Cypress Sun Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 We went to the flea market yesterday in Oldsmar, Florida, just to get out and enjoy the day. While my gal saw many things she was interested in, I only saw one thing that garnered my attention. Near the back of the market was this old, pedal race car. My brother and I had the exact same one when we were kids. With it, we were a cross between AJ Foyt and Petty. After a while, the chain kept coming off and was a pain to put back on...so, what to do. Hey, I know...lets take it to a steep hill and let gravity do it's thing. We might get hit by cars at the bottom, but oh well. I texted this picture to my brother, here's what he texted back "You still have that thing?? Surprised nobody ever died on it going down the hill." We grew out of that "race car" to bicycles and far more dangerous stunts...but it all started with that pedal car. I'm sure that the rest of ya'll had something like it and did the same things as we did...didn't you?
Shotgun-Gibbs Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 When I was 4, I peddled my friend's tractor off of the porch across the street. I fell onto the sidewalk below, and broke my left arm. I have never forgotten that. Not as dangerous as your ride, but I did get hurt. I never understood why I did that!
Texas Joker Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 Red wagon down the hill. Tongue pulled back and used as a steering rudder then at the bottom sharp turn to dump the ride
Pat Riot Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 Yep! I had a very similar cart until I tore it up running into things…like phone poles, fence posts and hedges. We used to make these carts we called T-carts. Two 2x4’s anchored together in a “T” made up the frame and rear axle anchor. At the frontier another 2x4 held on by a single bolt for steering. A small piece of plywood for a seat and a piece of rope for steering and towing and we had a downhill go buggy. No brakes except shoe soles. The fun we had with those things.
Dusty Devil Dale Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 2 hours ago, Texas Joker said: Red wagon down the hill. Tongue pulled back and used as a steering rudder then at the bottom sharp turn to dump the ride We put bicycle wheels on the wagon which sped things up-- and broke a lot of bones!
Sedalia Dave Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 John Deere green pedal tractor. No broken bones but lots of scrapes.
Rip Snorter Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 I had a pedal fighter plane in the late '40's - mine was Silver colored. but the same model.
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 The Flexi-Flyer (or Flexy Racer)... likely the most dangerous toy ever sold. Lawn Darts were probably as safe as "bubble stuff" by comparison. Edit: But DAMN they were fun!!
Sixgun Sheridan Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 I had a pedal car that I ran until the gears got stripped, then drove a Radio Flyer using the handle as a steering yoke while I powered it with one leg over the side. Finally moved up to bicycles and had a hell of a time keeping them from unintentionally going airborne. Between that and playing with illegal fireworks it's a wonder i even survived into my teens. Whenever I drive to work I often get behind a school bus who stops to pick up one kid, then drives 50 feet to the next driveway to pick up another. When I was a kid I walked half a mile to the nearest bus stop and nobody seemed to care. We weren't coddled as children and we seem to have grown up more resilient as a result. Today's kids on the other hand...
Rip Snorter Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 The really striking thing is that when you look at High School graduation pictures, the mid '60's and before, you see young adults ready to move into the World. Now most appear as children.
Cypress Sun Posted October 10, 2022 Author Posted October 10, 2022 57 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said: The Flexi-Flyer (or Flexy Racer)... likely the most dangerous toy ever sold. Lawn Darts were probably as safe as "bubble stuff" by comparison. Edit: But DAMN they were fun!! I guarantee that would have put stitches in your head at the bottom of the hill...boy, I wish I'd of had one of those.
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 29 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said: The really striking thing is that when you look at High School graduation pictures, the mid '60's and before, you see young adults ready to move into the World. Now most appear as children. And the guy children often have moustaches or even beards. 11 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said: I guarantee that would have put stitches in your head at the bottom of the hill...boy, I wish I'd of had one of those. In addition to the common solo crashes, a lot o' kids ended up beneath moving cars, trucks, busses, or other motorized vehicles. But they had fun on the way down the hill!
Cypress Sun Posted October 10, 2022 Author Posted October 10, 2022 The two pictures below are from Christmas Day 1963. My younger brother beside the wagon and me in the car. Yesterday, when I saw the car, I thought the steering wheel was different, it was. Looks like an after market change out.
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 Never had enough money for a pedal car. The closest I came was taking apart some old roller skates and nailing them to the bottom of a 2 x 4 adding a handle and making a scooter.
Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 Posted October 10, 2022 Posted October 10, 2022 9 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: We used to make these carts we called T-carts. Two 2x4’s anchored together in a “T” made up the frame and rear axle anchor. At the frontier another 2x4 held on by a single bolt for steering. A small piece of plywood for a seat and a piece of rope for steering and towing and we had a downhill go buggy. No brakes except shoe soles. We did the same exact thing except we usually used a wooden ironing board as the body, or another board like that. We'd bolt-pivot a dowel with rubber screwed on the end as a brake. We'd scrounge wheels everywhere. I've often thought that if I saw kids with one of those, I'd jump out of my car and give 'em 20 bucks. But, alas....haven't seen one since my own childhood.
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L Posted October 11, 2022 Posted October 11, 2022 Almost all of the above! (As a kid I was well known at the local emergency room for head injuries! My ex worried that I would become bald and all of the stitches would become visible!)
Dusty Devil Dale Posted October 11, 2022 Posted October 11, 2022 Lots of bone fractures in those days. Worst was falling/slamming against the gunite bank of a canal, while water skiing behind a 57 Chevy on the canal road.
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted October 11, 2022 Posted October 11, 2022 15 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said: The Flexi-Flyer (or Flexy Racer)... likely the most dangerous toy ever sold. Lawn Darts were probably as safe as "bubble stuff" by comparison. Edit: But DAMN they were fun!! This is SIMILAR to what we (us kids) had except ours was homemade with the old frame of an ironing board and old lawn mower tires. It never lasted more than a few runs down the hill, and then back to the repair shop (front porch). Daddy made us kids wear football helmets so as not to get killed when we smacked telephone poles, trees or parked cars on the side of the road. He didn't worry about us getting broken bones, cuts, etc...... because he was of the old school ..........Widder .
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