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Gunsmoke last won the day on July 15 2018
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About Gunsmoke
- Birthday 03/15/1946
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Nice looking project, you might ask administrators to move topic to another forum such as Restoration projects and retitle to "1922 Chandler Restoration" where you can continue to show progress over the next few days, months, years, decades, all in one thread.....LOL
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These type leaf springs are engineered just the way they are to provide comfortable, safe and durable performance. De-arching can usually lower car without changing the engineering very much at all, however a 10 ply spring is a lot to de-arch. However removing leaves does alter the original engineering, and weaken the assembly as well as affecting ride quality, and depending on leaf(s) removed, may cause a leaf above it to snap in a pothole encounter. I would never suggest removing any of the top 3 leaves. If it were me, and removing a leaf or 2 got me to where I wanted to go, I would be removing the lowest and 3rd lowest of plies since they don't contribute as much to the ride comfort and flex the least during a rough ride. As most on here know, the Departments of Motor Vehicles typically frown on any changes to original suspensions for safety reasons. Finally, it is important to retain the spring clips to ensure springs stay in alignment and act as a unit during operation.
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I see the 1941 Mercury had a crease above windows on door post, so I'm thinking most likely a 1940 thru 1946 Ford Co. product. Might be Canadian and as such may have had some sheet metal variations?
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I have a couple of Chrysler ignitions with what I believe are likely original BASCO keys, although they are slightly different. The first one is a Briggs and Stratton key stamped J 286 (with key ring attached) and came with an original Chrysler combined ignition/coil as shown (not sure if it is 1930 or 1931). The second key is also Briggs and Stratton, and came on a similar but not identical Chrysler ignition, but this key has no number, slightly different shape, suggesting it is a copy of an original. My guess is you are looking for a key similar to BASCO J 286 shown. However, you need to be more concerned with what ignition lock you have to fit it in, so your existing key should tell you if either is a match. Most locksmiths can make a proper key for your ignition, but finding the proper BASCO blank may be a challenge. Hope this helps. BTW, if you were interested in buying the above mentioned BASCO Key and ignition/coil as shown, let me know. The ignition piece can be easily removed from the coil and used on a similar coil, but the button that protrudes through the cowl may be lightly different. The ignition on my Roadster came without a key and I had a Smith make a pair, but he had nothing similar to BASCO blanks. I've added a photo of my newly made keys which were cut to suit an original CD8 Ignition, note as Greg says below it is cut only on one side.
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Any one who has undertaken the task of "fully" restoring a 90 year old car, or has footed the bill to have others do it, knows several important things. While the initial condition of the car is a key factor, there are important other factors, such as the quality of the original make, completeness of starting project, availability of factory original parts, availability of brand specialists, the standard of fit/finish expected by owner, and the sheer number of pieces and complexities of the vehicle. Some owners will gladly prefer a shiny new Repo door handle at $45, rather than pay $500-$1000 to have an original restored and re-chromed. Some owners would prefer a $3000 overhaul of a running engine to perhaps 75% of it's original HP, while another wants a full factory spec engine at $50K+. Some will consider "naughahyde' upholstery at $1500 purchase price while another demands meticulously matched leather at $20K. One owner will settle for sandblasted spoke wheels with patina pitting and paint, another will require al new spoking. I could go on, decent re-chrome or touch-up versus mirror finish, period correct harness materials right down to connectors versus modern basics, reasonable "fit and finish" versus "perfect fit and finish etc. Most well heeled and knowledgeable owners understand you "get what you pay for". and they know where to get it. They also know some cars are worth a seemingly extravagant investment as the car and the company it will keep is exceptional. On the other hand, most ordinary cars we drive or restore can never rise to the "exceptional" level as they were never that from the outset. Lately I see owners expending $40K to restore a 1931 Chevrolet, another spending $100K to restore a lovely car like a mid '30's Auburn. Next door I see an owner spending $250K to restore a 1969 Roadrunner. I don't judge any of them, they have the car they want and are spending as much as they think is reasonable. As for the Duesenberg that is the subject of this thread, no doubt the owner could spend $100K, or $500K, or $2M restoring it, and in the end it will depend on his/her wishes, their resources and the company he plans for the car to keep.
