StanleyRegister

1913 Paige is a solid guess, but not the right car. Here's my 1913 - notice the upsweep curve in the top of the front doors, heading for the cowl. Also the gas filler cover in the right side of the cowl. A number of other cars ended up with this flat-dash, recessed-sidelight appearance when they went to electric lights. Haynes, DeSoto (not Mopar), Reo, and Henderson were a few. Unfortunately this doesn't quite match any photos I've found of those cars, either.

It is a bit puzzling that the car seems to have a dropped front axle, yet has no front crossmember in the frame. Maybe they ruined an axle and the factory sent a newer replacement? The car does look like it's had a hard life.

It is strange. I had posted to that thread, and was receiving notifications of follow-ups fairly recently. Now I don't see the posts in my history, and I can't find the thread.

Here are a couple of other photos of Brause in his '08. I think this is the same car as the "pickup" in the Forks Hotel photo. I love seeing the siphon hoses at the ready in all these pictures. Not too many houses with garden hoses along those mountain trails.

Ah but it is a Mountain Wagon! The second and third seats were detachable to create a pickup truck if you wanted. This one really looks like a 1908, to me. Notice especially the flared flat wood front fender, with the metal brace to hold it up. The driver even resembles Jack Brause, to me. Here's another photo of an '08. In addition to the flat fenders, notice also the 3-venturi burner, an unsuccessful development that didn't survive 1908.

These are both outstanding photos. On the first, note the little square-looking arrangement of pipes, near the right front spring. This was connected to the acetylene tank, to provide a handy torch to use when heating the burner during firing up. Notice the differences in the second photo - just a few years have brought a much stronger frame with a front crossmember, and heavier wheels, as well as an additional seat. Still the same powerplant, though. In fact, they made a 5-seat version as well. The only remaining factory-original 5-seat Mountain Wagon is in the Marshall Collection, where I'm happy to be able to volunteer - http://auburnheights.org/collections/automobiles/1915-stanley-mountain-wagon-model-820/

What's the price history been like over the past few years on Craigslist?

As of today, it's "$87,500 or best offer", at the top of the HCCA classifieds at the previous link.

I don't usually like browns, but this one really works.

I'd like to make contact with anyone who has old photos taken at Bridgewater, or has a list of cars that were there. I've been working for several years to learn more about the two Stanleys that were in the collection - so far I haven't found anyone who remembers them. Someone who took a number of cars after the museum closed in '89 has said he doesn't recall seeing either car, so presumably they left earlier. The existing photos of the two cars appear to be from the '50s. If I can get an idea how much later they were still in the collection, it complete the picture just a little bit further. Feel free to PM me if you wish. Thanks, Kelly

I'm guessing that the main reason to study comparables is if you want to sell it in a hurry. In an estate situation like this, the car will clearly sell. That will be because the seller has adjusted the asking price until it is correct. It may just take longer to learn what that correct price is, if it turns out that the starting ask was pretty far away. This is why I like the reverse auction. Start high and subtract $1,000 per week, or so, until somebody can't stand it any more and has to grab it. This approach does require a lot of visibility, though.

Thanks Terry.

Looking for a tour-proven, pre-'16 T, with a strong engine and good brakes, and a Warford. Kelly Southeast PA

Fantastic photo, by the way. And I have to agree - no suspension, toothpick frame, spoon brakes - some people must have been a bit more cavalier about their personal well-being, way back then. PS. Forgot one attachment... Was there some rudimentary rack-and-pinion going on for the steering?

That would probably have been Harroun getting ready for the 1907 meet at Ormond. 120 mph in that puppy! You've got some real excitement coming... "Freak" was a word that was in general use for cars that were prepared specifically for speed attempts, and not intended to be roadworthy. This car ended up being nicknamed the "Sneezer", and apparently that wasn't meant to be flattering.

At first I wondered if this really was a car engine. it seemed to have 4 heavy mounting lugs on one side, and 4 more, at a different orientation, on the other side. Now I think they may have been for stiffening cross-rods. There's a chain sprocket, but no mounts for auxiliaries like pumps. It certain differs in many ways from the typically-found Mason & Locomobile engines. http://www.steamcar.net/mason.html http://www.angelfire.com/space/peterbrow/locomobileengine.jpg

If you can let me know how to contact you, I'll send a list of all the specific parts I need.

Anything still available from the Dodge? I'm looking for springs and steering parts.

