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Gunsmoke

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Posts posted by Gunsmoke

    Lubrication of Front steering/kingpins 1931 Chrysler

    in Technical

    Posted

    The instruction book for 1931 Chrysler CD8 stipulates lubricating steering spindle (king pins) every 500 miles with "fluid gear lubricant" using a high pressure gun at the nipples. I think kingpin bushings are grooved. Also, the tie rod ends and drag link ball joints should be lubricated with same product (they also have nipples). What are some of you using? I contemplated using a grease gun with a thinnish grease, but was thinking perhaps a heavy oil instead (600W cylinder oil), or about 300 weight modern oil. Recommendations?

    Please ignore this repeat of my other post- Lubrication of Front steering/kingpins 1931 Chrysler

    in Technical

    Posted · Edited by Gunsmoke (see edit history)

    The instruction book for 1931 Chrysler CD8 stipulates lubricating steering spindle (king pins) every 500 miles with "fluid gear lubricant" using a high pressure gun at the nipples. I think kingpin bushings are grooved. Also, the tie rod ends and drag link ball joints should be lubricated with same product (they also have nipples). What are some of you using? I contemplated using a grease gun with a thinnish grease, but was thinking perhaps a heavy oil instead (600W cylinder oil), or about 300 weight modern oil. Recommendations?

    At what point are vehicles no longer considered to be "original"?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Gunsmoke (see edit history)

    I have a couple of old car friends, one has a 1934 Buick Club Sedan, 2nd owner, stunning car, low mileage, never been touched restoration wise, all original paint, interior, brightwork even engine has only ever seen routine maintenance. The other fellow has a circa 1929 Essex Sedan, 2nd owner, bought a few years ago with only 9000 miles on odometer, again all original paint including some wear on pin striping, original interior, brightwork and again only regular maintenance on engine/mechanicals. Both of these cars are widely known locally among "old car" people as genuinely "original", even if they have a few miles on them. At car shows I routinely see/hear other car owners (with new paint jobs, rebuilt engines, new chrome, etc etc) refer to their cars as "original", when parked near these 2 truly original cars. What can one say? It's the nature of the hobby, and does it really matter. People who know the difference, know the difference. People who don't know the difference or who don't care, well they just move on. 

     

    Debating the topic does very little except to separate the people who know and care from the people who don't know or don't care. 

     

    BTW, read this morning's Hemmings blog about the largely original rare 1916 Stutz Bearcat bought at Auction in 1996 for circa $200K. New owner sent to a specialist with directions to return the car to it's original condition as close as possible, largely by removing a poor 50-60 year old paint job taking it down to the original paint. Wonderful looking car, coming up for auction again soon, I expect it will bring a bundle. Will it be considered some definition of "original" (it has replaced Houk wires), time will tell.

     

    At what point are vehicles no longer considered to be "original"?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    This topic has been discussed so many times, and the consensus answer always seems the same. "A car is only really original once, the day it leaves the factory".

     

    After that time, it gradually becomes a used car, with normal wearables replaced in short order (tires, wipers, bulbs, belts, plugs, etc) and eventually longer wearable stuff like engine rebuilds, wheels changed (wood spokes to wires), shocks, exhaust systems etc. Then comes the cosmetics, repaint, interior upholstery, and brightwork. Of course everyone of these short and longer term re-dos can as closely as possible match the manufacturers spec as car left factory, but regrettably it is never again "original".

     

    So that is why I prefer (for largely original cars the term "Survivor", which implies the car has survived the rigors of decades of wear and tear, and remains largely as it was manufactured, including original paint and interior and mechanicals (although possible rebuilt engine, brakes etc).

     

    Beyond the "Survivor" definition, any other level of re-built/restoration/modification, needs a thorough description, and it is always better in my experience to simply be honest, describe where possible how the car came from factory, and any consequential changes made, i.e. any parts replaced are like the original parts, including paint color, upholstery fabric, etc, or have been changed such as original color was Serge Blue, now it is Forest Green, original was brown leather, now grey broadcloth, original was wood spoke wheels, now wire spokes, original had 289CI engine, now 427CI, etc. My 2Cents worth. 

