ejboyd5

Yup. 16-22 mpg depending upon conditions.

Only a framed poster prepared by Automobile Quarterly subsequent to an article they did for the Spring, 1975, issue featuring several of my cars. Strangely enough, I didn't even know the poster existed until I came upon it in a vendor's tent at Laguna Seca in 1986.

Much might depend upon what frequencies you wish to receive. I am presently using a simple one wire antenna approximately 10" long that is attached to the inside of the windshield. No problems whatsoever in receiving whatever I need anywhere between 45 MHz and 475 MHz (fire and ambulance communications).

Now that we know that it is a 1940 Studebaker, you can hope that some expert will come along and advise on the locations for the various identifying numbers for that make and year. Perhaps one of those numbers will match the Minnesota title. In any event, with numbers in hand, most states have procedures available to correct/verify old numbers which should allow the vehicle to be registered properly. You might have more success by starting a new thread with a title such as, "Finding a 1940 Studebaker VIN." Good fortune in your endeavor.

I recently had need to source some additional solid copper gaskets to adjust the 3/4“ reach of standard spark plugs to eliminate thread protrusion into the compression chamber of a 1956 300 SL engine. Being aware of the difficulties encountered in finding small quantities of Champion N-674 or N-667 gaskets, I went directly to Aircraft Spruce & Speciality Co,www.aircraftspruce.com/ (link is external) and was able to find exactly what I needed: 14 mm copper gaskets, 0.060” thick, $0.49 each, no minimum order. Delivery time from their Georgia facility was approximately five days spanning a weekend. As should be known, when using the earlier 300 SL heads, each spark plug requires two 0.060“ solid copper gaskets in addition to its supplied compression gasket to remedy the thread protrusion problem. The additional gaskets are not necessary if using a later Roadster head with the number ”19“ cast on its exterior as these heads are made differently to accommodate 3/4” (19mm) reach spark plugs without thread protrusion. Like

