It's a 1966-67, the engine is a 9hp. They are timed with the distributor like a car and they're tricky to get dialed in. Top speed was 26mph in stock form. Proving grounds in Ohio was a hill that the car must be able to climb in order to "Pass" inspection. One of our King Midget members owns the old factory in Ohio now and Paul can get you just about anything you could want or need. I've been the mechanic for two of these King Midgets and have videos on my channel that you can reference to see what is what and where things go. Also, you can email me and I can put you in touch with the ultimate King Midget Guru. Zip~

Wow, what an amazing find! Company was created by two WWII Veterans in 1946 and vehicles (road legal) were manufactured until 1970. It had a 9.2 hp engine (upgraded to a 12 hp Kohler in 1966), a two speed transmission and a top speed of 40mph (unless you fell off a cliff and then you might hit 60) and estimated to get 100 mpg. They made 6,000 of these (3 models) and they originally sold for $500.00 via mail order and in kit form (you assemble). It is estimated that only 1,000 of these still exist.

the Guy that got the $400 is the happiest guy in the world right now.

I remember as a young man seeing these in Popular Mechanics but I have never honestly seen one in person, not even sitting at some automobile show. I am 72 and have been to a lot of car shows. I want to see him get it going and driving it around.

Definitely restore it. Quite rare. There is a king midget car club, you should be able to find all the info you need. Awesome find!

Anyone else talking at the screen trying to tell him where parts go?

Mustie1 - you take on the most eclectic, cool projects. That is why we all admire & enjoy you so much !

What a nostalgia trip! My mother bought a brand new 1957 King Midget, nearly identical to your “junk pile.” Shipped from the factory strapped down on a couple of pallets. Cut the straps, pour in some gas and drive it home from the railway express office. When I got my license in ‘62, I drove a lot of miles around Nashville in that little car. You could, with luck, get it up to 45mph...downhill, and it would make it up most hills. It was tiny. It was quirky. But it was a ton of fun and you could run all week on 3 gallons of gas. Hers was the first year that electric start was standard equipment. The doors were plywood. And the windshield wiper was manual, a bent rod through a bushing at the top of the windshield frame with your fingers being the wiper motor. The gear box is just F-N-R. There are two pulleys on the input end of the input shaft with a ratchet between them. The engine has two centrifugal clutches, the inner one having tighter springs than the outer. That body part that puzzled you is the rear deck that the engine compartment lid hinges to. There was a large, simple canvas pouch between the seat back and the upturned edge of that pieces of metal to provide the limited luggage or cargo space.

There are several who specialize in these. Everything is available for them. Briggs v-twin is a popular conversion..

You see things on Mustie's channel you won't see anywhere else! And ending on a cliff-hanger! Reminds me of when I was a kid, and Batman and Robin were in big trouble... but you had to wait for the next installment... same bat-time, same bat-channel! Can't wait for Sunday morning!

Many are the comments both positive and negative, jus keep in mind how long mustie has been entertaining us. He is such a master in mechanics.

Thats not cloth, thats asbestos on the brakes!

This "DIY Kübelwagen" kit is going to be much easier to build than the Lambo.

Reminds me of when the chushman came home... We are in for a treat

"We're missing something" later becomes "Let's go and see what we can find in the stash."

Looks like my sons project. It’s a former Shriners parade Jeep go-kart with a Honda motor. Using your techniques, he was able to rebuild the carb and it now fires up on the first pull. He’s currently rebuilding the body. :)

For sale: King Midget, basket case, basket included.

One of the parts boxes had the ACME writing on it, making it a Wiley Coyote project vehicle. Not Road-runner approved. Narragansett Bay.

Mustie Hi from Texas! All I have to say is I like the fact I can watch your videos without hearing any foul language. Thank You!

My first time of encountering these vehicles happened in Athens, Ohio. I stayed at a hotel there one night as I was passing through the area. When I awoke, they were holding a small convention of King Midget enthusiasts with a car show in the parking lot! It was quite interesting to see 20-30 of them in various colors, years, etc... It's on the maybe someday side of my bucket list...

This thing needs to be painted to match the Econoline and live in the back of it. Sort of an automotive spare wheel for the the Ford breaks down.

Screams for a restoration series Mustie. Got my fingers crossed to see more of this one. Weird stuff is always fun. Keep up the great vids :)

Hey mustie1, my name is Dominick . I live in Connecticut. I'm a big fan of your Channel. I'm a couple years younger than you and I have the same sickness you do LOL. I have been tinkering with cars motorcycles mini bikes go karts, pretty much anything with an engine all my life. you're teaching me a lot about carburetors. I was always intimidated by them. Keep up the Great Tech. I loved the Yamaha 175 revival! I had a Suzuki 100 Enduro when I was 14 years old. The sound of that 2-stroke brought back so many memories! I wish you great success. Thank you and stay safe..