    • Like 6

    Can take more photos of frame

    in What is it?

    Posted

    Still enjoying your updates CG. The presence of the "hidden" door hinges suggests car was flipped over with body most likely attached although nothing's for sure. Presence of a spark plug may also suggest car may have been partly disassembled and everything tossed in a pile. Regardless, an archeologist would have had a grid laid out and recorded exact location of everything found in order to reconstruct the scene from 80 years ago. I assume you are doing that every evening!!! 

    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 2

    Chrysler Model 77 roadster, how to remove seats?

    in Chrysler Products - General

    Posted

    I've spent some time studying the attachment methods and workings of seats on these Chrysler Roadsters circa 1930 (mine is a '31 CD8). Many I find have a fixed bench seat and a split back. The passenger side back has a "double hinge" as shown in an earlier photo. I assume that serves 2 purposes 1. It holds the seat back from moving forward when braking. 2. It allows for seat back to be raised in an emergency (by lifting it from bottom edge) to access the rumble seat area: for example if R/S lock broke, you could access the latch from inside.

     

    The driver side back has the handle on top which operates a scissor type mechanism (like on a scissor jack) fastened to the framing behind the seat driver side back to adjust 2-3 inches back and forth based on driver preference. Note the back cushions ride on top of the seat base. I don't know how many years/models shared this split seat system. 

    Ok Guess what my new toy is that is forcing me to sell my Hudson Pickup

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I'm even more envious than you might know. A stunning car one can cruise leisurely with, a happy wife (and ergo happy life), the best design lines ever produced in North America, and not afraid to drive it for ice cream and coffee. I'm still amazed modern companies are not producing a small number of high quality runs of classics like this, and perhaps new regulations will lead to some doing just that.

     

    My Dad was a mechanic, and during WWII while serving in the Canadian Navy out of Halifax, he recalled to me in the late 1980's about walking up Spring Garden Road (the posh shopping district) one day in 1941 when he came across a 1936 Auburn 2 seater convertible (his terms), and was just stunned. He said he stood in awe for a few minutes looking the car over from all angles, before continuing on his way. My Dad (who at the time owned a '36 Auburn Sedan which he said was his favorite car he ever owned)) was never one who was easily impressed, but that car knocked his socks off. Yours does the same for me. Good taste never gets old.

    • Like 1

    The 1931 Basic Car Lineup

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    At a car show back in 2015, as event was winding down I asked my friends to line up this foursome of manufacturers offerings for 1931. My '31 Chevrolet Deluxe Coach (under restoration)(627K Chevs built that year), David's '31 Studebaker (49K built), Dave's (since deceased) '31 Dodge DH (56K built, 162K for Dodge/Plymouth)), and Larry's '31 Ford Model A Tudor (542K built). Interesting that body lines are so uniform, a comment we often hear today about all the lozenges currently being offered. For 1931, other top models production wise were Buick 88K, Pontiac/Oakland 86K, Hudson/Essex 58K, Willys/Overland 74K, and Chrysler 53K. Other models were Oldsmobile, Nash, Auburn, DeSoto, Hupmobile, Cadillac/LaSalle, Packard and Durant in top 18. The following year, in midst of depression, production dropped by about half for most models.

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    • Like 12
    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1

    Can take more photos of frame

    in What is it?

    Posted · Edited by Gunsmoke (see edit history)

    Keep on going, I'm diggin' it! Can't wait until you have that chassis upright, and we can have a full view of it. Appears one engine side pan is still in place. If it were possible to age the tree(can you count rings on one of the cut pieces) one might be able to narrow down just when carcass was placed there. Note what appears to be the 2 rear engine mounting brackets are offset, likely due to frame distortion.

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