Dixie Flyer "Firefly" speedster photographs.

[MochetVelo]

Could you say more about the obtaining your new transmission gears? Did you get them made in Australia? Were they case hardened? Any difficulties copying the old gears?

Phil

[oldcar]

Hi Phil

Yes the new gears were cut here in Australia. John Needham who runs "Old Car Gearboxes" has been a personal friend for many many years. His business as the name suggests is devoted to rebuilding manual transmissions for motor cars of all ages. This includes making new gears and doing things like supplying straight cut, close ratio conversions for racing MG.s He also has a conversion for Dodge Four gearboxes that enables the driver to change down to second gear with out slowing to a walking pace. If you would like I could send you his e-mail address.

Cheers

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Hi Alan

Thanks for your interest. No problems with the Doc. I think that with Christmas coming he need some extra cash hence all the tests, these included a brain scan! They actually managed to find it but nothing untoward inside.

Watch out for your fingers with the grinder.

Bernie J.

Cheers

[oldcar]

Hi all

Something different. I have recently purchased a set of four Gabriel Snubbers having advertised widely for the same.

One cross benefit to come from this was a phone call from a Sydney (Australia) based enthusiast who had a snubber adjuster for sale. Despite having only a vague idea what it was or how it worked I bought it. It was not a great deal of money and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

What all this is leading to is, does anyone know a source of the webbing straps for Gabriel snubbers?

[jan arnett (2)]

I have used towing strap material on several snubbers. Also look at belting material.

[oldcar]

Hello Jan

Thanks for the suggestion There is a belting manufacturer across town so I will check them out.

While on the subject of checking in and checking out, I have just phoned the Crown Plaza in Louisville regarding booking for June 30 to July 3 next year.

They are rapidly running out of rooms. We have secured our room so there is one less now. Don't leave it until next year!

Hope to see you there

Bernie J.

Here is the photo of the Snubber Adjuster I meant to add to my previous post.

[Guest 1928Packard526]

Bernie J. —

Snubber belting is available from the Restoration Supply Company in Escondido CA. They call it "Snubber Belt" and offer it in 5 widths from 1.25"—2" X 3/16" thick. The belting is only available in dark brown. I have used it on my '28 Packard and it has been quite serviceable. It is not cheap, @ $10-$14 per foot. Should you choose to investigate this source, their phone number is 1-800-306-7008.

Pete P.

[oldcar]

Tghank you Pete P

I will look and see if they have a web site otherwise will phone them once I work out how much I will need

Bernie J.

[Guest 1928Packard526]

Bernie —

My omission. Restoration Supply Company has two websites, www.restorationstuff.com and info@RestorationStuff.com.

Pete P.

[oldcar]

:)Thank you again Pete

I have been in contact and they are posting a catalogue to me (snail mail)

Bernie J.

Edited November 6, 2009 by oldcar
Omitted Capital letter (see edit history)

[oldcar]

Thank you again Pete:)

I have been in contact and they are posting a catalogue to me (snail mail)

Bernie J.

[20Premier]

Enjoyed the article about you car in Antique Automobile. Our cars have the same clutch, the Borg & Beck. My car is a 1920 Premier roadster. We are currently restoring it and I was just cleaning the clutch parts yesterday. Check out my pictures in Our Cars & Rest Proj.

[oldcar]

Hello

I have just received a parcel containing 4 Gabriel Snubbers, they look just fine but I still seem to need the brackets that mount them onto the chassis. Even a photo or drawing would help as I am sure that I could fabricate them if only I knew what they look like.

In the meanwhile I have plenty to keep me occupied with the body right now. Sorry but you may have to wait a little longer for photographs.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

OK we all make mistakes. I try very hard not to make expensive ones! Having now fully unpacked the box I find that my "complete set with matching numbers" Is one pair and two odd ones. They appear to be one right hand front and possibly one right hand rear. Perhaps some knowledgeable person can please identify what is what. It is always difficult buying stuff from across the other side of the world.

Can anyone please assist with a copy of a Gabriel Snubber service manual?

Bernie J

[oldcar]

Continuing the Snubber saga I am rapidly becoming the local expert.

So far I have sorted out that the ones numbered 118 and 119 are left and right hand front, that the one numbered 238 is a left rear for cars with 3/4 eleptic rear suspension (like the Dixie Flyer and early Dodge 4s to name a couple.

So what I am now looking for is a right rear, number 239.

Condition really does not matter provided the forging that makes up the mounting bracket and etc is complete and unbroken. I (now) have a spare 119 Right hand front that can become the donor for the tin-ware, mechanism and belt etc.

The big question is "Does anyone have a spare 239 snubber complete or incomplete and in any condition? PLEASE"

Also a copy of a service book could be of assistance.

[oldcar]

Those Gabriel snubbers.

