wayne sheldon

I don't think that is a model A bumper? In fact, it looks like the Weed bumper on my 1927 Paige. The mounting brackets are probably model A?

Most Willys automobiles get good support from WOKR for both research and locating needed parts! I suspect this would be a fairly easy task (relatively speaking?) to get it put together and ready to enjoy. The Whippet is part of the "O" in WOKR. People I know with those cars are always saying how helpful WOKR is. Fitting in might be a bit of an issue for some people. However, my aforementioned dad was already six foot four when he had his in college. It seemed to work for him? (He did say he bent the shift lever offset a couple inches, otherwise?) He did a weekly commute between Elko and Reno for quite some time with his!

Sounds like the best way to go! Sand cast, or lost wax? Full mold compensating for thermal shrinkage? Just curious. A close friend years ago used to do some excellent sand mold casting in aluminum and/or brass. I have a radiator cap for which I would like to try lost wax.

Fire trucks were usually special ordered. Wheelbase could vary by ten feet or more. Pumpers, tankers, hoses, ladders, all sorts of required special accoutrements. How much of it is still there? Basic chassis for the big trucks could be anywhere from nearly two to four tons (without getting into the really big boy stuff!). Basic body another half to two tons. Additional equipment if there anywhere from nothing to several tons. A small fire chief's "car" could be a bit less? ALF engines alone are usually rather heavy. A good photo might get an educated guess? Otherwise? Regardless, welcome to the site for antique automobile and truck history!

For part of one year (1917), Ford experimented with a type of plastic mixed with some sort of fibrous material (some historic records say straw?) to make the four coil boxes each car used out of something other than wood. The plastic cases were supposed to be simple plastic castings and require less labor than to cut/shape/fit six pieces of wood. Problems began showing up soon after sales, as cars in real environments and weather would go from wet to dry and back to wet again. The wood-like fibers inside the plastic would begin swelling and shrinking. Coils would get stuck in the coil box, or lose electrical connection (or both!), resulting in unhappy customers. The plastic without the wood-like fibers wasn't tough enough, so the whole idea was dropped after several months. Ford dealers replaced the coils for customers (Ford actually did want to keep his customers happy!) Those 1917 plastic case coils are somewhat rare (an overused word that relatively speaking in this case is appropriate!). In over fifty years of looking, I have only seen maybe a dozen of those coils! And I have spoken to only maybe another dozen people that told me they have one! (There are of course many more out there.) I did run into one fellow that owned a beautifully restored 1917 T that told me it had four fully restored plastic case coils in the coil box! (And people think I am crazy?) Unfortunately for me, he was driving a different T on that tour, so I didn't get to see them. Somewhere along the line, I got one along with a bunch of other model t stuff I bought. It was in terrible condition, and missing the one side piece that was originally tarred into place. The other side however, looks the same, with a pattern and the "Ford" script cast in it. So, I don't recall now what I used to make the mold, but something that peeled off the side carefully. Then laid flat, and paddled a mass of mixed J B Weld onto the mold. After changing the capacitor and testing the coil to know that it functioned okay, I trimmed to fit and glued the new side piece into place! Not perfect. But it looks fine to me. And I have a functioning 1917 plastic coil to show and tell. There are a lot of things for which J B Weld is perfect! No major special equipment or tools required. And there are a million horrible patch jobs out there that should have never been attempted! Maybe I should tell you about the little pickup my younger son bought twenty some years ago?

