Speedway Mfg Co

[ron darner]

Hi, Hannah!
That SOUNDS like it might be from an entirely separate company, but . . . that's purely guesswork.  Any chance that you can add a photo?  Are there any musical instrument forums that might have similar areas for unidentified instruments?

[Hannah]

Here are the pictures of the Mini Bass.  My dad tried on the talkbass forums and the mini bass created quite a stir, however, nobody had ever seen or heard of such an instrument.  https://plus.google.com/101501955160136703348/posts/AmLfStB3tms

[Sharon Pikul]

Guys
What is amazing is that I grew up in LaGrange Park and my husband in Cicero.  We have a Speedway Blue Line Speed Circular Saw from his grandfather.  Until I found your site, we could not find out anything about it or the company.  The only thing we knew is that it was manufactured in Cicero, because the label said so.

In LaGrange Park, they were not to far from where I lived.  In fact we drove by there a great deal.  Their address was THOR POWER TOOL COMPANY 1421 Barnsdale Road LaGrange Park, IL  60525.

I have searched and searched everywhere and cannot find another one like it.  The side mount vertical motor is something that I have never seen before.  I have pictures that I would enjoy posting so that others could see it.  However, I don't seem to be able to attach them to this reply.

Best always,
Sharon Pikul

[ron darner]

Not certain, but very often, it is necessary to be a member of a forum in order to post photos (and sometimes, even to post hyperlinks).  You (and your husband) have a tool that fits into this section of Tool Talk - and there's even a suitable thread to start from! - so, why not sign in?  We hardly ever bite: this is probably the best-behaved forum I've ever been on, anywhere, in fact.  And we LOVE pictures.  You can even tell us a little bit about yourself / yourselves on the Welcome Board, if you'd like.

Another possibility would be to place copies on one of the photo-sharing services, and provide a link to that place.

I don't recognize the Barnsdale Rd. address, but most of their nameplates just listed either Cicero or LaGrange Park.  Some early ads listed numbers on S. 52nd, but that was long before the connection with Thor. Likely, official headquarters got changed several times, especially during the time around the purchase of Speedway.

[rusty]

> 1421 Barnsdale Road
Shows up in the 60's, 70's in newspapers...


Sharon, by all means, sign up and post pictures, we love pictures :)

[SPikul]

Here are 3 of the pictures of the saw.  Thought that I uploaded them to the picture section of the board, but could not find them.  I will be cleaning shining it up and cleaning it this winter and then post some better ones.

Enjoy,
Sharon Pikul

[Papaw]

Cool saw! I like the look of it, but question its comfort in use. Looks awkward.

[oldgoaly]

That's cute little bugger of a saw!!!

[OilyRascal]

It gets a 10 from me for the cool factor.  I'm with papaw on the comfort factor.

[turnnut]

Sharon, thanks for posting the pictures, I have never seen one like that.

the good part is the family histoty behind it. 

it also reminds me of a sign that was given to me long ago;

                           PRIMITIVES
         FOR THEM, THEY WERE NECESSITIES,
             TO US, THEY ARE HERITAGE.

[Colin]

Hello all,

I've recently had a Speedway Bench Grinder model 119 come into my possession.  Looks just like a 117, but I can't find any info about it.  Says Cicero. Illinois on it, Serial 529.  Any idea what year this might have been made or anything else?

[Bill Houghton]

Thanks, Sharon!  That's pretty cool.  And it demonstrates, again, that there aren't many new ideas.  DeWalt adopted a very similar motor orientation on its worm-drive saws for a little while:


I'm willing to bet the DeWalt marketing people were claiming (and may even have believed) that theirs was a radical new design.

It got good reviews, but the design didn't last (I had to go back to a 2005 tool review to find a picture); not sure why.  Could have been conservatism in the trade, or it could have turned out to be a badly balanced design; just don't know.

And welcome.  We hope you'll find this place enough fun to come back and visit.

[Old Slivers]

Hi guys,  I just bought a SpeedWay Speed Drill.  type 79 3/8 at an auction.  This thing still works.  Puts out lots of ozone.  I love the slanted pistol grip.  I've never seen one before.   Does anyone here have any info on this drill? 

[kelmeister]

I have the very same drill. Still works too. Don't remember where I got it.

[Twilight Fenrir]

I didn't realize Thor and Speedway were connected.... I've started grabbing every Thor power tool I come across, as I just love them. But my Grandfather had an old Speedway drill, presumably from the mines, which I inherited. It's really neat looking, I thought about restoring it and hanging it on a wall or something, though I don't normally do that. My old tools get used, like they were supposed to :P