Wednesday, June 19, 2013

OpAmerica & A Special Kind of Toy

Tuesday, June 19, 2013


OpAmerica
&  A Special Type of Toy

   I'd seen today's toy many times, but never wrote a post about it. I'd added it to a few posts as 1 of many different toys. So when I was browsing this morning, I said it was time now to give this toy "its due". That simply means that it was now time to "show off" this outstanding class of toy and finally present it to everyone. 

    Although I'm calling it a toy, I'm sure mostly older children and adults played or ran these fine machines. They're called "tethered toys' as they were attached with a strong cord and held by the "driver", and sped around in circles, with some going as fast as 80 MPH (105.8 KPH)!

"I am pleased to offer this Vintage Dooling Brothers F Prototype Tether Race Car with a Forster 29 Engine.  The three Dooling brothers began their firm in 1939.  Tether car racing began in the 1930s, when gasoline-powered model airplane engines were bolted to wheeled frames, given a race car covering, and sent racing around oval tracks at speeds in excess of 80mph.  The cars were tethered to a central post, hence the name "tether car racing."  This type of model was produced around the mid 1940s, and is rear-wheel drive." 
* Description and Photos courtesy of OpAmerica




Notice the shiny flat piece of metal with the small hole in it to the inside of the rear left tire.
That is the "tether", where a piece of stong cord would be attached to the car.


The crankshaft is missing from this car. That's the piece of machined metal that attached the engine to the rear wheels, thus allowing the car to move. I'm sure there are plenty of model car parts stores to easily replace the missing part and tune up this car.
You can see how carefully this racer was deigned and its parts attached. I've never owned a toy-engine model airplane or racer such as this. However, if I had, I'd have been outside for the whole day playing with it. I'm not sure  what the length of cord was used for the car to rotate in circles, but i'm sure it had to be long enough, so the "driver" would not get dizzy going around and around, with the toy moving at speeds up to 80 MPH (108.50 KPH)- Wow!

Thanks for dropping by,
and have a great part of the day,
wherever you may be.
Stacey

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