nzcarnerd

Check out - Mae Murray - IMDb - I guess the car is a Model A Duesenberg.

As both Studebaker and Apperson were in Indiana, I wonder if the same maker supplied their tops. Stude called them Duplex. Was that the maker's name or just a descriptive word for them?

It would be interesting to know if the shiny finish on the lights is chrome or stainless steel. I have not researched the history of chrome plating but most cars did not get it until about 1929.

Yes, looks to be a Paige. It looks big enough to be their bigger model 6-55 on the 127" wb. This one is on Disteel wheels.

Keiser, that pic of your's is certainly convincing. That is an unusual body style I have not seen before.

I agree it sounds like a good idea - it would be great to see it on the road in as-found condition - but it depends how bad it is mechanically. If those tyres have been on the wheels for long enough the rims may be rusted - I found that out the hard way many years ago with my 1928 wire-wheeled Studebaker.

As it has vent doors on the hood sides it is a 1931 model 355-A. Probably a standard Fisher-bodied five passenger sedan. Its restoration would have to be a labour of love - not an economic proposition. I have a 1934 Buick which is in the same category.

I spent three months in the US in 1978. I drove about 12,000 miles in that time - LA to Florida to do the POCI convention and then back to the west coast and then up to Washington state and back to LA. I wonder if my 1967 Lemans 2-door hardtop is still around? (Cal license TWZ970). In 1978 it had 98,000 miles on it. It was a 326 automatic. At the time I had not long bought my 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 4-door hardtop(which I still have). I was surprised to see very few of them as they had been a big seller when new (over 60,000 built) - I saw only two on the road while I was there. In 1965 they were just old cars and had not yet got to the collectible stage. I did not see one in a wrecking yard. A yard I remember - but can't remember the name of or exactly which town - was in central California - Merced maybe? - which had several acres of cars - mostly 1960s - , all separated into makes and models. I remember that the main transport around the yard was a 1964 Bonneville 'no-door' - a 4-door hardtop with its doors removed. A yard I did get some parts from was U&I wrecking in San Bernadino. I got a hood and front fenders and a power antenna, amongst other things, from a 421 '65 Bonneville 2-door.

You guys were keen doing a cycling tour. If you came back now - ten years later - you might think the roads were too busy - too many rental camper vans (RVs to you) being driven by tourists who are not accustomed to driving on the left, and too many big trucks. Currently the allowed weight is 44 tonnes but they are going to allow up to 53 tonnes on certain roads soon. At least it isn't as busy in the South Island as it is in the North Island which has three times the population. Sign writers are notorious for spelling mistakes and misplaced punctuation. The local port town is called Lyttelton (note spelling). At the yacht marina is a sign regarding 'learn to sail' which has Lyttelton spelt (spelled?) two different ways (Lyttelton and Lyttleton) in the text. We regularly pass a takeaway food shop which proudly proclaims that "we sale the best chips in town". Regarding the book about punctuation, I believe the Australian version of the expression is "Eats, Roots, Shoots and Leaves"!

Even aaca'ers are not immune to mangling words. Here's one from Dandy Dave in the general discussion thread last week about a Divco:- It looks as if the intake is intrical, or cast as part of the head. I like Divcos. My Father and Grandfather drove them back in the 30's, 40's and early 50's around the Trumble Connecticut area. Dandy Dave! I think he meant integral. Dave, I think you also meant '30s, '40s and early '50s! But of course if you were referring to a person's ages it would be 30s, 40s and early 50s.

I believe that in the old days if you worked at the factory that built Austin cars you worked at "the Austin".

A model of Japanese car that has been around a long time is the Nissan Laurel - I always wondered how it was pronounced in Japan. Celica is another one. A significant percentage of the cars here in NZ are imported second hand from Japan. Interesting that all Japanese domestic vehicles use the English language on their controls and instruments although all of the information stickers are in Japanese.

