As a fan of American hot-rods and dragsters since my teens, it was heartening to learn of Ivan's respect for the men who built, and still build, those machines. At the same time, his enthusiasm is hardly surprising; his approach to building competition cars applies the same essentials - guesswork and grit.

Common sense on piston clearances...warm the bugger up....genius....Ive just started out re-boring motorcycle cylinders and I will be doing this just to check, thanks Ivan......and the stories just makes this the best channel....love it

I could watch these episodes for ever. I learned my trade in the 70s. Its so good to relive the days of these mechanical masterpieces and observe the genius of men like Ivan. I remember my mates dad who was a renound engineer always had a collection of Harleys, offenhouser engines and miniature steam locos in his shed. People chased him down just to ensure their pride and joy had had a sprinkle of his fairy dust on their machine. Such a good time to have lived and observed men like this. Steve, NZ

This is a big two fingers up to other so called precision engineers who would turn their nose up to Ivans trial and error methods. Everything this guy does seems to work just fine. Good work Ivan! Greeting from Russia.. ❤️

@markscully2342

3 жыл бұрын

trial and error refined by at least 50 years of practice!

@brucegreaves3204

Жыл бұрын

Ingenuity and common sense will get you a long way in life and he proves it. Great stuff

Lovely stuff Ivan. my dad was a sign writer and the shot of your man's brush box took me back to his shop as a kid in the early fifties and brought a lump to my throat. Quite agree about things as they were done in the day. Things are more precise now but that doesn't mean you can't get by and make things work well.

@frogman8591

3 жыл бұрын

Colin, for me, some good hand lettering, done by a pro. looks better than even pen-striping.

So happy to hear this gentleman's appreciate of the history of midget racing in America. Being able to remember events from the late 1950 with watching the ARDC and "Dutch" Schaffer and Len Duncan battle the bull rings of New Jersey ...to seeing the great Mel Kenyon..Bob Tattersall...even AJ Foyt, and Don Branson and the likes of USAC score wins on Indiana dirt and asphalt.....to the insane big twin 50 event at Trenton Speedway's mile and a half track back in 1973 (?) ....midgets ruled the racing world with creativity and grit.

Lovely videos Ivan! The history lessons you give really adds a nice touch.

That thing is a real credit to you boys , a blooming work of art

100% total quality = shed sure is good - who need`s all the expensive tools and exact machines ! - i like hand made shed craftsmanship ! thank you sir .

This has become one of my favorite channels... You my good man are surely one of England’s national treasures ... Thanks for sharing your lifetime of knowledge with us....

Just a Bugatti race car with a Mura sitting casually in the background.....priceless!.....love these videos 👍

I have been enjoying your videos. It is nice to hear the affection you have for American racers and racing. We feel the same way about you British old car fans. You do such a fabulous, museum-quality job , sometimes in a tiny garden shed...really impressive.

This is absolutely my new favourite channel! So glad that KZread put the Lotus 7 video in my suggestions. Great engineering, great commentary, great cars - what's not to loke?

@kevinchamberlain7928

3 жыл бұрын

I really loke it, too.

@CitizenCraftymethod

2 жыл бұрын

no more video's, I hope he's doing ok

@mastermnd22

2 жыл бұрын

Go to SHED RACING and this channel is dead

Amazing engine, engineering, history, car and men. What a privilege to see. And flippin' funny.

Lamborghini Muira in the garage. Amazing workshop practices with highly experienced people.

@Olli-mb9tt

3 жыл бұрын

My first real Miura, besides the Corgy-Toys one of my brother or on match-cards, i have seen, was in 1972 I think. It stood in front of a garage/filling station in our little town. Both the front and rear hood were open. I didn´t know the reason why. I live in western Germany on the southern end of the Ruhrgebiet Ruhr-area. It was in Ennepetal, home of BILSTEIN shock absorbers. Maybe the Miura had something to do with them. - I´m looking forward to see more of the Miura on Ivan´s channel !

@jimmypopp2695

3 жыл бұрын

I thought that was what that was. I was looking for the eyelashes.

@markscully2342

3 жыл бұрын

@@jimmypopp2695 the later ones don't have the eyelashes (apparently they were too dangerous for type approval)

@markscully2342

3 жыл бұрын

and its In one of my favourite colours too!

Keep them coming! I had one of those Model T diffs apart and together so many times last summer I lost count... It works, but I'm still not sure I did it right . Some where down the road it will let me know.. ha ha..

@ChristianDeGiuliBotta

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your support on our videos. Glad you’re enjoying them!

