mrcvs

How would one value the REO? I thought, a brass era care, unrestored, an old coat of paint applied decades ago, can get running according to the individual who put it back together and bid 22k on it—I thought very fairly priced. But, to be honest with you, it was worth more to me running today even if it cost me a bit more as having a car that is not running in the other garage bay where my wife’s extra car used to reside—is a hard sell to my wife.

Amen! You can say what you want about American Pickers, but one thing I see are individuals with the ability to at least have one or more outbuildings of size that they can fill with whatever they want, this often being automobiles. If I had something like that, either that REO would have come home with me today or the winning bidder would have paid a bit more. The ability to acquire something and store it until you get around to dealing with it, which very well may be never, is HUGE!

Bid up to 15k and the owner said no sale & rightfully so.

The carburetor I had on it when purchased was a later one and has a cork float. It never worked right. It is on the car now as the replacement one I got was authentic and what was on the car originally, and even though it has a brass float, I’m not convinced it was going to work right, either, and it wasn’t simply a matter of swapping out one for the other. I was afraid I would retrofit for the other carburetor, not have it work, and then backtrack and have to retrofit it back to what it was. Modern gas isn’t exactly helpful with regards to the matter.

Okay, will do & good suggestions.

Realistically, what’s a 1908 REO that needs some work to get it going but is all there, including the paper mache apron really worth? 23k seemed good, but maybe not?

You can’t. That’s what my house cost nearly eleven years ago. Now it’s over 600k. Around these parts, you want a decent house and even a bit more than a postage stamp size lot, unless it’s a gut job, it’s a 7 figure property. I’m in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Then you are extremely lucky. i knew I liked antique cars even before college. I went to college basically disillusioned that because I had a college degree I would be in high demand. I will choose to live in location X, these will be my hours, this will be my pay, and because employers are in such need of folks like me, the response to my numerous demands would be “not a problem”. Instead, even with a professional degree, my job searches have always ended up with tepid results, even with a college degree, and I even discovered, albeit 35 years ago, that a college degree can still be worth minimum wage in an expensive area. It’s not what I expected. Work for me had always been my options are limited, here is where I live, and this is what my hours are. Again, not desirable but reality. Unless you have something extremely marketable or a connection, that’s reality, unless you are lucky. I’m not so lucky.

Rural vs commuting time vs what the wife wants, it’s tough. I would definitely prefer to live rurally and have a high income, but that’s not reality. Plus, the wife has a job at a set location and likes things like Costco. The concept of living wherever I want to and working from home meanwhile collecting a high paycheck has never been an option. I even had to be at work all through Covid.

Very good! My house cost right in the middle of $300 to $400k and I live on a bit less than 1/3 of an acre. Not desirable nor attractive but, again, reality. This is what a professional degree gets you, too.🤣

I should have said my reality is 4 miles to Das Auscht Fecht and a few rides down some back roads. That’s reality—the most I can afford and my wife and the HOA will tolerate.😀

That’s a huge problem. Trucks are way overpriced. I had no idea that a trailer cost so much. The sum total is nearly half of what my house cost me. If I could even afford that 145k the HOA certainly isn’t going to let me keep that trailer around for long. Get a lesser place with more land, that lesser place—my guess—will need about 145k to get it right and I’m back to square one. You know what I mean… 145k for all that makes the REO seem cheap.

What’s the definition of a slow and hot market these days? Not all were project cars. You could have driven the Carter Car home today.

Okay, the weather’s getting better and I’ll try to get this car running in the next few months. Having said that, if one is in Pennsylvania and decides to throw in the towel, whom should one turn to for professional help? Even if I get it running right, there’s a few pesky things I’ve never been able to get right, namely the following: Water bubbling and boiling out of the radiator. Some have said that’s correct and it’s not overheating—but I’m not so sure. Radiator fluid shouldn’t overflow. But then again, the radiator fluid sets to its desired level eventually—which, to me, seems alarmingly low. The carburetor never seems right and, at times, gasoline just pours out of it, until I stop that, of course. This is an unrestored automobile, and I want to keep it that way, so bodywork is not needed. Mechanical soundness, however, is desired.

Well… My observations are as such. Some stuff went very cheaply. Cars from an estate, they all sold with no reserve, but some of the other stuff was added with a reserve from local collectors. You add a reserve—unless ridiculously low, your car won’t sell. The crowd—mostly white haired folks. Doesn’t seem good for the hobby. However, every automobile, these numbering nine, was pre 1951. My wife’s extra car, a 2005 Jeep Wrangler, caught on fire just after we parked it. Either electrical or fuel injectors dumping gas onto a hot engine block causing ignition—and it was totaled. And so I might have an extra garage bay to put something in. One of two. The other has the 1917 Maxwell. I digress, but I see the single most detrimental thing to the future of this hobby is the lack of affordable and ample real estate allowing for the building of garages and other storage facilities. And so, I’m limited to one other garage bay—maybe. That’s open to debate. So, I attend this auction. Where I live, my lot is too small to put up additional garage space. The property did have a separate garage, 4 bays below, 2 cars deep, the same on an upper level as it was built into a hill. So, can store 16 cars. But the area itself is less desirable, not as convenient for high paying jobs. I suppose if you can work from home, that’s different, but my wife certainly wouldn’t want to live in the area. Having said all that, I’m a few years over 50 and have some grey hair. The folks in the crowd mostly had white hair, so almost all older than me. I went up to bid on the 1908 REO. Unrestored, just like I like them. Probably needs 10 to 30K into it to get it running properly. Which was why I didn’t take it home today as my wife would disagree with having her bay taken with a car that doesn’t run and would take quite a bit more to get it running. The car is part of an estate, and was in pieces when the owner passed away. An automobile restoration business was hired to put it back together and it supposedly runs “when towed” but that owner of the business listed off several things that need addressing, none of which would be cheap. Interestingly, he bid it up to 22K and folded and the winning bidder took it home for 23k. A brass era Model T from 1913 was bid to 15k and didn’t sell due to a reserve. Sadly, a Cartercar from 1912 didn’t sell. The elderly gentleman spoke lovingly of his restoration and conversion when he got it 34 years ago and I could see his disappointment when it only reached 15k and he didn’t let it go for that. i still work too much and don’t have the time to mess around with this stuff as I would like. But the conclusion I came to today is if I wait another 5 to 10 years until retired, that white haired crowd—and I’m not trying to be disrespectful—will be that much older. Simple supply of brass era cars and the demand by the remaining more removed from the era seems to dictate that this type of car is ripe for the bottom to really fall out. There definitely is a brass era car in my future, just not today—and, even despite my sentiments, I was tempted very sorely today at $23,500 or $24,000 to me…no buyer’s premium as well. If I had ample garage space, this car would have either been mine or at least bid up considerably more. Thoughts anyone, as to the future of brass car interest in America, the lack of availability of good affordable real estate with garage bays, etc? A bit of an oxymoron here. You need an ever increasing population base such that a mere fraction of it might be interested in early cars, but this ever increasing population base needs somewhere to live, leading to an increase in real estate prices and the tendency for lots to become ever smaller, not allowing for additional garage space to be built, and should this additional land be available, the homeowner’s association is ready to squash that idea. And photographs of the 1908 REO.

My radiator style is fin and tube. Let me do some research into what AACA chapter to join as there certainly is overlap in the area of Pennsylvania that I reside. And if any recommendations as to which one might be best given overlap, in the Macungie, PA area for 1917 and earlier automobiles? I am in the Lehigh Valley, but not far from the Berks County line, etc. And, a LOT will depend on my new job. Other than leave, in which my wife wants me to do things other than work on cars, I have been living out of a hotel for my job for quite some time and I’ve been home only about 30 hours a week. You can see why it was time to change jobs.

You touched upon a few things… My regret is being so close to the Horseless Carriage era, I did belong for awhile, but when I realized I have a space issue I may never be able to get a pre 1915 automobile. Ket ne see how my new job is time wise and if I have some time for this hobby, I will join the AACA. How do I find a chapter near me? I would describe as the radiator percolates and that’s why I’ve never driven it more than 7 or 8 miles from home, and, more recently, the furthest I had been in 2015 or 2016 was Das Auscht Fecht about 4 or 5 miles away. How do I tell the difference between percolation and overheating?

