wayne sheldon

Yeah but my model T Ford will do that!

Likely after-market. The throttle linkage is adaptable. Manufacturing style indicates post WW2 (could be late 1930s?). Target market was probably tractor or industrial engines. Similar carburetors are sometimes used on earlier antiques where the original carburetors are not available or cannot be rebuilt to be reliable.

Thank you! It is nice to occasionally see a happy ending!

I tried zooming in on the photo and did not get anywhere near that much clarity! Given additional detail, I am less sure about any of the cars. I am fairly sure the white car is not a Buick, in spite of the white. The script certainly does not look right, unless it could be an after-market name or some other script. With all the bunting and decorations, a lot of details are hidden. I could barely read any of the typing in the lower corner. With your better blowup, can you read the typing? There were a lot of people's names, and a couple of the cars maybe? A wonderful photo regardless.

Definition (detail) of the photo is not good. Solid identification may not be possible. That said, I believe the first car on your (viewer's) right is a Packard, likely a model 30, but could be a model 18(?). I base this on the the apparent shape of the radiator and hood, and the deep long front bills of the front fenders (Packard is famous for both of those shapes!). The third car from the right I suspect is a Maxwell. Also based upon an apparent shape of the radiator and hood, which most early models had with a "dip" lengthwise of the hood similar to Packard, just a bit different. The Maxwell with that style radiator had a brass bar running across the front of the radiator, which this car appears to have. The fifth car, white near the middle of the photo, I am going to hesitate a bit. My immediate reaction, and I think very likely, is a Buick. I base this on a simple yet very obvious trait. It looks to be white. While white is popular with restorers over the past fifty years, and a lot of horseless carriages have been painted that way? It was not common nor popular in this country back in the first several decades of the automobile. White was popular in England and its colonies around the globe! To a lesser extent, it was also common throughout Europe. For whatever reason (filthy dirty roads is one leading theory?), white was not popular on American cars. There were hundreds of exceptions. Custom ordered high end (expensive!) cars sometimes. Many dozens of lower production marques offered white. The most significant exception was Buick! For several years, roughly 1907 through 1911, across several models and sizes of cars, Buick offered their "White Streak" cars, which were in fact painted white. And Buick built a lot of them. Nine times out of ten, if you see a white car in an era photo from about 1907 through 1915, it will be a Buick. My hesitation on the car is two things. One, although the radiator shape is very close to what nearly all Buicks used those years? Its "aspect ratio" is off just a bit (slightly tall and narrow). That could simply be a distortion of the image. Two, there clearly is a radiator script, and it also looks very close to what Buick used on thousands of cars they sold! But it appears slightly off. Something looks too tall in the middle of "Buick". "Buick" is tall at both ends, and basically short all through the middle. Again, it could be just something in the photo? Seems to me that "Glide" had a similar script??? Wonderful photo! Good luck!

The mounting brackets (a few pieces missing on one side could be easily made!) appear to be adjustable for chassis width. That indicates that it was likely an after-market bumper for most any midsize to large car. Bumpers were not provided on most automobiles through about 1926. Some major manufacturers began offering factory optional bumpers around 1924/'25. Some high end automobiles offered bumpers as early as 1912, including I believe Pierce Arrow. This one appears to have what were likely nickel plated trim covers on the front sides of the bumper bars. They did not go all the way across, and were held in place in part or in whole by the front assembly brackets. They may have also been held in place by in part by fancy headed bolts through the trim piece and the bumper bar. Such fancy headed bolts more than anything held the trim piece centered on the bumper bar and made assembly onto the car easier. Once all the bolts were fully tightened, the trim pieces should stay in place even without the fancy headed bolts (the fancy head was a sort-of half a football shape!). The bumper bars originally were most likely painted black, with the nickel plated trim pieces to add a bit of "flash" to the car. I have always really liked that style after-market bumper on mid 1920s cars! I have seen quite a number of restored and even a few very original cars with them on the car. For whatever it is worth? I have seen at least one restored car where the trim pieces had rusted so badly, the fellow restoring the car made near duplicates out of stainless steel. These days that might be worth considering in place of the cost and hassle of nickel plating?

