wayne sheldon
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Posts posted by wayne sheldon
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I know the Maxwell two cylinder engine fairly well, but never heard it referred to that way. I never owned a Maxwell, but know several people that do have them and love them!
This one looks like a very nice car!
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They look like something someone was reproducing for a project. Quite a few cars used such top rests, but I don't recognize them from any specific marque.
The general era when similar top rests were common was the early to mid 1920s. Although other cars were using them both earlier and later, clear into postwar sports cars.
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A "boxster engine"??
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Hollywood is infamous for its use of inappropriate cars in films and tv shows! One of the "Indiana Jones" movies opened set in 1912 with a beat up to look years old 1914 Saxon automobile and a 1924 Ford TT truck in a lengthy chase scene. How difficult would it have been to use a couple brass era model Ts?
One of the bunch of gangster movies popular in the 1970s had (I think it was Dillinger?) hiding out in a auto court camping motel in the early 1930s. The unit behind where the action was taking place had one of the most beautiful 1910 model T touring cars you ever saw! Gleaming brass, shiny paint and tires so white they glistened! Now, do you think that in 1932 there was a 1910 model T ANYWHERE in the world that looked like that?
Anachronism. Something out of its appropriate time.
Another movie about the life of Rudolf Valentino showed him driving his "new" Stutz Bearcat after he had made it big in his early films. His timeline would have put that at about 1921, yet he was driving a brass era Stutz in the movie.
The list goes on and on!
Sometimes they use fakes for some scenes, and sometimes they look realistic from a distance! But then, who would really blow up a real Ferrari? Other times even well into the 1970s, black and white stock footage of crashes and explosions filmed in the 1940s and 1950s would be slipped in to save costs. A quick eye can often catch the final frames of a 1940s car doing a double for a 1970s car!
Being passionate about history and especially antique automobiles, also being a bit of a film buff, I spot things often.
My wife and I recently watched a DVD of one of her favorite movies which she hadn't seen for decades (I gave her the DVD for Christmas). Elvis Presley's first movie, "Love Me Tender" (1956). Early in the film, rebel soldiers change clothes with Union soldiers in order to rob a Union payroll. One of the rebel soldiers walks onto the scene pulling up his zipper! A bit later, my wife was reading IMDb and their trivia mentioned that. I didn't have the heart to tell her I saw it myself while watching the movie. I chuckled when I saw it, but she does get a bit tired of me pointing out such things.
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All I need to do is win a huge lottery in the next few weeks!
The model K Ford is the one I would want the most. A few of the others would be okay.
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I have used a fair amount of muriatic acid for a variety of tasks. Nasty stuff! Be VERY careful handling it and ALWAYS work with a slight breeze at your back to slowly blow the fumes away from you so that you do not breath them in!!!!! One deep breath in of a sudden wind shift could scar your lungs for the rest of your life!
That said.
I have used it to remove chrome plating from parts that should have been done as nickel. I and several of my best friends love the nickel era cars, and we like the look of nickel plating. However, sometimes you buy a car that someone else restored and they had the brightwork done to chrome.
Myself? I got satisfactory results using muriatic acid to strip the chrome, and leave the nickel base. NOT great results. Part of the problem is that the base nickel is often too thin to give a really nice finish. Of course, you may be able to improve on that by adding additional nickel and maybe a Caswell kit would do the job? I have never used a Caswell kit, but I really need to. So I would like to read some reviews from people here that have used them. I have several pieces that need to be brass plated as was originally done for my 1915 model T, and I have some things that need nickel plating for another car.
Soaking plated steel pieces in muriatic acid is problematical. IF (big IF) the plating was well done? It "should" protect the steel from the muriatic acid. To that point, a few friends have tried leaving chrome plated steel pieces in muriatic acid for a week, just to see what happened. And after a week found nice bright nickel plated pieces of steel in fine condition. However, these were pieces of steel that had no blind corners that electroplating sometimes misses. Any un-plated spots would leave the steel vulnerable to the acid.
I tend to be over cautious with hazardous equipment or chemicals. In part because I have used so many such things in my lifetime and knew the statistical risks. Although a bit arthritic and suffering from peripheral neuropathy, I am proud to say I have all my fingers and toes right where they belong!
Whenever I soaked plated items in order to remove the chrome, I never allowed them to soak for much more than a half hour without removing them and cleaning them thoroughly to inspect them. If the task wasn't good enough yet? Another half hour or so soaking and another clean and inspect.
And yet I know the acid won't eat away the steel that quickly. I often soak rusty iron or steel overnight without significant loss of surface material. And once got interrupted by a family emergency leaving a rusty piece soaking for a week before I could get back to it. The rust was sure gone! But the cast steel part was still okay, in spite of some loss of surface material. That was in already well used muriatic acid, and likely not really strong at that point. Fresh acid probably would have destroyed the piece soaking that long. Painted, it looked and worked just fine.