I had it in my head to make some additional comments here, and see that ED has also again posted. And again, what he says is very right! Part of that "love/hate" thing is way too many people think of it as a magic "cure-all"! It is a tool. A product that can do some wonderful repairs at an affordable cost. But those "repairs" have limitations. The Bakelite switch repair for my 1915 model T Ford is likely as permanent as was the original switch over a hundred years ago. Using it on pot metal? Not so much. Realistically, the light/ignition switch I put nearly twenty pieces back together for might last almost as long as the pot metal did when it was new? Or not. Regardless, when using any such epoxy product to put pot metal together? The pot metal pieces will continue their slow disintegration around the epoxy! My light/ignition switch may actually last longer because it is now more epoxy than it is pot metal. The many little pieces will continue to degrade, with surrounding epoxy holding shape and function. The irony is, that a better part, in fewer pieces, will also continue to degrade at a faster rate surrounding the epoxy eventually crumbling away. Cost sometimes has to be a consideration. Certainly, a new casting of more stable material is a much better way to go! But for some of us, bargaining for another twenty years (maybe) might have to be enough. To the plating question. Fifty years ago, when most people took pride in their work? And chrome plating shops took a lot more pride in what they could do than did most people!!!! I have no doubt that a good plating shop could have chromed over epoxy repairs and made them beautiful! Shops that friends and I used to deal with always bragged about how they could chrome plate anything! And yes, it involved special foundation layers. Today? I wouldn't have any idea as to where to begin looking for a shop that could, let alone would, actually do it. About use around hostile exposures. It works amazingly well, in a lot of cases. However, it is a matter of trust to be considered. What happens IF that repair fails in that spot? A fuel tank begins leaking diesel in slow drips will likely be noticed quickly during routine (required for professional drivers!) walk around inspections. A slow breakdown inside a carburetor might go unnoticed until it sets the car on fire! I have myself glued together small items and put them inside a plastic jar filled with gasoline (or other chemicals) and let them sit for months, even years, just so I could test their strength myself. For certain applications, long-term exposure would worry me. Although they may still hold okay? The strength of the hold and the strength of the body of the epoxy does weaken and become more brittle. I am not actually "proud" of some of the repairs I have done with J B Weld. But I also like to think of myself as a realist, and mostly honest. There are a lot of really good uses for it. And for every one of those really good uses are probably ten really BAD uses! I do use it. I admit it. I like a lot of the results I get from it. Many years ago, I was working on one of my cars. The car had been run for many years with a damaged spring and shackle. The spring wore an area on the axle housing. The size and location wasn't sufficient to weaken the housing in any significant amount. But the worn area annoyed me! So I thoroughly mixed steel wool and J B Weld into a heavy on the steel wool mass. Then using pieces of plastic (that the J B Weld will not stick to!) and electrical tape (also won't stick to) stretched to compress the mixed mass into an approximate shape and position, allowed to set. A coarse file did the final shaping, and once painted it looked like a near perfect piece. Purely an aesthetic repair. A lot tougher than most fillers.

It is an epoxy type product. Has "fillers" added, very good adhesion, and some strength. Comes in a variety of mixes, fast setting, slow setting, some types for more specific materials. Most J B Weld unlike regular epoxy is gray in color when mixed, although I have seen some other colors (never used them though). J B Weld is somewhat resistant to oil and gasoline as well as alcohol. It is NOT impervious to them! So some consideration should be used where the fully set product will be exposed to those chemicals. Most varieties also handle a fair amount of heat. The regular stuff I use if I recall correctly does fairly well up to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (about 150 Celsius). I have used it for radiator repairs with great success! However I prefer solder whenever practical. It is a love/hate thing. Not a cure-all (as edinmass I see just posted!). Some people love it too much. Other people despise the very idea of it. I have salvaged pot metal parts that had been broken into twenty small pieces! Light switches, ignition switches, numerous non-critical parts. I also use it to repair Bakelite and other era plastic parts. You should see the Bakelite ignition switch for my 1915 model T Ford. Decades out in the weather and sunlight had shrunk and warped the thing almost beyond recognition! I had to whittle out areas inside because it had shrunk in too small, recreate the mounting positions for the switch contacts, and then build up the exterior back to size and shape! Once painted flat black? It took some effort building it up in stages and filing and sanding to shape. But mounted onto the coil box, it looks like a perfect original! I sometimes use J B Weld for aesthetic repairs to chassis and engine parts, or surface damage to wooden wheels before painting. It is durable enough to take the vibration and general abuse in those areas.