Things like this truck are in a sort of purgatory, or gray area. Certainly not "original". Not quite "like" or "as" original. But not really a hotrod either. But they are a part of automotive history. Mechanically similar in design and appearance to the original driveline, they basically act like the original would, and most people wouldn't know the differences if they looked at it. Trucks and cars like this could be good daily drivers, and be great to see around town. Not my "cup of tea", but I wouldn't mind having one (for awhile?) if it were given to me. Trucks like that were sometimes being upgraded with the newer engines and transmissions when they were only a few years old. It could very well have looked a lot like that when our nation entered the world war. Over the years in this hobby, I have known several people that owned mid 1930s Buicks with late 1940s Buick straight eights in them. Also a number of people that had 1930s Chrysler products with '40s/'50s Plymouth flathead sixes in them. Sometimes they also have later rear ends and brakes in them. They look nice driving around town. Even though they are not correct that way. There is room in the world and our hobby for such things. As long as they are not identified as what they are not.

A beautiful and wonderful automobile! But a "magneto"?

Healdsburg/Windsor is on the edge of the wine country North of San Francisco. Beautiful countryside, great antique automobile roads. I have toured that area many times in years past, and driven by it for family and business drives literally hundreds of times! The car? 1934 is a bit too new for what I really want, but I have always wanted for a Rolls Royce, and if it were possible (it isn't), I think I could fall in love with this one. I look at the ads for them often, and also would expect the price to be about right for the model. I certainly hope it is legitimate, and hope someone gets a great car for a fair price!

Yes. With a few odd later exceptions, 1913 was the crossover year. It is still argued way too much how many 1913s were a dark "midnight" blue, and how many of that year were all black. Basically ALL 1914s were all black, as were the rest of the late 1910s. There is good evidence that some 1915 through 1918 center-door sedans and coupes may have been dark blue. However most of them were also all black, and even the good evidence is still disputed. Except for a few custom fleet orders, all 1920 through 1925 model year model T Fords built in the USA were all black. English and European model Ts were sometimes other colours. Canadian chassis exported to Australia and New Zealand often were bodied by local companies and painted other colours. It might be surprising how often someone finds an era photo of a model T clearly not black, and close examination reveals that it is an overseas manufactured or bodied car.

Hunted for the previous ad.

Not like any model T steering wheel I have ever seen. Maybe an after-market? The hub center piece looks a lot like what Ford used from 1919 through the end of production. So I would suspect some Ford connection. The model T on a similar looking hub had four individual steel spokes riveted in place, with a sort-of plastic smooth rim around them. The rim diameters varied over the years, increasing in size as the years went by. I don't recall ever seeing anything like that on a tractor. But I suppose that could be a possibility? Maybe it could be some foreign production? Ford or otherwise? Someone somewhere knows what that is. Hopefully they can see it and tell us.

Don't feel pressured, certainly not by me! However, I do like to encourage people to work on their antiques or almost anything else they appear to enjoy working on. Especially when the car is something I like in the brass through nickel eras, or one similar to something I or a good friend has had and worked on. J. C. drove his Safety Stutz a lot of places and always enjoyed talking about the places and events he took it to!

New ad says "best offer" down in the text. Still $150,000 in the heading. I wonder just how reasonable he would be?

Neat! I like to see progress on cars like this.

Sounds like the best description of "flipper mentality" I have read yet!

Eight and a quarter hours to go, and current bid is $40,000. This could get interesting. And for whatever it is worth? I could live with the colors and upholstery. Can't really see the upholstery when you are sitting on it and driving! When it comes to tan and brown for colors? These are better than most.

Wow! No help for you, but I was surprised when I looked at the photo. The raised back/inside part that protects the side apron is basically identical (floral pattern, shape, everything!) to the step plates that were on my 1927 Paige 6-45 sedan when my dad bought it over fifty years ago. It only had two of them however. The boot scraper and other general pattern is also very close. The only and quite obvious difference is the box with the "Franklin" name. The ones on my Paige have no marque name on them. The little bit of sales literature I have for my Paige says step plates were available as an option. Whether the ones on my car were the factory option or an after-market? I don't know. I have been to a lot of swap meets over the past fifty plus years, and looked at literally hundreds of original step plates. I have never in person seen one quite like the ones from my Paige. I have seen maybe two bad photos of something close.

Definitely not model T. It could possibly be a Ford models N/R/S, however I am not an expert on those. There were a lot of cars in the 1905 to 1912 years that used a four coil system. Someone out there will know it the moment they see it. Good luck!

