Gunsmoke

I helped a friend put one of these back together 6/7 years ago, a project his Dad had begun 50 years ago and never finished. This is a '27 Landau Coupe, and he has painted it same colors as yours. In his case, his Dad had finished the drivetrain and chassis and passed away 10 years ago. 50% of the wood framing was missing and we had nothing much to go by, but using the sheet metal as a guide and lots of period illustrations and photos, managed to make everything needed. It is now a great little better than "driver quality"beauty.

Are you folks aware of the "Isolation Island Concour's d'elegance" being run by Hemmings now? A virtual competition for model vehicles in diecast or resin, many different categories, check it out. different event every 2 weeks until the cloud breaks. And BTW, great looking aircraft.

Randal Pittman is still vey much alive. I hope he does not get to read these very uncharitable sarcastic comments. C'mon guys, grow up!

Tough group, and some nice ones, I got 3 including one you didn't!! # 6 is a 1959 Mercury, not a 1956. My older brother and my dad had '55 and '56 Mercurys back in the day and the taillights shapes are indellibly etched in my memory. Dad also had a '59, one year only style tailight. Thanks for keeping us sharp!

Probably easier to date photo by gauging your Dad's age in the picture, looks about 18 to me suggesting this is circa 1930, in a 1920 Ford T, and your "Dad out for his first drive", or at least that should be your caption.

I know it is blasphemy to many on this particular thread, but I've never been able to understand the styling decision regarding the Pierce Arrow "molded into fender" headlights. While I do realize the P-A's were great cars, (and love the Silver Arrow) this one little wrinkle has always turned me away from them stylistically. I don't know of any other company who adopted this seemingly odd practice, always reminds me of the much later Bugeye Sprites, which were loved or hated often because of those headlights. No offence guys, I'm assuming someone over the years has written a piece on this unique styling exercise. (must have also been a real challenge to do in sheet metal!).

Everything's relative. To keep to the car theme, I bought a '59 "Corvair powered" Karmann Ghia coupe in the summer of 1966 for $100 from a guy I was working with at an industrial site, he was leaving town. I was working as an instrument man, surveying, laying out bases for turbine gear etc and making the then princely sum of $300 a month (about $1.50 per hour). The resident engineer walked the large site daily and someone commented that "you know, he gets paid $1000 a month", imagine! I remember thinking what a guy could do with that kind of dough. Oh, I kept that KG thru university in 1970, what a great little car, pulled the corvair engine for a rebuild, bought a new 1970 TR6, and the KG eventually sold. Wish I still had both of them.

I doubt there is a man alive today who would be willing to jump into the seat of any of these pre 1930 entries and race around the oval at the speeds they did in the era, especially with 20-30 other competitiors nipping at their heels and not giving an inch. Don't know what kind of stuff they were made of, but it must have been very special. But then again, there are a few dare-devils on this forum, so who knows!!

Interesting comparativePfeil, E Fay Jones appartently apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright, who was by the way a car buff.

"Looks like a tall tale to me". C'mon 60FT, there always seems to be one sceptic in the crowd! I've met Randal Pittman, and know of him and his history with this great old truck. In fact he spoke at one of our old car club meetings a while back. Very humble unassuming guy, a true testament to those who love old trucks/cars. As far as wages, some people soon forget how times have changed. In the early 60's during University days, I worked as a summer student at the local steel plant in their casual labour pool, used to spell off full time workers during vacations. We got paid $0.60 per hour (cleared about $19 per week) and that was one of the best paying jobs around, most labor jobs at that time only paid $0.40 an hour, and field workers got less. So Mr. Pittman as a teenager just after WWII was likely right on the money when he says $0.10 per hour. Ask your grandfather!

I'm like most who followed the international racing scene since the 50's, Stirling Moss was the epidemy of class, stature, realism and success, on and off the track. Among the last of a generation of true drivers who drove for the love of the sport and not just for big paydays.

Happy Easter, Passover, etc to all who practice their faith, and also to those who don't. Most observers are likely sheltering at home, and Garages are not really a place of worship, although some of you may consider it as such. So I'm posting this set of images to offer you a visual place to contemplate the day, the events surrounding us and the hopefully better future ahead. The Thorncrown Chapel is a wonderful meditation structure built in the forest in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA, a widely recognized example of Modern Archicture, designed by E Fay Jones, on a commission from a retired school teacher. Much like some of our favorite cars, it is a bare bones symphony of form and function, demonstrating the skills of mankind to imagine, the beauty of nature, and the awe of common materials executed by real craftsmen. Hope I'm not too far offside in posting this, it is a time in our lives when a little distraction is likely a good thing.

Garbage written about garbage, can I politely ask that this example of stupidity and recklessness be removed. Thanks.