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I agree with VC that both are circa 1909 Cartercars, and we do see several variations, rear seat, tank on running board, windshield, side lamps, etc, not to mention background mural. Interesting that driver and passenger look like same people, just switching places. Could these be staged for a dealer selling Carter cars over a couple of years? Some other reason same 2 guys wanted a staged photo?
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Oh my, you are testing our tolerance! Based on door configuration, if a Chrysler, likely started life as a 4 door sedan like this one, with a full frame, chopping off the top was not a big deal. Pull off bowtie on front, that may expose grill and help with establishing year/model.
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1926 Chrysler Imperial Roadster Body
Gunsmoke replied to Graeme C - Silverwings's topic in Chrysler Products - General
Got a chuckle when K31 posted pics of the '31 Chrysler CD8 rear tub. As an indication of how scarce these pieces are, a friend of mine eventually bought that tub and brought it from out West to Maine in pieces as he primarily wanted the deck cleats for his Dodge DC8 Roadster. I bought the rear quarters and deck from him in 3 pieces and rough as they were. they were invaluable in enabling me to complete the rear tub for my CD8 rebuild. I still have the rear deck panel if anyone needs one! -
1932 E-1 Cord Experimental Limousine
Gunsmoke replied to George Smolinski's topic in General Discussion
Hmmm.., then what would you call it? Serves a purpose I suppose, sort of like a "pushup bra". -
Old Cars (How many of you remember Ralph Nader?)
Gunsmoke replied to dodge28's topic in General Discussion
While pondering the "Unsafe at Any Speed" catch phrase coined by Nader as a pseudo expert/opportunist, his thesis has largely been dismissed over time as unreasonably alarmist, and perhaps self serving. While he focused on the early Corvairs, the 30M plus VW Beetles sold worldwide are a testament to their acceptance by the motoring public as a good, safe car, especially as a low speed A-B means of transport. Having owned a '59 Karmann Ghia back in the '60's powered by a Corvair engine, I understand the unusual driving characteristics of such a combo, especially the light front end. But I loved the car's performance, look, and rarity, and never encountered an issue in 4 years of driving. However, such an anecdotal story does not mean it was safe! More critical for all of us is who is rated today as making the safest cars? One recent report places the top 15 companies for safety as : Genesis, Volvo, Tesla, Mazda, Subaru, Ford, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Hyundai, Audi, Honda, Toyota, VW, and Nissan. Note some ranked for their luxury models only. For the mass produced cars most of us might buy, the top 7 leaders are: Mazda, Subaru, Ford, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, VW and Nissan. My question is. Are many of us really influenced by such ratings? -
1932 E-1 Cord Experimental Limousine
Gunsmoke replied to George Smolinski's topic in General Discussion
I must confess that I have rarely if ever seen a "limo" that looked good. In the vast majority of cases, they are assembled by taking a nicely designed car and chopping them in half, adding a center section, lengthening the chassis, and perhaps even raising the roofline, adding some bells and whistles (fake landau bars for example), larger wheels. None of the resulting modifications from a styling viewpoint, usually have been run by the original designer. The buyers/owners usually don't care, they buy them for prestige. There have been exceptions where a designer was intimately involved, a few Rolls Royce customs, the Bugatti Royales perhaps. So, the OP Cord fairs pretty well by comparison, there have been thousands of ugly limousines. -
Thank you Mr C for taking the time to photograph and share your show. some very nice stuff.
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I now see after some Google work, Washington Island is part of State of Wisconsin, who knew! Long way from Pontiac Mi.
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While the old quote "All real estate is local" may be a truism, it will only apply to old cars in a limited way. A better truism is "Supply and Demand". In any transaction, both supply and demand affect price. A 1948 Buick is not likely anyone's dream car, but for a Buick lover, it might be high on a list of favorites. Depending on the model (4dr sedan or convertible), condition (1 or 10), and proximity to home (5 miles, 1000 miles), it might be in demand for a small group. On the supply side, in any given area, there are usually lots of older "common" cars available at a price, and condition and rarity often rule. This supply/demand formula can be broadened considerably for rare and highly sought after cars (let's say the $100K +market), when the marketplace becomes no longer just local, but national or international. But that is a different playing field for most of us.