wayne sheldon

Wish I had the money. One couldn't do much better than that for a cheap HCCA buy-in. The headlamps are era after-market electric lamps replacing the original acetylene gas headlamps. Most of the upholstery looks to be original, but decent enough to still have a few good years of use left in them (driver's bottom cushion has likely been redone?). Wheels are wrong color, otherwise the car looks mostly pretty right. Tires are typical correct size model T replacements, model Ts drive just fine on them! One never knows what sort of gremlins will be found in cars that have sat for a few decades? But model Ts tend to be very forgiving. The odds are good that it could be running in a weekend, and ready to tour in a month.

Thank you! I thought that was where it was, just wasn't certain.

How "good" is your engine? Simply for comparison, years ago, I restored a model T Ford with a factory built original after-market body, from a total wreck of the original car. For resurrecting the chassis and body, I used a temporary tired old model T engine I had on hand. When I got the car together enough, I got it licensed and insured, driving for about a year while rebuilding the correct model T engine for it. It actually ran nice, and I drove it quite a bit for that year. However, the blow-by was so bad, that I lost two oil filler caps because they literally blew out of the oil filler itself. They fit really tight, and I would have bet they couldn't blow out, in part because the engine was so well vented. I figured it out. I could drive 42 mph all day long, and not lose the cap. Push it up to 44 mph and the cap would blow out within a mile or so! The blow-by went up exponentially with how hard I pushed the engine, and 43 mph was the magic figure. I went out on a quiet but fast road, with the hood removed, and pushed the car up to near 50 mph. Picking a safe spot, I slammed on the brakes and moved quickly to where I could see the oil filler spout, and for about two more seconds saw the blue smoke blowing up and out of the crankcase! When I finished the correct year engine for the car, with its original era overdrive transmission, that car would do 60 mph all day long with no troubles. The tired old engine just couldn't handle being pushed fast.

Crankcases of that era need to be well ventilated. Sometimes people use caps or filters thinking they need to for some reason, and the cylinder blow-by pressurizes the crankcase enough that the oil is forced back and out instead of dripping back into the crankcase. This used to be a big problem with model A Fords, which had a similar no seal on the rear main bearing.

The le Zebre next to the Packard makes me think of the miniature Reo that the Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus had back in those years. (I believe that it still exists?)

I love the silent movie era! But yes, they did wreck a lot of great cars in them, especially in the comedies. In 1926, that Cole would have only been a few years old, but cars aged faster in those days due to rapidly changing technologies and harsh conditions. Filmmakers could often get an abused nice car only a couple years old to destroy in a movie. Not all that different than from some of the you-tube stuff today?

Too new for me, but a very desirable car! Frankly, I am surprised the price is that low. It should sell quickly if the sale is legitimate.

Marque club members are usually the best people to buy a collector car from. They are usually more familiar with the nuances of the make, and what makes one worth more than others (and frankly, ninety percent of all collector cars are NOT the top ten percent of cars!). Marque club members usually are willing to share their knowledge with interested people. Anyone with a collector car that has a good marque club should consider joining that club. Of course, anything with people involved? There will be exceptions, so always follow good judgement.

If anybody wants to know, the hubcap near the ten o'clock position of the large V8 Ford hubcap, the one with the "J" on it, I believe is an early Jewett hubcap. Jewett was a lower priced model introduced by Paige Detroit about 1922. The later Jewetts had a slightly larger hubcap (similar design to the Studebaker hubcaps for several years in the 1920s), but with the same "J" on their face.

I think it is a Cole, early to mid 1920s.

I could be wrong, but I do not think Buick ever used a fork mounted drum headlamp in the electric era. The overall style appears to be mid 1920s, however, mostly only higher end cars like Locomobile, Packard, and Lincoln, used fork mounted lamps that late. Drum style headlamps were mostly popular around 1924 through 1927 (some earlier and a few later). The small bulb inside is unusual and may help someone to recognize them. A lot of headlamps that era used a two bulb arrangement with one bulb for "Bright" and a different bulb for "Dim" lights. The smaller "Dim" bulb was usually offset down, but not much smaller than the "Bright" bulb. If what I think I see through the lens is the secondary bulb? It looks too small for the " Dim" bulb? Maybe it is an illusion? Or maybe it was changed? A better photo of it would help. Another possibility for the small bulb is that a few automobiles had a smaller small bulb inside the headlamps for use as a parking lamp. Don't see many like that. IF (big IF) that is what that bulb is for, it is just enough so that the front of the car can be seen parked on a dark street, and not drain the battery too quickly. Looks like a nice set of headlamps! I hope you can find out what they are supposed to fit and help get them onto a car where they belong.