I have filed the wrong size big end caps on a Ford Popular engine until they were a good fit and the engine ran perfectly, so I just love Ivan's work shop videos.

Thank you for showing practical methods of how to do things with vintage cars where there are no manuals or instruction books. Am loving the just make it work approach to things but still keeping it period.

You are doing a great service sharing your vast experience with pre-war racing cars with rest of us lot (as you Brits call us)- an American fan. Keep 'em coming!

Absolutely Brilliant .🇬🇧

Channel discovered by chance. What a beautiful car. Ivan's commentary is classic. One is able to sense his dedication and love for his cars.

Love the content, keep it up!!!

Ivan is like the Fred Dibner of vintage racing 😊

Fascinating stuff, Ivan. Many thanks.

Don Lockwood told me owned the car in To Please A Lady and he recalled that it was not as fast as it looked. We were both members of the Illinois Model Aero Club which Don had joined in 1921. Don ran midget racers in the 1930's around Chicago some of which were run indoors in local armories.

What a fabulous car. Can't wait to hear it run!

Only just found your channel, Ivan. Have now watched every video at least twice! Can't wait for the next episode.

Love the method of assessing piston fit, grand! Ace video content as always!

You sir, are an absolute wellspring of knowledge, and your excitement for the midgets is palpable.

Wonderful cold stitching!

The Starter Idea I a great one. Here in Queensland there is a chap who has a veteran Mercedes which uses a golf cart motor, hidden in the car to do the same. Good to hear you Mention Kenny Von Dutch Howard. He too was a clever guy with his hands building cars and motorbikes besides his art works (which included a flame job on a Mercedes gull wing!).

@Olli-mb9tt

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Mercmad - would You be so kind to explain the starter thing to me again ? I didn´t really understand that. What kind of sense does an e-start directly on the rear diff make ? Isn´t it impossible (with reasonable effort) to put a starter on the flywheel or on the front end of the crankshaft in place of the hand crank ? Did I get Ivan right- as he said that the car doesn´t have a clutch ? - Cant believe, cause it has a gearbox also? - I´m not a native speaker , but German, maybe that´s why i didn´t understand. Would be nice if anybody tells me...

When I was racing a Lotus 23 in 1969, a friend built his own sports racing chassis, which was all monocoque aluminum and he took a 2.4 Jaguar motor and cut off 2 of the cylinders to get to the 2 litre limit. He was a real craftsman, but unfortunately he had too many innovations going at one time and the project never was competitive.

Such a great story and great project - thank you for sharing both.

Ivan, a sincere thank you for such entertaining videos! Please keep up the great vids.

Great videos!!. Great stories!!. The best is the metal work and the stories!!. Keep doing vids!!

I am really enjoying these videos, it is very refreshing to see your work and thought process. Please keep posting..

All skill no pretence..just what you tubes been missing..thanks for your time Ivan 👍

That finish with the sanding... Nice job!.

Fantastic effort

The fumes don’t really bother anyone, do they? Absolutely lovely! Another generation. No fears whatsoever, only passion.

@betacam235

3 жыл бұрын

I wondered if that was Castrol 'R' smoke?

wonderful car...wonderful film...thank you Ivan

A great history lesson, thanks. I lookforward your videos. Stay safe

Back in those days the car was tow started using a rope tied to the tow vehicle, then wrapped once around the front axle, then the end held by the race driver. Once the engine fired the driver released the rope and it uncoiled as the tow vehicle drove off

Great work Ivan love the home spun innovation 👍👍👍

Awesome show Sir, thank you

Brilliant engineering from Ivan !!!!🤩👍

Proper engineering lads .Simple but beautiful .

What a beautiful car! My dad used to run midgets back in the day here in the United States before WWII and being shipped off to Iwo Jima. How I wish she had stayed with the racing afterwards. I would love to have some of the original equipment that he had back then. Great videos, thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing. Rock on!

Great race car, love the representation. I am now a big fan of your channel and the Bugatti. You should have many subscribers. Take care good health.

I love watching and listening to you talk all about auto mechanics. You make it all so clear and fun. Seeing the engines and fitting the parts is a lot of fun, The stories about so many guys getting killed were really surprising. I had no idea it was so dangerous. I saw a movie once where they did midget racing; I think it may have been the Mickey Roonie one, Saw it in the 60s on TV here in US.

Ivan we love both you and John, you two are the bees knees on KZread.

