Scat Cat

(click on photo to enlarge)

Scat Cat racing mites were produced by the Pac-A-Lite Mfg. Co. of Mount Morris, MI.   Pac-A-Lite's primary product was a combination plastic cigarette case and lighter, called a Pac-A-Lite. 

The company's owner, Bob Snodgrass, developed an interest in  mite car racing.  Snodgrass initially developed a product  designed to power the Thimble Drome Champion pusher race car; a conversion kit called the Mini-Mount drive unit.  The Mini-Mount drive unit is a cast aluminum sub-frame designed to accommodate either a McCoy .29 or Arden .199 engine (although a number of other types of engines can be used) to power the Thimble Drome Champion using a bevel-gear drive rear axle.  In addition to the Mini-Mount conversion kit, he also developed a set of aluminum bridle brackets and a set of aluminum ball bearing front wheels and axles to make the Thimble Drome Champion a truly competitive racing mite.  The Mini-Mount drive unit sold for $9.45 or $11.45 with precision bearings.  The bridle brackets sold for $1.00.  A front axle with a pair of wheels sold for $2.50.

Based upon the success of the Mini-Mount, Snodgrass developed a purpose-built racing mite designed specifically for competition...the Scat Cat.  The .19-size Scat Cat was initially offered with a drawn aluminum top and a cast aluminum pan, but early production difficulties quickly led Snodgrass to convert to a cast aluminum top to complement the cast aluminum pan.  Early versions of the .19-size pan had bridle brackets cast into the pan, while later versions of the car had a bolt-on pan handle replacing the cast-in bridle brackets.  The .19-size Scat Cat sold for $18.95 including the fuel tank but less engine and was purchased directly from Snodgrass at Pac-A-Lite.

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