Generally, the two upper and lower bars of the bumper before 1928 would have been nickel plated. The clamps that hold the assembly together may have been painted black, possibly some other color or also nickel plated. There were numerous exceptions. Another brand of bumper (I don't know who the manufacturer was?) of which I have seen several, the two bars were painted black. However, they then had a nickel plated trim piece attached to the front side of the bar by a few special bolts with decorated heads showing on the front side.

I have always loved the landau sedans/broughams (there is that "B" word again?), most of which in the 1920s American cars did not have tops that folded down in the rear. Landaulets, real ones where the rear of the top folded down for a fresh air ride for the passengers had actually been somewhat popular with certain upper classes and wannabe upper classes for many years as family town cars (usually chauffeur driven), and as taxicabs so that visitors and local customers alike could feel like they were getting the "Royal" treatment! For early automobiles they were an extension of the horse-drawn carriage days when similar carriages were somewhat common. However by the 1920s, that style for American cars was pretty much considered "old hat". There were always a few exceptions, usually custom ordered during the 1920s. Even most purpose-built taxicabs had fixed roofs for the passengers, although some of those did leave the driver out in the cold. General Motor's short flirtation with the style in the late 1920s and earliest 1930s always fascinated me. I have no idea who's car like that I first saw, but I was still in high school at the time. I am fairly sure it was a 1929 Chevrolet. Within a few years, I had managed to personally see about three other Chevrolets and at least one Pontiac. Over the following twenty years, I personally saw three or four Chevrolets, Another Pontiac, and if I recall correctly, an Oakland! I seriously considered buying a 1929 Chevrolet over thirty years ago, in spite of the fact I didn't really want anything built after 1927. I just really liked the durn thing in spite of the fact I knew I would never be happy with it (because of its year of manufacture). So I moved on and bought something else. In the past twenty years, with the internet, I have seen pictures of several others, usually Chevrolet, but again a couple Oakland/Pontiac as well. I sure like this Pontiac! Tell your friends it looks great, and hopefully they can enjoy it for many years to come. Tell them "Congratulations" on the refresh!

Thank you chistech for the clarification!

Nice catch Rusty! It appears to be the same license plate as well! Notice that in the first photo, the mother-in-law seat is clearly more narrow than the front seat, and the "box" under it is considerably wider than the seat. In the the first phot Varun C shared, the rear seat is wider than the "box" under it, and there appear to be two ladies seated in the rear seat and an additional lady with the driver in the front seat. A lot of cars that era had a detachable tonneau or "rumble seat" (mother-in-law seat by another name?) that could be easily removed. Many car manufacturers had "double rumble" seats available for their cars, and some owners would have a couple options and switch them for different occasions as needed. Two great photos of a very rare early car! Thanks to the original poster (wherever he is after so many years?). And special thanks yet again to Varun C for identifying such a rarely seen automobile!

It is a big project! I hope you are up for the challenge. Rust is a big problem with these, but can be repaired in several ways. Each area will need to be individually assessed and a plan made for repair. A lot of people will tell you it can't be done. I won't say that. Some of us enjoy the challenge! There is a special satisfaction for every piece that you bring back from the brink! I have restored a few cars that others told me could not be restored. Don't think it will be easy, or quick. First, clean it up! Take lots and lots of photos, closeups of every original thing before taking anything apart, and while taking it apart. Then decide whether to tackle the body work or the mechanical work. Don't try to do everything at once. However, along the way, an occasional detour to another area for small projects can break the monotony of not seeing progress. Make a list of items you need to replace. The bumpers look like you should try to get better ones. Hubcaps, interior trim, any other things you should be looking for all along. A good way to approach projects like this is to commit to at least one hour per day working on the car! Even if just a little thing each day, it keeps adding up. Take it like some "me time", a break from regular work and daily stresses. It works! The quickest way to end progress is to stop doing that daily one hour. First thing you know, it has been a week. Then a month. Then years. Good luck! And I am sure a lot of people on here would like to follow a restoration thread under the "Our Projects" headings.

Been years since I bought anything through eBay. So fully a guess on my part. I would suspect they would be using the air padded envelopes. My wife buys a lot of stuff through Amazon, and they have been using more and more of those envelopes over the past couple years now. They work well for a lot of things. However they do get rough treatment by postal and delivery service people. Several items shipped this way have arrived damaged. She bough a DVD of an old favorite movie she wanted to see again. The plastic case was badly broken , but fortunately the DVD itself was not harmed and we enjoyed the movie. Hopefully sellers will seriously consider how vulnerable their merchandise is?