Trained Monkey

I am a newbie to Internationals what should I offer the owner for the truck, considering the condition?

What "size" are you talking about? The rest of the pix... I can take more if someone is interested;)

I saw it in the woods on my way home from work, thought you guys in this forum could use some more pictures. The owner sounds like he'd be willing to sell or part it out. It has a neet crank style dump bed. I'm willing to do the legwork if someone wants it, and I have more pics on my phone.

Here are the measurements I have and a few distinctive marks I found. The wing-bolts that would hold the front edge to the windshield (posts?) have raised numbers on one side that look to be 1043 (i am sure of the 104 part but the 3 could be an 8) The other side has what looks to be a makers mark etched or stamped in, the letters BTC. (The B and C are larger than the T, but the T is centered and overlaps both B+C) The post holders that they thread into are 33" apart on center. The Bows look to be made of steam bent Oak and are inserted into steel funnel shaped holders. The Steel parts look like they were once plated with a shiny metal that does not flake like the old chrome I am used to (more brittle). The window frame is screwed together with 16 oval head counter-sunk straight slot screws, and apears to be made of aluminum and may have been plaited to match the framework.

The mounting points were installed inside the body just aft of the halfround trim that joins the dash cowl to the seat back portion of the tub. there were pop on points screwed all over the seatbacks and there are afew in the forward portion of the aluminum gas tank holder facing the seats. The few pictures I have seen of Mercers with tops have all had oval shaped windows, this one is rectangular like a duesy. The interior of the top has pop on points as if there should be an interior cover/ liner to it. This leans me more toward luxury car. I will have to take some measurements tonight.

I am thinking by what i have seen so far that they belonged to a 32 Chevy possibly a confederate? I am making that guess based on that being the only pictures I have seen of that logo on that type bumper. I would love to think that they could be from a 1931 Mercer Super Raceabout, but I have never seen anything but drawings of that car, and can't confirm it's existance.

I have made my guess as to what vehicle they come from after hours of googling beautiful old cars. Now I am asking the forum. who made these bumpers and what car do they belong on? The first photo is the only logo I could find (dead center on both bumpers) The second is someone elses bumper picture that looks nearly identical. The only notable difference between front and rear are the spring shapes and mounting devices.

This top was once attached to my Raceabout. Anyone know what it belonged to? Hemp once told my dad that no raceabout ever had a top, and the attaching areas look too symetrical to properly fit on a staggered seat body. But could it have been from a sporting? Any help would be appreciated.:cool:

A call to IMS and $13 dollars netted me this picture which only serves to deepen the mystery surrounding the oddball block. The photo shows in poor detail the number 76 on the side of the "CC Smith Special" fuel tank and "Paul Smith" as the driver. But IMS records from the 1931 race show the Driver of the number 73, CC Smith-Mercer Special, to be Carl Smith. I have sent the photo to Carl's great grandson in hopes of confirming this to be the Smith team and not #76 Jimmy Gleason driven, Mercedes grand prix team. :confused: I have also gotten the block out of mothballs and will be prepping it for it's photo debut soon.

All the parts are here! and then some:D First the axle (not a tie rod, note the brake drums:p) which has cast iron drums on each end, so I guess from what Ivan said it is a 1923 or later. next a few close ups of the steering knuckles, in case that helps to figure the year. then a shot of the end that still has it's deusy bird logo... The other end is very similar so no picture, noteworthy differences are that the octagon cap is dented on one corner and has not got the deusy logo. Not to say that it is missing entirely, just not attached to the axle and probably in a box of parts that I haven't gone through yet. Lastly, I found some more coolness when I started loading the rims into the truck. There are a pair of Buffalo 20's in nearly as good a shape as my axle, not certain that they belong to it but I will check to see if the splines match this weekend. Here's a few pics of one of them. Hope these pictures help in identifying the axle. :cool:

Here's a shot showing the drum and hubcap (other side is same I promise) Sorry for the cell phone pic but it's all I've got for now. doue this look like skeletonized cast iron or aluminum? the hubcap has the deusey bird with the words straight eight on it. does that help with year?

