mechanician

Also, we are a long, long, way away from push button and print car… if we ever get there in a cost effective way with competitive material properties the non-automotive implications will be incredible. I am not holding my breath.

As manufacturing volumes have increased processes have necessarily changed from hand built (be that beating panels over a leather bag, hand forging or machining with general purpose machines etc.) to using production machinery (stamping, screw machines, cnc, etc). These changes are not recent, they have been occurring since the earliest days of the automobile. To Gary’s point it is not feasible to reconstruct production machinery for a single piece. It never has been, it never will be, and craftsmanship is not the issue. Making a single die casting mold may easily exceed the value of the restored vehicle, for instance. If that mold makes 100k parts, then the cost per part is minimal. Where these printing technologies have excelled to date is in making almost as good surrogates for that production machinery to allow for a small run of parts, albeit perhaps requiring a bit more hand work than the original. Think printed patterns, sand cores etc. Also cnc machining parts that were once forged but for which the dies are long gone for instance. Short of a time machine, it is the best we have, and if it can get a dead pile of parts to run down the road then we and those that come after us will be better for it. And as far as the craftsmanship of those hand built cars…I have seen and corrected some original work on low volume brass cars that was unbelievably bad… The sky is not falling (at least in regards to this subject).

I came to this too late to have ever met him, but I sure would have liked to. Out of curiosity, outside of cars, what was his line of work?

More importantly, do mothballs even work for that purpose? I have cleaned out mouse nests (with nest residents) immediately adjacent to loose mothballs. Some have said camphor oil but I have yet to try. I believe that is considered flammable as well…

Neat machine! If the paper does not hold up you could try Kevlar friction lining, although the coefficient of friction will be likely lower than that of cotton. I don’t see a significant difference aluminum vs steel, although the ability to renew the plate on the Metz design is nice. I am presuming the surface of your flywheel is not removable? The vehicle being so light I suspect you will not wear it away to nothing with reasonable use.

I know what it is, but not what it is chemically speaking... I ask as I mended a tear in some original material that that been coated with now petrified top dressing. The repair came out great, except that this small area is now not so coated. A dab of the stuff and I think the repair would be undetectable. But what is it? I know I have seen it still potentially viable in old cans, but I am not a can collector. If any can collectors would like to empty their cans I can provide a good home...

https://www.raa.ca/magazine_pdf/tech articles/Cotter Pins.pdf

I will start by saying that I don’t think that I would encourage a child to enter the restoration business, most especially a daughter, but even a son. The work is hard on one’s body for the compensation, and market forces probably won’t improve this anytime soon. Does this improve the present restoration situation, no. Do I want to improve the restoration business at the expense of my child, certainly not. On to the topic of education and training. Necessary for restoration, no, however one entering the restoration business from high school does so as an unskilled laborer. They will be paid as an unskilled laborer until they build a reputation on their own sweat. If they decide it isn’t for them, they leave as an unskilled laborer. It is virtually impossible to live a financially stable life that way in the present economy. Is higher education necessary, no, but a skill or trade is. Learn electrical, plumbing, construction, carpentry etc, etc. hard on your body, perhaps, but at least you can earn a good living. One who is smart and motivated could do very well in these fields at the moment. if she was my daughter, I would have this discussion, and help her get a nice project to work on on her own time in exchange for seeing the light. If she couldn’t be convinced, I would at least be firm about getting a trade or a degree first. I agree about the statements regarding upholstery, and there are other similar sub specialities that are more pleasant work that could be started as a sideline to a skilled blue collar trade or engineering career etc.

I had a MA inspection station drive my model T through a headlight alignment board because the "had to drive it in" and clearly didn't know how to accomplish the task... New Hampshire will happen eventually, not soon enough though!

Unfortunately, they were miserly with material when they originally upholstered the car, so there is no extra to take at the bottom. Only the backrest is original, the lower cushion needs to be redone (again). I found some new distressed leather that is a good match for that, but I would like to patch old with old as the new material isn't quite as thick and stiff, so it will bend differently. I have had very good luck with new leather from a vendor that sells at the Brimfield flea market where I can see and feel the material before purchasing. The backrest survived quite well and is more supple than the photographs make it appear, so I want to make every effort to preserve that originality. If my plan works, I will post some photos, but it may be a bit until the whole thing is done.

