Midget kits

[OldNYJim]

I’ve been enjoying building the Monogram (now Atlantis) 1:20 Midget kit this last few weeks…

…and I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of Midgets (weird sentence to type out…)

What other Midget kits have been issued in scale?  I know about the two EXCELLENT Revell kits from 2010-ish:

And, from the 60s the Revell Hotshot…initially a slot car, but then issued as, I guess, a body-only parts pack at one point with the addition of a belly pan?

My info is a little vague on that one - they’re apparently rare and info is scarce on them.

I also remembered having a Flintstone body in my stash that I thought was a Midget but I think it’s more of a fantasy sprint car…

Are there any more Midget kits that I’m missing?  Even old weird stuff, unobtainable resin, stuff like that?  I’d love to hear about them!

[Mark]

Those are pretty much it.  There was a 1/32 scale slot car from Strombecker, but I don’t think that one was issued as a shelf (non-powered) version.  Other than that, there were a few wood kits in the late Forties that aren't replicas of any specific design (and are hard to find now).

[TonyK]

As far as I know Mark is right. I've built many of the ones you mentioned and that's all I've found over the years.

[Mark]

If there were any in resin, you might try searching "Etzel's Speed Classics".  They did a lot of historic Indy cars, they may have done a midget or two also as many of the best Indy drivers of that era got their start in midgets.

[Spooker]

The late Chris Etzel did a resin and white metal midget kit in his "Speed Classics" line.  They came with a great decal sheet to do multiple cars, maybe 8 different ones if memory serves. I have two in my stash somewhere.  The Revell kits are a full detail kit while Chris' were curbside, but super accurate as all his kits were.  The Etzel midgets pop up on e-Bay occasionally for $75-100.

[Ace-Garageguy]

[NOBLNG]

38 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Some assembly required?😳

[Mark]

That Ace kit looks sort of like a Kurtis, but appears to have exposed frame rails instead of a round tubing frame concealed inside the body.  One of Monogram's earliest car kits was the Mid-Jet, with a one-piece partially shaped wooden body.  That kit had provisions for it to be powered by a CO2 cartridge (those were available as cheap "war surplus" items back then).

I never put a ruler to the Atlantis midget (the former Monogram PC-1, Monogram's first plastic car kit) but I thought it was around 1/18 scale.  The AMT 1/25 scale parts pack Hot Rod chassis is nearly the right size to fit the midget body (it's a bit too wide unfortunately).  But it has working torsion bar suspension detail that is very similar to that of some Kurtis cars and their derivatives (Kurtis sold the design to concentrate on building Indy cars).  The midgets could be built with any combination of torsion bar and crosswise leaf spring suspension, front and rear.

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Mark said:

I never put a ruler to the Atlantis midget (the former Monogram PC-1, Monogram's first plastic car kit) but I thought it was around 1/18 scale...

Somewhere along the line I did measure it, though I've forgotten, but it is indeed somewhere between 1/18 and 1/20.

Which makes it a great starting point for similarly shaped but larger "championship" cars of the period in 1/25 or 1/24.

I'm pretty sure somebody on this board has built one.

Just as an aside, I have a vacuum-formed kit of the 1941 Indy winner co-driven by Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose. The kit came to me with no packaging, so I don't know its maker, and the one-sheet line drawing of the real car that came with it doesn't specify scale, though it's clearly 1/24 or 1/25.

The point is that held side by side, it looks very much like the old Monogram Midget body was the basis for the buck the vacuum shell halves were pulled from.

I also have a built-up chrome-body model that appears to be a midget, but I've been unable to find any info on it to date (though I haven't tried very hard).

EDIT: Found it.

Edited February 13 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

I'm not sure which articles are in which magazine, but Joe Henning did a ton of articles for Rod & Custom (and possibly their short-lived model magazine) in the mid-Sixties.  Among them was a 1/25 scale "champ car" made from a cut down Monogram Kurtis midget.  Other articles include a Twenties Model T based sprinter with a tail section made from an AMT Double Dragster streamliner nose, a dirt modified with a chassis made from insulated electrical wire and a PAPER body, and a model of the 1911 Indy winning Marmon Wasp, body again made of paper.  He also did a few carved balsa models, including an early Sixties Indy car (before AMT made their Watson/Parnell Jones kit) and a pre-war rail frame midget.  Those magazines are still worth looking for if you are into these cars.

My older brother was big into midget racers (he restored the Kurtis/Shilala car pictured in my earlier post; it crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale last month) which got me interested too.  I scratched a pre-war midget based on Henning's article.  I'll pull it out of the display cabinet and throw a picture or two on later.

