Rick0matic Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Here is a tow truck that was converted years ago. It belonged to Doc Smith's Garage in Kingston NY and was auctioned off with all the other assets after owner Clayton S Elmendorf died and the business was closed back in the 1970's. If anyone has any detail on Doc Smith's I would appreciate it. One of the other cars auctioned was a big Minerva sedan but I have no other detail on it. Would love to know more about it. Meantime, please help me ID this car/truck for some fellow Kingstonians. Thanx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Some higher end makes with large cars made tow trucks. I don't think it's been converted. If the photo was a little better we might be able to identify it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick0matic Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 Dunno why but I seem to think it was a Lincoln or maybe a Pierce. Does that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Here's a 24 Lincoln wrecker that does resemble yours. The windshields were boxed out on these sedans including yours. The drum headlights were up to 26 followed byconical but your fenders have more rake or less bend behind the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Aren't those drum headlights? That would peg it to be not later than ca. 1927. Am I imagining that I see a vertical line to the right of the word "night"? If that is what it is, it could be the outline of what once was a rear door, and a clue that this wrecker was nicely converted from a passenger car. That was most often the case. The front bumper doesn't seem to look right for a Lincoln, but could have been changed. These vehicles were commonly seen with a hefty plank up front in place of the original bumper, a modification for push-starting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 If you read my last post you will see that was my point about the drum headlights, The conical or acorn type came out in 27 and was the model for the Model A in 28. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Henderson Posted May 11, 2013 Share Posted May 11, 2013 "Ca." means approximately, and my comment was a generality and not pointed toward a specific make. While Lincoln changed from drum headlights in '27, it hasn't been established that the subject tow truck was in fact a Lincoln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Somebody here simply replaced the back seat of an old touring car with a boom. Anybody recognize the car? By Raceron1120 on HAMB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick0matic Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 I am pretty sure it was a conversion from a 4-door sedan. There appears to be the back end of a rear door showing as a vertical line. Also, the molded line along the roof top ends abruptly at the rear and probably would not look like that if it was originally designed as a truck cab. I remember this truck in service when I was a kid back the 1960's. I believe it was painted green. Can anyone determine from the details just what it might be and a year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 (edited) I found a larger version of the photo on ebay.click on it. Edited May 13, 2013 by Bleach (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrhd29nz Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Somebody here simply replaced the back seat of an old touring car with a boom. Anybody recognize the car? By Raceron1120 on HAMB.Im thinking this is a 1921 hudson 4 passenger speedster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Thanks,Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Pretty sure it is Lincoln as defined in the previous posts. Appears to have biflex bumpers, and the little eighther (well, they use the term quarter windows) windows anglingfrom the windshield are quite definitive. I am still not 100% certain about it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shawnk Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 The truck is a 1927 Cadillac .It was converted to a tow truck at doc smiths on Clinton Ave. in Kingston N Y before ww2.It had two transmissions that allowed it to crawl up any hill and winch anything from anywhere. sadly after the truck was Bought by Michael leopold owner of Michael Chevrolet in Kingston ,It was being transported south and the transporter flipped and the truck was destroyed (as I was told by a long time doc smith& michaels employee Ken Blankshan who has since passed). I will post clipping about the Minerva that mentions auction and tow truck at a later date Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Thanks for straightening us out on that Shawnk. Welcome to our little lovenest and I hope you come back regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 So Lincolns AND Cadillacs had the "eighters". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodfiddler Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Trying to help you Dave...Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 The 27 is getting further away with the suicide doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick0matic Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Shawnk - how do you know so much about Doc Smith's? And please send me any info you can on Clayton Elmendorf's Minerva. I have been looking for details and a pic of this car for over 30 years. I was at the auction when it sold back in 1974 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shawnk Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shawnk Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 I started in the autobody business in Kingston when I was 14. I knew and worked with all the old timers that had worked at Doc Smiths ,in the mid 70s.The auction was 11/4/72.The newspaper clipping was given to me by one of the guys I worked with before he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JV Puleo Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 (edited) Here's one unaltered. This was my first car... purchased in 1970 for $1500.It was registered as a '26 and I only learned it was officially a '27 years later.Aside from a paint job done in the early 60s, it was completely original and often disparaged by the local old car "experts" because I declined to restore it. Edited June 1, 2013 by JV Puleo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick0matic Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 Thank you Shawnk. I used to deliver parts for Schaller's and later for H.F. King. I will bet our paths have crossed somewhere. I remember a rather short guy who was the painter at Doc Smith's, I think his name was Tuttle or something like that. Please feel free to message me if you have any more info on Doc Smith's and the Minerva. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 (edited) Peerless had the "eighthers" in the 20s, too, on the 1924 and 1925 6-70 closed models like 5-Pass. Sedan and 7-Pass. Limousine. Edited June 5, 2013 by jeff_a (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prs519 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Now that you mention it, so did Marmon. Perhaps those little windows were the usual, rather than the exception, for the higher end cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 If fourths are quart-ers,eighths should be pint-ers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodfiddler Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 (edited) I thought I'd add a few more that had the "pinters" windshield windows.1921 Birmingham Sedan, 1922 Washington Deluxe Coupe, 1925 Luxor Taxi, 1927 Pierce-Arrow 7 Passenger Limo, 1927 Pierce-Arrow Model 36.I'm still looking, but have run low on time. Thanks everyone for the opportunity to learn about these neatly optioned cars.Chuck Edited June 11, 2013 by Woodfiddler Add forgotten info (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodfiddler Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I forgot one one more that I had saved, a 1925 Marmon Series 74 SedanThanks again,Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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