Chapter 32

11/3/2004 

California Models w/pics

Super Models                                 

These beauties are real head turners! The redhead is a real racy one while the metallic one as in the movie Goldfinger looks beautiful au natural.

Dad bought these 2 Dooling Tether Cars after WW2 from California. Have contacted Nick Tucci at the American Miniature Racing Car Association and was invited down to their track. http://www.amrca.com/about0.htm May hook up during one of my Swap Deals. The red 65 is "Sky Devil" (18") and has an airplane motor, drive shaft and rear drive. Was capable of close to 100 mph on the track we built in our backyard. (see Ch 92) I lubed the bearings to get the motor to turn over and had to modify some airplane wheels to replace the brittle/fractured originals.

The highly valued aluminum bodied 1940 Mercury Midget original, Dad gave away to a guy who made molds and cast the duplicate one pictured. I had to hand make the hood from sheet aluminum to make the car more presentable.

The little one #48 is a Roy Cox Thimbledrone.

I see some on ebay for around $1000. Some models can get $25,000 they say. My contact at the Museum is going to ask Sotheby's Auctions for an estimate. Did I mention that the Leslie and Mitchell Keno twins from the Antiques Road show had a 1938 Jaguar SS100 at our museum.

I loaned all 3 cars to the Saratoga Auto Museum to put on display as they see fit. Would like to get Dad's name on them, and told the coordinator that he wouldn't have minded if kids touch them. (see Ch 44)