[Mark]

Here's the semi-scratchbuilt rail frame midget built following the Joe Henning R&C articles.  Balsa body/frame and seat, slot car tires, other parts from parts box including rear suspension from Revell parts pack (currently available via Atlantis).  Front axle is a narrowed AMT altered wheelbase Nova piece.  Louvers are from old Jo-Han customizing kits.  Windscreen is two pieces of clear cellophane tape, pressed sticky sides together.  I think the exhaust is formed from wire, with a small straw serving as the long pipe.  I built this about forty years ago, so I don't recall all of the details.

Wood is sealed with lacquer "dope", paint is Testors red enamel.  The body lacks panel lines.  I didn't want to paint them on, and lacking experience in working with balsa I couldn't cut them in to my satisfaction.  The finish is holding up (dope hasn't lifted anywhere) but the newer epoxy finishing material for R/C airplanes is the way to go now.

This is one of those things I'd like to take another swing at.  This time the frame would be separate (and made of plastic), I'd find more suitable tires, and it might even have an engine.  V8-60, Offy, maybe a scratchbuilt outboard or cycle engine?

[OldNYJim]

14 hours ago, Mark said:

If there were any in resin, you might try searching "Etzel's Speed Classics".  They did a lot of historic Indy cars, they may have done a midget or two also as many of the best Indy drivers of that era got their start in midgets.

14 hours ago, Spooker said:

The late Chris Etzel did a resin and white metal midget kit in his "Speed Classics" line.  They came with a great decal sheet to do multiple cars, maybe 8 different ones if memory serves. I have two in my stash somewhere.  The Revell kits are a full detail kit while Chris' were curbside, but super accurate as all his kits were.  The Etzel midgets pop up on e-Bay occasionally for $75-100.

This is exactly the kind of thing I was interested in finding - thanks fellas!  It’s this one, I’m guessing…

12 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I also have a built-up chrome-body model that appears to be a midget, but I've been unable to find any info on it to date (though I haven't tried very hard).

I found some pics of those online last night too!  I’ve GOTTA find one of those!  Any idea on scale?  

10 hours ago, Mark said:

Joe Henning did a ton of articles for Rod & Custom (and possibly their short-lived model magazine) in the mid-Sixties.  Among them was a 1/25 scale "champ car" made from a cut down Monogram Kurtis midget.  Other articles include a Twenties Model T based sprinter with a tail section made from an AMT Double Dragster streamliner nose, a dirt modified with a chassis made from insulated electrical wire and a PAPER body, and a model of the 1911 Indy winning Marmon Wasp, body again made of paper.  He also did a few carved balsa models, including an early Sixties Indy car (before AMT made their Watson/Parnell Jones kit) and a pre-war rail frame midget.  Those magazines are still worth looking for if you are into these cars.

More rabbitholes to look into!  Thanks Mark!  LOVE that build you posted!  Thanks for sharing!!

[OldNYJim]

13 hours ago, Mark said:

I never put a ruler to the Atlantis midget (the former Monogram PC-1, Monogram's first plastic car kit) but I thought it was around 1/18 scale

If it’s 1/20 scale, which is what I most commonly see it listed as, the wheelbase scales up to 78”, which is a little long compared to standard. At 1/18 the wheelbase would be 69.5”, so a little short.  A standard Kurtis chassis was 71.5” wheelbase although they would apparently adjust the wheelbase to your preference if you asked them to.

BUT, Monogram never claim this was a replica of a Kurtis car specifically, plus it was their first ever plastic car kit, so…I’m not holding them to perfection.  The wheels either scale up too large or too small compared to the wheelbase depending on which scale you go with (12” was apparently the standard size for most of these), and the Offie’s block is too short and 50 other things…plus the driver has no legs 😂  

I’m doing a more detailed build of one of these right now (in the NASCAR WIP section) and I found Kurtis plans online that I partially used as a reference for a frame, scaled down to 1/20th.  At that size everything will fit about where it’s meant to and the body hugs the taper that these frames had at the rear really nicely, so I’m happy with that for what I’m trying to achieve.

Definitely NOT a kit to pick apart too hard (unsurprisingly, given the age) but I REALLY like how they look when you see one built up, even as basic of a kit as it is…

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 hours ago, OldNYJim said:

...I found some pics of those online last night too!  I’ve GOTTA find one of those!  Any idea on scale? 

Quarter midgets are tiny, built for little kids.         https://quartermidgets.org/

      

Several online sources mistakenly list the scale as either 1/24 or 1/25, which is ridiculous.

I've seen one site call it 1/12, which is more believable.

