wayne sheldon

That is almost exactly how I would have done it! Probably a little nicer than my usual work (no show cars for me!). Now, the challenge is on! With a good repair, drive it to see which fails first! You or that repair? (And I hope it is a long - lo-ong - contest!)

Yeah, that engine swap just doesn't make sense to me. I can understand someone being afraid of the early V8 engines, how to work on them (that fork and blade setup can be scary, although I have worked on a friend's engine a fair amount), reliability issues? The Lincoln (and most big 1920s V8s!) have frames designed for the shorter V8 engine. Trying to "shoehorn" in a typical flathead six can be really tough. And a bigger straight eight no way! Any too small engine is going to make the thing a complete dog to drive. And those model L Lincolns are great drivers when properly sorted! I often drove my friend's 1925 home from busy weekends because I had serious insomnia which made me able to drive hours longer than most people were able to stay awake. I drove his seven passenger sedan hundreds of miles! I remember fifty years ago Jack Passey's place had at least a dozen model L Lincoln engines sitting around on half frames. He had collected them for spare parts for his collection, and would make them available to other owners if they needed one. But Jack has been gone for awhile now, and I have no idea what happened to all those engines. The recent thirty years, much of this country has gone nuts for cleaning up the environment, and sadly a lot of valuable old iron made a long trip to overseas iron furnaces. I imagine that there are still a number of model L engines scattered around? But what would it take to get one, I don't know. And the cost to rebuild one these days is (YIKES)! I could probably still do most of the work to rebuild one, IF I had the time. But I do not have the time to work on anything like that right now. I love the Judkins coupes! I have been up close to a few of them over the years. I sure would like for someone to get this car and restore it correctly. But that engine swap pretty much ruined that car. And going to a modern engine would only make the car worse. I sure hope someone with enough knowledge, and deep enough pockets, will step up and take this one on.

I enjoyed the updates. That type of tinkering and sorting always seems to go slowly. However it is important in order to get a car truly enjoyable and drivable. Some interesting history in the car's past eighty years. Enjoy the journey!

For those really interested, a link to the current year entry list; https://www.veterancarrun.com/vcr-entry-list-2023 With a major fascination for the really early stuff, I have fondly followed from afar this annual event for a few decades now. If life had treated me well (it never has), it would have been an event I would have attended in person at least a few times. Before the internet, I read reports in club magazines whenever I could find them. For twenty years now, I have followed them on their internet sites. I don't know the people as much as I would like to. But I have gotten to the point I recognize quite a few names and cars that return often. I do personally know a handful of people that have been on the even at least once. Going through the entry list, one can see the great variety of pre1905 automobiles that attend this wonderful event! Most of the list is roughly in year order, with late entries of all years at the end along with some era bicyclists that follow the cars. Interesting stuff.

Looks like one model T roadster (likely a 1926/'27) in that pile, right in the center of the photo! I wonder if the photo could have been about a year after the war ended, and new cars began being available to replace cars that were barely still going by the end of the war? If the photo was taken prewar scrap drive? That would be a lot of cars only about five years old at the time. And most of them look pretty beat!

Saddened by the loss of your grandfather. If you keep the car, and take good care of it, every time you go for a drive it can be like visiting with him again. Not a really expensive collectible car, but those Plymouths for their era were good cars, advanced for their era and fairly reliable. There are some proper ways to put a car back onto the road if it has been sitting for very long. Brakes are most important, and cleaning up the fuel system nearly as important for getting it to run correctly. The interior looks really nice! Do you know if it is the original or not?

They weren't all that popular back when the cars were new. Yes they were a factory option on many cars. And almost every auto parts store in the country sold after-market versions for anything (many of them had to be special ordered). However, out in the real world, on the roads and in the parking lots? I doubt if more than about one car in a hundred actually had those things. Many cars of the 1920s had a visor over the windshield. They mostly kept much of the rain off the windshield at low speeds. Wipers were not very good in those earlier years, and most driving was fairly slow. By 1930, most cars were eliminating exterior visors. Interior sun visors had been around on a few expensive cars and as after-market accessories since the late 1910s, but were somewhat rare (there is that word!). They began showing up in common cars during the 1930s, and being standard on the driver's side (I remember cars that had only one!) about 1940.

Looks like a nice one. The input end looks like the one for an impulse to make starting the engine easier.

So it finally arrived! Nice picture. Yeah, those top saddle "L" brackets are definitely too long for a roadster top. Otherwise, I think the car looks like a nice "Southern custom" model T. ("Southern custom" is how I sometimes refer to the Australian and New Zealand model Ts that received locally built bodies when they were new. They were often nicer than the standard Ford production bodies!) Even though 1914 would be before the higher taxation brought about by the War in Europe, many Fords and other American and Canadian cars were already being shipped down as little more than a chassis, and received locally built bodies. I am sure you should enjoy driving it often, as I know you like to do.

I'm sure you're right. Most Stutz automobiles that would use that engine probably already have a good engine. If they are going to be restored, they probably already have been. Fewer and fewer people are driving cars of that era. Sad.