TRUE!

Like "Washington slept here". They stole so many cars over their few years crime spree, and took so many pictures of themselves with them. Clyde Barrow wrote a famous letter to Henry Ford telling how he preferred the new Ford V8 "whenever (he) could get away with one"! But they stole pretty much anything when they needed it. Over the years, I think more than a hundred cars were later claimed to had been stolen by Bonnie and Clyde. Some manufactured after they had been killed. "History" does strange things sometimes. They were both disgusting losers with a nasty mean streak inside themselves. Elevated to legendary status while they were still alive. They continue to still be treated with respect they really never did deserve. Sorry. But that is me talking.

Wheels look like from about a 1934? Wire wheels were available on Chevrolet for 1929, but were much more spindly looking. Wood wheels and steel disc were also options that year. The 19 inch steel discs I think were used in 1929, and are usually not too difficult to find. But check on that? It could have been 20 inch in 1929? Pretty good chance the steel discs would bolt right onto those hubs?

William (Bill) Harrah had his restoration shop completely restore a Maxwell with the intention of giving it to Jack Benny as a gift (they were good friends). One day (somewhat before the car was ready), Jack and Bill were having lunch together. Bill H made a few comments about the Maxwell (probably fishing for an opportunity?), and Jack went on to say something along the line of "Oh I would NEVER want to have a real Maxwell, they're so - - - - -". The story (legend???) goes that the car never was given to Jack, and that Bill H kept it for some years in case Jack changed his mind. I was told this story years ago by a couple different people that knew Bill Harrah.

Even in the 1930s, the equipment to stamp dozens of metal pieces to make an all steel body cost so much that it often took years and sometimes a million cars to break even with the high labor cost to build the same basic body out of simple stampings of outer panels and wooden structure.

My dad had a 1927 Whippet roadster when he was going to college in the late 1940s! I always wanted to find and get one! Twenty years ago, I would have been all over that! However, now, the last thing I need is another project car that needs to be put together. Through nasty twists of fate, I had to sell all my good or restored cars. All I have left are five or six project cars that are deserving of completion (they weren't worth anything when I had to have the money!). Good luck with the sale! I hope it finds a good caretaker home.

Some points of interest to maybe a few here? Out of curiosity, noticing the signs for the 1927 film classic "The First Auto" posted on each side of the Duryea, I checked with IMDB, and found that one of the cars used in the film was a then (1927) restored 1903 Stevens Duryea! Seems that maybe that was this car? Other cars restored for use in the film included an early Holsman and an early White steamer. Barney Oldfield had a cameo, and was shown driving 999. According to the trivia on the film, Barney was given top billing because after the film was completed, the actual male lead was killed in an unrelated automobile crash. The film company preferred to avoid drawing attention to his role after the crash. and switched credit positions between the star and Barney. Been a few years, but I have seen the movie! I also blew up the picture of the Riker Electric! The information sign on the car says it was a prototype, and indicates it was being displayed by a grandson of A L Riker! I may need to find out more about both of those cars!

Apparently, those statues are affectionately known simply as "Muffler Men" to many in the modern internet historian world. Over the years, they have been repainted, repaired, altered, in many ways to display all sorts of goods and services as well as food. I remember seeing many of them in front of or next to muffler shops of many names. However, I seem to recall that when I was young, they were first associated with one specific chain of muffler repair shops. It may have been Midas Mufflers? I know many Midas Muffler shops did have those at some point. But whether they began there or not I do not know. They usually had either a giant muffler or a full head/tail and muffler assembly held between the hands. Made of fiberglass, they get hit, knocked over, broken and repaired again and again. I remember when one in San Jose California was "kidnapped" in the 1970s! It had been a major landmark for a couple decades and the whole town was upset by its disappearance! Ransom was asked, payments offered, but no further response. About another week went by, and information was let out where it could be found. Apparently, what started as a practical joke went bad when the stature fell over after transportation and broke into several pieces! Afraid of the repercussions, the jokers moved it again to a neutral place and abandoned the wreckage where it could be found. It was at first declared beyond repair! However, never-say-die local auto body-men managed to do what all the king's horses and all the king's men had failed to do! The muffler man was returned to his local spot with a slightly altered arm (the worst broken area!) to continue his vigilance and offer directions to the lost. (NO, I did not have anything to do with the prank!) It was however second section/local news front page for a couple weeks!