Could anyone tell me what the possible factory colors for a 21 raceabout were. There are several opinions about which mine was. I have heard bluish grey, and grey. but when I fether sand the outside of the body I come up with the following... Metal, light green, hunter green, burgundy, light green (brushed on primer) and black.:confused: under the seat covers inside the body I get... metal, dark grey, light grey, black :confused: Is there a book I should know about that would tell me what the paint process was for a Mercer? The only photos I have of the car back in the day are black and white/sepia and it looks white in those. The black and brushed on green are most likely my grandfathers handywork.

Could it be a Miller FWD?

Edit: I am only asking about the dramatically outclassed car in the foreground.

I am considering selling the axle once I get it all in one place and can take some good pictures. Are there any ACD clubs in the Connecticut area that I could get in contact with. I would like to show the piece to a deusy pro so I can get an oppinion on what to list it as (year/ likely model and an honest appraisal of condition/ pieces missing). I Have talked to classic+exotic about it and got a ballpark price to hold out for but I don't want to put it on e-bay until I can answer buyer questions.

Eotnak, Thanks for the offer but the pages I have were already spine broken and photocoppied. No need for such a cool piece of tech. On a happy note I have sold enough of my scrap motorcycle junk to fund some work on the Mercer. It will be going to a nearby frame repair shop to be matched up and verified square before being sent to a highly recomended sandblasting shop for cleaning.

AK, Sorry I didn't reply for so long, a matter of some comedy...My aluminum casting friend has fallen victim to the "scrappers". The owners of the property next to him cleared the trees off their lot which exposed his forge and scrap aluminum pile to public view. Before he could put up fences to hide the treasuretrove some crack-addict stole everything. :eek: Glad I didn't just send my part.

I got ahold of the IMS Photo department $13 scored me a photo of Carl and mechanic sitting in the "CC smith special" should be here in a week or two. I also got ahold of Isac, Carl's great grandson. Who has been looking into the history as well. He has some family history that explains why it's so hard to find anything about his great grandfathers car, maybe he'll join in the forum and explain one day. Edit: 21, As far as I know you are right, acording to my dad, our raceabout was never raced.

Lol! Thanks for the info. I may not be a stellar mechanic but can spot an axle when I see one. . The actual axle is in storage and I have no pictures to post of it. The parts in the pic are those I have here at the house. Thanks to all for telling me where the tierod/ draglink is and where it goes. Is there any way to tell if it goes to the duesey axle for certain? Extra thanks to Ivan for the identifying feature of the drums, I will have to look into that. If memory serves they looked like solid cast with no finns I presume that to be what you mean by skellitonized. I can also lift the assembly with one arm and that makes me think they are probably aluminum not steel. I'll check to be sure.

Here are a few of the parts that I have for the axle, From What i have seen/ read in the history of my car it is from a model A dusenberg. I have the rest of the axle but not in a convenient place for pictures. From the pieces shown I am asking... 1: is it from a model A? 2" is the bar on the left part of it? (steering linkage?) 3: considering the last time it was touched was in the 30's 40's, what condition would it be considered to be in?

Sorry for thread-digging but what ever came of this carb?

21, As to "uncle" Hempy I did not mean to imply any blood relation to the man. The package of old letters and photos regarding my Mercer contain a lot of letters between Hemp and my father, at some point between 1969 and the mid 80's he seems to have taken on the title. As a side note I am now researching the oddball block for any pictures of the car it came from to add to my collection. Also looking for J. Labaire's contact info again because according to Morris Burroughs he knew my Grandfather personally and may have first hand knowlege of the parts.

T-head, I wonder if they belonged to my oddball block back in the day. Did you by chance get them from a Carl Smith?