For those who may be interested, here's an article I did for the Gull Wing Group's 300 StarLetter: Rudge Knock-Offs and Self-Tightening Spinners Many 300SL automobiles are equipped with knock-off wheels that follow the Rudge-Whitworth model that dates back to the early 1900s. The most noticeable and eye-catching feature of this design are the eared spinners (nuts) that affix the wheels to the car. These spinners are marked “LS” and “RS” to indicate their proper placement on the car and also have an “AB” marking along with an arrow to indicate the direction the spinners must be rotated for removal. Rudge hubs are not interchangeable from side to side of the car as they are designed and machined in both right-handed and left-handed threaded versions. The proper orientation of right-handed thread on the left side of the vehicle and left-handed-thread on the right side of the vehicle must be adhered to if the spinners are to be self-tightening and not fall off as the wheels rotate. Why is this? Over the years many misconceptions, aided and abetted by loose terminology and a competing brand of center lock wheel (Lotus) that tightens in a different direction, have combined to create an aura of mystery that confounds even seasoned engineers. Let’s try to simplify the issue beginning with the terminology. All center lock wheels consist of three basic parts: 1) a splined hub at the end of an axle that terminates in either a right-handed or left-handed threaded male fitting; 2) a wheel with a splined center section that slips over the splined hub; and 3) a nut or spinner with either a right-handed or left-handed threaded female fitting that screws onto the splined hub to secure the wheel. Difficulty with understanding the reasoning behind “right” and “left” threads on different sides of the car begins when one tries to include the theory behind the “self-tightening” feature for the spinners into the discussion. Generally, spinners or nuts tighten or loosen themselves because of tiny rotational movements between the parts described as “relative motion.” Compounding the difficulty with understanding the process is something called “mechanical precession,” which describes the forces that come into being when a round object of a smaller diameter rotates within a round object of a greater diameter. To make this all easier to understand, think of the Hula Hoop, A child’s waist might have a diameter of 25 inches while the Hula Hoop might have a diameter of 36 inches. In order to keep the Hoop in motion the child (the smaller diameter) must rotate faster than the Hoop (the larger diameter). This relative motion between the two diameters also imparts a circular rotational movement to the Hoop itself. If anyone wishes to demonstrate this action (and still has access to a Hula Hoop), wrap a piece of tape around the Hoop as a marker, put the Hoop in motion around your waist and watch how the tape marker moves right or left showing the rotational movement of the Hoop. Depending upon the direction the Hoop is turning this motion equates to the self-tightening or self-loosening of a threaded fitting albeit on a much larger scale. Returning to the Rudge wheel, we note that the center portion of the wheel has a smaller exterior diameter (like the child) than the interior diameter of the spinner (like the Hula Hoop). Because of this difference in diameters the wheel center rotates infinitesimally faster than the spinner in order to travel the same distance (just the same as the child with the smaller diameter must rotate his hips faster than the rotational rate of the Hula Hoop with the larger diameter). This difference in rotational speeds and the direction of the rotation is what accounts for self-tightening or self-loosening of a nut or spinner. As viewed from the side and since the predominant direction of travel for an automobile is forward, the center portions of the wheels (the smaller diameter) on the left side of a car are rotating faster in a counter-clockwise direction than the spinners (the larger diameter) are rotating in the same counter-clockwise direction. Since the left side of a Rudge wheel equipped car has right-handed threaded fittings, the relative motion between the wheel center and the spinner causes the spinner to self-tighten. To help visualize this relative movement, grasp a standard right-handed bolt in your left hand and a right-handed nut in your right hand. Rotate both in a counter-clockwise direction but rotate the bolt faster than the nut and notice how the nut tightens onto the bolt. You have just demonstrated the self-tightening of a threaded fitting as a result of relative motion. Turning our attention to the right side of the car, the wheels are still moving in a forward direction, but the rotation of the wheel center and the spinner is now clockwise as viewed from the side. If we were to utilize right-handed threaded fittings on the right side of the car, the relative motion between the center of the wheel and the spinner would create a self-loosening force. Hence the need for left-handed threaded fittings on the right side of a car. Again, if there are doubts, grasp the right-handed threaded bolt in your left hand and the nut in your right. Rotate both in a clockwise direction being sure to rotate the bolt faster than the nut and you will see that the fitting loosens. Several pertinent observations: 1) The relative motion we are describing is of a very, very small magnitude and when the threaded parts are well and truly tightened together it is negligible. It is the possibility of this motion however that provides the mechanical reasoning behind right-handed threaded fittings on the left side of a car and left-handed threaded fittings on the right side when following the Rudge model. 2) The interface where the relative motion takes place is between the wheel center and the spinner nut, not between the spinner nut and the threaded hub. It is the relative motion between the wheel center and the spinner nut that causes the spinner nut to tighten or loosen itself with regard to the threaded hub. 3) Some discussions on the topic of knock-off or center lock wheels confuse the issue beyond all comprehension by introducing the term “taper” to describe the interface between the wheel center and the spinner. Forget about the word “taper” and simply remember that with the Rudge design the outside diameter of the wheel center is smaller than the inside diameter of the spinner and it is those different diameters that are responsible for “relative motion.” Winding down this discussion, someone somewhere is bound to ask about the Lotus SE that has right-handed threads on the right side of the car and left-handed threads on the left side. Why don’t the Lotus wheels fall off? The answer lies with the relative diameters of the wheel center and of the spinner. Unlike the Rudge design where the spinner has a larger interior diameter than the wheel center, the Lotus spinner has a conical protrusion that fits inside the Lotus wheel center effectively giving the Lotus spinner a smaller interior diameter than the Lotus wheel and that design change reverses the direction of relative motion between the parts, i.e., the Lotus spinner having a smaller interface diameter rotates faster than the larger diameter of the Lotus wheel center. Since the relative diameters of the hubs and wheel centers have been reversed from those of the Rudge model, the orientation of right and left-handed threads on different sides of the car must also be reversed to allow self-tightening feature to function. Finally, and contrary to some popular belief, the Lotus spinner does not present with a male thread that screws into the hub. It has female threads just like the Rudge spinner, the difference being the conical protrusion of the spinner that fits inside the Lotus SE wheel center whereas the Rudge spinner lies outside the Rudge wheel center. Edward Boyd, Southold, New York June 25, 2018

I'm reminded of, "Give the people what they think they want." George Ade. Fables in Slang

Here's a link to a Wikipedia article on fretting precession that may help: .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession_(mechanical) And here is a link to a website that has lots of information concerning threaded fasteners presented in understandable terms: http://www.boltscience.com/pages/vibloose.htm The horse is now well and truly dead. Further flogging will be counterproductive.

