Buffalowed Bill
-
Posts
1,516 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Buffalowed Bill
-
-
Yes one time, never again! During the 70's I restored my 1955 Studebaker Speedster. It was a labor of love since it had been used as my primary source of transportation over most of the previous decade, and I had really worn it out. The car was good enough to get some awards and turned out to be a great driver, with no mechanical issues at all.
In the early 80's a good friend was a volunteer for the West Seattle Hi Yu parade. He was also a car guy and he wanted me to use the car in the parade. The car had never been tested in stop and go traffic for more then about 20 min at a time, and I hedged not knowing how much it would have to endure. I asked him about the parade's duration. He told me probably not more then an hour. A little on the high side, but I said OK.
The day of the parade was unusually hot. Anything over 85 degrees is hot for us in Seattle. I was to transport three young middle aged women, in some kind of period dress, over the mile and a half parade route. After the first hour we had only covered about half of the route. By that time the temp gauge had just gone up over 180 degrees. From there it was mostly down hill, both literally and figuratively. The temperature continued to go up. By the time the T/G read 215 degrees, we were still two blocks from the end of the parade. I looked over at the woman next to me and said I was sorry, and turned on the heater. It took 15 mins to cover the last two blocks. When we finally got to a stopping point, without saying a word the front seat passenger bolted from the car, never to be seen again! I'll never know whether it was the heat or lack of a bathroom break that prompted her hasty departure, but we all survived. Never again!
I still own the car. Next year I will have owned it for 60 years. And it's still nice enough to show or go, but no more parades!
-
1
-
-
I just spent six months, countless hours and spent more money than the billing for two trips across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, to finally straighten out a Good To Go snafu. It was another vintage car with a 1935 Washington plate. Two trips were billed to me for my 1937 car and plate. I finally had to send them photos of both front and back of my car with the plates affixed. Than I had to call to find out what the status was on my open account. Even then I received no apology or satisfying explanation for what happened, nor any assurance that it wouldn't happen again.
Just to make it clear as I understand Good To Go in the state of Washington it is not a govt agency but rather a contracted private entity. I'm not trying to let the WSDOT off the hook, since they let the contract and should be responsible for whomever operates the system, however I found the WSDOT contacts to be helpful and sympathetic. GTG on the other hand I found to be obtuse, intractable, even when I spelled out exactly what had happened.
-
1
-
-
Just to add to the mix of the survival of the fittest, it also began the process of the obsolescence of the Straight 8. The long front end and the bobbed rear, Classic Era, bodies that we love to gaze upon, was as much as anything, the result of the advancement of the Straight 8 engine. By moving everything foreword, given a similar chassis length, provided less room for the inline engine. There are certainly other reasons for the change, which took decades before the process was complete.
-
1
-
-
I honestly don't know why anyone here would want the opinion of an old man like me but since you asked. I've been in this old car hobby for 60+ years. I'm a collector of cars that I'm attracted to. In my collection I have both a 1963 and a 1965 Riviera. I was attracted by the car's looks and drivability. I've watched and yes, participated in the changes made to cars because an owner thought that it looks better then original. In my opinion it seldom does.
Now the owner has a whole new set of worries. He is faced with having to retool the suspension to make it handle correctly and safely. I seldom see the large wheel, narrow tire look without a body drop. The fad of dropping the suspension seems endemic today. It's nothing new, as each succeeding generation of rodder tries to achieve a new look. It's only an old recycled attempt at looking new and destined to become obsolete, as the next generation rebels against what their father's liked. I'm not talking about channeling either, which just make the handling worse.
I like to drive my cars and I absolutely hate a suspension that has no spring travel! I drive several 90's vintage cars as daily drivers, which I rotate into service. Two of my 90's cars are Lincoln Mark Vlll's. I have owned one of my Marks for about 17 years and it's all original. The second was a beautiful low mileage example that I couldn't pass up. But I had to bite down hard on this one because a young man, who had been a short term owner, following the original owners death, and had replaced the air suspension and dropped the body 2." He also screwed up the sound system. I need to end this so I won't bore you with why and how dislike the changes that have been made, but suffice to say that I cuss what that guy did every time I drive the car. Your car your choice. Just remember that any changes you make from original will detract from the things that made it a classic in the first place. What you have achieved is limiting the car's universal appeal.
