Old engine powered toy car

craigco · May 28, 2017

When I was a kid my dad found an old toy car of his brothers. Had a little engine and a place to tie string. Then the car runs and drives in a circle around you while you control it with the string. he called it a glow plug car. Never got it to work and it has disappeared since. Trying to find videos of some in action but can't get glow plug car to bring up anything. Do you know if they were called something else? I remember seeing a plane in an old movie doing the same thing.

Chilidawg · May 28, 2017

Look up "Cox .049 gas engine" on Wikipedia. I don't remember a car, but I did have a model airplane that was controlled by a string. They were/are two-stroke.

rustyfarmall · May 28, 2017

As a kid growing up in the '50s, I remember seeing the "Cox .049" engines at Woolworths. Yes, just the engine.

D beatty · May 28, 2017

You are talking about tether line cars. I don't know of anybody making them any more and the old ones bring good money if you can find one in good shape.Years ago we played around with tractors with model airplane engines.

Mark-Mi · May 28, 2017

I had a dune buggy that I could click the front wheels in straight left or right position and let it go. Buggy was Cox .049 powered.

Brother had a airplane held together with rubber bands that was controlled by two strings.

I will never forget when Grandpa stepped out of the shop to see what all the commotion was and my brother nearly took his head off.

Dean · May 28, 2017

Now, those are cute pullers!

Dean

steve706 · May 28, 2017

I remember the Cox airplanes that I studied in the catalog daily after school when I was a kid, was always a dream to get one. Never got one, parents figured I'd just destroy it or something with it, in hindsight was a smart decision on their part.....

Dick L · May 28, 2017

I had one as a kid. I have no idea what ever happened to it. I could get it to start and run but out on the farm with cinder drives or grass it was a disappointment.

casecollectorsc · May 28, 2017

I did too. Finally got one for Christmas. A friend came to the farm to help me fly it. He had one also but while flying it in a circle on the school grounds came to close to the building and flew it into the auditorium wall. Instant garbage. So with his experience we put a rock on the ground so as to know where to stand and not hit anything. I started the engine and it took off....it flew about 2 circles until he tripped over the rock...plane up in the air and then down. Another wreck! Took the engine and made a straight line racer out of it.

sms · May 28, 2017

I still have mine in the Attic. I think a 57 Chevy. It never ran reliably so it doesn't have much use.

rrlund · May 28, 2017

I had that same dune buggy. The cheap plastic frame broke on it.

gmccool · May 28, 2017

There are several for sale on E Bay right now.

Briar Hill Brittanys · May 28, 2017

I had a Jeep that worked like the dune buggy, click the wheels to the direction of travel, start the motor, let it go. Woohoo. Had it for several months before the motor locked up, probably due to dirt getting in it. That was back in the late 60's. Also had a control line Stuka. That was not the longest lasting toy. Had a fun time putting it together, and taxiing around in a circle on the ground. The first/last flight was quick. About 2.5 milliseconds after take-off, my lack of aircraft control became apparent. The thing went almost straight up, and repeated the maneuver in reverse. Just like a real dive bomber. Was unable to pull out in time. OTOH, the final "landing" was spectacular. I never did find all the pieces.

Case Nutty 1660 · May 28, 2017

I had the dune buggy also I got it to start ONCE then the recoil starter broke,, wish I had kept it it never went a foot in gear

D beatty · May 28, 2017

One of the first plastic cars was the Wen Mac Automite Cox.049 powered. Testors Cox Wen Mac also made a Vega draggester. I had both of these at one time but plastic bodies didn't hold up. I still have the .049 cox engines that was in them.

Hobo,NC · May 28, 2017

I have one of these that belonged to my wife, story goes she saved up Sprite bottle caps and turned them in for the car. Its still in the original box and never been run. Not my add just for reference... Hers is not for sale...

https://www.ebay.com/p/?iid=182584985057&&&dispItem=1&chn=ps

ztrmowers · May 28, 2017

i still have the pinto car as shown and also still have the 2 man open cockpit trainer airplane, it held together with rubber bands, motor do not think has ever been run, complete unit is hanging in my shop as i type this

wisbaker · May 28, 2017

I had the same Dune Buggy, about the time it got broken in enough that it would actually start the recoil broke. If I remember correctly you could get radio control units to steer the dune buggy. Later they came out with a Baja Bug Version that had a High/Low selector for ground speed

jeffcat · May 28, 2017

As far as I know the original Tether cars were made by Ohlsson & Rice co. They were the premier maker of model airplane engines in the late 40 50s. Cox and other compan6s made a bunch of models and sizes but as far as I know O&R are the most desirable and by far the most expensive. I have five of 5he power tools that are made with the ONE HORSE POWER O&R engines. Generator,water pump,chainsaw, and air compressor. 5hey sound like a little "P" off bumble bee. Check U tube for tether cars and zone out.

old · May 28, 2017

Had both the cars and air planes with that type of engine and still have a few of the engines laying around some place but been along time since I saw where I have them hidden

Greg1959 · May 28, 2017

I had the dune buggy like this....

Sprint 6 · May 28, 2017

I have my uncle's Cox van that has a drive from the rear axle to a steering cam system. Different cams make the van do different things, circles, figure 8s, etc.

gab · May 28, 2017

I had a cool looking yellow airplane that I could never get started, would just get a pop out of it now and then. Think it was a piper cub.

ohiojim · May 28, 2017

mine was a 63 corvette, sure was fast

charlie n · May 28, 2017

Ah the good old days. You could walk into Western Auto or Bills Hobby Shop and buy a can of Nitro Methane and nobody would bat an eye.

Got the Dune Buggy for my 12th birthday. Remember getting a blister from pulling the recoil. That thing went alota miles in the driveway.

D beatty · May 28, 2017

The first in tether cars was Dooling Brothers and Dick McCoy.

Steve@Advance · May 28, 2017

I barely remember having a "tether car" with a propeller.

I was just a little kid, too little to ever get it running. It was something my dad came home with, it wasn't all there, no battery, fuel, tether string, just a car.

I pushed it around a lot, pretended it would magically start, but it never happened...

NIK OWEN · May 28, 2017

MINE, FROM GRANDPARENTS @ HAPPY, TX WUZ RED, HAD WEN-MAC .049, USED STRING TO CRANK L. FRONT WHEEL, STRING ON L. SIDE..
BE BLESSED, GRATEFUL, PREPARED..

Earl-IL · May 28, 2017

Did anyone know Hank Osterhoff of Champaign,IL. that made the best gear drives & wheels on the toy pulling tractors.

grandpa Love · May 28, 2017

My brother and I had the airplane on a string. Got it too close to the power lines caught bottom one ,flew up around top one and we let go. It wrapped em up real close then ran out of fuel very lucky it did before they touched ! Dad wasn't happy , duck tape razor blade and a long plastic pipe and Pop cut it loose. Never saw it again. Lol

Old engine powered toy car

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads