lump

Wow, Dosmo. You've got the coolest collection of old automotive photos! Sorry I'm not much help on identifying stuff as early as this.

Wow, thanks so much, guys. I am continually amazed by the amount of knowledge on this forum. I love it.

The image looks like a shield with a crest at the top, with two characters kneeling and holding arm(s) aloft, as in an offering. So it looks similar to many other shield-style auto logos and/or emblems I've seen before. But I cannot place this one. Got any ideas?

I recently snapped a photo of a 50's wheel cover which belongs to a friend. He had a bunch of stuff in front of it, so I stuck my camera back in there, and got a pic of the logo in the middle. I told him it would be easy for me to ID, but now I've lost my printed hubcap book, and couldn't find this one online. Does anyone recognize this logo?

I am dying to find out what book or website which I once found this old ornament in. I never realized that her foot is standing on the face of a leering man, until I read that description. But now I cannot find it anywhere.

Well, I guess I am out of luck on this one. I really ASSUMED that this would be an easy one. Nobody had any idea?

Wow, SMART people on this forum. Very cool, gang.

I've been looking for triangular radiator badges, and there aren't too many. The Dorris is one, but I cannot find a Dorris which looks like this car. I note that the license plate is dated 1921, and this looks to be in brand new condition. One more clue, anyway...

LOL. Well, Xander, I appreciate your kind words. But as for your last question, I must admit that I have no idea what you meant. Sorry. But I can say this. There is a massive, eager and ready market for buying almost ANYTHING under its normal value. And when car which has been stolen (zero cost to the thief), is either parted out or re-titled and sold at a bargain used-car price, lots of illegal profits are made. And wherever illegal profits are available, there are plenty of unscrupulous people who will try to cash in. Ummm...is that a relevant response to your question? Cheers!

generic red race car

I believe it is a hole-filler for a windshield wiper hole in the cowl of a car from the 40's. Some cars came with wipers on only the driver's side, with the passenger side wiper being optional. If you didn't pay for the second wiper, the manufacturer used a chrome trim plug to cover the hole. But I may be wrong?

The whole point behind all this title madness, is the government's attempts to stop (or at least reduce) car theft. We've all heard about "chop shops" and other fraudulent operations which deal in stolen cars and/or parts. Many of these places steal cars, then alter VIN's and/or titles, and resell them in another state. And surely NO ONE cares more about clamping down on car thieves than people like all of us, who love cars. The trouble comes in when laws which were intended to hinder criminal activity bring unfair restrictions to prudent citizens who are merely trying to pursue a legitimate hobby. I am an involved member of SEMA, and I have met with government officials on more than one occasion to try and get them to enact legislation which is friendly to car collecting, and to NOT support new bills which make it rough for car folks. Once I even testified before the Ohio Congressional Transportation Committee, regarding titles and registrations of collector vehicles. The representatives that were on that committee that day were very surprised to learn that the car hobby is so large, and that the industry which supports and supplies the hobby employs so many people right here in Ohio. They had no idea that some of the laws here in Ohio are MUCH tougher on car collectors than they are on car thieves. They seemed like nice and intelligent people, but they knew NOTHING about us, and our wants and needs as legitimate citizens pursuing appropriate hobbies. If you belong to a car club, insist that your car club join SEMA's SAN (SEMA ACTION NETWORK). That way your club will be constantly updated on new legislation being proposed or voted upon in your state. Then, write letters, make phone calls, and VOTE for people who will support the old car hobby.

What Roy said.

Oh, yes, the aftermarket was already thriving in the teens. Then, as now, many, many of the parts on the cars were "aftermarket" to begin with. The aftermarket has created thousands of innovations and inventions, which ended up as OEM equipment some years later. Those green visors are definitely an aftermarket accessory. And keep in mind that these cars were often used for decades beyond their year of "birth," and were commonly accessorized for all of their useful lives.

I can only presume that your reason for asking which specific vehicles that your replica models look like is so that you can list them for sale on an auction site, or something similar. But fundamentally, ALL of the replica models look KIND OF like certain vehicles, but not exactly like anything specific. So if you list them very specifically, you might end up with an unhappy buyer. However, if let them know up front that the model is, "...kind of similar to...." or something like that, you may be ok. But if someone buys that Model T you showed us, for example, and really wants only a Model T model, he or she might be very dissatisfied when they find it with a shifter handle sticking up. IE: I am imagining a wife like mine, who might see a model like this, and ask the seller if it is indeed a Model T. After hearing that it is, she might buy it for me as a surprise gift. But then if I opened it and pointed out that it was not a Model T at all, well...you can imagine her disappointment. I think you would be wise to choose your wording very carefully, and be certain not to represent these replica models as being accurate representations of any specific vehicle.

Cmon, guys. Quit worrying. It NEVER rains at the Hershey swap meet!

I operate a major swap meet event in Ohio. A few years ago the county auditor from this area stopped by to walk through our event, because he likes old cars. Soon I saw on-duty sheriff deputy cruisers pulling in, and learned that they were there to seize titles from a vendor who was selling them, at the specific orders of the auditor. The auditor told me it was strictly illegal to sell titles, but the vendor protested that it was perfectly legal, as long as they were being sold for collector purposes. After a few days, the titles had been returned to the vendor, and he had them back up for sale at our next event. The auditor doesn't like it, and says it shouldn't be allowed, but there is nothing he can do about it...as long as they are being sold as collectibles. Finally, ANY time ANYONE does anything with the intent to defraud someone else, they are subject to prosecution from the law. IF someone takes a title and uses it to misrepresent a car's identity or authentic ownership, he or she will certainly face criminal prosecution if they are caught. The key is committing fraud, or conspiring to commit fraud, as I understand it.

Very nice! Good for you. So, without me looking it up on the internet...is this car equipped with the all-aluminum V8, about 215 cubic inches that I recall from LONG ago?

There were some issues which featured individual people, along with their cars. My parents once wrote an article about the Grant motor car company, at a time when they owned a rare 1921 Grant Six. I think I have that issue tucked away somewhere. But while it's darn near impossible to sell a stack of those old mags, sometimes you can find descendants who are grateful for issues with articles about their ancestors, or people who are happy to find an article about a car which they currently own, back when that car was owned by someone else. But that takes a LOT of work to find and list all that info.

Stanggirl, if by "history on the VIN..." you mean, actual historical information on YOUR CAR, that will be a little tougher to find, depending on the state you live in. You may want to visit your LOCAL BMV office, and ask if they have any old records for it, and/or you can try to contact your state BMV. Ohio destroys all titles for any car which has not had license plates bought for that car in 5 years, as a matter of policy. But other states are different. Also, here in Ohio it sometimes helps to visit the License Bureau in your own county, because they sometimes keep old paper records much longer than the state BMV does. If you know whom you bought it from (check the backside of your title, this may be a good place to start). I have traced down a list of previous owners of some of my collector cars over the years, but I have not ever found an online resource that will quickly do the job for you. Good luck.

Gotcha, NZcarnerd. Well said.

I have a 23 Hupp Model R-12 touring, and it is significantly different from the car you have found. See photo, and notice the rounded cowl (not flat at bottom of windshield), etc. Earlier Hupps may have been entirely different.

I have helped people find their previously-owned cars before through title bureaus and other resources before, back when I published a bi-monthly magazine about Chevrolet Camaros. But remember that every state is different. Anyway, here in Ohio they intentionally shred every title for every car that they have on file, IF that vehicle has not had license plates bought for it in exactly 5 years. (So don't lose the title to that project car under a tarp in your garage, and then seek a replacement title from the Ohio BMV!) I sent one of my staff members to the BMV in Columbus to do an interview with the lady who was in charge of the whole OHIO BMV Vehicle Title operation, and she allowed him to stand there and watch the shredding operation, just to prove to us that they weren't exaggerating when they said the really did shred old titles. HOWEVER, when he posed to her the example challenge I had given him that day (to find the VIN of my old 68 Camaro SS 396 which I USED to own years earlier), she recommended that he should visit the COUNTY title bureau, where I had lived when I owned it. Each county had the option to deal with their old records in any fashion they chose. Our county had a file card index still on hand, and they found my old title info. Then they used that VIN, and found the current owner for me. Don't forget to also contact the insurance company where your grandfather bought coverage for his vehicles. IF they have older records, they should be able to retrieve the VIN's for you. Once you have that ViN, you will be a step closer to finding these vehicles.

Wow, cool photos of a 28 or 28 model. Thanks!

Great. Now I've got to start digging again. I have about 50 to 100 brand new wheel clamps with bolts around here somewhere. I've often vacillated between trying to sell them, or putting them into the attic until I die, when someone will throw them out. Let me see if I can find them again...tucked in an odd corner around here somewhere....