ElectricBanana

Growing up, I had two friends who kept snakes as 'pets' and I learned how to handle them and tell the poisonous ones from the others. This 'training' has gotten me the office of 'snake handler' wherever I've lived. I always keep my snake kit handy - a 5 gallon bucket, a short piece of 2x4 and a pair of welding gloves. I've saved many a little crawler from the business end of a hoe!

From the showroom brochure:

I’m not on here all that often and I rarely post. But, I will say that, in my opinion, the value of the option for the OP to delete a thread outweighs the objections. Quite a few years ago, I posted what I thought (and STILL think) was an innocent question. It started a flame war the likes of which I never imagined could happen on this forum. I did some research, found the option to delete the thread and immediately did so. And, like the American Underslung thread, someone started another thread asking what happened to the original (I guess the ‘haters’ weren’t through with me…). I will have to say that the moderators were very supportive of me and the action I took. That said, I do agree with the poster who noted that some changes to the forum settings would be welcome. I think that the banning of a member should not automatically delete all of his or her threads. A better solution might be to allow the moderators to selectively delete objectionable posts while leaving other ones that contain valuable insights. Just a two-cent observation from one of the rail-birds. EB

First, let me say that there are parts of this story that are intentionally vague because some of the people involved are still very much alive and could probably piece together the identity of the car in question with just a little more information… Also, please note that I’m an old guy telling this story from nearly 50-year-old memories, so I can’t swear that everything in it is dead-accurate, but I’ve done my best to get it right. In any case, the story opens with me working in the parts department of a Chevy dealership in the early 1970s. Being the low man on the totem pole, I did a lot of ‘running’ for parts. We had a good customer who I knew personally. He was as picky as they came and he had special-ordered a new Corvette with some options that caused our sales manager to demand a hefty down payment. For whatever reason, the car took longer than usual to get through the build/delivery process, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When it finally arrived, the sales manager instructed all of us that, if we talked to the customer, NOT to tell him that the car had been received. The sales manager wanted it prepped immediately so that he could inspect it and drive it before calling Mr. Picky. The first stop for the car was the wash bay for a quickie clean-up. From there, it was supposed to go to one of our prep guys for the standard dealer prep. After that, it was to be sent to the body shop to be gone over by our Corvette specialist, who was an absolute magician when it came to fiberglass and lacquer. The bays in this garage faced the outer walls, with a wide center lane available to move the cars and trucks. The parts department was located at one end, with a clear view of the shop. There was also a heavy-duty chain-hoist which was mounted on a rail that ran the length of the service area so that it could be used in any of the main service bays. On this particular day, there was an older Impala in the service bay directly across from the wash bay. It had some type of rear axle noise and one of the mechanics had used the chain-hoist to lift the rear of the car so that he could listen to the rear-end while the car was in gear. By now, most of you have guessed where this is headed. The mechanic either hadn’t properly secured the hooks on the chain-hoist or had failed to lock the ratcheting mechanism. Whatever the case, there was a loud ‘snap’, the Impala hit the floor and shot directly across the shop, hitting the Corvette squarely in the back. There was nothing salvageable behind the ‘Vette’s seats except the back axle, tires & wheels. The only ‘good’ thing was that the ‘Vette sat so low that the Impala didn’t do any damage to the ‘Vette’s frame. There was an immediate meeting between the members of the dealership’s brass. The car was towed into the paint booth and the booth’s doors were locked. We’ll call this Day Zero. Our poor Corvette guy worked very late that night and was stuck in there for the better part of the three following days – these were 14-hour days that he shared with one of the newer body men who was assigned to help. All of us parts guys were put on the phones, running down the locations of all the parts necessary to re-assemble the ‘Vette. As soon as most of the parts were located, I was sent out in a truck to visit the other dealerships and pick up the parts. I put hundreds of miles on that truck in two days because I had to pick up the parts in the order that the body guys needed them. I brought back the fiberglass parts and gas tank first on Day One while the ‘Vette was being torn apart and the basic repairs began. Day Two was for re-assembly and Day Three was paint day. As hard as it may be to believe, the finished product actually looked better than almost anything that rolled out of the St. Louis plant. On Day Four, the final bits were bolted on and the ‘Vette got polished and treated to a four-wheel alignment, dealer prep, inspection and test drive by both the Corvette specialist and the sales manager. The call went out to Mr. Picky on Day Five. He was happy as a clam and drove away smiling. As far as any of us who were involved know, no one outside the dealership ever found out about the damage! The last time I saw the ‘Vette, it looked as good as it did on Day Five.

