Midget 85 Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 (edited) As mentioned Lon, These are good looking wheels and were very popular in it's time frame for the older midgets. This is the mag wheel offered in the late 50's and early 60's for quarter midgets in competition use. They were not stock in any form but designed and offered for after market racing wheels. They were magnesium / aluminum and could be purchased out of California for the serious racer! We might keep checking the web or hope that someone will have a set of these wheels hidden somewhere. There has to be some out there! They are the same wheels pictired on my Midget #85 on page one of this forum ( color photo ) I would concentrate on the body prep and await for a response for the wheels. Also do a search for quarter midget wheels on "Google" and quite possibly one of the kart / quarter midget suppliers may have some around the facility since today's wheels are somewhat different than the early mag you have pictured above. Steady as she goes on the resto! -Randy #85 Edited May 3, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 Are those two piece wheels or did those come later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 They are 2 piece Jakdad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 (edited) Lon, At least we now know the Brand Name of these wheels! Thanks for contacting me with a PM. Lon has found 2 mags for the 1/4 Midget! Great find! -#85 Edited May 6, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 (edited) Randy, A friend and his wife went garage sailing today and she spotted these Hands Engineering Wheels and remembered the one on my Wahlborg Midget front! What a gal! Gotta love the recaps! Yep, just need one more front. Missed a couple on e-bay today, have e-mailed the guy hopeing he will sell one or the pair, no word yet. Lon Edited May 3, 2008 by straycat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 This is unbelievable! A garage sale and what timing. Your making me envious now with these great vintage quarter midget finds and parts. Keep us informed. If you run across additional ones, please let me know. #85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdad Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Here's a site that may or may not provide leads for vintage parts. Some are still in business, some not. I'm thinking that maybe some of these could give leads as to who bought out Wahlborg or still had parts. Good luck http://www.vintagequartermidget.com/chassis.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 (edited) Jim, Thanks, maybe we can gather some info. I had been to this site to try and gather a few interesting photos and info to keep things moving on this forum and update. Looks like the site hasn't been updated in awhile. Every little bit helps.. It maybe that we have to clone some of these parts before it's all over with. Speciality wheels can be manufactured by various companies if they have a pattern. #85 Edited May 4, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 (edited) Hope I am not counting my chickens before they hatch but just got off the phone with the e-bay Hands Eng. Wheels guy, Dave, and he said he bought them just because they were 5" and aluminum. Maker didn't matter to him as he builds 2 wheel scooters and can use most any brand. Anyway he said once he gets them in his hands he will get ahold of me about them and hopefully strike a deal for them. It's that last piece of the puzzle I need to start resto of the Wahlborg. I told him I would put out feelers for 580 & 820 Westbend motors that he uses in his scooters so if you have any leads I will pass that on to him. Here's a pic of his wheels, if this works out I will have a spare front incase someone wants to start pouring copies! Lon Edited June 2, 2008 by straycat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 (edited) Lon, This is great, and job well done on your finds! By all means, keep one as we might need to clone some of these jewels! #85 Edited May 4, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 (edited) Lon, If I understand correctly, you have a spare 5" wheel? The 6" wheels were also ran on the fronts on some of the quarters as you can see in the forum photos. Mainly on the right front was a 6" and a 5" on the left front. This was for handling purposes only to set the midget up for the turns. Remember,.. Quarter Midget rules were in the beginning stages in the 50's and there was alot of experimental testing done back then.. All kinds of tricks were in the making.. #85 Edited May 6, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 (edited) More vintage photos of Quarter Midgets of the 50's era. This is a Dascar Quarter Midget and a QMC pictured. Even the trophies have the vintage look that was cool in their days! #85 Edited May 6, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 I will have a spare 5" only if I get the 2 from the e-bay guy. Remember he bid on them but didn't really care what they were as he builds skooters and can use anything. He said we can probably work a deal on them. I did however find two more 6" rears tonight. They are kinda ruff but should clean up allrite in the lathe, glass bead than polish or paint. Have you ever seen what they can do to old aluminum carb body's? They dip them in something that makes them look like new with the gold anodized look, thinking of doing that instead of paint. Anyway I am sitting on four Hands 6" rears and one Hands 5" till the guy on e-bay comes threw than I will have a spare 5". Also foud a