Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Greetings,Just joined this group to share what I have......an inline 6 cylinder air-cooled engine from a 1910 Cameron Car. It is mostly complete missing an original piston, rod, wrist pin and the exhaust manifold. It has gear driven twin cams, external rocker arms and valve springs, and the block and "oil pan" are aluminum. Best I can tell, the set screws holding the wrist pin in place let go and allowed the pin to slide back and forth in the piston/rod. The cylinder walls were grooved out nearly a 1/4-inch before something hung up and broke the piston and rod. These items were discarded. I inherited it from my great grandfather who lived and ran the engine on a farm in South Dakota. My grandmother remembered hearing it run in the early 20's and thought it was on a sawmill. My family remembers though his ultimate dream was to install the engine in an airplane. I guess when the piston broke the dream died and the engine got stored under a tarp in the back of the feed barn. In the 60's my grandmother brought the dirty/greasy engine back to Oklahoma with the intentions of passing it down to my brother and me when we came of "appreciation" age. My grandfather had a great time showing it to people because NOBODY knew what it was. Most people guessed it was an aircraft or boat engine. Grandpa died in the mid 80's never finding out what the engine truly was. Around 1990, I disassembled the engine and started cleaning it up. I was then that I found the Cameron name on the timing gear cover. The engine sat on the workbench until a few years ago when my dad finished cleaning it up and assembled it minus rods and pistons. He mounted it on a stand and attached a hand crank so that the engine could be rotated showing the motion of the camshafts, external rocker arms and valves/springs. We've displayed it at a few antique tractor shows in the past.The old farm in SD is still in the family and a couple of years ago I drove up to get an Oliver tractor I inherited from a great uncle. While there, my dad and I rummaged through the old barn where the Cameron engine spent most of its life in storage. There were a few old car and tractor parts still hanging on nails on the wall that looked like had been there for 50 years or better. Went upstairs and climbed through the grain storage bins. In one bin was a pile of old wood. What I found under the wood was a good as striking gold. Found an original Cameron connecting rod and a complete 6-cylinder magneto for the engine. I nearly fell over. I had never seen another Splitdorf 6 mag like the one on the Cameron and now I have 2!!Maybe someday I will have a set of pistons and rings machined and re-Babbitt the rods and mains and see if I can't get the old engine running again. I guess MY ULTIMATE DREAM would be to build a little nostalgic racer around this engine using maybe old model-T parts or something.My dad and I have about all the written literature on Cameron we could find but would be interested in knowing if anybody knows where a 6 cylinder Cameron car or parts might be? Thanks! Chad Warkentin McLoud, OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Chad, Thank you very much for posting this bit of history, reminds me of how the hobby was back in the 1960's when cars and parts of this vintage were discovered and writen about. Just did a quick read on Cameron and I'm proud of the fact that your engine was manufactured here in Connecticut. Hope you get it running some day. Please post photos if you can. This has to rank as one of the best intros to the Forum, Welcone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Hey thanks 1937hd45!! I hadn't thought about the Cameron in years so while sitting here bored to death at work I did a quick google search on Cameron and one of your earlier posts popped up on this site. So, I joined so I could do a search in this forum and decided to share my story. I also posted in the "horseless Carriage" forum to see if I get any nibbles there. After finding out what the engine was my dad started researching and found out there was a book published by William Cameron as mentioned by John Daly in an earlier post in this forum. My dad contacted Williams daughter only to find he had just passed away. Would have been really neat to talk to him. Dad purchased the book from his daughter and we have it in our collection along with some other stuff I think a library had mailed me years ago from the new england area.I will see if I can find some pictures to post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 Great story Chad. Welcome to the forum. I guess you now know that Bob/want1937's name is likely to be seen anywhere concerning historical interests. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> We'd love to see some pictures. Thanks again. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 We had a Cameron shown this year in our meets...I think it was a 1905. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 The Harrah Collection had a 1904 3 cylinder Cameron back in the Golden Era of that collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 My dad dug up and scanned some old pictures I took back when I first cleaned up the engine in my grandpa's barn many years ago. Used a cheap camera, B&W film and probably one of my first attempts at photography. Sorry for the poor quality. I remember being so excited tearing into this that I forgot to take pictures of the complete assembled engine. When it warms up I will plan to dig the engine out of storage and take some digital pictures on the display stand. Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 See attachment. Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Attachment #3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Attachment #4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Attachment #5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CameronAirCooled6 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Attachment #6. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 That was very Hi Tech for the era! Dusenberg used the same valve/rocker arm setup on their early four cylinder engines. Thanks for posting the photos. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 (edited) Greetings,Just joined this group to share what I have......an inline 6 cylinder air-cooled engine from a 1910 Cameron Car. It is mostly complete missing an original piston, rod, wrist pin and the exhaust manifold. It has gear driven twin cams, external rocker arms and valve springs, and the block and "oil pan" are aluminum. Best I can tell, the set screws holding the wrist pin in place let go and allowed the pin to slide back and forth in the piston/rod. The cylinder walls were grooved out nearly a 1/4-inch before something hung up and broke the piston and rod. These items were discarded. I inherited it from my great grandfather who lived and ran the engine on a farm in South Dakota. My grandmother remembered hearing it run in the early 20's and thought it was on a sawmill. My family remembers though his ultimate dream was to install the engine in an airplane. I guess when the piston broke the dream died and the engine got stored under a tarp in the back of the feed barn. In the 60's my grandmother brought the dirty/greasy engine back to Oklahoma with the intentions of passing it down to my brother and me when we came of "appreciation" age. My grandfather had a great time showing it to people because NOBODY knew what it was. Most people guessed it was an aircraft or boat engine. Grandpa died in the mid 80's never finding out what the engine truly was. Around 1990, I disassembled the engine and started cleaning it up. I was then that I found the Cameron name on the timing gear cover. The engine sat on the workbench until a few years ago when my dad finished cleaning it up and assembled it minus rods and pistons. He mounted it on a stand and attached a hand crank so that the engine could be rotated showing the motion of the camshafts, external rocker arms and valves/springs. We've displayed it at a few antique tractor shows in the past.The old farm in SD is still in the family and a couple of years ago I drove up to get an Oliver tractor I inherited from a great uncle. While there, my dad and I rummaged through the old barn where the Cameron engine spent most of its life in storage. There were a few old car and tractor parts still hanging on nails on the wall that looked like had been there for 50 years or better. Went upstairs and climbed through the grain storage bins. In one bin was a pile of old wood. What I found under the wood was a good as striking gold. Found an original Cameron connecting rod and a complete 6-cylinder magneto for the engine. I nearly fell over. I had never seen another Splitdorf 6 mag like the one on the Cameron and now I have 2!!Maybe someday I will have a set of pistons and rings machined and re-Babbitt the rods and mains and see if I can't get the old engine running again. I guess MY ULTIMATE DREAM would be to build a little nostalgic racer around this engine using maybe old model-T parts or something.My dad and I have about all the written literature on Cameron we could find but would be interested in knowing if anybody knows where a 6 cylinder Cameron car or parts might be? Thanks! Chad Warkentin McLoud, OKI stumbled on this old thread from 2005 about Cameron. I too am from Connecticut, btw. I am currently doing some research on Cameron cars to share with the local historical society, which was completely unaware that cars were built in this town, and that their headquarters is located within 1/2 mile of where these cars were actually built! I am not sure who was more surprised: the historical society to discover that cars were built here, or me, to discover that the historical society had no knowledge of this! This particular Cameron shop built the Cameron Six vehicles exclusively, reportedly 'from the ground up', but only for a short time. Hence my interest in Chad's engine. I have also heard that there is a Cameron Six somewhere in the SW of the US (formerly owned by Mr. Dunkelberger in PA), but I have no more specifics than that at this point. I would greatly appreciate any information, tips, guidance, etc., that any one may have in regard to anything related to this post from Chad, or anything else that is Cameron-related. The pics in the original thread have disappeared, unfortunately. Does anyone have them filed away? It appears that Chad has not been active in this forum since that time. Thanks in advance. Edited May 9, 2014 by tom82baur (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 He's on Facebook, still in McLoud OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 He's on Facebook, still in McLoud OK Thank you very much. I will try to contact him there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 He's on Facebook, still in McLoud OKThank you, John. I was able to contact Chad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Chad (above) and I have made contact and started a Facebook page dedicated to the Cameron Car Company. This is a starting point, and we are actively seeking any information that anyone may be willing to share in regard to Cameron Cars. Chad just sent me some pics of his Cameron Air Cooled Six, which I have uploaded to the Facebook page. Please check them out! Any help in gathering info on Camerons is greatly appreciated! More pics:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cameron-Car-Company/700550563317393?ref_type=bookmark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 As time goes on and technology improves 3d printing, CNC machining etc it may become possible to reproduce missing parts at a reasonable price, and put old motors like this back in commission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 If you are in the area YOU MUST visit the Nethercutt Collection. The 1904 Cameron that was once in the Harrah Collection is there and totally restored. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) I had the occasion to see Dick Shappy's Cameron this summer at the Klingberg Antique Motorcar Festival in New Britain, CT. Very interested in any info that anyone may have on the Cameron, particularly any Camerons that were built in Connecticut. Thanks in advance for any info! https://www.facebook.com/Cameron-Car-Company-700550563317393/ Edited October 10, 2018 by tom82baur additional material. (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom82baur Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I meant to include this above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Chad, what a tribute to your grand father to build a car around that engine. Even if you build an engine stand and just get it running would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I posted a 1903 Cameron here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?50130-Orphan-of-the-Day-04-04-1903-Cameron Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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