FAQ of Pedal Cars and Pedal Planes
Regarding new reproductions pedal cars.
Q) Are they suitable for children to ride in?
A)Yes, they're certified to be child safety approved, and they're
made of the same gauge steel as the original cars, they're not fragile,
they'll last for years.
Q) Where are they made?
A) The pedal cars and airplanes are made either in China or in Korea.
Q) How are they shipped and what does shipping cost.
A) We ship by UPS and FedEx. A lot of our products ship for free to
the lower 48 states. We generally do not ship overseas because the
cost to ship a product is prohibitive.
Q) Are these accurate reproductions of the original cars?
A) They are very close, the same in size, but some variations were
necessary in order to meet today's more stringent safety standards.
Q) Is there some assembly required?
A) On some cars there is, although some come with no assembly required.
Regarding restoring old pedal cars.
Q) Do you have parts?
A) Pedal Car Parts are available from www.pedalcar.com
They can ship immediately. Some parts may take a while.
Q) I've got this old pedalcar and I want to restore it, how do I
start?
A) Step one is to identify it. See if it looks like any of the cars
on our pedal car ID page. Most of
the cars shown there were made in several different variations, such
as firetruck, taxi, ranch wagon etc. Your car may not be exactly like
one shown, but if it looks like the body shape is right, the parts
are probably compatible. Once you
know what it is, you can decide how much time and money you want to
put into restoring it. If it is going to be used as a child's toy,
you would do a different class of restoration than if you were going
to keep it as a collectible or sell it. Knowing what it would be worth
after restoring it will affect that decision.
Q) Are there things I should look for on a pedalcar?
A) Yes, check to see if the body is metal or plastic, metal bodied
cars are generally easier to restore and worth more money. Also check
to see if it has hubcaps on it and whether they're metal or plastic.
If they're plastic, check to see if there are 3 spinner bars, if so
your car is an AMF. If they're metal, see if there is a logo stamped
in them, if it's an M in a circle, your car is a Murray. Murray and
AMF cars are two of the more commonly found pedal cars around. Look
for decals with model numbers or names or logos. See if the car has
two or four headlights.
Q) What's my pedal car worth?
A) There is a very wide variation in the value of pedalcars, some can
sell for more than $ 20,000, some can be found at flea markets for $
20. Naturally, the condition matters a lot, a car with heavy rust may
not be worth restoring. AMF cars tend to be on the lower end of the
price scale with cars generally selling for $ 50 to $ 500. The AMF Mustang
is an exception to this, they will bring $ 300 - $800. Murrays will
go from $ 300 to $ 3000. A car with the Steelcraft name on it always
brings a premium, they are regarded as premium quality in design and
construction, and are more rare.
Q) Would my pedal car be worth more if I left it unrestored?
A) Only if it was in exceptionally nice condition. If it has any rust,
or dents, or poor paint, it will be worth more restored. The exception
to this is a car that has historical or unique design value, such as
a pre-war tandem car or a one of a kind car.
Q) I want to put new tires on my car, but the old tires have a wire
running through them, how do I deal with that?
A) Most original cars had wired-on tires, but generally today tires
are replaced with "roll-ons". There is a way to wire tires
on, but it's difficult and expensive. To put a roll-on tire on, you
must first remove the old tire by either cutting the wire, or uncrimping
it. Then, warm up the new tire by putting it in the oven for 20 minutes
at 200, and stretch the tire over the rim. To determine the correct
size tire to order, measure the wheel diameter from edge of rim to
edge of rim (do not include the tire in this measurement). The two
most common wheel sizes are 6 1/2in., and 7 1/2 in.
Q) Are there reference books you recommend?
A) Yes, for general information about pedalcars, CHASING THE KIDILLAC
by Garton is very good reading. For identifying various models by reviewing
manufacturers literature, the 5 book series EVOLUTION OF THE PEDAL CAR
has become the standard reference among pedalcar hobbyists. For "how
to" shop hints I suggest PEDAL CAR RESTORATION AND PRICE GUIDE
by Gurka.
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