Hi Bob, Here are some photos of Flohr with the car in 1970. http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/flohr-chalmers?autocorrect=none&phrase=flohr chalmers Kelly

Hi all, My dad had a '31 Buick Model 57, serial number 2580817, since the mid-50s, before he was married. My sisters and I grew up in this car. He sold it in 1982, and ever since then he's been hoping he could visit it one more time. Can anyone help me find out where it is now? It was purchased in Aug. 1982 by J Walter Pratt of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Bob Whitaker, the dealer who bought it from Dad and sold it to Pratt, says that Pratt really liked Buicks, but he didn't keep them too long. He suspects that Pratt sold it in another 5 years or so. Pratt passed away in 2012, so I can't follow up with him. Below is Dad's description - photos from 1982 are attached. Thanks for your help, Kelly Williams Mount Joy, PA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The serial number is 2580817 and the plate is located on the outside of the car's frame just to the rear of the right front wheel. It is not an engine number. Some identifying features: The car model is a series 8-57, the smallest of the four series for the 1931 model year (50, 60, 80, 90), but a later 8-57. It has an 8 cylinder engine, 1931 being the first year for the Buick 8s. It was fitted at the factory with a series 60 transmission and full floating differential, ie, flexible shackles at both ends of the rear springs. The solid bar bumpers are also 60 or later series, the earlier 50 series having split-bar bumpers. I added the turn signals and the spare tire cover. The car is authentic and original in every respect (except the paint) and it had all its original accessories (with the exception of the spare tire lock cylinder and gas cap), including the original set of keys and bumper jack and lug wrench. All of the door locks worked and the windshield raising mechanism was operational. The windshield could be raised an inch for full width behind-the-dash to floor ventilation, or it could be raised the full about 3" to allow air flow to the entire interior. The interior upholstery was original. The car was originally titled as a 1930 Buick, but this is incorrect since all the 1930 Buicks had 6 cylinder engines. I'm guessing that if the car was bought late 1930, when the new models were coming out, it could conceivably have been titled as a 1930.

Thanks Ron. This is a project car that was built up around 1970 on a Dodge frame & front end. The serial # on the frame is A 815-579. It looked like that put it between Oct 29 and Nov 3 of 1926. Interestingly, the small leaf of the front spring has "11 26" stamped in one half. The other half shows DB 22041, which looks like a '24-'27 part #, according to another page I found online. I was kind of hoping that meant that other parts would interchange in those years, and improve the odds of finding stuff. I couldn't find any numbers on the tie rod, but the axle has E22644F DB266 cast into it.

Hi, I'm looking for front springs, a tie rod, the small springs that go in the drag link, and the ball on the steering arm. Thanks, Kelly Williams Mount Joy, PA

I'm working on a put-together car that has the frame and front end of a late 1926 Dodge. It was assembled about 45 years ago. I thought the steering was a little stiff so I greased the kingpins - big mistake. Now it has a death shimmy if I hit a bump with one wheel at low speed. I've pulled the front end completely apart and found plenty of wear. It looks possible to get a lot of new pins, bolts, bushings and shackles from places like Myers and Romar. But I suspect the biggest culprit is slop in the tie rod ends. The existing pins don't look worn where they touch the yokes, but they really rattle around in there. It doesn't appear that the yokes themselves are bushed. How do people go about returning them to a nice close fit on the pins? Thanks, Kelly

Keep 'em coming! Allred was one of the chief Stanley technicians of his time. I'm hoping that some of his correspondence or paperwork has survived, and that I'll be able to study it in detail some day. There is a wealth of puzzle-solving info that can be gleaned from even the smallest offhand comment in material like this. Kelly

There has been one significant propane-related fire in a Stanley. I haven't heard of any others, large or small. In 1969, the owner of 1917 Stanley Model 728 #17292 (see Stanley Register Online - 1917 ) took it to a parade at Knott's Berry Farm. He had converted the pilot to run on propane. A witness observed him fill a spare tank that morning, failing to follow proper practice with propane tanks. The spare tank was placed on the floor in the rear seat area. As the day warmed, the spare tank released propane into the rear seat area. Since propane is heavier than air, it collected in the well between the front and rear seats. A passenger lit a cigarette and caused a rapid and violent fire. There were fatalities, including the owner. The car was driven from the scene. Knott's Berry Farm permanently banned the presence of steam cars on their property. This incident caused considerable debate in steam car circles about the use of propane. 40+ years later, some insist that propane should not be used in a steam car for any purpose. However, many steam car operators use propane pilots today; they tend to be more reliable than vaporizing pilots. And such discussions generally fail to note the long-term successful use of propane as a vehicle fuel inside buildings (forklifts). Every liquid or gaseous fuel carries significant hazards. When each is handled with the correct care, it serves without harming. Practically speaking, using propane for the main burner would probably be unsatisfactory. 1) Its energy density is lower, as pointed out by the previous poster, so more gallons, and thus more weight, would have to be carried to travel the same number of miles. 2) It requires a heavy steel tank, which would be challenging to locate on the car and add even more weight, reducing fuel mileage further. 3) It could be difficult to find propane refueling service during extended tours. Although I have to admit it's getting harder to find kerosene these days. Kelly P.S. ligurian, is that a Model F you're building? Looks nice...