Practically, it probably won't make any difference with the use of your car, but personally it would bother me every time I looked at it and realized that somewhere in its past a mistake was made and that I had done nothing to correct it. Thankfully the Rudge wheels were installed correctly by the factory on my 300 SL and have worked perfectly for the 54 years I've had it. They do take some "thumping" to loosen however. M-B (Rudge) uses the more common variation where one strikes toward the front of the car to loosen and toward the rear to tighten. Why Lotus pursued "a better idea" and reversed directions we'll leave to the devotees of that marque to argue.

Some more interesting reading: http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/wheels/wl102.htm https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a28133/lost-art-the-smiting-of-the-knockoffs/

Answered in the first line of the original post! Also, Mercedes-Benz incorporated very clear instructions on the 300 SL Rudge hubs:

Don't complain. By and large the posters on this site are models of clarity and usage. If you want frustration go to one of the popular USA boating sites and speculate if anyone ever got past the second grade. To be brutally honest however, I have noted that the British automobile and aviation sites I visit consistently exhibit higher standards for capitalization, spelling and punctuation than any of their USA counterparts.

An oxymoronic statement if ever I've seen one.

Mention of Ma Barker brings back a very vivid memory from the late '50s - early '60s when I was in Florida with my father who was a retired FBI agent. He took great trouble to drive me to the house and explain in detail what had happened on the day.

Is it "numbers matching" as well?

Exactly my thought when I saw the picture. Obviously used for large diameter pipe.

You will quickly tire of that toy. Why not rent it from the seller for a week or so to see what I mean.

The only show that I attend is sponsored by the Boy Scouts for benefit of their Troop. It's been going on for years and now attracts 250+ cars, all of a very high standard, mainly because the Scouts and their adult advisers are truly glad that you are there and do everything possible to make your day a pleasant one. By contrast, one of the big three national service clubs also sponsors a car show in the area and it is obvious that its members could not care less if you are there or not as long as they have the entry fee. I'll go to that show every five or six years to see if anything has changed, but nothing does even though I've repeatedly communicated with several presidents of the club stressing its shortcomings and urging a more welcoming stance by its members. After all, it's their fundraising event and they should care. I will not attend this year even though the venue is less than 5 miles from my home. Pet peeve: Shows that charge to display, but offer free spots for cars older than a certain age. This should be an all or nothing thing, either all entrants pay or none pay.

"What difference – at this point, what difference does it make?"

For the uninitiated, could someone provide an explanation as to how the AACA and the Museum came to be separate entities.

http://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-champion-spark-plug-r1.html

Anecdotal observations only: I have battery disconnect switches on all vehicles that are not used at least weekly, Average battery life has been 10-12 years in non climate controlled storage. My previous high was 17 years from a Sears 36, but a Sears Die Hard has just now passed 18 years with no signs of weakness, so we'll see how that goes. My personal view regarding battery tenders is that they do more harm than good relative to battery life by constantly varying a battery's natural equilibrium through forced and unnecessary charging cycles. For battery life alone, it is far better to "let sleeping does lie" rather that constantly trying to maintain an artificially high level of readiness or charge. Most people use battery tenders because they want their cars to start. Most cars do not start because their batteries have lost their charge, and most batteries have lost their charge due to one or more parasitic drains in the electrical system. Instead of treating the symptoms through use of a battery tender, why not attack the disease itself by installing a disconnect switch to eliminate parasitic drain. Your battery will reward you with a longer life and additionally you will have gone a long way toward eliminating short circuits and possible fires caused by rodents gnawing wires in unattended vehicles.