scotchyoke

My vehicle's previous caretaker, will bring you back to the AACA home page. For those who have visited the site, you may have found a link on the bottom left titled "site map" and "about". For those who have not read this history, you may want to take some time to read how our great club got it's start. There you can read a list of the 14 founding members. My car is the 1903 Autocar (really is a 1904) previously owned by Anton Schuck, from Stockton, New Jersey, where I went to pick up the car at his home. I bought the car from his son Richard Schuck. The area, history and experience will never be erased from my memory. Fortunately, I was able to track down some of it's history from the #13 placard found in the back compartment of the car. The second photo is a newspaper article, from the "Evening Bulletin of Philadelphia" showing the number 13. The caption tells how Anton Schuck drove the Autocar (must have been a challenge with the modifications) from Stockton, New Jersey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a 50 mile trip in 2 hours and 7 minutes, in the dead of winter. Photo 3 is the car as found. The "derby" then was much like the reliability tours of today. Cash prizes, trophies and quarts of oil were given to the winners in various categories. Anton became a founding member on November 4, 1935 with a dues payment of one dollar. This has been a very long term project, but still moving along, as seen in the remaining photos. Sorry the photos are not great, the garage isn't big enough, is it ever ? Hope the membership enjoys the story. Best of health to all, Diane

Dear Bush mechanic thanks for the response. Sorry it went back in hiding. I would have loved to know if you found the cause of the problem. It would drive me crazy until I got to the bottom. Also, great learning experience. For future information. The intake atmospheric valve spring pressure should be 40 ounces to open. Just a note. Thanks again, Diane

Good day all. Hope you have found your problem by now. I am very late at keeping up with posts. I would go back to the basics. Too lean a mixture will burn valves and seats. As for your lack of power there are only a few causes. As pressure is what makes the car go, the good preforming engine doesn't let the pressure escape through leaks. Well seated valves, no leaking gaskets and no tired rings are a MUST, on any engine. Little leaks extract a lot of performance. Your tired valves, general leaks, worn rings or scored cylinder won't let you develop the cylinder pressure required to make any hill !! I believe if you address the above mentioned conditions you will find the cause of the problem. As an owner of a 1903 Orient that little car in proper condition should run right along and definitely climb a hill. Then take a look at your timing. Peak pressure is reached before the end of the burning process, or about 15 degrees after top. Peak pressure before top center si bad news. Hope this helps if you are still searching for the problem. Best luck to you and others, Diane

Much better photos Gary. Vehicle is still a 1911, as I answered previously, because of the deep sump with oil pump. Earlier engines were splash oil system and shallow crankcase. I will be happy to help answer your questions and send you photos, but I will do so through pm not in the forum. Glad you have the round gas tank for under hood, sorry I thought I saw it in the previous blurry photo behind the seat.

Dear Gary, First, I am a female who has been working on antique vehicles since I was 15 years old. I own two 1909 Metz's vehicles (photos in previous thread) since 1988. I also own a 1903 Orient buckboard. I believe I may be quite familiar with your particular vehicle. I am not certain as I cannot read the serial number on the engine in the photos I have (but may have it written down somewhere). I believe this vehicle was previously in the hands of Harry Campbell from Blairsville, Pa. He did in fact remanufacture the grill along with many other sheet metal parts, etc. The work was never completed nor minor errors corrected. Thus, the lack of crank hole opening. The support bracket for the crank handle is the yoke behind the grill shield. As for the serial number ranges there are MANY inconsistencies and holes in the sequence. Therefore, these vehicles are dated by specific features and NOT by the engine number. I believe your vehicle is a late 1911 and a factory produced car not a plan car. More and clearer photos would help. It appears in your photo to have a round gas tank behind the seat, which should be oval, mounted on a slant. With the square deep oil slump, you should have an oil pump. I would turn the engine over by hand or with a drill motor(some orchestration involved) to be certain it works BEFORE attempting a start. I would also verify the breather on the engine cover works and is not just a plug cap. I regards to a carburetor, I do not believe you will have success with a model T carburetor, as the throat is much too large for a two cylinder engine. You should have a schebler much like the ones used on an early motorcycle. Perhaps a more modern tillotsen from a small Hercules or marine engine would be a better chose. One from a single cylinder engine may also have too small a throat. You will also need to have a means to advance and retard the magneto, as all of the linkage is missing. Haste before proper verification of function can lead to damage, expense and bodily harm. I hope I have been of some help to you and I wish you good luck with your "new" car. Have fun. DIANE