Having stripped them all down I now know how they work and how simple they really are. (Photos later.) They appear to be in excellent condition. I have sorted out a pair for the front and will now modify the surplus front to match the mount to create a second (right hand side) rear then move on to the next problem. Meanwhile the first of the mudguards is well on the way to being as good as new.

http://forums.aaca.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

[West Peterson]

I don't know if this is of any help to you, but I saw these on ebay.

LINCOLN,PACKARD,FIAT,PIERCE,BUICK,AUBURN, GABRIEL SHOCK:eBay Motors (item 260511993993 end time Nov-30-09 17:15:30 PST)

[oldcar]

:)Hello West

Chris Ritter (Research AACA Library) has just sent me a bundle of adverts and a sales leaflet for Gabriel Snubbers. the latter gives me everything that I need to know including how to mount them to the Chassis.

I guess that you will have to wait for part 8 of Return to Louisville to see some of this. At least you will get to read it first.

Part 8 should be a extra large one as things are really starting to come together.

More latter.

Bernie J.

[jan arnett (2)]

Here is another set on ebay.

1920s Gabriel Snubbers Essex Maxwell Nash Ford Cadillac:eBay Motors (item 160380659448 end time Nov-29-09 18:05:00 PST)

[oldcar]

Hello Jan

Thank you for the message about the snubbers on e-bay . I now have sorted out a complete set of front and rear they are now fitted to the Dixie Flyer Chassis.

Chris Ritter, Research, AACA Library, has found and sent to me some original advertising material including some very helpful installation instructions. I can recommend the Library's service to anyone looking for printed material for their particular car no matter how rare.

Bernie J.

[20Premier]

Bernie,

I discovered that the spring in my Borg & Beck clutch is broken

Do you have or know of any springs ?

Chris

[keiser31]

Try Sam Jennings in Medford, Oregon at (541)773-4511.

[oldcar]

Sorry Chris, the only spare that I have is in several pieces. I was really relieved when I opened up the clutch on the "farm find" motor and found it in good condition. These clutches were used on a number of cars so finding one should not be to much of a problem. Try following up keiser31's lead.

Bernie J.

[Guest Backyardmechanic]

Hey Bernie,

When are we going to se some pictures of the body make over.Enjoying everything!

Vern

[oldcar]

http://forums.aaca.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

Hi Vern

Sorry, but you will need to be just a little more patient. The body is off the chassis and with a local restoration shop. I finally had to admit that the compound curves in the tail are beyond my limited panel beating ability. The four original mudguards are with another shop having the rather extensive rust removed and all the cracks and dents repaired. These are quite a complex shape, unchanged from the mid to late teens.

The seat and interior trim is mostly finished and look terrific ready to be fitted but first the body, valances & mudguards have to be trial assembled and then taken apart for painting. Another job that I prefer to leave to the experts with all the proper equipment and expertise. The original bonnet (hood) just needs a couple of minor repairs. Finally I have to take a deep breath and take all the bright ware to be re-plated. I don't know about the USA but chrome and nickel plating costs here have left the planet! All about health and safety laws that have put a lot of the older plating shops out of business. Problem is that in most cases their buildings cannot be used for anything else and usually have to be demolished and about 3 foot of soil from the site removed to designated "Toxic" dumps. Meanwhile the four snubbers have been dismantled, cleaned, painted and re-assembled and are now fitted to the chassis. Finally the gearbox is complete and installed so the drive line is all assembled, The only tasks left are to make the leather "muff" for the sliding joint on the torque tube and to make a new "ratchet" for the hand brake. Of course I still have to make some new brake rods too. I should have lots of photos soon but must save some for the Antique Automobile too.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Hi All

You have been asking for more photographs, here are a couple.

1. The new side valances. You will notice that these are folded rather than rolled. My theory is that the Wagon Company probably used the machinery they had already and were much more likely to have a "folder" that a set of rollers. The bonnet (hood) is also folded rather than "rolled".

2. The rear Gabriel snubber installation. These mount under the top spring the "tape" secured to a bracket fixed with the "U-bolts" under the main spring. The snubber adjuster shown in some earlier photos is used to tension the tape. without some "pre-tensioning" the snubbers would not work.

[oldcar]

:)Not a great deal to report on this week as I am still waiting for the new clutch pedal shaft to materialize. Meanwhile I have looked out an original wiring diagram and would like to know if anyone can tell me the correct colors and gauges of wire used in 1920s cars in the USA. It will be re-wired with correct cotton covered wire.

This morning I had a phone call from Keith Wilson in far away Queensland to say that he had finished the new wood rim for the steering wheel and that it should reach me early next week, so that is another thing that I will be able to cross off the list.

I have vowed not to even attempt to start the engine until I can sit in the car and drive it.

