessing that it has an in/out (one speed) transmission and/or a dog clutch?
I think those "skid" plates on the front end were early attempts at anti-nerfing bars. Nerfing in an open wheel car (getting your front wheel between another car's wheel and body) is VERY bad, usually resulting in one, or both, cars flipping. G

Yes, it is push start only....and that don't mean a couple guys, it takes a vehicle, or, several guys to push start it.

We had it at the Orleans Raceway track on Sunday, in Belding MI, where we had the track to ourselves for the day. the track was a 1/3 mile oval.

All I can say, is........it's a thrill that no amount of money can buy.

WOW!!!!!!!
I'll bet she screams like a hooker paid with wooden nickels.

Imagine it with a Drake top end on it. Water cooled and big bore. I have seen Drake Knucklehead motors with billet steel crankcases as the torque broke the motor mounts off the aluminum cases.

[Pa]

Varooooooooooooom !!!!!!!!! Compliments of Tom Faber. Pa

Now, that looks like LARGE fun!

[Pa]

Yeah.........and I resized them to boot ! You should have seen them when I first got them. I could wall paper my walls with them. Heh ??? that is a great idea ! Pa

Tom-

Very cool racer..Sounds like a blast to drive !!!!

When I was a kid, I saw a movie of "Abbot & Costello" racing a midget (that I think) was Knuck-powered too..

http://www.justmidgets.homestead.com/Americaninput.html

I've got some more stuff on my website too:
http://www.beautyofspeed.com/gallery/mo ... /index.htm

that looks like SO much fun... there used to be midget cars occasionally on speedways over here ( 1/4mile dirt tracks that is ) , very crude by comparison. Usually used 500cc JAP or Norton engines

there was also a class for road racers using the same engines, you still see them occasionally at timed hillclimbs like Goodwood and Selsey Walsh

are the front skids just that, skids? Brooklands sidecar outfits used to carry similar fittings so that if the chair lost a wheel, the outfit wouldn't flip over. I have been told that some speedway cars were also similarly fitted