Most people I know that used this method to de-chrome parts usually soaked the pieces for about six to eight hours. And they usually got excellent results.
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Do you know anything about that car DD? Are you sure it was a model T? The wheels, chassis, fenders and side aprons all look like they might be model T Ford, however the body certainly is not Ford. The steering wheel and column do not appear to be Ford either. It doesn't look like any of the after-market bodies for Ford chassis that I am familiar with (Ames, Autowa, A.B.C. and others). It could be possible the body of a Dodge or Buick or any of many others could have been fit onto a T chassis?
Wonderful photo regardless!
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22 hours ago, 63RedBrier said:
Let’s be honest…. It has been garaged the entire time he has owned it, but the wife wants it out of the back yard? Pick one! It can’t be both…
I caught that first time I read it also.
So sad. The car was worth three times as much before he took it all apart! I know it had some issues, rust etc. But it looked like a decent enjoyable car that could have been driven for years with just normal old car care.
I always thought one should restore a car that needs restoration if one wants to do a full restoration. I guess I have just seen this situation too many times. Good looking decent cars turned into piles of parts by someone with big plans.
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"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Kansas scenes were shot in black and white, while all the Oz scenes were in color in order to amplify the magic of the Land of Oz.
The story I read is that preproduction planning was for the entire film to be shot in B&W. That planning was in the mid 1930s and delays, script and cast changes, held it up. The cost for the color film went down a bit as the technology improved, and just before filming began, the decision was made to shoot "Oz" in color for the special effect
Don't know for absolute certain? But that was in a book I read about fifty years ago. And we all know how accurate history books are?
Color film then was terribly expensive, and much of Hollywood continued using B&W even through the 1960s. Color filming of parts of movies began even during the late silent era (mid to late 1920s). Very little of the color prints survive because the prints were so volatile, they basically self destructed. I can't recall any titles off hand, however quite a few films remain in B&W form as so many small theaters didn't want to deal with handling the more expensive color prints. Most of the color prints disintegrated, and we get to see the film in B&W because some of those managed to survive.
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I read a story about this car a couple years ago. I believe it was in the "Humboldt Historian" magazine. I am pretty tied up currently with a family issue. Don't know if I can find some time to try to find it or not. I do not belong to the Humboldt History group, however some family does.
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I wish I had the money to spare (I do not!). I would grab that in a hot minute!
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I think I had an engine that tumbled over once. Sure sounded like it!
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6 hours ago, Gary_Ash said:
One of these days I will get caught in the rain in my 1932 Indy car, but my clothes can go in the washer.
I love both the totally factory model Ts and the era correct speedsters. I have owned about fifty-fifty, but driven the speedsters a lot more because they are faster and can take me farther at any given time.
Many years ago, our local model T club held a joint tour with a few other local clubs for an annual "snow trip"! It was fantastic fun getting the antiques out in the snow, as well as the few hours drive each way just to get there! And for your information, it was often nicknamed the "rainy run to the snow" due to the number of times we had major rain one or both ways. One year I did about three hundred miles in torrential downpours that weekend! Among my fondest memories.
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Happy to see you posting again!
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34 minutes ago, Crusty Trucker said:
While we are waiting to see TTR's comments on this, here's another non-antique car story of interest:
Well. That didn't take long. Gone already.
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I - am - not - touching - that - one!
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In details, laws vary from state to state. However, from a practical standpoint, BY LAW! A vehicle must have all the smog requirements of the year for the "body" or the "chassis", or the "engine", WHICHEVER is newest!
Even if they took a 1960s Wienermobile, and mounted it on a 2000s chassis? It would be required to have the 2000s smog equipment.
And yes. I know that some people have gotten away with ignoring those requirements. (Heard about cases, do not know anyone personally.)
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Between this and a couple other antique automobile forums, there are a lot of people that I think of as close friends, people I care more about than I do most of my family!
I am pleased to hear he is doing okay in spite of health issues. A lot of wonderful people on this site have issues that come with age slowing them down. Make the most of the time you have!
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A wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it!
And Walt G, you are so right! I too am past due for thanking the moderators et al for making this forum what it is.
So, I will say it now.
Thank you all that make this forum possible! It certainly is one of the best antique vehicle sites anywhere on the internet!
It couldn't be what it is without the many wonderful folks behind the scenes taking care of the day to day issues, spam attacks, and crazies that frequent the place (Hey! I resemble that remark!)!
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If someone wants to learn how to drive a model T? I tell them that the first thing they need to do is forget everything they ever learned about driving after about the age of five! Everything is different than any modern car! When you were five, you knew mom or dad sat behind the wheel, they steered it back and forth somehow turning the car. There were pedals on the floor that mom or dad pressed, one of them was the brake, but beyond that you really didn't know what any of them did. There was a lever or two, some buttons or knobs scattered around, but again you didn't really know what any of them did.
