mitecars.com
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Mite Proto
Original owner and builder unknown
I found the car shown in the photos 35 years ago. At that time, I could not identify the car, and I am still unable to do so with any certainty. As a result, the history behind this car remains a mystery.
A number of veteran tether car racers, as well as several other knowledgeable individuals, have looked at this car in an effort to identify the builder. A veteran tether car racer from Chicago suggested that the car might be a 1234 Mite, while more recently several other knowledgeable individuals have suggested that the car might be an early mite car built by Gerald Frymire. But, thus far, I am not able to confirm who originally built and raced the car.
Nonetheless, the car is very racy! The cast aluminum pan appears to be from the late 1950s/early 1960s and does bear some resemblance to the .60-size 1234 pan. The body is hand carved wood. The two-piece aluminum wheels are die-cast aluminum Hornet Mite wheels. The rear tires are 3 inch diameter C-R semi-pneumatic tires, while the
2 1/2 inch front tires appear to have been die-cut from sheet rubber.
The car is powered by a Hornet .199 model engine with a one-piece machined aluminum gear box. The custom made fuel tank was fabricated from stainless steel, and a nicely-done modified-Dooling Arrow fuel shut-off was added. The front axle was custom made. The tail skid has a carbide tool tip brazed on the end.
The level of craftsmanship evident in the car is excellent, and the design of the car would suggest that it was a very serious competitor in the .19-Mite class.
But, unfortunately, it's origins remain a mystery.
