mrcvs

Anyone have photographs of this K D installed in a Maxwell for reference? I am having problems with the Johnson carburetor on my Maxwell. Float seems to not working properly leading to flooding. This has happened periodically in the past but worse this year for some reason. Also, where might I get the vertical pin on a Johnson carburetor that sticks out the lower part of the carburetor? I was fiddling with this yesterday and it snapped off

Yes, misinterpreted! I thought you got these off a 1920's Maxwell but seemed them Also appropriate for one from 1917. What year were the ones like those in my 1917 discontinued and the ones depicted above begun to be used?

Howard, My 1917 Maxwell does not have this type of tail light. I know yours is a 1917 as well. I am fairly certain mine is original. I will try and snap a photo later today for you. It is pretty generic.

I have a 1917 Maxwell. In the Maxwell registry that is privately maintained for quite some time, about 25 we're registered from 1917, out of about 80,000 produced that year. Given that there has been a fair amount of time since the advent of this registry, my "guess" is maybe 20% to a third of all existing Maxwells are in this registry, so, add up the total numbers in the registry and multiply by 3 and 5, and this could be a good approximation. So, for 1917, from 75 to 125. Not many. No doubt many succumbed to steel drives in WWII.

An individual on this forum DID contact me about a 1913 Model T. It will absolutely, without a doubt, work for me, with regards to price and what it is. As mentioned above, the stumbling block is "where to put it". I do need to find a better place conducive to my hobbies, a now 4-year-old house purchased new on a postage-stamp sized lot with a 2 bay garage designed for the car an little else for space doesn't really cut it. It's what the wife wanted. I broached the subject yet again, let's get a place with LAND, outbuildings, an EXISTING house, all much cheaper, more for your money. Her approach, she found another new house being built, same type of garage, 2 acre lot (not really "land" in my book), and more than 1/3 more than my existing house cost! So, I haven't given up, but I may need to shelve this idea for awhile, at least until the spring. I have never gotten a grasp of a new house in a development. No space for any real hobbies, ridiculous high prices (amazing how much folks will pay for so very little!), it's like buying a brand new car, overpriced... I digress, but this is a major source of frustration and what is wrong with America these days. PLENTY of good real estate available, with existing houses cheap, with no takers, and they line up trying to buy a BRAND NEW house with a price tag that will floor you! Then again, I have never really grasped the concept of eating at a restaurant when you can buy it all a lot cheaper at the store, have control over serving and eating the meal (don't have to wait for a waitress to get you a bottle of ketchup), not have to listen to some blithering idiot next to you, and have to pay for this wonderful experience at the end, and add a tip on top of it all! Off my soapbox...for now.

You know, I actually thought of doing something like this. Buying a property with an outbuilding, cheap, and using it to store stuff, like cars. In the end, a more costly approach than just selling this place and buying a place with a bit of land and outbuildings, but it "could" work. Again, I would not drive or work on stuff as much as if it were in my back yard, and you risk vandalism and other problems during your absence.