copy of the '58 Hot Rod mag with all the Midget's on the cover. Keep the old pic's coming! Lon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 (edited) Lon, Got any good photos inside the magazine that we can scan and post? Below is a photo of a "Moss" Midget location unknown. Note the rear Cowling is not on the car and the driver is pictured with the checkers. I don't recall 1/4 midgets being able to run any race without the rear cowling attached with the rules in place. Only in tune up or practice laps were we allowed to run without the turtle cowling. All official races required the rear to be in place at the tracks I attended and raced on. This was after manufactured midgets were being produced. Some of the older jalopy midgets in the crude days didn't have tails on them at all as you have seen on this forum.. #85 Edited September 12, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) SAN ANTONIO, TX DRIVER: DOUG MC BRIDE As we move forward with our forum, we now focus on Texas driver Doug McBride from San Antonio,TX. Noted on page 1 of this forum we mentioned our friendship between Doug and I from the days of Quarter Midgets and a few photos of us together in the year 1960. I recently have been in contact with several drivers and Doug agreed to loan us his photo album of those glorious days of racing. We thank Doug in advance for helping us out with this interesting history of racing in it's beginning days. Doug and I raced many races together and we all agree that he was one of the best and historical San Antonio should be proud of this legend driver. Doug is a likable person both then and now.. We start off our session on Doug with the following two photos with his very first midget and photos taken inside his garage in San Antonio. I once visited Doug at his home where these photos were taken. That was August, 1960. There are many more photos to post, so we will get started here and let Doug add what he wishes to these postings as we go along.. This is a true classic 1/4 Midget detailed to the likeness of the Big Brother Midgets of it's time. Cool Midget Doug! #85 Edited May 10, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) Doug McBride Here are a few more series photos of Doug McBride in his early days and at the young age of 4-1/2 years to 5 years old. Photos were made in San Antonio, 1957. From the stroller to Quarter Midgets! By the way Doug, I dig the 57 Ford of your dad's also! #85 Edited May 10, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) DOUG McBRIDE- continued.. Photo reveals a good side shot of Doug's first Quarter Midget at age 5. The exhaust pipe mounted on the side of the midget was for cosmetic looks to resemble the big midgets..but no one had to know that, besides it was cool to be like the big boys! If we were going to race like the big guys, we might as well look like them ..right? #85 Edited May 10, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) WHAT IS 1/4 MIDGET RACING? An early article about this new sport sweeping the nation in the 50's and early 60's Little League Racing was as popular as PeeWee Football, and Little League Baseball. As far as I was concerned, there was no match after driving one of these little midgets! #85 Edited May 10, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) U-Tube video at El Mirage .......... Edited May 11, 2008 by straycat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 (edited) San Antonio Quarter Midgets pictured below in the pit area. The two midgets from left to right are Wahlborgs with the third being a Pacemaker midget. Note the right front wheels on the Wahlborgs were 6 inch wheels with the inside being a 5" wheel. The right front wheels are negative camber for better handling on the track as mentioned earlier on this thread. #85 Edited May 11, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Quarter Midget Drivers all had good reasons to win races! First, to make a victory lap with the checkered flag.. Secondly, to capture a trophy for the collection... And the number 3 reason probably the most important was a kiss from the track trophy queen! It certainly didn't take away from the adventure or reason to win. Below, drivers take honors with their winnings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 (edited) DOUG McBRIDE Newspaper Article 1961 San Antonio's Doug McBride hits the sports section of the San Antonio paper sports section as a confirmed champion! Doug's 1/4 Midget pictured is a Pacemaker midget that later was converted to a straight axle. I remember his dad making the modifications on this car! Doug is now 8 years old in this photo.. #85 Edited May 13, 2008 by Midget 85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug 500 Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Randy, The first and last picture is of me and little sister. The second picture is Bill Palm and the third one I think is Thad Blessing. Doug... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 85 Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 DOUG McBride continued.. I have posted a few more photos of Doug McBride below as he advances his career in 1/4 Midget racing and as you can see, he is a little older in these shots. Hopefully, Doug can give us info on these photos as to where they were taken and for the two Pacemaker Midgets he is pictured with. #85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straycat Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Nice wheels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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