[oldcar]

As mentioned above I really do need to know the correct colors used to identify the wires in a typical early 1920s American Automobile loom. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have any amount of reference material for English Lucas systems. The Dixie Flyer uses Dyneto Starter and generator similar to Franklin and 1920s Packards.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Bernie J.

[unimogjohn]

Bernie, I bought all my wiring from Rhode Island wiring Rhode Island Wiring Service Inc.

Take a look at their wiring and supplies. They have some wire specific to different electrical manufactures (ie Lucas, etc). They also have complete kits that you might want to talk to them about.

With that said, I bought all my wiring and connectors from them for my 1923 McLaughlin Buick. I could not find any reference to color for the wires in my research so went with my gut feel based upon my original 1928 Buick. So I used solid red cloth wiring for the main power line going to the amp and ignition system; solid black for all grounds; a solid a black with yellow tracer for lights. You can use a different color tracer if you want to designate different systems such as the cowl lights, brake light, dash light. The electrical systems are simple for our cars, and are usually a direct connect back to the combo switch. I did not go with solid colors for anything other than the red as too many colors made it look too modern. Also they do have armored wiring and conduit where the wiring was usually exposed.

Good luck, and hope you find that spring.

[oldcar]

Thank you John

I have managed to source correct cotton covered wire here in Melbourne Australia from Paul Vermont at Vintage Wiring Harness. Once I bundle up all the wires in the required order and lengths Paul will even knit a vintage style "sock" for me.

Below is my shopping list for the loom. I hope that I have not missed anything

Dixie Flyer wiring colours.

Headlamps 3mm Y-B 7 metres Yellow with Black trace

Side Lights 3mm YxB 3 « Yellow with Black X

Tail light 3mm YxB 8 « « « « «

Dash 3mm YxB .5 « « « « «

Stop lamp 3mm R 8 « Red

Spot Light 3mm G 2 « Green

Turn Indicators

Switch to flasher 3mm Y 1 « Yellow

Right 3mm Y-G 10 « Yellow with Green trace

Left 3mm Y-R 12 « « « Red «

Magneto 3mm B-R 4 « Black with Red trace

Gen to Amps 4mm YxGxB 4 « Yellow with Greeen & Black X

Batt to Amps 5mm YxRxB 4 « Yellow with Red & Black X

Amps to switch 4mm YxG 3 « Yellow with Green X

Horn 4mm R-B 4 « Red with Black trace

« 4mm B 4 « Black

Conduit Large 60 cm

[oldcar]

Now if you have all taken in the above just to prove that we have not been slacking off while Unimogjohn is doing all the work. The post lady has just delivered the steering wheel complete with its new rim. I think that Keith Wilson has done an excellent job. Tomorrow morning I an going out to visit my new body man who has been slaving away to make the original mudguards presentable so hope to have even more photos for you.

Here are a couple of the steering wheel. I still have to have the centre plated and replace those nasty (temporary) Phillips Head screws.

[unimogjohn]

Bernie, the wiring color choices look great, and what a good looking steering wheel. I have been trying to keep up with you, and working on the Avanti diligently. I am following your efforts and can hardly wait till the body starts to take form.

[oldcar]

Hi John

I too am following your progress with the Avanti.

At least we don't have the cold to cope with but then some days when it gets into the high 30s and low 40s Centigrade it is difficult to work up too much enthusiasm. From one of your photos it would appear that not all your garages are heated either.

One of my sons has a Haflinger he is hoping to restore. But for the moment he is having fun building replica pre-1912-16 Board-track motorcycles.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Hi All

Well as mentioned earlier today progress is happening. I have been out to "Sleeping Classics" and they have certainly not been asleep. All four mudguards have had the rust removed and new sheet metal shaped and welded in It will not be until they have the chassis and body in their shop that they can do the final work before they can move along to the paint shop.

What you see here is a work in progress. The sections with black primer are the original metal. If you are sufficiently interested you can scroll back and see the condition of these parts 12 months ago.

Work is already well advanced with the body but that will not be ready to be photographed until after the Christmas break. At this stage it is still very much "in the rough"

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Can't find that photo of the as were mudguards. Here it is again

[oldcar]

I have been out to Sleeping Classics this morning an they have just about finished the upper-part of the rear section. What I would refer to as the tail but you may prefer trunk. Drat! I forgot to take my camera. I was traveling in Helen's Diesel VW instead of my little old Alfa 33. While out and about I called into Vintage Wiring Harness shop and collected quite a bundle of wire. The proper cotton braided variety no cheap plastic covered stuff for the Dixie Flyer. In total there is almost 250 ft of the stuff. Hopefully I can manage to run it all to the right places.

One thing for sure the loom is sure going to look pretty. Hope that you approve of the final color selection.

Bernie J.