Okay, a very generous member of this forum offered up for sale a beautiful 1913 Model T for sale to me not too far away. I last spoke to him at the end of the summer, and intended to look at his car. That car, in photographs, looks so incredibly good that I am okay with a Model T. Reliable, and affordable. But, here is the stumbling block. The way I left it with him is I was looking at properties for sale with barn and garage space that were actually somewhat more affordable than the home I live in, where I only have .25 acres and a 2 bay garage. One bay has an antique car, another antique car I have is in rented space in someone else's barn. However, no matter what I do, I cannot get my wife to look at other properties. I guess there are folks that actually like living in McMansions. Okay, mine is one of the smaller ones in the neighbourhood, but still mass-produced housing meant to look pretty, but really more for someone that goes to work, comes home, kicks back and watches some TV, goes to bed, and gets up the next morning and does the same all over again! I can't even put up an outbuilding on this lot, so I am at a roadblock right now. So, how do y'all get your wives on board with your hobby? I really don't want to rent more barn space for another car, and, admittedly, not having the car on your own property is a major inconvenience, even if the barn is less than a mile away. I find I drive the car in the barn far less than I otherwise would, and working on it is a chore. I had it out front of my McMansion for a week recently while I waited for a part to arrive, and all I heard about for a week was that my eyesore was depreciating property values, LOL! Interestingly enough, as I worked on it, or looked out my window on some days, I saw folks in the vicinity walking by who were genuinely interested in it, they had never even seen a car this old, and I was asked lots of questions about it, and they were interested. I was impressed! But, back to the part in bold, above. Any ideas? I cannot afford another McMansion elsewhere where you could put up outbuildings, the cost of these monstrosities are ridiculous. An existing property with numerous outbuildings does not seem to be my wife's idea of a place to live. I might add she lived in 11 (!!!) properties growing up, 10 of which were brand new, and one of which was not. (Yes, somehow her parents believed a house wasn't worth living in unless brand new, and they moved from one brand new house to the next--back in the days when you could sell a house in 2 years and at least break even!)

Logic says I should get a Model T, eventually, but, then again, I am not always that logical, so we shall see. I am not completely a novice to early cars, as I have a 1917 Maxwell and a 1930 Ford Model A. I suppose if the Brass Era car ended up put away for awhile pending finding a particular part, I always have the Model A to drive, so it is not imperative that the car run at all times, although this tends to be more attractive than the alternative.

First, I am interested in one for touring, so having a Brass Era car that sits under a tarp all the time except when hauled on a trailer to a car show is not my style. I would take it to the local car show, but that is just my means of transportation to and from the show. As for a Model T. That is indeed an entry level Brass Era car. I think I want something a bit less pedestrian, although I have not certainly ruled out a Model T. I had seen a 1913 Studebaker at the local show and one was offered for sale in California, I think, some time ago. I tend to accumulate and not flip or resale, and with limited garage space, it would probably make things crowded a bit when I get the Model T, and then some other Brass Era car as well, although, hopefully by then, I will have long ago sold where I'm at and moved on to a place with more covered space. On this note, a car that can be in a barn, or similar environment, as opposed to a show car, would prove more practical. So, how do you know what to pay? I mean, even if an identical car as one that was listed for sale, it still is comparing apples to oranges. Condition may be far different, the asking price of the car you are using as a reference may be far different than what it sold for, if it even sold at all. Maybe a Model T is better in this regard, as at least there are a significant amount of sales relative to other makes & models. I was born 3 years after you joined the HCCA, for what it's worth. But, thank you!

Update: No, I don't have that Brass Era car yet, but I have joined the HCCA and enjoy the quarterly journals. Also, perusing the Classifieds section on their website makes me drool. I have realized, in the past year, either that I had completely missed the boat, and either focused on that super rare pre-1915 car, like the Pope Hartford or a 1910 Maytag, and given up hope, or that some of the lower priced stuff, is more readily available and/or that the lower priced stuff isn't as much of an economic hurdle as previously perceived. A few months ago, I did locate a 1913 Studebaker for $25,000, and there is a beautiful 1910 Maxwell for sale currently at $32,000. I am trying to pay off some pesky student loans in the next year or so, and once I am free of that burden, it makes sums such as these not seem so cumbersome. So, I am optimistic that maybe not in the next year or two, but relatively soon, I will be in possession of said Brass Era car. As I start to become more knowledgeable and pursue the Classifieds for this sort of car, how do you determine what is a fair price to pay, or what such car(s) are worth? I guess, I mean, how do you not overpay? The best I can do is maybe locate a similar car for sale and note the asking price of that one, and see if the one I might be interested in is priced less, of course not really knowing if that "other" car is fairly priced, or actually ever sold at that asking price, or anywhere even close to the asking price. I mean, how many 1913 Studebakers trade hands in any given year? The other hurdle I face is a lack of garage space. Trying to work on that...my wife adores the cookie-cutter house in suburbia, whereas I am more of a house and barn in the countryside in which the barn can house several cars...of course, fully realizing that a barn isn't the best of places to store a car--more accessible to vermin, etc., than an enclosed garage.