Great build, cant wait for new content. Subscribed

Leon you keep up the great British tradition of back garden engineering ! Funny thing is a friend of mine in the later 60's had one half of a Miller 181 CDI engine cut down for midget car use. I saw the engine and had parts of it in my hands ! The later midgets used a Halibrand quick change center section based on a Model A Ford parts. Just did some repair machine work the other day on one of those QC center section castings.

My dad raised my brother and I on sprint car racing and most any type of open wheel car racing. There is an old Abbott and Costello movie that has Abbot in a midget or sprint car.

Stunning!

Great vid. love seeing how stuff s done

Your videos make me so happy. Slightly sad I've nearly seen them all, but looking forward to any new stuff.. many thanks. I liked you heating the piston to see if it binds, proper empirical engineering there..👍🙂

Great job on the car and video!

Another amazing history of the iconic Midget Racers. Did I hear Ivan say “ the Offy car”? as in Offenhauser. The birth of the Hotrod. I have a steel 1932 Ford Roadster with Chevy V8, been a hotrodder for 40+ years and am so enjoying these videos. Thanks for sharing 👍👍👏

This is such a great thing your are doing, giving your knowledge and stories for us to enjoy. Thanks I'd give you the title of OBE (over bloody eighty)👍

Hay Ivan,warming the pistons,brilliant!i,ll bet it would be a good check on new rings(maybe).Anyway,great vid. Thanks.

Ivan - you are the man! I can relate to your ways.

Great video great content great channel clever old boy 🇬🇧👍

Beautiful, thanks.

Looking forward to seeing that 😀

Talking about two of my most favourite subjects murderdromes and Von Dutch keep the videos coming

A brilliant little motor Ivan it looks the dogs dangly bits!

My step dad used to tune BSA engines and fit them to his self made grass track frames. The tuning was done by the "let's try this" method. He didn't have a Dyno or the backing of BSA factory like the works riders, but his bikes were faster. I guess those were the good old days. Well all my tuning of my two stroke twins and triples was done by the "never know what it will go like til I try it" system. Riding to work on Monday was always a fingers crossed moment.

Thank you Ivan

the cylinder block was stitched because it froze solid but seeing the work done on it using locknstitch process and it seams to be brazed too no doubt they did a good job on this one by the way I like your channel a lot :) real craftsmanship too!

Very interesting!! 🤩💥

Brilliant, so glad i found this channel, saw the 2 cylinder mini engine series, any more progress on the mini engine?

Wonderful ❤️👍

Your judgement has come hard-won, Ivan. I trust it 100%. You bloody well heat and reduce them pistons, mate, they'll be bob on!

I bought a Norton G15 from a crackhead many years ago. It was all in boxes and to my surprise after a closer look at the bashed up petrol tank I spotted Non Dutch signature with 64 beneath it. The year he painted and signed it.

ivans shed my new go to favorite !

@ChristianDeGiuliBotta

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you’re enjoying the videos Chris. If you hit the subscribe button it will keep you notified of new videos, as we’re enjoying making them and plan to keep making one a week. Take care

"should we open the garage door and turn the fan on before we start the car?" "They didn't have open doors and fans back in the day"

@johna1160

3 жыл бұрын

Or better yet, hook a damn extension to the tail pipe and run it out the window.

Great videos - I'm really enjoying them! There is a book available about Midget car racing in the UK pre WW2. It's called Midget Car Speedway and is by Derek Bridgett, published by Tempus - you probably already know that but it is worth getting hold of if you haven't seen it.

A narrow boat gearbox would be a good idea for a project like this.

Sir Jack Brabham, started off his motor racing career in midgets, in Australia

Great Scott, I just realized that Lambo hasn’t moved in 2 years - looks like it needs an engine. You should install the Mini 2-cyl pointing forward. Then take it to a Concour and film the judges.

@anthonycarty9433

2 жыл бұрын

That would be hilarious and priceless. Great comment.

Fine machine seems to be smooth runner

Id like to build a modern version of something like this. Using a ford model T with a vortec 4200 engine, and 5speed trans, from a Chevy Colorado, with a supercharger or turbo a stock engine can put down in excess of 600 hp to the wheels, fairly reliably. With automatic transmission, a manual will have half the losses. With better pistons and rods, the inline 6 (GM's 2JZ) clould be a little monster, id definitely want rollbars, atleast a couple hoops and side bars, and a couple aircraft seats, a aluminum engine , trans , adding a winters quick change rear diff would be cool, however, a narrowed ford 8.8 would be fine, eith a locker, a rear mount radiator, so the intercooler can be front mounted, stretch the engine bay and frame what ever is required, i heard a two stroke 4cyl, with cross plane crank, it sounded awesome, maybe muilding a motorcycle or snow mobile engine for a little model T could be cool, using a cross plane crank! And maybe a 4 stroke engine can sound this awesome as well, maybe using a honda engine a k20 and modify it to use a distributor! And manually operate the VTec , along with carburators , a pair a 350 holley carbs and custom header and intake, maybe step upto the k24, get scat to sast a steel crank, the cast steel seem to be plenty strong!!