Perhaps there would be interest in an engine photo. Thanks for looking, Diane

Dear Foreman,, The serial number is located on the top engine cover flange, by the engine breather. Also on internal engine components, if they have not been changed. The "plan car" has no frame/vehicle numbers. If the vehicle you are looking at is a 1908 it would be a Waltham Manufacturing Company vehicle. The Metz was not produced until September-October 1909. The most notable difference in the 1909 engine is the use of ball bearings in the connecting rods, (easy to see with top cover removed}. Early in 1910 the rods were converted to babbitt bearings. Also the bore and stroke were changed going from a 10hp engine to a 12hp engine. I am presently believed to own the oldest two Metz "plan cars" in existence. I along with Franklin B. Tucker have done extensive research on the Metz/Waltham automobiles. Hope this small bit of information is helpful to you, and good luck.

Hello thebum, I believe the automobile is a 1912 Hupmobile model 20 runabout. The steering wheel is probably wrapped because they were wood dovetailed together and always seemed to separate. The blob is the horn, the horn bulb is located in front of the shift levers outside the drivers side false door. However, it should be mounted on the dashboard by the hood, where it always got wacked (probably why the car owner moved it). I also do not see any kerosene cowl lights ( unless the thing that looks like an upside down bag is a light), which should be mounted at the top outside edge of the dashboard. The sidelight brackets are not correct nor in the right location. The speedometer head would be mounted on the inside of the dashboard, inside the vehicle. The Prestolite tank is correct as are the headlights. The radiator neck if it were visible would be very tall. A very fun car to drive, only downside for some folks is the two speed transmission. Thanks for posting, and as always stand to be corrected. Diane

A similar vehicle is my 1922 Rauch & Lang B66 Brougham which I have owned for over 25 years. It was built in the former Stevens-Duryea factory in Chicopee Falls, Mass. at a time when business for all electric passenger vehicles was on the decline. The Rauch operates on 84 volts and uses 14 6-volt batteries of 102 pounds each. The batteries shown are replacements and replicate how originals would fit in the vehicle. The side stick motor controller uses a combination of resistance, series, and parallel connections to produce 6 forward speeds and can indicate up to a 150 amp draw at starting roll on an incline. Steering is by a tiller from the left rear seat with 2 passenger seats in front facing to the rear. The Rauch features an aluminum body, steel fenders, worm drive and originally sold for $4,250. It still retains the original paint and interior. Diane

I have used a ground wire off the frame of the engine anywhere you can. Mine goes to the bracket holding the crank handle mechanism and the other end to battery ground. My timer top and bottom terminals go to the trembler coil. Though you really only need one terminal on the timer as it fires on both intake and exhaust. Hope this is clear if not let me know and I will try again. Good luck and I do hope happy motoring.Diane

Dear Dave, Your angel must have had her head in the clouds!! I looked over my spare parts today and the chain is 3/16 NOT 5/16. And a 3/16 connecting link or repair link. Maybe my finger just walked to the wrong number. Sorry for my error. Hope all this helps you to do the job correctly. Diane