I am in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area. I feel guilty about relying on others I don’t even know when this is for my personal gain. My buddy who died was a friend and I helped him out with some things going on in his life in return for his help. But, on the other hand, I have asked for help. So it is a very odd situation. And I don’t know what my new job and its hours will really be like. I’m guessing much less than the 60 to 70 hours a week I’ve worked for a long time. If not, then this will have to be put on hiatus until I retire in 5 to 10 years. The thought of paying someone to do it right has crossed my mind. But who? And at what cost? But I rather enjoy learning and fixing it myself so that’s not a realistic option for me UNLESSit means the difference between actually running and being reliable and this not being the case. There was a book about a man who also had a 1917 Maxwell and drove it across the country a few years ago. He wrote a book about this called Chasing Grandpa. I haven’t read it, but if a cross country trek can be done, 200 miles or so a year should be no sweat. My biggest concern is overheating. Well, I guess everything else problematic is a concern too but one thing I never could get right with this car and a 1930 Model A I had to sell because I lost my storage space was the propensity to overheat.

I know this is an odd topic, but owning an early car that is too unique to have a local chapter, such as a Model A Club, and not having a network of aficionados around, how does one go about getting a car running and keeping it running? Background: I didn’t grow up around old cars but I certainly admire them. I am younger than most on this forum probably, or at least those interested in the early stuff. I have a 1917 Maxwell 25 Touring automobile. I had a friend who worked on this with me and he was my age and we usually got it going. It really takes two to work on a car. Helps when working on timing, one entertains things inside the car, like depressing the starter, while the other leans over the engine, etc. Sadly, he passed away during Covid. The last time we worked on it after sitting for a winter, the starter didn’t seem to work, which had been going on for awhile, and we were using the crank by that point. It would turn over but not start. I think that was about 4 years ago now. I found I never drove this car when running, as I was always afraid of breaking down far from home. Also, I never got it to where overheating wasn’t a concern. Lastly (I think), the carburetor was never trustworthy and would sometimes just start leaking gasoline. With the loss of my friend, and working a ridiculous number of hours, I have just let the car sit. Now, I’m at the point where I have to replace a few things to even consider having it run. Namely, at a minimum, 4 new tires, due to dry rot, and a new battery. I am switching jobs soon, and that might allow for more free time to work on things like cars—we shall see. As it turned over but wouldn’t start, I don’t know what else I might need, and obtaining parts is an issue. About 10 years ago, I threw a fan blade into the radiator, and managed to have that repaired and find a new fan blade, but I’m always afraid of a repeat of that. I like this car as it’s unrestored and looks like a Beverly Hillbillies car! So, I’m at a crossroads here. Sink a bunch of money in it even for tires and a battery and gave it not run or only have it run for a few miles or just maybe wait until retirement for this. This is too old for a local mechanic to handle (I wish they could!), and even if they could, sometimes it’s a very long time before finding a particular part. Im just looking for advice or ideas right now, especially if you have been or are in the same quagmire. My wife would actually like this car to run again, and reliably so. i thank you in advance.

In response to your question, Smith & Wesson had excellent records, often better than Colt’s records were. Here’s the factory letter associated with this revolver.

Any thoughts? Anyone?

The founders of Packard sold Packard Electric in 1915 to Newton Amos Wolcott. I was wondering if James Ward Wolcott or William Doud Packard we’re into revolver shooting at all? The revolver in this thread was owned by Newton Amos Wolcott. It is unusual in that it is of the Target Model configuration of the Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector First Model revolver, and downright rare having the special order Lyman ivory bead front sight and the “U” notch rear Target sight. It shipped to Mr Wolcott in 1909. In that era, only a serious revolver shooter would want such sights. Often they might target shoot with friends. If one or both of the Packard brothers were into the shooting sports, perhaps they handled or even fired this revolver? Any thoughts? My grandfather owned a 1937 Packard. I’ve wanted one for decades. Garage space is the issue. Maybe in a few years when I retire I’ll own one. Hopefully this revolver isn’t my closest connection to a Packard ever.

That’s EXACTLY why pre war, and not just pre 1920, HAS to be free!

I don’t mind the heat. My wife did. But others on this thread disliked it so maybe it diminishes turnout some??? To expand the interest in early cars, perhaps pre WWII should be free entry. Right now it’s pre 1920. Das Awkscht Fescht is 4 miles from where I live and it’s convenient.

There was plenty to like and I had lots of fun. It just doesn’t seem like what it once was, pre Covid. The park is beautiful, and there was some shade. But, if one can a better turnout if it was a cooler time of year, it seems that could be beneficial.