If one tries to equate the model T's pedals, levers, and steering with any modern vehicle? The model T will fight you all the way! But if you take the car on its terms? A model T Ford is one of the easiest automobiles in the world to drive!
Remember, when Henry Ford introduced the model T? Nearly half the the people in the world that bought one? Had never driven any automobile before!
I love driving a model T! Whether it is an era correct speedster with an era overdrive transmission being pushed at about 70 mph! Or the coupe I used to have wandering down the backroads at about 40 mph? I feel totally at home behind the wheel.
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The bumper itself was painted black. The nickel pieces (about three feet centered on the two bumper bars) were just thin strips nickel plated and partially held in place by the clamps that attach the bumper bars to the chassis mounting brackets.
If you look closely at the photos, there are two little decorative bolts with tall oval heads placed midway between the center clamp and the bracket clamps nearer to the ends of the nickel strips on the bumper bars. These are painted black on 190bear's Chrysler, and nickel plated on Bob A's Buick. If I recall correctly, these also hold the nickel strips in place (with a nut on the backside of the bumper bar?). They keep the strips from working their way out and also help hold them together to make assembly onto the car easier.
I see these bumpers on a lot of Buick automobiles from the mid 1920s. Speculation, but they might have been a factory authorized after-market accessory for Buick. I have seen them on a lot of other cars as well. They were available for pretty much any car!
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The Bebe Peugeot is an interesting piece of history. However, they are really little more than a footnote in that long history. Peugeot built some incredible cars in those early years! They placed high in international racing. But the Bebe was not one of those cars. They were an entry level any man's car. Maybe better than some of European competition in that entry level market, but entry level none the less.
They do have a connection to Ettore Bugatti! They were among a few marques that built small cars under license from Bugatti. His design was well done, the cars reasonably priced, and they drove well.
As hobby cars today, the Peugeot and Bugatti connections give them some special desirability. However, as a hobby car they are remarkably impractical. Because they are four cylinder engines, the cars do not qualify for most early one or two cylinder tours! They are too small and too slow to be useful for much else club activity wise.
I have seen a couple of them over the years. One is in the National Automobile Museum (William Harrah's collection) in Reno, Nevada. One was in a private collection I got to see years ago.
One great thing about them is that a person could consider keeping one in their living room. I knew a collector years ago that in addition to a building full of Packards (and a couple Pierce Arrows!) had a couple dozen antique motorcycles! He often joked that he had a few that his wife didn't know about hidden in closets in the house!
This car I think should be cleaned up and made running and usable while maintaining its remaining originality. The missing seat springs can be made and upholstered in material appropriate for an otherwise original car. But that is my opinion. I think it would look fantastic done that way!
I think these are wonderful! Interesting, and cute as a button! I love seeing them, and personally, if I had the wherewithal? I would love to have one!
I hope they get a good offer! And I hope the car gets someone that gives it the care and preservation it deserves.
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Those are really nice bumpers from the era! And matching front and rear sets are really tough to find!
I don't know what year Chrysler began offering bumpers as an option, or what those options may have been. Many automakers offered a few makes of bumpers as factory options, and sometimes the make of bumper might vary with the model of the car. Those Buckeye bumpers were among the best! And best looking.
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On 2/11/2023 at 2:43 AM, 30DodgePanel said:
Good shot of winter traffic scene in DC during this era (1913)
I don't know what the snazzy roadster is, but I like it!
The car ahead of it appears to be a model T Ford touring car with crowned rounded fenders and the three window/lights top. Those details date the car as a very late 1917 or later car.
So not 1913.Regardless 30DodgePanel, thank you for posting so many great photographs!
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video: 1931 Duesenberg Model J1 Hidden for 55 Years!
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by wayne sheldon
Additional thought. (see edit history)
One of the Duesenbergs that Jack Passey owned had the updated fenders on it. I would have to check his book to be certain of the year, but I think it was either a 1931 or 1932 phaeton (I don't offhand recall the coach builder?). Jack was telling me that the car had been sent back to the factory along about 1934 for the fender upgrade, and that material was added around the fenders to make the styling changes. Although I did have his permission to do so, I never did run my fingers around the backside to feel how they were done. Jack had told me the workmanship on the backside wasn't all that nice, and I took his word for that.
Edit. I meant to add that some amount of material would obviously need to have been removed from the original fender to make a smooth surface where the new material was added. Shrinking the beads down would have added considerable distortion.
Personally, I think the updated fenders ruin the overall look of the car. However, part of that is simply I prefer earlier cars. Frankly (I know this will offend some?), I would take a model A Duesenberg over a model J Duesenberg any day! But that is just silly me.
On the other hand? Such updates ARE a part of a given car's history. And that Duesenberg did such upgrades is part of automotive history! So there are good arguments for keeping the fenders as they appear.