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Scat Cat 29 Custom
Originally owned by Bob Diekmann, Algona, IA
Bob Diekmann was one of the founders of the Algona Model Race Car Association, and led the effort in 1949 to build the 1/60th mile tether car track located on the Kossuth County Fairgrounds in Algona, IA.
Bob Diekmann's first car, a Thimble Drome Champion powered with a McCoy 29 "Blue Head" engine and a Mini-Mount conversion, was the track record holder in the ".29-Mite" class. He and his brother, John, led the ".19-class" with their McCoy 19 powered Scat Cats.
Wishing to have an even more competitive .29-powered car, both Bob and John purchased a pair of the larger Scat Cat 29 cars produced by
Pac-A-Lite Mfg. Co., but without the cast aluminum body which could be ordered separately. Neither Bob nor John liked the appearance of the stock Scat Cat 29 body, so John Diekmann designed a body which more closely resembled that of a full size midget race car. He carved a wood pattern and then had six aluminum body castings poured at a small foundry in Fairmont, Minnesota.
A total of four cars were originally built using these custom bodies. The car shown in the photos is Bob Diekmann's McCoy 29 "Blue Head" powered car, using the same engine which originally powered his
Mini-Mount equipped Thimble Drome Champion. Another photo shows John Diekmann's original wood pattern and one of the unfinished body castings.