-
1
-
-
Eddy Haskell, aka Kenneth Osmond became an LA cop and died there in 2020.
-
John,
The market has always been strong for 41 taillights because of the affection that Studebaker owners have for them, but maybe as important is that street-rodders and customizers love them.
-
For me the bottom line is try it on for size. If it suites your needs great. If it doesn't you should be able to find out in short order. IMO you don't want to make it your only car, a backup car is essential, and invest in a AAA card, or similar roadside insurance policy.
-
I realize that for a 80yo car this may be a stretch, but if you can determine a history for the car it might help in the originality discovery process.
-
1
-
-
Nice to get reacquainted last Friday in Covington. Hope to see you at some Seattle Chapt. gettogethers.
Bill
-
I think the answer is yes, depending on the amount of pain and discomfort you are willing to endure. Maybe the more important question to be asked is should you? We take for granted the fact that our old cars are not going to be as safe as most newer cars, but it's the adventure or reliving the past the spurs us on. So we ignore the pitfalls with the realization that any adventure will be short-lived. Than there is the maintenance. There just is a lot of work that goes into keeping a vintage car on the road. We trust our cars to do the job they were made for, but the world is not the same as it was when our vintage cars were new.
I'm a car collector. In our stable of cars we own a low mileage 1950 Champion Starlight Coupe. It is perfectly acceptable for touring, but to consider it daily transportation is a stretch too far for me. The most I would consider appropriate would be an occasional nice weather commuter.
-
On 7/11/2022 at 6:34 PM, hidden_hunter said:
It seems to be a lot more common in the US having shops do the work compared to here
What I’ll never understand is people having shops do the work and then make it sound like they personally did it - each to their own I guess
I can't speak to the second part of your comment, but to the first part-it may not seem important how a car is saved/restored or by whom, but it's all part of the car's history. For me it's all about the car. The owners age and skill level is the great equalizer when it comes to preserving an iconic vehicle. For some of us who have done it both ways, we are just running out of time. Only if we make the effort now will anyone know or care about who did the work. Regardless the car will live on because of what was done to it. The story is that additional level of interest that so many of us love.
-
1
-
-
Mary and I enjoyed the show yesterday. Two years without the show can be an eternity, when you are the age of some of us. I applaud your dedication photographing all of the cars and sharing with the group! It's always been one of my favorite shows. In past years I have been fortunate to drive two of my cars across the stage. Hard to believe that the first time was 1980!
The weather can be hot for the show, but yesterday it was in the low 70's with just the right mix of clouds and sun. The kind of weather we confirmed natives of the PNW live for. A day spent at FG is one of the best attitude adjustments that I can imagine.
-
I don't have to tell you guys about the use of alcohol in race engines, but I found this article from 1934 that may be of interest.
ALCOHOL FUEL FOR HIGH COMPRESSION ENGINES March 1934 - Motor Sport Magazine
-
1
-
-
It's both a great opportunity and a fools errand. It just depends on who the new owner, his level of knowledge, and expectations. IMHO this is a car that could and should be saved. While not economically justifiable, saving somethin is it's own reward.
-
5
-
-
IMO the idea that everything had to be restored is an outmoded concept. It was the predominant philosophy during the two decades that predated the 90's. A period of time that I like to call the Golden Age of the hobby. That idea began to die out during the 90's, as we the Baby Boomers began to age, and the cost of restoration began to escalate. As the boomers (the last car crazy generation) continued to age, they began to walk away from the hobby. That led to a plateauing of the value of most antique cars. Cost of restoration vs car value was suddenly turned upside-down.
For the last two decades+ we have been dealing with the reshuffling of the goals of the hobby. As part of this process the history of the car, and that of a particular car, have become an important precept as dictated by real world considerations. Thankfully, preservation of the original car has gradually became a more important part of the hobby. History, the story of how, when, where and by whom, has allowed those of us who cherish originality, a place of refuge from the restores, restomoders, customizers and ratrodders.
I hope that I don't come off sounding too smug, when I say I'm thankful that I live in the mild part of the Pacific NW where the need for AC is not an imperative. Coupled with a large surviving supply of original cars, it makes enjoying the original car easy to do.