This thread hurts. One thread, two (one 1928 maybe, and one 1929) Reo Flying Cloud Master cars for sale. I really like that Victoria/opera coupe! Not enough pictures, and I don't like what I can see of the dash restoration. Otherwise, I would love to have that car! But it isn't in the cards these days. Worse, believe it or not, that 1929 coupe is the one I had when I was in high school! I sold it after several years because I decided I wanted cars a bit earlier. Selling it paid most of the restoration on the 1925 Studebaker I had bought. Now nearly fifty years later? I think I could be happy with a car that modern. It needed quite a bit of work when I had it, but the original interior was still very nice (mohair!), and it ran GREAT! It had a shake in the front end if I drove over 55 mph, but up to 53 it drove nicer than any other antique (and more than a few modern?) cars I have had since. And I have had several wonderful road antiques over the years. I by pure chance ran into it about thirty years ago, parked outside what appears to be the same building in Stockton that these photos were taken. I was saddened that the car had suffered from neglect at that point, and a few parts I had for it that did go with the car had been lost by then. Its condition then had deteriorated somewhat, but mostly it was still fairly good for an unrestored car. Some wood needed to be replaced, however most of the original wood was solid, and most of what needed replacement was accessible top areas. If the price was right, and I could scrape it up? I would consider buying it back. For six years, I drove that car a lot. As long as someone hasn't done anything serious to harm that? I suspect it could be roadworthy in a few weeks. Then the wood and top and other things, eventually paint and (yikes!) plating could be done between drives. And the current asking price? Three to four times anything reasonable in its condition. I had always hoped someone would have gotten it and done a decent restoration at least. But when we let go of them, it is out of our hands.

Are you sure the rims are the problem? A lot of things can cause vibration at those speeds, including bent rims. However, good tires generally mask slightly bent rims, and often the rims are not the problem unless they are bad enough to not seat straight onto the wheel's felley. Have you checked the wheels with tires for roundness? And then check each part of the wheel assembly. Check the wheel itself without a rim or tire, and then check the wheel with the rim, but still no tire. Determine what part of the wheel is out of round. And what type of rims and wheels does your Nash have? Wood spoke? Steel disc? With separate split rim or included removeable ring? Both types were common that era. Or wire wheels? (Remote chance of split rims on those also?) I have straightened the common collapsible split rims of the 1920s several times for non-Fords. Non-Ford split rims are much tougher than are model T 21 inch split rims. But they are still not all that difficult to do.

I don't recall what subsection of the forum that discussion was under? I never was good at searches to find past discussions, but was hoping to push someone else to recall more. Sadly, "not worth much" was the conclusion of the previous discussion as I do recall. I sure hope that engine can find its way to a Stutz owner that could use it or at least keep it around awhile longer. Things like that are not valuable these days, unless one really needs it to keep their Stutz on the road. And then only if they have deep enough pockets.

Sure a lot nicer than the ones I restored for my 1915 runabout. And Layden is quite right about being tough to find such nice ones these days. I looked hard for original fenders for my 1915, just silly that way. (By the way, I bought my "turtle deck"/trunk for my runabout from Layden! Great guy!) But I cannot afford to buy anything like that right now. And mine started out a lot worse, but look pretty good now from five feet away.

Is this the engine that was discussed about a year or two ago? Looks like the same shelving behind a very similar Stutz engine.

No worries. The moderators could move it for you? Or you could simply start a new thread in the appropriate section for more knowledgeable replies. I try to not make more work for our wonderful moderators. So starting a new thread might be best. There are so many sections and subsections for so many different types and eras of collector cars that finding the best area for a given car is sometimes difficult. It didn't help that some of the "supported" clubs demanded divisions done their way. So the Chrysler sections aren't done quite like the General Motors sections. Personally, I think the prewar four cylinder and prewar six cylinder Dodge automobiles should be separated as there were a lot of changes made during that transition and the sixes and fours are quite different from each other in many ways. However, I don't have any of those so am not making any waves there. A link to the prewar Dodge and Dodge Brothers; https://forums.aaca.org/forum/38-dodge-dodge-brothers/ A suggestion. Until your body/car is better identified, specific year and model? Any threads you start about it should refer to it as a "Mid 1920s Dodge roadster" and maybe what information you are looking for. That way people with the information you are seeking and scanning through the listings can know what you are dealing with. Whatever you decide to do with this body? Good luck!

No more doors. It was a roadster. The Dodge/Budd all steel body didn't have much wood anywhere (on the body styles that were "all steel"). The steel cowl was attached to that upright, and there is some other framework missing from it This thread really should be moved to the early Dodge regions of the forum for better answers. This area is intended for "period (era) photos" of prewar cars where details in the photos revealing history can be discussed. That body isn't in great shape. However, you should see some of the same era model T Ford parts I have restored from even worse condition. It looks like there may be enough there to begin a restoration. That era Dodge cars are just common enough (they were good and lasted a long time!) that a person could probably still find most of the rest of the pieces at reasonable cost. The early four cylinder Dodge Brothers cars are popular enough and have an active club supporting the search for parts.

I of course have heard of and read about this incredible vehicle for a number of years now. However, I find your serialized postings of your encounter with it very interesting. Is more coming? I have heard some "Halloween-worthy" stories surrounding it before.

Interesting tale Jim!

I expected to see it still in its barn! Not a modern garage? Great car though.

Reo used an "F" head design for quite a number of years. Four cylinder cars during some of the 1910s, with open upper valve trains. And then for a number of years on six cylinder engines with covers over the valve mechanisms. Trucks and taxis (a couple of friends had one years ago) also used the open valve train four cylinder engines well into the 1920s. The Reo four cylinder, although much smaller than the Thomas engine, looks similar. I don't know if it is a single or dual camshaft, however I expect it would be a single camshaft given the cost advantages.

"F" head?

Thank you arcticbuicks for your many posts about your early engine! I have over the years read a fair amount about early engines with hot-tube or make and break ignition systems. I even knew someone years ago that had a hot tube car which he rarely drove. Beyond that, my personal experience with those systems was quite limited. I found your explanations quite illuminating.

Oval sockets were actually quite common on non-Fords well into the 1920s, and in one-man top format. Ford with the model T switched from oval sockets to rectangular shaped top sockets about 1918. USA production didn't switch to one-man tops until the 1923 model year (although Canadian production began one man tops and slanted windshields in 1920, more than two years before USA production).

Nice! I hope see current photos soon!