Many thanks, Craig! I've posted your answer, along with a link to this thread, on the other site... Best regards, EB

A member on another forum recently spotted this speedster-like vehicle in Germany. He wasn't able to detour to find out what kind of car it is. The only real clue that I can see is the three louvers on the rear of the hood side-panel. Anyone here able to figure out this one? Thanks! EB

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Back in ’76, I bought a new Ford (Mercury) Capri for a daily-driver. No one was aware of it, but there was a problem with the design of the 4-speed’s shift lever. I was a service manager for a tire company at the time and had taken my wife’s car in for some routine maintenance, so she was driving the Capri for a day. She went to the post office and parked in a nose-in space next to the building. When she tried to put the car in reverse, the shift lever snapped off about an inch from the top of the transmission. She called me at work, more mad than upset. I drove over to the post office to see what I could do. I always carry a basic tool kit with me, so I pulled out the 3/8” socket set and started trying different sizes until I found the one that would barely NOT fit over the stub. I pounded it onto what was left of the shift lever with a hammer and stuck an extension in it. We drove it like that for a couple of weeks, until the Mercury dealer could get us a new shift lever (which were mysteriously back-ordered). They later had a recall on that part and reimbursed me for the one I bought. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->

nzcarnerd - I've got to agree with you on this one! The car in your link looks EXACTLY like the one in the photos I posted (outside of the RHD steering wheel...). So, I went back and edited my response to the original poster. He has not posted a reply, so I imagine that I was able to edit the reply before he read it! Thanks so much for the help!!

Thanks for all the help! After reading your replies and staring for a loooong time at the photos on the Packard Club site, I'm almost certain that it's a 1927 Fourth Series sedan. Without an engine photo and a way to calculate the wheelbase, it would be nearly impossible to determine the exact model number. I sent a note to the son... I hope that the year and series will satisfy his father's needs.

One of the members on another forum that I visit is trying to ID a car that was owned by his grandfather. This person's father is 90 and in a retirement home. One of the activities is a writing class. He wants to write about his memories of this particular car, but can't remember the year, make or model. My guess is that it's a Packard from the late '20s (maybe 1927...), but I'm at a loss for the model. Also, the fenders don't look very Packard-esque to me... Any and all help is very appreciated!

Bumping this back to the front. I posted this car for the owner back at the end of June. He called me the other day and said that he realized that he was asking too much and would I research the current selling prices of these cars for him. I agreed and contacted a friend who appraises cars and trucks. We did some research and found them selling in the $8,000 (fair condition) to $12,000 (excellent condition) range. The owner thought it over and said to price it at $10,500. So, here it is again!

I'm not working with the original photo... it's in Texas and I'm in Ohio. I did try running it through PhotoSmart Premier. It's not great, but maybe you can make out more detail. In any case, I appreciate the replies!

Hi all This photo turned up recently when one of my cousins was going through some old boxes that had belonged to her parents. There are two cars that might be identifiable and a just a tiny bit of a third one. As far as we know, this photo was taken in the Atlanta area sometime in the '20s or early '30s. Any help with IDing the cars would be appreciated!

Looking for a passenger-side rear gravel guard to fit a 2-door body. Previous owner hit a high curb and creased mine. I've been trying to work it back into shape, but can't get it just right. Not necessarily looking for 'perfect' here. Trying to find an original stainless finish to match the driver's side. Not really interested in one that's been chromed. I might consider buying a pair, but I'd rather just find the one for the passenger's side. *** Thanks for looking!!! Photos of the one I'm working on and the left side for reference: Here's the right side guard that I've been working on: Here's the driver's side (for reference only):