Wow, have never seen/heard of it, but what a great "Duesenberg variant Sports car". I say that because IMHO most Duesies are too big to be considered sports cars, except maybe the Cooper/Gable ones. But this little sweetie, wow again. I've viewed the posted threads, Duesie/Marmon/Custom, 1947 etc, but who cares. How do the experts purists view this machine? Edinmass, you like it for your stable?

Got close on 5 of them, but the Nash, c'mon man that's tough!

Twin6? What are we looking at here? Odd proportions to fenders.

I'm still trying to figure out why any car needs more than 250 horsepower! The driver(s) is stupid for sure, but he did not make this car. What is its intense speed capability meant for? Certainly not for racing on city streets at $700K a pop. Part of this Spoiled Society's Sickness.

You don't see many 1931 Chrysler Roadsters in the wild, especially a very early one. I'm currently rebuliding a CD8 Roadster (124"WB), this looks similar, but might also be a 1931 CM6 (116"WB)? Anybody able to tell? Is rear taillight a clue? For those not familiar with these cars, note the radiator shell was body color. Chrysler did that to make car/hood appear longer, but only for first few months of production as customers clamored for a chrome radiator shell like all other makes! I have never seen a restored car with a painted rad shell.

Tough one, got 3, you left off the easy ones like Don's Miami Vice Ferrari Testarossa!

I posted earlier some photos of "Revival" "Cassidio" 1/20 scale die cast European GP cars from the '30's that I bought 20 years ago and built in past 15. This one is the Alfa Romeo P-2, note it had a splitter and 2 driveshafts to 2 rear differentials, unusual, not sure how practical it turned out to be. What I like about these kits (sell for about $150+ on ebay) is the finely detailed real wire wheels, which come already finished. Being mostly diecast components also makes them quite heavy. As any modeler knows, at this scale the biggest challenge is getting wheels to look to scale. CMC now is producing even better factory built models like these, pricey though. This car has working steering through box and drag link.

As do these guys/gals sitting on their 1934 Pontiac, my Mom (second from left b1921)and many cousins at a church picnic circa 1936

John_Mereness, I'm loving your contributions, never too many, and especially those fantastic brochure images, Bugatti, Bucciali, Cadillac, Packard, what an era!! I've never seen any rare stuff like this before, so refreshing to see something "new"!!

You left out one of the greatest of all (3 if you throw in Johnny Cash's classic"One Piece at a Time" and Alan Jackson's "Mercury Blues"), but this is the old possum hisself, George Jones. THE ONE I LOVED BACK THEN (AKA THE CORVETTE SONG) I stopped off at the Quicksack For some beer and cigarettes The old man took my money As he stared at my Corvette He said, I had one just like her son A nineteen-sixty-three Till the man down at the Bank took her from me Oh, She was hotter than a two-dollar pistol She was the fastest thing around Long and lean, every young man's dream She turned every head in town She was built and fun to handle, son I'm glad that you dropped in She reminds me of the one I loved back then Then, I handed him my keys and said Here, take her for a spin The old man scratched his head, and said Then he looked at me and grinned He said son, you just don't understand It ain't the car I want It's the brunette in your 'Vette that turns me on I had one that was hotter than a two-dollar…

Interesting read. In the "what would you do" vein, here's my recent experience. I'm restoring a 1931 Chrysler CCD8 Roadster and was looking for 5 tires as good display quality, rollers, or even driving. Takes 18x5.50. A few months after letting people know (and I won't need drivers for 2 years or so), I got a call inidcating someone was advertizing 5 Sears 18x5.50 tires, with brand new tubes, still wrapped in original packaging. Went to see the guy and sure enough he pulled them out of his garage, whitewalls still wrapped in cellophane, said his Dad had bought them for a project 10-15 years ago, asking $600. I realized the implications of old tires and that these werre likely 40+ years old, and settled on $350 (about US$225) for everything. I'm running NOS Goodyear tires on my '31 Chevy that were bought new in 1967, and after 1000 miles or so, no signs of any deterioration etc, and rubber seems pliable still. Key is to keep good tubes in them and pressure at 35-40. I know I'm taking some risk, but only drive around at 25-30MPH. In any event, I will decide what to do with these Sears when the time comes, and even if I use them for rollers or display, I think price was reasonable.

Don kno bout yu guy, but I thin I’m startin’ to regres ! Began wit only takin’ a bat ever 2 day, 'n shavin’ ever 4 das, den I tossa the toot brush away and started knawn on bones. Chang me close once a week, 'cept unnerware ever 2 week, gotta save on water. Etin’ a lota red met, and leves, kepin me reglar! Also fine I losing langage skils, but hopin it is not that Oldzimers, or how do dey ses it. Dis wek or nex I thin I gonna get me a club, and may start carvin me som arra heads out of rok. ..ooooh loka dat fat squirril out der!