Ben Popadak

Back, I'm going to say 30 years ago, there was a half completed early 4 wheel steer automobile for sale at Hershey. I remember it having four wheel steer and I remember it having brass and I don't remember much else about it. The early automobiles were quite quick steering so to have 4 wheel steer seems to me to be a problem rather than a help. I also see the steering towers in back, looking brass, and brass in chassis components sure seems like a no-no to me. I do not have any photos of that Hershey automobile. The castings of the Hershey automobile at the time seemed like new construction. I do remember thinking (early 1990s??) that the chassis/automobile was made up and didn't represent anything built say in the early 1900s.

Connecticut 2028 is listed in 1905 as a Locomobile, owned by H.E. Bishop of Norwalk

Hello 61Polara, Charlotte people were always good to me. I can't complain. We must have passed each other over time at the Hornest's Nest meetings. I lived for 8 1/2 years in upstate NY and would on occasion go the the Albany Model T club monthly meeting. 20 guys at each meeting was not uncommon. After 15 years on the road I've lived my last 20 years back in Maine. Last week a guy came over a couple times. He's new to the area and looking for Model A guys. I told him the 10 ish guys I knew in the local area who had Model As. I left upstate New York and moved to the Charlotte area in 1997. I called the Charlotte Model T club. The guy told me he was the club. A guy called me up down there and just wanted to talk Model Ts. He had a 1915 when he moved to Charlotte and got rid of it as no one else had them that old. Went to many a Hornet's Nest meeting while there but never toured. In the parking lot of the meetings, an old 57 Chevy was almost unheard of. Only once do I remember a preWar car in the parking lot. For some reason an early 40s woody comes to mind. At the Charlotte Autofair, there were no older parts. Yes, I looked. My apologies if when I say NONE I don't mean if you searched the whole autofair, high and low, there wouldn't be something, but when you walk for thousands of flea markets to get to see a few parts, it's just not the same. Getting away from the original topic though. Guys go to Hershey to see the oldest, oddest, most unique cars and car parts of all generations. Guys from all over the US, Europe, South America, Australia.... Every year Hershey goes a little more to the newer cars, there's a lot more of the newer cars, its inevitable. However I worry that if the AACA were to open the door, would that guy from California, lug his car to Pennsylvania to show it off. Will guys from a 1000 miles away bring their best old car junk to sell at Hershey. Sad, just the way things are. Charlotte could never be Hershey, just a totally different car culture. Hershey could be Charlotte. Ben

Steve, Fair enough, you are the eyes and ears of the AACA, here on this website and in the magazine, but you shouldn't have to answer for every decision of the AACA. So I did just email the Director President and asked him to join us and perhaps explain what the intent was. I do hope he joins us. If the Charlotte Autofair is the direction of the AACA, I will be a little worried. I lived in the Charlotte area in the late 1990s and the early 2000s and belonged to the Hornet's Nest car club. Nice guys but NO old cars. An old car was a 1957 Chevy. Go to the Autofair and the vast majority of things for sale were newer, hot rod or Nascar. I think I'm not the only one concerned. Ben

I am sorry to object Steve. I understand your desire to calm the waters. However I have seen all too many old car shows become hot rod old car shows. Once the door is cracked open, they don't go back. I would rather go to a Hershey that was half the size it is today if it kept true to the old cars, rather than a Hershey that was twice as big and more dedicated to the hot rods. One major show, is it too much to ask? A year to let it play out and see how things work has already started an integration that the old old car guys can't, wont win. NOW would be the time to complain not when it's already started.

We will hold our annual gathering Of the Rambler and Jeffery Affiliated Register of the HCCA at Hershey on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 2:30 pm. Reggie Nash has agreed to host the event again at his spaces RWM 6-16 near the HCCA tent. Stop by and show us the pictures of your car, tell us about your Rambler/Jeffery triumphs and troubles and maybe show us your Hershey finds.

We will hold our annual gathering Of the Rambler and Jeffery Affiliated Register of the HCCA at Hershey on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 2:30 pm. Reggie Nash has agreed to host the event again at his spaces RWM 6-16 near the HCCA tent. Stop by and show us the pictures of your car, tell us about your Rambler/Jeffery triumphs and troubles and maybe show us your Hershey finds.

Hello Varun, I'm impressed. I went and checked with my Rambler guru as I thought the Rambler was a 4 cylinder. He told me the automobile was a 1907 Model 147 which I believe is basicly the same as the 1906 Model 14. 1907 lists 20 to 25 hp and it's the smaller of the two size, 4 cylinder Ramblers. I don't know of the dependability of the 4 cylinders Ramblers but she must have been a beast with the one and two cylinder automobiles of her time and it would have to have been a stand out Stevens Duryea to replace her. Also the 1905 license plate lists a 16hp Jeffery (sold as a Rambler) so the automobile previous to the 1906 or 1907, must have been a Rambler also. Ben Popadak

Rambler, Thank you MetroPetro.

