1/32 Midget body

[GPGarages]

Hi, guys; I was just introduced to the HRW forums by Dave R. and find that here is a group of guys who are not afraid of building something. I feel at home already.
To get to the point, I saw Shotgun Dave's Midget thread, and would like to throw in another possibility. I carved up a generic, but very Kurtis-like midget about 5 years ago, made the molds and slush cast some then. I showed them to the Denver groups, where I was racing then, and found little interest. It is a challenge that was evidently over the heads of that group, and I'll admit here that I have not got one running yet, either. I do have a brass chassis under it with an FF motor, but it is not yet a runner.
The body has a driver figure less head, and no other details are included at this time, except for some intake stacks that some think are eyelets.
If anyone is interested, I'll can supply this shell for $15 pp, or 2 for $20, again postpaid in the US.
I have yet to figure out just how to post pictures, but hopefully Mr. RMS can help out by posting a picture or two of the shell he has.
Dave has been helping me with getting another 1/32 sportscar body project going, more on that later. And I have another, more vintage (say 30's or 40's) midget pattern about half way done for more variety.
While talking about midgets, I saw a Carrera Go dune buggy this afternoon at a local store, and it could be a possibility for the midgets. The wheelbase is 2-3/8", or 1/8" too long, but the wheel/tire sizes are pretty close. I'll get my hands on one later this week and see if it could work.
And another thing to consider....I hate having a guide sticking out from the front of any car...and have built several 1/32 vintage formula cars with a pin guide. I wrote an article about that for MCR magazine a few years ago, and think it may be the bomb for the midgets. Briefly, it's a block of non-conductive material screwed to the front of the chassis, a pin of .047 piano wire with a sleeve over made from the teflon? red spray tube from a can of WD-40 slipped over. The pickups are braid and fastened to the block so that the track contact point is adjacent to the pin, not trailing much if any. I see no disadvantage except if you spin the car all the way around, it may take a fiddle to get the braid fixed. if you can arrange to have the braid trapped at front and rear in a bow shape, that problem would be fixed. There is certainly no performance penalty, no big-*ss guide being shoved around by your car, and it's cheaper than buying a jet flag. Turn marshals will need a bit of education.....
Thanks for listening, dan wilson

I

[RazorJon]

Welcome Dan, we are running a midget proxy now take a look at some of the cars that have been built

[RichD]

Here is one way to post pictures: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzLR42N ... =drive_web

[munter]

Hello Dan, nice to see you here after our recent chat.

You must post some pictures for us to drool over.

Regards
John

[padirtfan]

X2 on a pic. I have 1 modified on the work bench to finish and then I'd love to do a couple of midgets.

[Wolseley Hornet]

Hey,Dan, come on. Drop the other shoe!

Some of us are bursting to see what you've got, particularly in the Midget line. Munter's post sounds like a recommendation.

Your 30s Midget; it's not a Skirrow is it? I'm scouring the 'net for a drawing, or photo and account of the dimensions. I think it would be nice to let people see what inspired the Jeep!


David.

[GPGarages]

Hi, David;
My "early" midget is patterned after an American homebuilt car, and no particular one at that. More upright, most used a car radiator shell cut down, not as rounded off as the more or less production Kurtis. Still the same American midget rules standard chassis wheelbase of 72". I'll see about figuring out the picture deal in a day or so. In the meantime, an email to jbrwky64 at gmail dot com will allow me to fwd pix galore. Do you know Tony Condon? And if so, tell him I said 'allo. He has two of my older shells in his ACME line, the Mrs. JoJo and Blau Mouse Austins, which are much the same size as our midgets. There is a thread on slotforum about them, it starts "I'll bet no one has one of these"
dan

[dreinecke]

Here's a picture of Dan's Midget:



Super nice casting and detail!!!

Wait until I show you the tire wall he just dropped off tonight! This man is good!

[Wolseley Hornet]

Lovely midget!

Dan, I'm too much of a newcomer to know anybody, and if it wasn't for HRW would be toiling in isolation.(I don't like the outbreaks of trolling that occur on that other site you mentioned).

Found your ACME models. :bow-blue:

Now really looking forward to seeing your pictures.

Hope you're going to stick around HRW - we'll all learn a lot if you do.


David.

[eightwheels]

about the use of the 1/43 Carrera dune buggy, it is the right wheel base for the strombecker midget body's and fits nicely under it with a little cutting of the rear bottom part of the body. also the Mario brothers car of the pink peaches car works well with less body trimming. the different is rear tire size. use the front mounting hole on the chassis for a body mount.

[dreinecke]

Dan sent me this picture - really nice looking bodies!

[padirtfan]

Dan, Very cool looking bodies! How do we go about getting them? Do you have a website?

[Wolseley Hornet]

These look good enough to eat!

It's going to be challenging to fit running gear and weight in there, but well worth the effort.

From the pictures I've seen, in the early days of midget racing they didn't go in for the exotic paint jobs and graphics of the 40s and 50s midgets, so painting and lettering ought to be easier.

Are you planning to offer these for sale,Dan, or are you going to franchise them out?


David.

[dreinecke]

Dan will be selling these probably around the January time-frame as he gets things rolling.

I think a simple chassis and an FF or HO box motor could work. The Carrera GO car as he's mentioned would work too.

He has another fantastic car coming as well!!!

[GPGarages]

Hi, Rick;
At this time I have no website or other paraphernalia in place, just bodies. That will have to change pretty soon, but in the meantime, an email to me at jbrwky64 at gmail dot com will get us in contact directly. The price is 15 for one, 20 for two, postpaid in the US.
I can tell you that building these is a challenge even after 50 years of monkeying around with slotcars off and on....I hope to have better pictures of the pin guide chassis underway later this weekend to David to post....gonna' have to stop putting him on the spot as well...he has been a huge help in getting me further along.

dan