Dear Dave, Thank you and I respect your desire to display this vehicle as original as possible. I own a 1906 Holsman model 9 and have made correct and functioning drive ropes. The power transmission drive rope for the early Holsman highwheel automobile was the invention of Henry K. Holsman as shown in his U.S. patent 956,578 and was used until 1909 when a friction chain was employed(I have one of these also). My ropes were missing at time of vehicle purchase so I made ropes following the original design that have provided years of service and I do drive my vehicle very often. They consist of endless chain fitted for its length with four ropes as a filler to round out the assembly all spiral wrapped with friction tape and an outer layer of canvas belting. Commercially available 5/16 inch link chain is connected together with a 5/16 inch repair link. Four pieces of "clothesline" rope the same length as the chain is laid over the chain to "make it round". The friction tape (which is adhesive impregnated cloth tape sticky on both sides) is spirally wrapped slightly overlapping around the whole assembly. The outer layer is made from 1 1/2 inch wide lengths of 1/8 inch thick military webbed material. This is also spirally wrapped edge to edge(no overlap) the entire length of the chain assembly and when the ends meet they are stitched together with heavy twine. Do NOT get any webbing that has been waterproofed as you will have NO friction grip only slipping ropes (experience speaking). A good source is the outer covering of "old" fire hose. Determining the length needed is trial and error but forgiving. They must be slack enough to slip on the rotating jackshaft in neutral yet sufficiently tight when the jackshaft is in forward drive position allowing for a strong pull on the jackshaft when hill climbing. Perhaps your v-belt will help determine a starting length. Any questions get back to me. Good luck, Diane

Dear John, I will attempt to help you. I own a 1906 Holsman and I believe the ignition systems are the same. I hope your engine has two spark plugs per cylinder, one in the removable head and one short reach plug on the side near the valves(these often times were plugged-they have to be a very short reach plug or they interfere with the valves). Both front and rear plugs fire at the same time every cycle off the timer/circuit breaker. The large bakelite connections on the bottom of the box are for your spark plugs. The terminals on the bottom of the box are power connections. Your vehicle should have two sets of batteries, in that era ( 6 each)- 1 1/2 volt dry cell batteries, tied together to give you 9 volts. The switch(s) on the front of the box are wired for a "never leave you stranded" system. The position of the switch straight up and down as shown in the photo is off. The position of the switch crosswise or horizontal should be wired so that it activates both sets of batteries, two coils, with one set of plugs now connected to the timer for opposite cylinders. With the switch in a 45 degree angle to the right(or left) will activate one set of batteries, one set of plugs(opposite cylinders-such as the end plugs), and one coil. The switch turned 45 degrees in the opposite direction (say to the right) will activate the opposite set of batteries, the opposite set of plugs (the side) and the opposite coil. The second switch on the front of the box will do exactly the same thing in the event of switch failure. Basically this is the ultimate system that anyone could imagine for redundancy. The purpose Mr Holsman had in mind was if any part of the system failed you could get to your destination. If you do not want to wire up this whole system as I have explained and as designed, operate the system with one "on" position on one switch only. Connect it to operate one set of plugs with one wire off the timer (I suggest end plugs), one coil and one battery(I use a modern 6 or 8 volt gel-cell). Hope this helps, Diane

Dear Don, Thanks for the reply to my Chevy Superior K question. I think you have helped me head in the right direction. I will follow your suggestion hopefully with success. Again thank you. Diane

I have a 1925 (?) Chevy coach with right hand drive which was purchased 27 years ago and has been semi-dormant since. I believe the vehicle came from Australia and then to the US in the late 1930's. The data plate on the right side toe board lists model as Superior-K and car number as XHV 17xx. The engine block number begins with R2774. I was trying to find if the vehicle was manufactured in the US and anything else the car number might provide. Diane

Dear W. Higgins, Thanks for the gorgeous picture. You have a super idea looks like you used an engine stand to paint the wheel. I would appreciate any help and advice you can and are willing to help me with. Please contact me again I will give you my e-mail if desired. Diane

Bob, Thanks a million for your help I believe this is the way I will go especially with your help of a supplier. Sounds great to me since you have used them before. Diane

Can anyone help me with knowledge of migley steel spoke wheels? Has anyone worked with or on them? I have a 1905 Autocar that uses migley steel spoke wheels which I have but, are in anything but great condition, I need advice. I have had thoughts of remaking them of wood but I need clincher rims size 28x3 and would need a source of who remakes a rim in this size. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated so I can get this car on the road before my guardianship of this vehicle runs out. Thanks Diane