-
3
-
-
4 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:
Although "first successful compact car" is poorly defined, the 1939-'46 Studebaker Champion deserves that title for the pre-war years. Before it, the 1933-'42 Willys 77,37,38,39/48, Speedway/Deluxe & Americar fit the definition but other than enabling the company to survive could not be considered to be a success in sale.
It is when it brings the company back to profitability, and fends off insolvency.
-
1
-
-
Is anyone else confused by the statement's ambiguity "1950 Nash Rambler the first US made compact car"-I know I am. What time frame and what defines successful. Maybe it's not so much the car as it is the term used to describe the small car. Like the way the term "Muscle Car" during the 1960's, help to romanticize the smaller car with a large displacement engine. Every era had some manufacturers who put a bigger engine into one of it's smaller bodies to for the sporting crowd. It seems to me that the term "Muscle Car" just glamorized the process. Every era had it's small cars. Maybe it was just the post war reference of the small car as "Compact" that seemed to make the concept seem new.
I find that with some writers there is a tacit ignorance of anything pre-war. It's almost as if the automotive world began in 1946. Compare for instance the 1939-40 Studebaker Champion with the NR. The Champion saved the company from almost certain failure after the recession of 1938. 1940 was the first full year of the Champion's production. In that year the car weighed 2350 lbs. and 66,284 were produced, which was more than half of Studebaker's total production of 117,091. That says to me the Champion was a successful compact. Compare that to the 1950 NR which weighed approximately 2500 lbs. and the total production of which was about 50,000 cars. There may be other examples, but I chose the Studebaker Champion because I'm familiar with the car and what it did for the company.
On 7/6/2022 at 10:51 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:Why is the 1950 Nash Rambler considered the
first compact American car? Partly, I think, because
whoever compiles lists looks from his own vantage
point in time, not knowing all of history.
Even back to the beginning of cars, there were
small models, medium sized models, and large models.
They typically weren't all within one marque, though.
Here, for example, is a 1921 Hanover car, made in
Pennsylvania--and reportedly a very poor car!
The next picture is of a 1924 Lafayette, a very large car:
-
1
-
-
I really don't know enough to even begin to offer an opinion on price. We don't even know the body style. More knowledge of the car's history would help. Trying to be as optimistic as possible these are my takes on the car:
1) It ran before he tore into the wiring.
2) The body is in "ok shape" and has no rust. Sounds like the paint may be presentable. For those who are unfamiliar with the Boise area-moisture is not a problem, about as dry as one could imagine. But did it come from Boise?
3) Has a new wiring harness.
The owner needs to fill in the blanks on things like interior, brakes, and tires.
-
i own two 37 Presidents.
-
15 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:
This thread is showing that we are all as different physically as we are with likes and dislikes. I was/am fortunate in that I was able to work until age 72. Moving folks across country. I THEN started and finished my first and only old car. In under two years. Now pushing 86, I find myself , as OP, not as frisky, emotionally nor physically. Probably as it should be.
Carry on the best you can!
Ben
I sat here wondering how surreal it would have been, waiting until I retired to do my first old car workup. At the time that I was winding down, contemplating how I was going to participate in the hobby, and which cars were going to take center stage, Ben was just getting started. I finally decided that the concept was so alien to what I had been doing for the previous sixty years, that it was near impossible to put the concept into it's proper perspective. It just shows how diverse our enjoyment of our hobby can be.
May we all have many more years to enjoy the hobby we love!
-
1
-
1
-
-
I'm ten years your junior. Restoring a car is not for sissies. Many start what they can't finish, which I believe is worse than not starting at all. Regardless of what part of the life faze we find ourselves, the process is the same. For me the following has helped me. But I wish I could say that I have always followed my own advice...
1) Evaluate your car and decide what you want it to be.
2) Decide if your resources will match what you want to achieve (not just financial, but skill level and time).
3) Pick your battels. Realizing that few people are going to be able to do everything themselves, get help when you need it. Sometimes the help we need is at the beginning of the process. I believe that this is where you are today.
4) Don't be afraid to adjust your expectations. Only the best restorer is going to be able to overcome all the problems involved.
Good luck, remember most of us have been where you are, sometimes more then once!
-
3
-
-
No independent car manufacturer survived. The Big Three had too much sway in the market. The winnowing out process that began in the late 20's, sped up during Depression, just continued after the pent up post-war demand for cars was met. Being first independent company with an OHV V8, didn't amount to much after the BT came out with their own. Ditto also Studebaker's ground breaking automatic trans.
Styling was another all together different situation. It has become obvious that no matter how admired unique styling was, as in Studebaker's post war offerings, being different does not sell. Studebaker was on life support, caught between a rock and a hard place, with regards to styling. They knew that different did not sell, and going along with the shoe box styling of the time, they could not compete, so they tried to go forward, in an effort to compete with both styles. The result was inevitable!
-
2
-
1
-
-
"Thunder Road"
-
1
-
-
On 6/26/2022 at 8:42 AM, keithb7 said:
Yesterday I made the trek to probably one of the largest car shows in my region. I did not take one of my vintage cars. It was about a 2.5 hr drive each way. I made a last minute decision to go, so I was not prepared for the trip in one of my 1938 cars. I respect that people are into different things. Muscle cars. Resto-mods. Hot-rods. Whatever. To each their own. I like to remember to live and let live. My post here today is a limited view, generalization about the automobiles I saw at the show.
I will admit that I like old stock cars. Not necessarily original, but stock and maintained. A good old driver is pretty cool by me. My 23 year old son said recently " thats part of the charm of owning an old car. Experiencing how things were so many years ago". I have to agree with him.
I estimate there were 500-ish cars at the show. I went for a stroll basically. I walked past 95% of what I saw. I was in search of old stock cars. They were hard to find. After some time looking I got a little excited to see a 51 or so Fargo pick up. When I got closer it had a V8. I moved on looking for other examples. I can't honestly recall seeing more than a couple of stock vehicles up to 1950 or so. There were plenty with massive V8's and endless chrome. Manifold risers and blowers. Chopped. Dropped. Bagged. Rat-rods. They were all there in big numbers. Camaros, Trans-Ams, Corvettes, late 60's and early 70's Mopars galore. Dare I say Mustangs? I saw more there than on the TV series Yellowstone. I am sure there must have been a few more stock cars that I am not recalling right now. I must have been overwhelmed with all the bling and horsepower.
Based on what I saw, it seemed clear to me what is very popular. Stock old cars appear not at this period in time. At least not at that show. I know there are lots of us still out there that appreciate and love our old stock cars. We are indeed a shrinking number. Chrome, HP and torque has always been popular since the earliest hot rods. I respect that. It's culture carries on. I suspect younger people are attracted to it. TV shows like Monkey Garage and like, certainly are appealing to a large upcoming generation.
I think my mind was enlightened a little after yesterdays stroll through the show. It must be very difficult for Vintage Car clubs to keep up their memberships. I do know that I should have made the trip in one my my '38 Mopars. To show them to the crowds. I calculate that I would have had a great chance to win a "Survivor" award with my Plymouth. Or maybe best stock car pre 1950 for my Chrysler. Maybe next year I will plan the trip. Folks need to see these old stock cars and how they were built. Let them see that they are still out there driving today without an LS swap.
Yes, perhaps I am stating the obvious. I’m just sharing my recent experience. I suspect many here can relate.
I did enjoy this gasser on the portable dyno there. It sounded great. I believe the owner claimed it was a Pontiac. He pulled about 400 ft lbs of torque.
Keith,
I note that you call Western Canada home-can I inquire where? It's a pretty big place. Friends from BC usually travel south of the boarder for their car fix, unless there is a designated marque event scheduled for north of the boarder. If you had headed south of the boarder last weekend you would have been able to see what one of our large events looks like, the Greenwood cars show in Seattle. There must have been close to 1000 cars, more then half of which were unmodified.
I agree that the PNW is a Mecca for the unmodified car. Because of the climate our cars just last longer here then most places. The tendency to maintain as original is regional. It's based on the number of good survivor cars being available and the climate that makes for pleasant touring without the need for air conditioning.
California Will No Longer Sell Gas-Powered Cars (2035)
in General Discussion
Posted
Some of you guys talk as if when 2035 rolls around, all the gas powered vehicles will magically disappear and all the gas stations will close lol.