Midgets have been around for many decades in many different forms. But unlike other types of race cars, Midgets were actually factory produced following World War II. One of the more well known versions of these factory produced race cars was the classic Kurtis Kraft model. The KK, as it was called, was produced in California and usually carried the potent Offenhouser engine. As you might guess, factory production race cars didn’t remain that way for very long.
In this, the second installment of Those Were the Days, we’re going to take a look inside a 1951 KK Midget. Like all KK’s this one weighed in at roughly 900 pounds with an 80-inch wheelbase. The little factory car’s initial modifications began at the hands of George Shilala during the ’50s. During its career, numerous accidents, as were typical of the day, led to replacement of the nose, front axle, steering, hood, and suspension. Beyond repairing damaged parts, subsequent owners of the car also performed their own modifications, including swapping the original Offy to a Ford V860 powerplant. Interestingly, thanks to the design of the car, a motor swap could be performed in a matter of minutes.
KKs were tough little haulers and many lasted for decades, far longer than the more-fragile racing machines of today. Whether on dirt or pavement, this car was state-of-the-art during its successful career. And it certainly didn’t hurt that for a part of its tenure, it had superstar Open Wheel drivers like Jimmy Bryan and Johnny Parsons behind the wheel. Over the years, this school bus yellow Midget collected an impressive number of wins with a variety of drivers. The car has been owned by Ohio collector Jim Welty for almost two decades now. He enjoys displaying the car in Midwest vintage events, so if you live in that area of the country there’s an odds on chance you can see this car firsthand. For the rest of us, enjoy this up close look.
This period photo shows Jimmy...
This period photo shows Jimmy Bryan behind the wheel of the No. 5 KK at Reading (PA) Speedway in 1954. By the way, the frame had to be stretched 2 inches for the tall Bryan to slip into the cockpit.
With the bonnet and tire removed...
With the bonnet and tire removed you can see some of the technical attributes of the KK. Note the vintage “jack” holding up the right front.
These are the original 12-inch...
These are the original 12-inch mag wheels which are mounted with real knock-off hubs. There were no beadlocks in those days with the tires carrying passenger car tubes. Still, racers ran their air pressures similar to what you’d find on a Midget of today.
Looking at the car from a...
Looking at the car from a low angle clearly shows the rear end of belly pan and the Halibrand quick-change rearend.
The belly pan was actually...
The belly pan was actually two pieces as can be seen here. The opening on the forward panel is for the rear mounting point of the side nerf bar. The louvers were to release engine heat.
Protection was minimal in...
Protection was minimal in these cars with that small, single rollbar behind the driver’s head, which was welded to the frame. You had to duck quickly if the car rolled upside down. During the late ’60s, the cars began to use the full rollcages of today.
This air pump on the right...
This air pump on the right side of the car was used to pressurize the fuel system. It was added to accommodate the Ford engine when it was installed. The fuel pressure was about 7 to 10 pounds per square inch.
Nerf bars were very small...
Nerf bars were very small back in the day as compared with today’s units.
Here’s a view of the right-front...
Here’s a view of the right-front suspension. Note the cross-spring with its end joined to flanges on the front axle.
Looking at the car from the...
Looking at the car from the right rear, you can see the suspension and the right side exhaust pipe which reaches nearly to the rear of the car.
A closeup of the steering...
A closeup of the steering reveals some nice machine work on the pitman arm.
Looking down the right side...
Looking down the right side of the car, it’s easy to see the headers merging into the exhaust pipe. The greater-than-normal distance of the headers from the frame was done to provide hand-holds when swapping engines.
Many race teams took artistic...
Many race teams took artistic license in designing the rear bumper. The knob on the top prevents a push truck bumper from sliding over the top of the bar and damaging the tail. The tail was also the location of the 32-gallon bladderless fuel tank.
The front grille opening provided...
The front grille opening provided cooling for the radiator. The stout double-bar bumper provided front protection from other cars, or as a help for moving other cars out of the way!
This Ford 60-horse V860 replaced...
This Ford 60-horse V860 replaced the 110 Offy with which the car started its career. The Ford engine had to be shortened 4 inches to fit the Offy motor mounts which was accomplished by milling the rear bell housing. During this period, alcohol was becoming the fuel of choice for many Midget racers, including this car.
There were a number of upgrades...
There were a number of upgrades made to the V860 with the compression ratio raised to 9:1 along with the addition of high compression Meyer aluminum heads. There was even an early Edelbrock aluminum intake. The most noticeable additions though were the two Stromberg 81 single-barrel carburetors. The additional carb helped boost up the “stock” 60 horses to a considerable upgrade in performance.
This in-out box was state-of-the-art...
This in-out box was state-of-the-art during this period and allowed the driver (by means of the small handle) to engage or disengage the engine. Today’s Open Wheel cars have a handle mounted on the right wall of the cockpit to perform the same function.
This Evans Denver steering...
This Evans Denver steering box used a circular gear which moved the left side pitman arm to turn the wheels. No power steering here!
The cockpit doesn’t really...
The cockpit doesn’t really appear that much different from a modern version. Still, it was sometimes more difficult to exit and enter for larger racers.
Check out the vintage Dyn...
Check out the vintage Dynamag.
The button on top of the brake...
The button on top of the brake handle serves as a kill switch which shuts off the magneto.
A view of the aircraft-type...
A view of the aircraft-type disc brakes with the disc and aluminum calipers in view. They were often “acquired” from small private airplanes.
That’s the original fuel pressure...
That’s the original fuel pressure gauge from the U.S. Gauge Company and it still works.
A vintage pit shot with a...
A vintage pit shot with a sister KK next to the No. 5.
The fuel functions are delivered...
The fuel functions are delivered by this Edelbrock fuel block which is mounted on the engine side of the firewall. The location isn’t exactly a cool place to be running fuel lines, but that’s the way it was done in the ’50s.
The KK today.