Just picked up a Thomas Wacki Chopper!
- Thread starter novadose74
- Start date
I’m after one of those seats and a spot brake! There are nos and repop clutch covers and even some 3D printed mini covers (not me selling) on eBay. I bet you have a lot of fun with both those bikes!
Edit: as I check eBay there is a $320+ Spot brake. (SIGH) I’m on the fence about just buying it anyway. Not sure yet.
Edit: as I check eBay there is a $320+ Spot brake. (SIGH) I’m on the fence about just buying it anyway. Not sure yet.
Very cool.....Did you know that the Thomas family are the ones that actually started Clinton engines there in Michigan? In the 50's he expanded and bought the Iowa factory, In the late 50's he was trying to expand more and was bought out by an investment company....which were the ones that ran it into bankruptcy and Marty Hoffinger is the one that bought it and brought them back into production (he made the Lomart bikes couple of years after purchasing Clinton engines). Part of the property or at least next door to the original Clinton factory (which was a power station or something like that at the turn of the 20th century) is the address they used for the Thomas Mini bikes/products. in the 70's......They only seemed to use Tecumseh engines though for some reason.
Useless fun facts I dug up one day while researching and connecting dots
Useless fun facts I dug up one day while researching and connecting dots
Markus -- there is a great little museum in Maquoketa, Iowa where Clinton Machine Co. moved to in 1950. I went through the tour with the VKA (Vintage Karting Association) when we had a race in Delmar, Iowa. Very worthwhile tour if you ever get the chance. I always thought Briggs was the biggest until I got the tour and got my education. When Don Thomas died in the mid 50's and then got purchased by an investment company is when things started to go south. They made a lot of different things and sold engine kits for father and son to put together. The tour guides were very good and could answer many questions raise by the people in the group. Several of the guides were ex-employees that had worked at the factory. One of those things to put on your bucket list when driving through Iowa.
Very cool.....Did you know that the Thomas family are the ones that actually started Clinton engines there in Michigan? In the 50's he expanded and bought the Iowa factory, In the late 50's he was trying to expand more and was bought out by an investment company....which were the ones that ran it into bankruptcy and Marty Hoffinger is the one that bought it and brought them back into production (he made the Lomart bikes couple of years after purchasing Clinton engines). Part of the property or at least next door to the original Clinton factory (which was a power station or something like that at the turn of the 20th century) is the address they used for the Thomas Mini bikes/products. in the 70's......They only seemed to use Tecumseh engines though for some reason.
Useless fun facts I dug up one day while researching and connecting dots
Useless fun facts I dug up one day while researching and connecting dots