First 5 seconds, BIG THUMBS UP Ivan

I still think you guys are crazy in a good way. I was a bit worried about the carbon monoxide buildup.

Would love to see it run on a track now.

I van, your the best! JIM

Do a video on the cylinder block!!!! What have you done there it looks like a mix of metal stitching, brazing and welding. Is that right?

I did some cast iron stitching during my apprenticeship circa 1968

This led man knows more than 100 computer “experts”!

So why did the rear wheels stop rotating shortly after start up, even while the engine was still running? Thanks for the great videos

@interex2050

3 жыл бұрын

The starter motor is mounted to the diff and to start the engine it must be in gear. Once started, pop it back into neutral.

@Greeves

3 жыл бұрын

@@interex2050 Ah, of course. Thanks 😎

So what was the problem with the dry sump system? Surely it'd be difficult to put the output and scavenge pipes on the wrong ports? Maybe the pump was simply FUBAR?

"you didn't have to have a dad that was a millionaire to go racing".. I love this guy !... Says it like it is.

The scavenge side of the pump is usually twice the capacity of the feed side.

Another great video,but OMG chopping a Bugatti straigt 8 in half! They must have been cheap as chips back then?

It's interesting how they cut a 8cyl motor in to a 4cyl, didn't know they could do that, must be different with the firing order and less balanced with the 2 out side pistons not moving together and 2 center pistons not moving together, but seems to work, never seen a car motor without a separate head, at least there's no need for a head gasket.

I have a question for you...Ivan. Maybe you could help or not.. I am building a car 2 seater special to participate in low level trial events..but also road use too... However, the engine is very small 3 cylinder 800cc but it has a longer stroke than bore so could be made more torquey... The part l need a point in assistance, is the differential.. Now l can't and do not want to modify it..but in a way l will need to as it is very loose.. So would it be possible to shim it up tighter..that will give me a differential but at the same time..assist in the mud. Years ago in grass track racing they shimmed up the idle gears...(which is the area l am talking about) so as to make it stiffer...but not welded Great videos..love watching them..brings back my younger days..😆👍👍

3:42 - Definitely a Miura just behind the car. 10:04 - In the US, it would be "Rube Goldberg". 12:51 - Used a Ford T rear end for a DIY garden tractor build a long time back; those looong roller bearings meant no need for inner and outer bearings on the shortened axle. FYI, one of the Miller front-drive Indy cars... 26:07 - beat me to it. The Miller Midget engine was introduced in '32; this would have been an attempt to beat the Miller dominance, but none of my books mention it. Found this, here: www.carusomidgetracing.com/about-mike-and-rose.html "...One of the numerous innovative designs Caruso is credited with was his transformation of the Bugatti 8 cylinder engine into a 4 cylinder engine which conformed with midget racing specifications. This was achieved in 1936 for a Caruso midget driven by Ernie Gessell. This same car won the 1937 National Auto Racing Circuit Championship, with Ernie Gessell winning 12 consecutive feature races at the Long Branch, New Jersey Speedway. It is not widely known, but Ronnie Householder, a leading driver racing one of the first Offenhauser engines in the East, offered to buy the Caruso Bugatti and promised to never race it in the East again just to get it out of his hair. Mike Caruso achieved much success in auto racing through his association with the Offenhauser engine. The ‘Offy’ engine was a more modern, double overhead cam engine which was very reliable due to the availability of engine parts..." Not sure regarding the veracity; it wasn't an Offy, it was a Miller, and once they were made available ('32), at least on the west coast, if you didn't have a Miller, you didn't win races. Still a lovely bit of 'hot rodding', like Ardun heads on a flattie. Art Sparks (designer of the Sparks/Thorn Indy engines and the founder of one of the early quality hot-rod valve spring companies) had a son who worked for JE Pistons for a while: Jack Sparks. Had a wonderful discussion with him at an industry event in LA, say 15 years ago. Dunno where he is now, but he's younger than you or me and if you find him, he's worth an interview.

Is that a Miura in the background??

@brucewailes7744

3 жыл бұрын

It is. Half the reason I watch Ivan is to see what else he has laying around the shed, and he never disappoints.