These type wheels are easy to work with and can be handled by most mechanically inclined home garage mechanics IF THE PERSON KNOWS HOW TO WORK WITH THEM SAFELY! I have been working with this type wheel for over sixty years now. I was changing tires for my dad's pickup by myself when I was twelve. Yes, if one doesn't know what they are doing, and does something stupid? Wheels like these can kill you. Know what you are doing, RESPECT them, and you will almost certainly never get seriously hurt (I have managed to pinch a finger a little bit a few times).

"Lock ring" wheels should not be "drop center" any more than about a quarter of an inch (just enough so that the inside bead doesn't hang up and fight being slipped on). I don't know what these are from, but they were not likely intended for a Ford. Nice wheels for the 1930 to 1932 car that should have them!

Most "journalists" today do not know the difference between their they're and there!

Those resisters have a need for a certain amperage draw to effectively drop the voltage to the proper amount. The horn may be drawing too much current for the resister to drop the voltage to the proper six volts. The actual voltage drop may be taking it to five volts or even less. One size does not fit all. Been too long since I played with that stuff. Ignition amperage draw is much lower than what the horn wants. I might misremember the adjustment? I believe you would need a lower Ohm resister (if what you are using has an Ohm value listed on it?), but it still has to be able to handle the current demands of the horn or it will burn out quickly. Used to use ceramic resisters for higher current circuits. Zener diodes used to be common to help regulate circuit voltages, but I never used any that would handle the horn's demands.

I have been near two of the big Oldsmobile Limited automobiles, the one pictured above from Harrah's collection, and another one at a HCCA tour many years ago which was probably also Harrah's although I did not know it at the time. I had gone to the tour hotel just to look at the cars. Recreating one of those monsters and doing a good job of it could cost nearly as much as buying one if one became available. The Bugatti and CDO cars are common and desirable enough that some of the most important parts have been reproduced to replace original parts broken beyond repair. People that really KNOW? Know where some of those parts are. I do NOT know where those parts are hidden. Someone about thirty or more years ago cast the CDO's engine to replace several for cars that otherwise would never see the road again. That I was told was what went into the CDO replica I was told about. Twenty years ago, I heard a few of the engine castings were still unused and hidden away. I do not know if any are around now or not. Other than the engine casings themselves, most of the CDO can be replicated in a good home garage shop or ordered through available sources. The big Oldsmobile Limited on the other hand? One could probably spend more than a quarter million just replicating the engine, and another hundred grand or more for the transmission! (I know someone that made a one-off transmission case for a rare big expensive late brass era car because the original disintegrated due to faulty original casting. Thirty years ago, the final cost for the case alone was over $30,000!) The rest of the car was a beautiful restoration of a fantastic automobile that hadn't been usable for years because the original casting had been welded back together numerous times already. A number of other brass era cars have been nicely recreated, and nicely enough that the recreation is hard to tell apart from the real thing. But the Oldsmobile Limited is not a candidate for such an effort. The car is too complicated, and too high a quality common of its era. Bad recreations adapting available parts from trucks and later cars never come out looking decent. I have seen photos of a couple different "tribute" creations of the Marmon Indianapolis racing car. Sorry and I hope nobody reads this and is offended by it? But they looked so bad that I wouldn't want to be seen within a hundred feet of the (I use the term loosely) cars! Most firetruck "super speedsters" are the same way. Most of them are so bad that I wouldn't have one if it was offered to me for free but I had to keep it. (Okay, maybe I am a snob?) But I love a common real model T. Certain recreations, properly done? I love them. The "Beast of Turin"? I love it. I followed its building on "The Old Motor" website for a couple years. How else can we today see and hear some incredible creation that no longer exists? Be honest about what it is and share the experience! There are thousands of absolutely incredible automobiles that one can own if they can afford it. Why waste the time and money recreating "another" any of a hundred great cars when for less money one can have a "real" one of several incredible cars? That is some of my thought line. By the way Bob (in Virginia), Getting work done on the Haynes lately? THAT is a car worthy of your efforts.

In most states, a recreation legally is a new car and MUST adhere to ALL modern safety and emission standards! People do get around that by using (or only claiming?) one or a few small pieces of an original and calling it a restoration. I have heard of a few Bugatti automobiles built from one small piece from an original. I knew a fellow that had a real one and boy did he hate the fakes! I also knew of a Curved Dash Oldsmobile that was "restored" from a single hubcap. Again, I didn't know the car or its owner, but a couple owners of real ones I did know told me about it.