Edited December 22, 2009 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

G'day

http://forums.aaca.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

As we Aussies tend to say. First let me say a Wonderful (White) Christmas and a Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all my AACA and oldcar friends. As a special Australian Christmas present to you all please go to Urban Birder to see just a little bit of our wonderful country and hear the sounds of some of our unique birds. Urban Birder is a web site run by my son Paul and his partner Nicole Spilane. Paul is becoming a well known "Bird song recorder" some of his recordings are just fabulous. These involve travelling all over our country and setting up his recording equipment at all sorts of ungodly hours 3.am is about the best time to start recording.

Anyway don't take my word have a look at the web site.

Cheers

Bernie J.

Edited December 26, 2009 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

:)Hello all you Frosties up there in the north of this funny old world. No we have not been snowed in or buried under snow drifts higher than the house! Here in delightful sunny Melbourne we have had a run of perfect days each around 25 degrees C. Christmas was good for us with most of the family including two of our three sons and our lovely daughter visiting on Boxing day bringing with them seven of our total of nine grand children. a great day had by all. Our other son together with his wife and two offspring had moved to Adelaide South Australia during early December.

In fact it has been almost too good to be wasted mooching around in the shed but I have a commitment to have the Dixie Flyer in Louisville Kentucky on June 30th so it is back to work if only for a day or two before disappearing to my sister's place on the coast to see in the New Year. How many of you realise that we get to see the New Year here in Australia almost a whole day before you. but more of that later.

As I have to have the chassis ready to go to Sleeping Classics early next week so that the body can be fitted albeit on a temporary basis. This needs to be done so that the mudguards can be trial fitted. If fact everything has to be assembled then taken apart for painting, so things are as promised really moving ahead.

One job that really needed to be finished was making and fitting brake rods but this could not be completed until after the gearbox was back in place.

As you will see while having brakes only on the rear wheels both the hand-brake and the foot-brake rely on the gearbox as a support for both the pedal shaft and the hand-brake lever.

Finally having decided that I was simply never going to find a suitable fuel tank I have had one made and now I have been able to fit this too and in the process make a new spare wheel carrier to be installed at the same time. I am very proud of this as it has been for the most part constructed from material that came with the "farm" engines. Anyone who cares to do a carbon-dating test on this will discover it is all 1920s steel.

Now for the photos. The first couple show the brake rod idler arms with the new clevis rod ends. Sorry all you people who have never owned let alone worked on a 1920s car with mechanical brakes this is all probably something totally unknown to you.

Next is a photo of the Grant Lees gearbox showing if you look carefully the unique system where the hand brake lever pivots in the same housing as the gear-lever.

Finally whilst the Dixie Flyer owner with a car delivered in its native Kentucky sat on the left hand side of the car and was well away from the heat of the exhaust the cars exported to countries that were at that time part of the "British Empire" sat on the right and so had to contend with well heated feet. This photo shows how the exhaust has to be routed down between the clutch and foot-brake levers. To overcome some of this discomfort the pipe is lagged in a modern heat resistant tape. The really keen photo viewer will have no doubt picked up my little exercise in double fixing. I really hate exhausts that leak and tend to drop off without warning! So in addition to the manifold clamp bolt I have included a short check strap running from under the head of the clamp bolt to a "keeper" welded to the pipe directly under the outlet end of the manifold.

Finally there is just one shot of the new fuel tank hanging from the original supports together with the spare wheel mount, this is still waiting on the retaining cap and "dog-bone" retaining nut.

Edited December 29, 2009 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

I could not resist the temptation! I have just walked to the door to take a shot of the evening sky with the sun about 30 minutes from setting. Not a cloud to be seem and another perfect if slightly warmer day forecast for new years eve. The experts tell us to expect temperatures in the low to mid 30s C. for the next few days.(high 70s to mid 80s F.) Sorry I just thought that you may like to know. Local Time right now 9.15 p.m.

Happy New Year

Bernie J.

[alsfarms]

Hello Bernie,

It must be nice to walk out the back door, this time of year, and not need a coat or rubber boots. I should send you a picture of the winter wonderland that is going on in Utah today! Snow today and tomorrow.

Thanks for the update and your pictures. Still holding my breath to see the body, of your own design, on the Dixie. Have you had the engine run in yet?

I diverged from old cars about Dec. 1 and bought an 18 hp Fairbanks-Morse stationary engine. The weather has been so cold and less than inviting to spend much time outside, so I have not even run the engine yet. It is my plan to run my Burr mill at the local county fair mid-summer to show how it was done.....a few years ago.

I have also gathered up a few more bits for the Alvis project, hope to have the DHC body wood repaired and reset on the chassis early spring.

Keep up the good work and keep us in the loop with your progress pictures.

Regards From the Frozen American West,

Alan