After watching this episode, I found multiple sites re: the King Midget following. Quite a group of people in the midwest that have King Midgets. 60+ owners and midgets met for a large rally in Ohio. Multiple sites/owners provide good history on the midget. These sites should be of considerable help to you in piecing together the rebuild of your bundle of "trash". VERY INTERESTING project!

Had a King Midget when I was 10 years old. My dad licensed it and was the only chain driven car in Michigan at the time. My brother and I drove it around the neighborhood until someone called the cops on us. Recall it was painted white.

There is actually a lot of information on line about the King Midgets with a lot of pictures. The only thing I didn't see in your parts pile was the Shriners Fez hat. Those King Midget were real popular in the 60's & 70's for Shriners parades.

I've never seen or heard of these cars. I bet google are wondering why so many folks are searching for them all of a sudden. 😁

OMG a King Midget! It's your moral imperative to restore that car!

PLEASE more videos on this weird little thing! I find it strangely cool and it seems right up your alley. would be awesome as a rat rod beach buggy of sorts, but honestly whatever direction you choose to go with it turn that camera on and take us along for the ride! keep up the great content mustie

Oh Mustie! This is the project I have been waiting for. Its going to be right up there with the Meter aid!

Got this from the KM club - Dry and Orcutt introduced the Model 3 King Midget in 1957. The basic body design of this model was used through the end of production. Other significant changes included unit body construction, with the frame and all fixed body components welded together for strength, four wheel hydraulic brakes, and 9.2 horsepower. As time progressed, other improvements evolved. The Philippine mahogany doors were replaced by aluminum doors and, near the end, steel doors. The electrical system was upgraded from 6 to 12 volts in 1961. The old standby Wisconsin AENL engine was replaced by a 12 horsepower Kohler K301 engine in 1966. The clicker low speed pulley was replaced by a silent Borg-Warner one-way clutch in 1967. The brown canvas top was replaced by a vinyl covered black or white top. An optional electric windshield wiper was offered, along with a windshield washer, radio, carpeted panels, floor mats, safety belts and new paint colors: Corinthian white, Rangoon red, yellow, blue and aqua.

I've seen a few Mustie1 videos and this looks to be one of the more challenging ones. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Loving this one Mustie1 I remember when you got the fork lift saying there where big plans ahead... Loving the new shop...but it was nice to get a glimpse of the original the other day. Peace Charlie 🇬🇧

MUSTIE1, I JUST FOUND OUT THESE KING MIDGETS WERE BUILT IN ATHENS, OHIO. THEY STARTED BACK IN THE '50s. THERE IS A PLACE CALLED MIDGET MOTORS LOCATED IN NORWALK, OHIO. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET PARTS THROUGH THEM.

Awesome find. Look forward to seeing what you do with it. Thanks for everything you have taught me.

Watching you try to piece it together makes me think of the first builder(s). Someone back in the day spent a lot of time and effort and treasure to make this thing in the first place. It would be fun learning more about them while watching you bring it back to life. One description I saw said it was "a cross between a golf cart and a lawn mower." Seems pretty good.

This is why I don’t let my buddies come over and drink beer when I’m working on my rides...cool find Mustie.

0:34 that yellow car is a Daf, I never knew they were imported into the USA. Funny little car from the: van Doorne brothers in the Netherlands. They were the inventors of the CVT (constant variable transmission) That car has that CVT wich is called Variomatic. 2 belts driven. Engine is from Renault so it should not be to hard to get parts for. It might be an interesting project for you Musti?

I remember these a neighbor had two of them new in 1965. One for husband and one for the wife to go back and forth to town on the back roads. The largest of the Wisconsin's were 9.2HP in the sixties models. If you had more than that it would have had a 12.5HP Kohler. If you have a 10HP it may be a replacement for the original that may have been unrepairable. There is a club for these you can reach out to who might be able to help with missing parts. Good luck on the project. Hope to see it all finished soon. I will be waiting patiently. Have fun

Dear Sir, As a kid growing up in the early 1960's I saw the Midget King ad's in some of the Hot Rod or Popular Mechanics magazines. I was always interested in them, being a farm kid with no money it was always "what if"?? Then Vietnam was hot and I was called shortly after graduation. Now at 75, spending 17 years in foreign countries around the world I still have the fascination. Because of my military career with injuries, I can no longer drive. I still would love to see this. Funny, my wife is from the Philippines and not much over 5 foot, could be a perfect fit. Thanks. Love to see it completed.

Yours is a single speed transmission, not the two speed automatic. The two speed auto had two pulleys (one large, one smaller) and belts driving the trans. The shifter on the trans is only F-N-R. Your Wisconsin engine is a 9 HP.

Oow look at that cute little Daf, that would be a fun car to see featured on this channel. A bit of Dutch pride over in the states, can't be many of them over there.

