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Thimble Drome Champion Conversion
Built and raced by Bob Snodgrass, owner of Pac-A-Lite Mfg. Co., Mount Morris, MI
Pac-A-Lite Mfg. Co. was founded in 1945 by Bob Snodgrass. Located in Mount Morris, MI the company initially produced a combination cigarette lighter and molded plastic cigarette case; a product which was called a "Pac-A-Lite".
Snodgrass was also an avid hobbyist who built and flew speed planes and developed an interest in gas powered miniature race cars. Recognizing the availability of the low-priced, unpowered Thimbe Drome Champion toy race car and seeing an opportunity to transform that car into a competitive tether racer, Snodgrass used the resources of his manufacturing company to produce a drive unit which would enable the Thimble Drome race cars to be powered with one of several different model engines on the market at that time. He called the drive unit a "Mini-Mount".
In addition to the Mini-Mount drive unit, Pac-A-Lite also produced a wire bridle and aluminum bridle mount kit designed for the Thimble Drome cars in addition to a front axle fitted with a pair of machined aluminum ball bearing front wheels and knife-edge tires.
The Mini-Mount drive unit kit, the bridle bracket kit, and the ball bearing front wheels and axle kit could be purchased separately, or as part of a complete ready-to-race Thimble Drome Champion which was available on a special order basis. Like Henry Ford's Model T, a customer could order a finished Thimble Drome Champion fitted with Pac-A-Lite parts and the engine of his choice, in any color that he wanted ... as long as it was black with no decals or numbers.
The car shown in the photos was Bob Snodgrass' personal car, equipped with all of the components which his company produced. The car is unique, however, because it is powered by a .19-cubic inch model engine designed and hand-built by Snodgrass. Only two examples of this engine were produced, and they differ slightly in design.
The Snodgrass .19 model engine has a two-piece cast aluminum cylinder and crankcase, similar to the design of a Hornet .60 model engine, but with a front intake. The engine also features sub-piston induction ports directly below the exhaust, similar to those found on a Super Cyclone model engine.
