8 replies to this topic

[Mopar92]

I googled a search for Kurtis Kraft club, registry, etc. I'm looking at one and was looking to see if there's anybody that can authenticate it. Thanks, Keith

[zerohunger]

I googled a search for Kurtis Kraft club, registry, etc. I'm looking at one and was looking to see if there's anybody that can authenticate it. Thanks, Keith

Try to get in contact with G.E. White. If their is a Kurtis Registry he'll know about it. Keep in mind that KurtisKraft built hundreds of complete cars and probably as many kits between 1946 and 1952/53 when the tooling was sold to Johnny Pawl. More cars were made between then and maybe 1968/69 when the spsce frame cross torsion cars became dominant. Even then properly prepared Kurtis type cars were competitive into the late 1970s.

Midgets got crashed/hacked up/updated in the course of 30 years of active racing. The car in the photo is a long way from a "stock" Kurtis. I wish you luck in finding its history.

BTW, Brian Watson has done us all a good turn by establishing an Edmunds Registry for the 400+ cars Don built and the hundreds more from later owners of Autoresearch. George Benson's book seems to account for his 24 or so cars. Lance Turner is close to accounting for all of the cars his father Harry constructed.

I wonder if current chassis builders keep log books. Neither of my modern midgets [Buzzard and Ellis] have serial numbers.



Chuck Schultz

Winfield, Illinois

[Mopar92]

Very interesting. Thank you. What are some of the obvious things that are modernized on the car I'm looking at? I see it's got a glass body... Of course. He mentions that it's got 4 parallel bar or something. Said it was raced up into the 70's. Sheesh, when did the stop racing with no cage? Scary stuff. Thanks, Keith

[zerohunger]

A 4 parallel bar Kurtis would have the original suspension on it, a real plus for the restorer. Common modifications were cross torsion in the rear, fiberglass bodies, roll cage mounts or the cage itself. And many different motor mounts. A car might have had an Offy, V8-60, Ford Fergy, Falcon, Chevy II, and Sesco at one time or another.

The first question a restorer has to ask himsel is "what year do I restore to?" Often a car has been so chopped up you can't go back to "original." Or the car may have had big success for one particular driver/owner that makes it more valuable in that configuration.

I recommend you get a copy of Mr. White's book on KurtisKraft. he has done the hard work of collecting the important early history of these cars.

CS

[Mopar92]

Thank You very much. I will look for and buy the book. I fully understand. I collect old Mopars, and fully relate. I have seen some really wild paint jobs and body mods to real Hemi Cuda's.... but once they are already chopped up and fender flared, sometimes its ok to keep that period correct paint job and flares... You've just restored it period to 1976... Thanks guys!

Which Gordon White book is it? Geneology or the Masterworks of Speed?

[Mitch G]

Kurtis-Kraft Midget A Genealogy of Speed, by Bill Montgomery, published 1999 by Witness Productions
Kurtis-Kraft Midget Genealogy Companion Edition, by Bill Montgomery, published 2003 published by Montgomery Motorsports.
Kurtis-Kraft Masterworks of Speed and Style, by Gordon Eliot White, first published by MBI publishing company in 2001
I've seen several copies of each on Ebay.

[DocF]

Kurtis-Kraft Midget A Genealogy of Speed, by Bill Montgomery, published 1999 by Witness Productions
Kurtis-Kraft Midget Genealogy Companion Edition, by Bill Montgomery, published 2003 published by Montgomery Motorsports.
Kurtis-Kraft Masterworks of Speed and Style, by Gordon Eliot White, first published by MBI publishing company in 2001
I've seen several copies of each on Ebay.

Any time one is looking for a book, one should also check the 40,000 or so dealers who sell through ABE books.com

Doc

[Mopar92]

Thanks Doc

[Elvis]

Last known 100% for sure... serial number .. was 306......car was owned by Charlie Hinkle in Ohio for years.....Only Midget Mario ever drove..

 

I seen the tag.....AND.. the number on the FRAME matched.....

 

ive had many KK.. and can tell easily any BOGUS cars and tags...

 

I also owned and sold    Rex Mays #44......The first run of tags were MAROON.. then later .. BLACK...

 

Mike Fulper