That's a cool project you have D , cant wait for the follow-ups on this build Stay Safe all ...Mac

Excellent. Saving this for a relaxing lunch! Tomorrow!

those 2 rings may hold a generator on the rear panel. i found a pic on the doing a quick websearch on king midget images and found a pic that it looks like the same engine setup, with a belt going to the rear left hand side (from drivers position facing forward. . we never got these in Australia, so will be great to see this put together. search on "can't sleep rear-engined front drive" images, there's a yellow bodied engine bay which shows the layout nicely.

A DAF!!!!! In the USA!!!! Makes me proud to be Dutch.

Your best bet is to contact the King Midget club. Nearly every part of that car is available either new or good used. You got a screaming' deal on that thing. That model KM in running condition is worth $3000 or more. I have seen customized examples go for $11,000. If the engine is shot, let me know I have a 12HP Wisconsin which will run. As long as your crank shaft is good you can make it work. The engines in King midgets had special crank shafts which were longer to accommodate the dual clutches. I have also seen Briggs Vangard and Predator V twins adapted to these cars by using a CVT drive to replace the dual clutches. BTW the transmission is a forward-reverse only and it HANGS from the mounting bracket by the u-bolts. The guys in the KMC are a great bunch and will be happy to help you in any way they can. Please register your car with the club. They have a roster listing every car KM made and the current owner. A great find, Darryl! Congratulations!

That is definitely a basket case. But I imagine Sir Mustie will get it up and running. Thanks for sharing.

That turn signal switch was a common auto supply item in the 50s to add signals to cars from the 20s to the early 50s that originally came without them. Signals were options after the war for some brands. Hand signals were the norm till then.

Looking at the paint and texture of the metal those quarter panels look like they're from a different car. Almost like the previous owner hacked out a load of rusted metal and cut the new ones to fit and never did the welding. Also, as others have mentioned, the brake liners potentially contain asbestos fiber so be bloody careful with them.

I once saw someone who paid $10,000 for a bare shell here in Australia. It was a shell for a Holden Monaro, HK model(1968-69 year models).. Admittedly it had been acid dipped and the rusted areas cut out and replaced and given a base coat to protect it. The particular car is a two door and very, very rare today. Moral to the story? $400 for a rolling shell with a pallet of bits to go back on it, is a bargain for something unusual. Will be very interested to see what you do with it and will enjoy watching the process!

I was waiting to hear it run. Thank you for sharing .

Looks like you are missing a generator, probably what those other strap brackets are for.

Darren I think, this one is going need every bit of ingenuity you can muster! If anyone can do it my guess would be you. You have other car projects that need to see the light as well.

Fenders cut.... maybe we're gonna try and put big tires on. Maybe a mud buggy. Would need a much bigger motor. Looking foward to future vids on this one!

4 bills is more than plenty for a carcase, Iam sure you will have some fun rehabing this rig.

For this model, the headlights go on the fenders, hence the bracket. The trunk cover isn't original, it's supposed to have a curved lip. Someone put something so water doesn't go in the engine area. And the holes on the weird puzzle piece, around the curved rim are the caps for the roof. Shame about the tires, those are original factory ones :))

"Some Assembly Required", with no Instruction Sheet.

One of my favorite things you have worked on. I look forward to much more of this.

As a kid growing up in the late 50's and early 60's my hometown was not far from Athens Ohio. My Dad drove a route truck for a towel and uniform service. He serviced the place where the King Midget was built. I was more than interested in motorized things and Dad would come home and tell me about the little plant and how neat these cars were. Being pre 16 I thought it would be the greatest thing to have one. I never did own one or see one in person until recently there was one cruising the streets of Waverly, Ohio. That was great to see my first one and I'm 66 years old. So when I saw you had one I was 12 all over again. I'll be very interested in watching the evolution of your King Midget !

Ah, another Mustie1 Project, just the thing for a lockdown....Stay safe everyone...

Almost 33 minutes and mustie hasn't finished it? He's slipping.....

fantastic find mustie i cannot wait to see if the engine runs it gave me a memory of my wisconsin just like this one that i brought back home from when i was in the army cant wait until assembly starts ill be inpatient until then stay safe your friend mike from TEXAS .

Only Mustie1 would find a matching wheel to the rare vintage mini-car he just bought, same day, at a yard sale, for $2. Bravo.

The shriners might need that for a parts car.

I've seen enough mustie to know this is going to get rustored and not restored :P Cool project though, look forward to it running around on the road.

Who else searched Midget cars and saw all the Mustie1 comments on the videos? This guy is a legend.

Can't wait for it. Reminds me of the Meter Maid truck. That was where I discovered Mustie

There is a guy in Ohio that has redone 10 of them. He’s on KZfaq!