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Price reduced to $10,500 - For Sale: 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix Model J – to settle estate – 24,xxx miles – 400 c.i. with automatic transmission – Light blue metallic with white painted top – dark blue bucket seat interior with floor shifter – has factory a/c, but it is inoperative – same owner since 1975 – sale includes parts retained from a ‘parts car’ that was purchased as ‘insurance’ but never needed (engine, transmission, rear axle, re-chromed front bumper, core support) – located in the Ironton, Ohio (45638) area – Asking price was $25,000, but the family is open to offers. Please note: I’m listing this for the family of the deceased. It is not my car. – For more information, call Stewart at 740-532-5027, no e-mails. View photos here: 1970 Grand Prix Photos by carzpix | Photobucket (sorry for the poor pix – when I asked the family to provide photos, they took digital shots of existing prints…) <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->

Thanks again, folks! Oh - and someone remind me NOT to play European Trivial Pursuit with hanski !!!

If my family hauled my bones to the cemetery in that thing, I PROMISE that I'd come back and haunt them!!

Thanks guys! Looks like you nailed it!! To add a bit to the story - my wife sent a birthday e-card to a friend of ours. It had that photo as the cover of the card. The guy she sent it to is the 'Curious George' type... I'm sure that the first thing out of his mouth the next time he sees us will be: "Thanks for the card - What was the red car?" So - I knew I had to be ready!! I had searched the 'brochure' site, but it doesn't have a link to the '37 Studebaker.

If you don't have Excel and don't want to purchase Microsoft Office, a good alternative is "Open Office". It's freeware and is basically interchangable with MS Office. I normally use Excel, but I've done some work at businesses that use Calc (Open Office's version of Excel). It works well and isn't difficult to learn. You can check it out here: Download OpenOffice: Free Office Suite Replacement for Microsoft Office I do track some vehicle maintenance on Excel. If you'd like to see a file that you could possibly use as a template, just send me a PM with your e-mail and I'll zip it over to you.

This grille photo turned up on another site. I'd really like to know the make of car (and year, if possible). Thanks in advance for any help you folks may be able to offer!

Which is exactly why I asked the question. I grew up with these cars. I learned to drive on my parents' '51 Fleetline and my grandparents owned a '50. Before stumbling across this car, I'd never seen a business coupe with any accessories. What I wanted to know was how the AACA might react to the addition of accessories to a base-line car. I seriously doubt that the original owner(s) had these parts added when they bought the car, but I don't have any way to know that the parts WEREN'T added by the selling dealer. What if a salesman wanted a little 'flash' to go along with the utility of a business coupe and the dealer 'dolled it up' for him? I'm going to try to find out more about the history of this car, as it apparently spent its life in the area where I purchased it. But, for now, I have NO documentation as to how the car was equipped when it was new. As for a photo, it's in the avatar, but I've attached a larger one to this post.

First, thanks for the replies! I'm down on the Ohio River where the state meets Kentucky and West Virginia, which means that the Huntington Region is almost next door to me. So, that's the region I joined.

Hi I've been on the forum about a year. A few months ago I joined the AACA through my local region. A short time after that, I bought a 1951 Chevrolet business coupe. I had been searching for a completely 'stock' vehicle, but this car was too good mechanically and body-wise to pass up. (The odometer shows 44,000 miles and I can't find any rust or mechanical issues.) I plan to bring it back to its original state as my budget allows, but I want to drive it and possibly take it to car shows while I do that. It's been repainted in a non-original shade that's close to the correct color and has had its interior re-done (again, not original; but very well done and pretty darn close to the stock look). I plan to eventually re-paint the car and replace the interior with a kit from Hampton Coach or possibly some other quality supplier. Now for the question... I don't have any way to document the way the car was equipped when new. And, it has a number of options that are real Chevrolet parts that >>could<< have been added by the selling dealer. The car has: a heater, a radio, wide whitewall tires, accessory wheel rings, a fuel door protector, the little chrome trim pieces on top of the rear fenders, bumper guards, stainless gravel shields and windshield washers. Would I be pushing the 'originality envelope' if I left some or all of those 'options' on the car? Or - would they look completely out-of-place to an AACA judge on a business coupe?

Someone want to save this one before it gets a SBC and a top chop? 1934 Pierce Arrow Rod Project. - THE H.A.M.B.

Not mine, nor do I know the seller. It's quite a distance from me, but I do check that Craigslist site from time to time...