Was turnout good earlier today? I headed out and a little bit of drizzle, decided not to go, was afraid of getting caught in a downpour that never materialized. I have a Maxwell I drive with the top down because I cannot fit it in the garage otherwise. I will likely go tomorrow and walk around some.

Fortunately, no.

Yes, if time allows on Friday, I will give it a good flush.

I worded this improperly. It IS retarded (all the way back) when attempting to start and as it starts it is advanced. Does de-advancing it (putting it back, or, more correctly, pushing it up) decrease chances of overheating if steam formation seems imminent?

Fan belt is somewhat loose. But if I tighten it more, past experiences suggest it will just ride off the pulleys.

My 1917 Maxwell tends to overheat when put in forward and reverse in a short period of time n order to fit in a tight space after a run. The spark is advanced to start. I have heard that retarding the spark and increasing rpm's (hand throttle) can prevent this from happening. I tried this today, but steam was already starting to form and it seemed to not do much (but was being shut off at that point anyway).

I heard repeatedly that vent windows were eliminated due to COST.

If moving, the Maxwell isn't bad! In hindsight, 90% of the sweating may have occurred when I stopped to put air in the tires in the hot sun! My regular driver has no a.c. either, and as 95% of my driving in it is 10 miles or less, and it is usually not sweltering hot, it isn't bad. I would be lying if I did not admit that my company car does have a.c., and that is the vast majority of my driving. Even so, I believe I am more likely than most to hold off on the a.c. until it simply is really unbearable.

Well, the top was down because I generally keep it that way because I cannot make it into the garage otherwise. I Do prefer to ride with the top up, other than for this most practical reason. I lived nearly a decade in Virginia in a house that lacked air conditioning and I did just fine. When hot, sat by a fan, and had no problems. Now reside in Pennsylvania in a house with central air, and ever since then, the summers have seemed hotter and more unbearable. When I lived the better part of my life without air conditioning...well, you just can't miss what you never had!

I took my 1917 Maxwell for a spin yesterday, and, don't get me wrong, I had a blast. Temperature had to be 90 deg F, or more... Of course, pre-dates air conditioning, had top down, still was dripping sweat when I was done... Automobiling in the summer months had to have been a sweat-filled proposition. Is there any mention of this in the literature and/or what did affluent individuals, who would never be seen in public actually breaking a sweat, do to counter this?

Before and after photos?

This looks like a 'homemade' pickup truck, made from a converted four door touring car.

Now, I like that! I tend to appreciate vintage stuff more than anything, so that is right up my alley. Not much for plastic and junk with the dreaded "Made in China" label.

Yes, that's exactly what I thought! Clincher tires should never be driven on low pressure, and this is why I wanted to solve the problem at home. I did take the Maxwell to Giant last summer, and I could not recall what I got the pressure up to, but it wasn't even close to 55 psi. I thought it was something I was doing, but I see now it might just be impossible to get to 55 psi unless you have a compressor at home--or, a real workout with the bicycle pump!

Well, I went to Wal Mart today and the compressor I wanted was in stock and still on sale! Problem solved! I think the issue was that it was just not available for Christmas Day, and not the cost of it, and that it was retail, etc. I like trying to find stuff at auctions below retail, for me it is more a game, than anything. But, in this case, well worth it! Tires can pump up a lot faster now! A member brought to my attention that this topic was an object of ridicule. I am not offended, but it seemed to make sense at the time. That is, said air compressor not available before Christmas, let's keep things affordable at Christmas time, AND, if I need only 55 psi and a tire pump can do 70 psi, let's do it. I think 42 psi would be just fine to drive on at 25 mph for two miles until I made it to the Giant with the air pump. I just like the idea of being to inflate my tires at home.