Yes your light would be off a Premier automobile. Yes the light has been electrified and the reflector in the back and the electric socket on the bottom didn't originally belong to the light. Has all the looks of a Solar light of the 12 hundred series. The size of the light could better tell you the model. With Solar, generally the first numbers are the design year so your light should be roughly for a 1912 automobile. Normally the knob to lock in the front rim would be in the lower right hand corner as seen in the last photo and the knob would say solar and the model. Solar made a LOT of lamps for automobiles and many got their names on them. I'm sure it had to do with how much business you did with them. Well Solar is just about the best lamp as far as I'm concerned. They used a thicker brass and they are far less likely to dent or split compared to the thin brass lamps. I use to have sitting on my display shelf, 4 Chalmers script headlights that were pretty much copies of your light. Looked for years for your same light but with the Kisselkar script but that truck chassis is long gone. Nice piece.

Mine half a dozen years ago at the old owners garage. Hasn't progressed too much farther but it was reassembled for transport.

The screw holes look too nice. No wear, no marring from the screw head when it's installed. When I see a nice brass serial number plate and the screw holes are perfect, I generally assume the brass serial number plate is a reproduction. Nice quality pieces but I have to go with repro.

I read a while back, I think it was the inventory of the Bridgeport library and what they had in their Locomobile files. Always on the look out for more Locomobile steam information. I didn't see anything listed. Did you see anything early or steam?? Also if you like your Locomobile a little slower, please come visit up on the facebook Locomobile steam group.

Terry Harper provided photo of the 1902 Rambler in a previous post. The Rambler is today privately owned and has been on public display for quite some time at the Boothbay Railway Museum and before that at the Owls Head Museum. I believe the same family, father, then son, has owned the car since the early 1950s. I ever get my pile of Rambler reconstructed it will be because of all the photos I have taken of this car and the information it has shared.

Town is Bath Maine. I've read somewhere's that the building was unique as it was poured cement. The year I think was 1910 . There was a copy of an old post card of the building on ebay last week, don't know if it's still active. A couple months ago I got my own Locomobile but it's not a big one. Teeny tiny is more appropriate and steam, got to have steam.

I believe there is a list by Crosby of what year their gauges are by the serial number listed on the gauge. See if you can find the list on-line.

Mr. Tinkham had good taste in early cars. The first picture is as OLDCARFUDD stated, a 1904 Rambler. With the large radiator, it's the big 2 cylinder. An impressive car for her day, no slouch indeed.

I started this same post in the Horseless Carriage listing but hoping someone might be able to contribute. In the back of a trailer at Hershey was this early chassis. My guess on age was 1902/1903/1904. The rear axle assembly is typical of an early steam car. The front axle was round tube and typical of a circa 1902 to 1909 axle. Four full elliptical springs. An L angle frame and holes are largely absent. It appeared that there were the remains of 3 hard rubber tires with it. No not mine but it did find a new home with a friend. What is it?

In the back of a trailer at Hershey was this early chassis. My guess on age was 1902/1903/1904. The rear axle assembly is typical of an early steam car. The front axle was round tube and typical of a circa 1902 to 1909 axle. Four full elliptical springs. An L angle frame and holes are largely absent. It appeared that there were the remains of 3 hard rubber tires with it. No not mine but it did find a new home with a friend. What is it?

For what size gauge? What year? Most Grouts say Grout Bros. Is yours for a newer Grout?

Second car in line and half hidden by the gentleman in the center of the picture is a 1903 Rambler. The car behind that with a gentleman in a black suit coat, is a 1902 Rambler.

If the photo above is of an original Brush Liberty step plate then you should not need to cast up the step part at least. I've been looking for that style of step plate off and on for some time now. The step plate with a 5" diameter pad is used on the 1902 Rambler and one step plate on an original frame I have is rotted off at the step. I bought one similar off ebay years ago only to find out it was 4 1/4" diameter if I remember right. Too small for my needs but I finally got a 5" one a month ago. Keep looking on ebay for the 4 1/4" step. Be patient and use buggy step or carriage step to whittle down the pile. The down comer should be able to be reproduced by a good welder/ fabricator, should you get good dimensions. Good luck.

I was quite surprised to see your lamp as it looks like it is now self generating, but I agree with Sagefinds, I'm pretty sure the light was originally an oil lamp. All the parts of the main lamp are typical of an oil lamp. The lamp appears to be in excellent condition all around EXCEPT the large round copper disk in the middle of the lamp. That is very dinged up and doesn't match the rest of the lamp. I believe it was added much later. Also a self generating lamp has an upper container for water (the copper disk area) and the bottom tank would hold calcium carbide. Combine the two and it makes acetylene to burn. There would not normally be any room in the bottom tank shown for a basket to hold the calcium carbide powder.

In the last 10 years there have been two Brush websites that tried to do some of what you hope to do. Neither is active that I know of and I saw one of them a year ago and was surprised that it was still there when I found it. Some years back the gentleman who was pushing the Brush newsletter passed away and no one seemed to want to take it over til the guys from Australia did. They are trying to make a go of a small brand of automobile and I commend them for it. They seem to have tried to support and promote those who want to get parts reproduced including major engine castings. The AACA Forum Brush activity seems to me to be very, very light. So please forgive me, but there will be the Australian guys and you going after the same content and in a little while should you tire, another Brush website will be gone and the Australian Brush group will be on life support. I might ask that you contact the Australian guys and perhaps you could volunteer to help them rather than compete with them. Sorry, my take on it.