 

ON FLICKR:       “THE SILVER FLASH” QUARTER MIDGET RACER

                           Monogram – PC63

                                1/12 Scale – 1961

                                Art by Clement Fraser"

The size of the model  (not the scale) is similar to the Monogram Midget that you have, perhaps just a little smaller overall IIRC.

I don't think I still have it here, having moved a large group of models west already, but I'll check again and measure it if I can find it.

Edited February 14 by Ace-Garageguy

[magicmustang]

Just finished a quick build of the Atlantis Midget Racer. Relocated the tie rod (it was molded pointing down?), added a radiator, air cleaners, firewall and a seat (left off the driver). Also swapped out the rear wheels and tires for a wider set. Body in the molded plastic color with a coat of Future. A fun build.

Edited February 14 by magicmustang

[Spooker]

Nice job on that old kit, magicmustang!

 

The Etzel kit that OldNY Jim posted above is a USAC Dirt Champ Car (gorgeous kit, by the way, one of his best), not a midget.  I'll try to dig out one of mine and take a pic or two. 

[TonyK]

That looks really good!

[OldNYJim]

13 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Quarter midgets are tiny, built for little kids.         https://quartermidgets.org/

 

That fact I was familiar with, yes - I figured the kit would have to be much larger in scale accordingly…thanks for confirming about what I suspected!  Definitely want to add one of these to my collection!

9 hours ago, Spooker said:

The Etzel kit that OldNY Jim posted above is a USAC Dirt Champ Car (gorgeous kit, by the way, one of his best), not a midget. 

Ah yeah; it says right in the listing, duh - thanks for clarifying that 

Cool build, @magicmustang!

 

Of course, Midget racing is still a thing today - Kyle Larson just won the renowned Chillibowl event last month…and 3D file designers have one covered if one wanted to build a more modern iteration:

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/dirt-midget-1-18-scale-model

[Spooker]

Here are some pics of the Etzel Speed Classics resin and white metal midget kit:

A simple curb-side kit, but everything you see is superbly cast and very accurate.  The grille is a nickel silver casting that can be polished, one of Chris' "trademarks".  The decal sheet in mine has been cut but originals are still available.  A 12 page instruction sheet, too!

 

Edited February 15 by Spooker

[OldNYJim]

On 2/15/2025 at 12:34 PM, Spooker said:

Here are some pics of the Etzel Speed Classics resin and white metal midget kit:

That is AWESOME!  What a great looking kit - definitely want to build one of those!  Thanks so much for posting that!  
 

Another I found - I THINK this is based on the Revell Hot Shot slotcar maybe?

https://www.thepartsbox.com/shop/the-parts-box/slot-cars-parts/slot-car-body-kits/speed-car-body-pack-with-driver-included/

[RancheroSteve]

Here's shot of the buildings where most of those Kurtis Midgets were built; just a couple of miles down the road from where I live. The building on the right is a little more original, obviously.

[OldNYJim]

On 2/18/2025 at 11:33 AM, RancheroSteve said:

Here's shot of the buildings where most of those Kurtis Midgets were built; just a couple of miles down the road from where I live. The building on the right is a little more original, obviously.

That’s really cool, thanks for sharing!  I believe at some point production moved to NW Indiana, somewhere near where I am currently, but I forget where I read that.

 

Meanwhile…I don’t have this kit, but the plans make it seem EASY to build one of these!  Just need a block of wood and I’m all set!

“Force axles into body holes”

 

I’m kinda tempted to model the wheels in 3d, print a set, learn about using airplane dope and actually trying my hand at building one of these…

[OldNYJim]

Interesting development, for anyone interested…I found files online where someone had recreated both the Monogram Hotshot AND their Quarter Midget and had made 3d printable versions of them available.

Grabbed the Hotshot to check it out…I don’t have a REAL one to compare to, but I started printing a couple this evening to check it out….

I’ll post a link once I’ve checked them out fully, but if they’re garbage I won’t waste everyone’s time…

Edited March 3 by OldNYJim

[alan barton]

 a subject dear to my heart - I may be the hot rod guy amongst my model building friends but I have an enormous soft spot for any kind of dirt racer. Here's some of mine.

Monogram Hot Shot racer - curbside, 1/24th scale.  Upgraded wheels and tyres, modified sprint car driver.

Two modern era midgets  modified from Monogram sprint car kits.  The white and red one was built by my good friend Dave Whyte, while the yellow one was built by me after being inspired and tutored by Dave! They were both built from Monogram sprint car kits.  They are shortened but still the stock sprintcar width - I intend to build a new version by narrowing the frame as well.

The  WIP model is my first attempt at building a classic LRC VW midget using the Revell Kurtis Kraft as a basis.

Cheers

Alan

[TonyK]

Those modern era midgets look great!