Another common one is 'rear tail lights' - perhaps that is to distinguish them from the front tail lights? Here in NZ I think the problem with printed car advertising lay with the telephone operators who could not distinguish between rare and rear - so when an uncommon car was advertised, often as not it was a 'rear model'. Many will recall the TV series Alf from the 1980s. There was a version of the BMC Mini called the Riley Elf. It was not uncommon to see them advertised as Riley Alfs.

On this subject, what is an 'original' mile?? Often seen in ads for cars in the US. Surely a mile is something that is 5280 feet long and a car only does each one once. Does it need to be described as original? Sometimes you wonder when a very rare model is advertised as having very low mileage whether it was unreliable or was awful to drive. Probably the most common mistake in English usage - by those with English as a first language and and as a second language - is the misuse of apostrophes. A common example is in dates (1970's instead of 1970s). Abbreviated it is '70s not 70's. I help edit our club's national magazine and misplaced apostrophes are the thing we fix the most in contributions. I have had discussions with Europeans over the use of the word original. Cars in for sale in Europe are sometimes described as having original paint when what they mean is that it has been repainted in the colour in which it left the factory. To me 'original paint' means that the actual paint which was on the car when it was built new is still on the car. I have a 1929 car which has its original paint and interior but had its body only (not the fenders) repainted in the 1950s. Unfortunately the respray is slowly flaking off and the original colours can be seen underneath. The paint of the fenders is now thin enough that the red undercoat is showing through. I took the headlights off once, some years ago, and the paint under the brackets was like new - shiny like patent leather shoes.

I know some of the details are different but the radiator is remarkably similar - From Maytags to Mercs | Wheels Galleries | Wichita Eagle - a Maytag? Found here - History Photos taken before WW2 - history in black and white - Page 324 - THE H.A.M.B. The one in the link appears to have only one side lever. I suspect the one in our mystery pic has been bent to make room for the driver's knee at the time of the car being hot rodded.

The Austin engine is big but not as big as the Pierce 66. I have some info for the 1914 models - the Austin 66 of 1914 was on a 141 in wheelbase and had a six of 4 1/2 x 6 bore and stroke for 572 cubes whereas the Pierce 66 was on a 147 1/2 in wheelbase and had a six of 5 x 7 bore and stroke for 825 cubes. For comparison the six cylinder engine seen in the many surviving six cylinder American LaFrance Type 12 pumping engines of that era - there is a 1917 example here in NZ (but originally from Iowa) - has a bore and stroke of 5 1/2 x 6 which comes out bigger again at 855 cubes. My book also shows a bigger LaFrance Type 15 pumping engine with a six of 7 1/8 x 8 which is 1914 cubic inches! I don't know whether there are any survivors of that model.

This is an old post but an interesting one. I agree it could be a Lexington. With that style of hood louvres it would be 1916-17.

Interesting that it made from several pieces which suggests the maker did not have a very big press. I guess to identify it you will have to go to some antique car shows and crawl under all of those that have belly pans. If you could track down the Hudson one linked on the bottom of this page it would be a start.

These are Bradfield cabs - there is a reference in The Standard Catalog - HC Bradfield was the former sales manager of Yellow Cab Co and set up on his own to build cabs, buses and trucks in late 1928. He contracted Kissel to build the cabs. The business seems to failed for lack of money. There is no information on mechanical details except that they were sixes when many cabs were fours.

This must have been during the winter - icy streets and no tread on the tyres make a volatile cocktail. A sign that this was a quality car is the seat upholstery - note it is not pleated but plain, which requires very good quality hides.

It is a 1913 Buick in its factory finish of grey body with black fenders. I am not sure whether it is a Model 31 or the smaller Model 25. Google it and see what you think.

There is a picture of a 1912 Model 42 Inter-State roadster in The Standard Catalog - a drawing from a photo? - most features are a match but the profile of the rear fenders is different from this car. I note that in that year they also did a smaller 30hp car on the same 118" wheelbase - maybe this is one of these? I see this car has not yet had its top fitted.

Looks as if they have begun with a tourer or roadster and removed most of the body but retained the seat unit and mounted it down on the chassis.

Maybe the same 1920 car as in pic #7?

This one is 1920.