I am looking for a small scrap of original upholstery leather to make a repair on some original upholstery. I need to match the patina and texture, fresh material would stand out. I don't need much, a couple pieces 2"x3" would do. See below for the "match" I would be most appreciative if anyone has something. Unfortunately there is no extra to harvest where covered by the seat cushion.

I am far from a gas pump expert...I have this Tokheim pump for sale. It stands approximately 57" tall. $250 located in the Springfield MA area.

Part of the answer is likely maintenance. For some, including myself, making parts is part of the fun. Many others are uninterested or unable to do so on their own. Maintaining any let’s arbitrarily say 1910 (non-Ford) car with near zero parts availability is roughly equivalent, at least to the same order of magnitude, so the money follows the more prestige marques. The engine rebuild may cost more than the car. If you have the means and interest to pay that for a mid price 30 hp car, then you likely have the means to buy a Pope Hartford, pierce, etc, etc and fund the same work. It makes 25-40hp non-prestige models available for the enthusiasts that are owner maintained. As the price of labor has increased and the number of qualified hands has gone down the difference has become more pronounced, and it feeds on itself, the more expensive the work, the lower the vehicle price and the lower the vehicle price the fewer the owners who will pay for the work

But it’s the only one with aluminum round bar pedal pads, a rare and significant development!

What is the story with the radiator on the blue car, the lines look awkward? That comment may apply to more than just the radiator…

Does anyone happen to know the bore diameter or the number (ie. model designation) of the Flechter used on the T head Mercers?

Have you identified a specific problem? Assuming the MoT is equivalent to a state safety inspection over here, I would have zero confidence in such an inspection with respect to a period vehicle, most especially a special. I had a safety inspector damage one of my cars because he had no idea what he was doing with something of that age, but that’s for another thread. If you are concerned, find a period specific specialist to go through it, and if you intend on driving it much have them go over it with you and/or bring it to them routinely if you don’t feel comfortable yourself. There are some good ones that post on here. If everything looks good, sometimes an oversight is just an oversight…

Prior ownership history unknown but suspect a previous owner may have run it into the ground.

Looking at the tank that you have (which is not the same as the schematic, the schematic tank pickup requires “up hill” flow, the top line on your tank appears to be a pressurization line), it appears that you should run fine on gravity, but only if the selector on your pump is set to gravity, otherwise it will run for a bit and then pull a vacuum in your tank as your filler caps should not be vented in order for the pressure system to work. The tank is vented through the pressurization line. All of this said, there could be restrictions elsewhere, but it should not run properly on the “pressure” setting unless you actually pressurize the air in the tank.

If the car is set up for a pressurized tank, make sure the tank is vented to atmosphere when not running pressurized or close the vent if you are going to run pressurized. I suspect the car may have a valve somewhere to do this, possibly at the bottom of the hand pump, I can’t make it out in your photo. Even on a non-pressurized system a plugged gas cap vent can be a frustrating failure…at least until it happens to you once and you never forget it. Test by running it with the fuel cap off if you can’t ascertain that it is venting properly.

The text that you referenced is a patent marking, see below: "Patented in USA" and "Patented in Canada" the strike on the "Canada" is a bit weak

I can. It may be until Friday before I can get back over to where it is stored. I will take another photo.

I am not a model A expert, but I think this is an NOS '31 running board. The rubber appears to be vulcanized onto the steel running board. Not perfect, there is a scratch in the rubber (see photo), some oxidation on the trim and a little light surface rust on part of the bottom. I made no attempt to clean (it is dirty, right out of the barn), but suspect all but the scratch in the rubber would clean up. Great for an unrestored car. $100.

Here are some old tires that do not fit anything that I have. I don't believe that they were ever used. Age unknown but I would guess pre-1950. A pair of Lees 5.25-5.50 x 18 and a single Norwalk. $25 for all. Pick-up in the Springfield MA area. Will not ship.