Hey brother if your going to tease us like that at the end, you could atleast wear a little lipstick... hahaha... one of those I'll give you $20 bucks just to look at it.. cant wait for the next vid! And thank you so much for sharing noggin power with us!

The Wisconsin is the AENLD, rated at from 3+ hp to 9 hp and features a reciprocating exhaust valve for even wear. The transmission is, as you have determined, has forward, neutral and reverse. The clutches have the low speed clutch to power up to about 25 mph when the high speed clutch over rides the low speed and can take to up to 50 mph, more or less. I had one of these back in the late 60's. Being a right rear wheel drive you had to let off the gas when turning right and step down on it for left turns. Later I had one that used the 12 hp Kohler. It could hit 65 mph but the engine sounded like it was wound way too tight at that speed. And yes, I was happy when someone "found it" in my barn and bought it. It was a fun car but my concern was any kind of collision with another vehicle would likely prove fatal.

This is going to be interesting. Looking forward to this build!

The yellow car is a Dutch one (DAF)

cant wait to see what you do with this. would be fun to see some V-twin or something put in it but might be a bit much

It would make a wicked golfcart! lol Something drunk people could drive around a retirement resort....or a pro class street racer! I always enjoy these videos,thanks for posting.

Absolutely stunning. You think you are looking at something hopelessly dead and it probably is for a common mortal. Then comes Mustie and suddenly the dead thing takes shape and comes back to life. Fascinating...

Chances that Mustie will get it back together and functional: 100%. Chances that the original engine will stay in place permanently: 0%.

Ha! I’ve toured the “Factory “ and have their sales brochures.

I remember as a kid seeing these in parades in the 70's back in Ohio. They were very cool. Looks like you have a great winter project!!!! Good Luck. Can not wait to see your vision for the car..

I had seen the directional switch before. My dad installed turn signals on my mothers '53 Chevy with an aftermarket kit. The wheel, like you found out, is the cancel unit and is operated by the steering wheel.

Looks like a gas powered barbie jeep

Sand blast and prime every piece of metal before starting on the rebuild.

I had one of these when i was about 10 or so , drove it mostly on private road , sometime rural public road , early 60s , broke down a lot , dad had friend fix it all the time , we kids loved it , did about 35 , use to sit on front fenders with legs around the bug lights !!!

King Midget made in Athens Ohio from 1946 to 1970. First model was a single seater with a wooden frame. Yours is the third model, made from 1957 to 1970. Engine most likely a Wisconsin 9HP. The last few years were slightly more powerful Kohler motors. Transmission 2 speed automatic plus reverse. They made their own transmission, it had 2 belt drives with 2 centrifugal clutches, low gear clutch took hold first, when you got going fast enough the second speed took hold. Chain drive to one rear wheel. Headlights go on top of the front fenders. There is a King Midget club and a web site. I am sure you can find all the information you need to restore your Midget. Right after WW2 there were probably a dozen attempts to launch a new car company in the US. There was the Tucker, Davis, Kaiser, Frazer, Playboy, Keller, Bobbi Kar, Crosley and others. Of them all King Midget survived the longest. I find that fascinating.

Mustie1, That’s gonna be one heck of a build. Too bad it’s to big for little kids (real little kids like Josh).

I was praying that it was the yellow car, next to this bucket of bolts!🤦‍♂️

*GREAT FIND!!!!!* Years ago i seen one in person, But rear end was upgraded to one from a John Deere gator. and tons of Frame upgrades , they had a Vtwin on her.

This will be fun Mustie!!! Keep going on it!

You can put it back together and then sell it to the Shriners....

It looks like a poor man's Jeep 400 bucks I don't nobody that would buy that take care of mustie1 you've hit new levels

King of the Midweek! Thank you.

Hah, perfect cut at the end👍. Cannot wait for the next installment!

You know it's bad when you have to google it to find out out how it should look...

Are those front turn signals from a bug? It sure is a friendly little car, it waved at us (rear fender). For more pep how about a 420cc v-twin and torque converter from go power sports?

Looking forward, to the rebuild.

Fun to hang out with you!!! Part 2, cant wait!

i would have gone for the little yellow car behind it during the intro! looks to be a DAF, built in Holland it looks to me that the engine cradle swings to allow belt tension to stay constant as the variable pulley on the engine changes diameter. maybe there's even a cable to control the swing allowing the belt to slip for a "neutral"! definetly qualifies for the world's worst car award!

I’m thinking this just might be a great little rig for a 10 - 12 year old to scoot around the neighbourhood in his/her own rat rod. Fat tires and an enlarged go cart steering setup, just a thought👍

The Shriners used to have several of these they drove in a local parade every year . Had them all decorated up . They do help lots of children which is great .

I'm glad you saved this one... those are so awesome. I'd swap a small motorcycle engine into it, but whatever you do with it, I cant wait to watch it!