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Here is an old picture of my "Foot Powered Car" that I built in 1952/3. It had a working steering wheel, no brakes, and was painted red with a silver nose. I lived on Lincoln St. near Magnolia and at this time there were 4 of us boys on Lincoln making these cars. Originally, it had the wheels off my Radio Flyer wagon, but I eventually acquired the 'Soap-box Derby' wheels shown in the picture. They coasted better but were not suited for turns. At one time it even had rear wheel steering so that it would turn better. One day a buddy's dad offered to take our cars up to Stough Park in his pickup. We each had 2 - 3 runs down the hill before the cops came and stopped us. My friends car was too narrow, and at speed (estimated 20 -25 mph) it got squirrely and tipped over. Brakes were the problem, and a simple spin-out was the best way to stop, but this was hard on wheels.
Later I acquired a Briggs and Stratton engine off a lawn mower, and made a rig so that the motor pulley would ride directly on the rear wheel when I moved a lever. This thing would go 20 -25 mph with no brakes. One day my buddy, Rod Pack, had it out, and was spotted by the cops. He made a quick U-turn, went under the railroad bridge at Chandler and Myers, and disappeared into my back yard. The next day my dad told us to remove the engine.
My design turned out to be very durable, and I made a second version for my kids in the late 1970's. I then used those plastic wheels off "Big Wheel" tricycles.
Cal Roe |
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