A bit modern for my preferences, but a great looking car that should be enjoyed for many years to come!

I second O D m 45's suggestion. Why anybody would chrome plate them is beyond me!

I actually saw this happen once, on a model T club tour. Cars were struggling up and down some short steep drives. A few of us that had arrived early (my speedster) were standing around watching latecomers on the dirt hill road. A touring car loaded with passengers was easing down a short stretch where water had run down the hillside along one edge of the road. It was short, no serious dangers, but a scary moment for the driver when he pressed the brake pedal and the car didn't slow down! The tire on the dry hard dirt held to the road and turned with the forward motion of the car. Meanwhile the other wheel in the wet muddy flow on hard dirt spun in the opposite direction! A few of us that had arrived early and watched that later talked with the driver in the parking area he said "I about (blanked) my pants when I pushed the brake pedal as hard as I could and didn't even slow down!" I have never forgotten that. Every time I drive a T under less than ideal conditions I can see that image of the opposite wheel spinning backwards! It helps keep me grounded and being careful of potentially dangerous situations. As I said earlier, be prepared to use the hand brake if necessary! A little braking pressure will stop the spin-back and transfer the pedal braking back to the dry wheel.

Buick's trucks of the mid 1910s was my first reaction to the question. However, should we also count the Canadian McLaughlin "Buicks" as Buick? Some of those had L head engines in the late 1920s and early 1930s. I think they used a knockoff of the Oldsmobile six L head in those McLaughlin cars. While technically not part of GM's Buick division, the McLaughlins are generally thought of as Buicks. A few times over the years I have seen photographs in club magazines showing what clearly looked like a Buick with the hood open showing the flathead six. It would take a fraction of a second for me to realize the car was a Canadian McLaughlin.

Been there, a long time ago. Actually, I was born in Elko, the big town West of Wells. Wells for about a hundred years has been a place nobody goes to. People go "through it" and keep going another 500 or more miles! Its name comes from the fact that there were water wells there back during the Westward migration in the mid 1800s. It was for many people the place that if you missed it? You might die.

Certainly, they could have left it simply as "Cadillac"? Or maybe not? Calling it "Fleetwood" just irks me. The comment reeks of cluelessness. (The question becomes, "who is clueless"? The seller. the website, or the programmer?) I don't know about 1905? But I am fairly sure Wilson Body Company built most of Cadillac's bodies for 1903 and 1904. Wilson Body Company was one of the largest suppliers of automobile bodies before 1910.

I myself, unfortunately have been unable to be active in the club for several years now due to family issues. Hopefully, that may change. My 1915 and 1913 model Ts are waiting for me.

Back in the 1950s, as the hobby grew and expanded across the nation, within the San Francisco Bay Area three HCCA Regional Groups were formed. Two of them were based literally only a few miles apart. The San Francisco Regional Group was based in on the Northern peninsula, technically South San Francisco city. They sought to attract a wider membership and chose to be inclusive to not just pre 1916s, but also cars through most of the 1920s. Both the Santa Clara Valley Regional Group and the Bay Area Regional Group (which I have been a member for thirty years!) chose to be strict pre-'16 groups. Although both of those groups have relaxed their focus a bit, allowing elderly members to drive slightly newer cars, both are still around, and the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club is very active, with numerous tours and other activities every year! The San Francisco and Bay Area groups meeting sites were separated the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge and a few miles of surface streets on each side. About fifteen years ago, the San Francisco Horseless Carriage Club disbanded. The one that opened their membership to newer cars is gone, while the two pre'16 clubs are still going. My feeling is that the HCCA should stay true to their calling. The earliest cars need a club to benefit the earlier cars. The HCCA chose to be that club, and I think they should stay that way. This subject keeps coming up in the HCCA every then and again. And I keep saying my same thing again. Personally, I would rather have a smaller club, with a simple newsletter (if that was what we had to go to?), devoted to the earlier cars, than have a fancy magazine and a bunch of members that have no understanding of what driving an early non-Ford is like. The early cars and people that love them need the HCCA. As for the "buy in"? 1914 and 1915 model Ts in acceptable condition and nearly ready to tour, can be had for not a whole lot of money. Model Ts are very forgiving, and cheap to maintain by any collector car standards! If one cannot afford one of those, they won't be able to manage even much of a cheap 1950s collector car.