Thank you Xander W! I am pretty sure that 1928 Pierce Arrow seven passenger sedan with the "non-Pierce Arrow" lamps (actually a Pierce Arrow option at the time) is the one discussed somewhat in the "Not Mine" for sale section of the forum late last year. It was advertised widely, with some confusing information that made me doubt some of the ads may have been legitimate or not. Some of the advertising indicated the car may have been in the Midwest or even farther East. However, someone known on the forum claimed to know the car, and verified it as being in Oregon. It later showed up at a Portland swap meet, and I heard it was sold. Nice to see it again! Also a few really early (even by MY standards!) cars! The 1896 Riker Electric is wonderful! Fantastic! Expletives escape me! So is the Duryea! I cannot tell if the sign says "Stevens-Duryea" or not, nor the year? I applaud the effort to "dress the part" at car shows! However, a 1920s flapper sitting in the front of such an early automobile appears a bit anachronistic to me. While the gentleman's attire appears a bit "loud" for circa 1900, style-wise it is not far from reasonably proper. And if you have seen much original clothing from the era? SOME of it was more brightly colored than you might imagine! Again, THANK YOU! I needed something to cheer me up.

r-t, I may be wrong, that era is a bit out of my wheelhouse. However I think Chevrolet's (and GMC's) Cameo pickups from 1955 and 1956 were followed by a "modern" steel wide pickup? The Cameos had fiberglass outer boxes. And both Dodge and International were famous for their "odd duck" crew cab pickups in the mid to late 1950s. But I seem to recall that Dodge was first? (May be wrong?) (But sometimes I like to stimulate conversation.)

I still like the Pope the most! But that Silver ghost is trying hard, tugging at me.

Far and away, the one I like BEST is the Pope! However, a LOT of INTERESTING stuff there. Thank you Xander W!

Looks like someone may have cut the front "roll" off of it?

Model A Fords had safety glass in the windshields beginning in 1928 as I recall. The story goes that Henry Ford had a friend that nearly died after a collision because of injuries from the broken windshield. So, while tooling up for the new model Fords, he added the safety glass windshield. I don't know how accurate that is? But that is the story my model A friends have told me.

Sadly, 28anut is right. I wasn't going to say anything, but since he opened the door? The top really bugs me also. The "business" coupe was a toned down version of the sport coupe in 1928 and 1929. Very few survive as "business" coupes because most have been upgraded into the sport coupe version! The top should be simple and plain, except for the oval windows (which were used only for a short while) and which I think he is right? I think these are not quite as they should be. Overall, the top looks way over padded, and to my eye ruins the look of the car. I am not sure, but I "think" the rumble seat was an option on the business coupe? So I also can accept that. But some of the other dress-up is too much and ruins the look the car should have. But that is just me.

A 1934 Packard standard 8 sedan?

I know he has it listed for sale "locally". The ebay listing is still up, however he has it saying "SOLD". So I would guess he has a buyer lined up? Perhaps waiting for payment before he pulls the listing? I do not personally know him, but met him when I went to look at the car. Seemed like a good fellow.

The fender is almost any body style 1917 through 1925 EXCEPT coupes and sedans of 1924 and 1925. Although there is a minor variation on some late 1924 1925 rear fenders that I don't think yours has, so more likely it is from a 1917 through 1923. The mounting bracket was used mostly on the runabout/roadsters and the coupes from before 1917 through 1925. That mounting bracket was NOT used on touring cars or sedans.