[Who is in Central Mass? 16th Annual WPI Car Show Sun 4/21 9:00-2:00.]

On 4/26/2024 at 1:22 PM, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Nice view into typical cars a college age enthusiast may be playing with today. 

 

Ralph did you happen to stop by the "Dogfather" truck?  I have a hat with the exact logo and wondered if they do dog rescue or a clothing line, or ???

I did not, I have sworn my allegiance to Coney Island for all my hot dog needs in Worcester 😆

[Who is in Central Mass? 16th Annual WPI Car Show Sun 4/21 9:00-2:00.]

Thanks to everyone who came! Here's some photos of the show...

 

[Are cars from the 30's and 40's not selling?]

On 12/7/2023 at 10:53 PM, John Bloom said:

Call me a curmudgeon, but i think a contributing factor is that young people today are less comfortable doing mechanical things than generations in the past.  Old cars will need someone who at least has the curiosity and interest in "tinkering" with an old car to even consider buying one.  I think that is rare in today's youth.  I think of generations past, when thy type of guy who became an Engineer, was someone with a curiosity into how things work and they frequently dabbled with taking things apart or building things........They could easily apply their passion and skill into an old car.  It is not uncommon today to see a young person who might study Engineering who can't "change the oil in a car", change a battery", "jump a car', Build a wooden birdhouse/doghouse, start a lawnmower and mow the lawn, etc.........  They are smart and have a high ACT score, and are wizards on their phone,  but aren't as curious with mechanical things as past generations.  If you don't have any idea how to work on a car nor do you have any interest.......and have driven a reliable Honda/Toyota/etc....your whole life.  The leap to buying and maintaining a Ford Model T is like some crazy idea to swim the Atlantic.  

 

Of course I realize that not all young people are as I described, but I bet in 1970 90% of the boys in high school could push start a manual car, Now 1% can.........the implications of that loss of basic "car troubleshooting skills" plays out in the hobby.  Most old cars are projects, young buyers can't do the work themselves and they can't afford or find anyone to do it for them.  

 

There's a reckoning coming.  HIGH end cars will still have deep pocket collectors buying them, but the run of the mill stuff probably has 10 old guys selling a car for 2 younger guys who are interested and the ratio is getting worse.  

 

A 50'd sedan with poor paint, that ran 3 years ago, in a model that is unremarkable and had high production numbers............if you are a seller of these, take any offer you get, the math going forward is against you.  

There is some unfortunate truth here; I recently graduated from an engineering school, and the number of people going into the field (ME) that have no mechanical aptitude is alarming. I find people who work in the manufacturing industry tend to be more hands on and enjoy/want to learn many different hands on aspects of the job (welding, machining, casting, etc.). Also, fields like electrical/robotics engineering seem to be attracting more people with a hands on aptitude, but they often don't seem as interested in cars, especially antique ones. That being said, I was the president of my school's motorsports club which had no trouble attracting 150+ members, most of these members were studying mechanical engineering and like working on their cars. The problem is that their interests almost exclusively lie in modern vehicles like CarNucopia describes; trying to get them excited for classics is moderately successful however.

 

I have a few friends that didn't really know about classic cars until I took them to the Misselwood Concours in Beverly, where they were able to at least see some beautiful prewar classics and subsequently began taking interest in them. I think the problem is exposure for so many young people; without seeing something like a big prewar Packard or Pierce in person, you can't truly appreciate the scale and inherently mechanical nature of them. I think if owners of big classics brought their cars to more casual car shows, they would be surprised by the amount of attention they get. I have a gut feeling, however, that many of the big classics that adorn the grass of a typical concours would struggle to make it even 50 miles down the road without some mechanical or electrical failure. There was an open Locomobile, for instance, that was struggling to climb a light grade and fumigated the show field with the now vaporized friction material of its clutch - a sight like this does nothing but lessen the interest in owning a classic for many people.

 

I know I've gotten a little off topic, but if young people are going to buy classic cars they need to gain an interest first, and for this to happen, they need to see ones that are properly functioning and see them more frequently. Maybe I can convince some of you in the central MA area to come to the WPI car show this spring and get some young engineers interested in old cars!

 

[1955 Coupe Deville Brake Filler Line]

Anyone know where I could source a remote filler line for a 1955 Coupe Deville brake master cylinder?

[1947 Lincoln Continental For Sale]

The car offered for sale is a 1947 Lincoln Continental Coupe in mostly original condition. The car is very solid overall with its twelve cylinder engine running strong. While on the subject of the engine, the factory intake manifold was replaced with an Edmunds unit that supports two carburetors instead of one. The rare manifold appears to have been with the car for quite some time as its overall condition matches that of the rest of the engine bay. This Continental has been cared for its entire life, this is evident by the rust free condition of the frame and body. The interior is also in good condition with the upholstery on the seats having been redone. The rest of the interior is original, including the steering wheel which is amazingly crack-free. The car runs and drives superbly, with shifts effortless on the column shifted three speed and working overdrive. This car would make a great driver for anyone looking to own a unique, reliable classic, and is located near Fitchburg MA.

 

Asking $24,900 OBO

 

Email: aodhaganleach@gmail.com

 

[1937 Lincoln K Overheating]

On 7/11/2018 at 3:13 PM, Matt Harwood said:

 

Hi Ralph,

 

Can you tell me more about your symptoms and how you filled it? I just bought a '35 Lincoln K and I am experiencing some overheating problems now. It starts and runs great, but like your car, it starts to spit coolant out from under the cap in pretty short order and gets VERY hot. When I filled it, it took about 6.5 gallons (out of 8!) and I'm thinking that I might be low on coolant. However, it did puke some out the overflow. What did you do to fill yours completely?

 

Any insights to share from your experience?

Matt- 

My Lincoln also did not fill to full capacity, I had just assumed there was some residual coolant in the block. However that puking happened when I filled mine up a few times but eventually went away. I assumed the system was just naturally purging air out. It should be noted that my car later vapor locked but due to an exhaust leak in the heat exchanger gaskets. I was advised by a mechanic at the Canton Car Museum to tap and plug both to avoid any problems. I assume this exhaust leak was also contributing to the heat problem and was difficult to notice because it was not very loud. I would make sure your car does not have this leak and even block the heat exchanger with a 1/2 NPT plug down the road to prevent any problems... 

[1937 Lincoln K Overheating]

Just got the car running cool, I guess it was puking coolant as you said Matt. Thanks for all the help everyone!

[1937 Lincoln K Overheating]

On 6/12/2018 at 10:15 AM, Matt Harwood said:

First, whenever adding coolant to a hot engine, MAKE SURE IT'S RUNNING! Don't add cold coolant to a hot engine that isn't running, the thermal shock of the cold coolant and hot metal will crack the block. If you're adding coolant to a hot engine, leave it idling and trickle coolant in slowly so that there's no blast of cold coolant hitting anything hot.

  

Secondly, let's figure out what's going on. From what I gather, it was fine before you removed the water pump and then it definitely overheated. My first guess is that there's air in the system and it isn't full. It can sometimes be challenging to fill these all the way, but usually by starting it and letting it idle and then slowly filling it works to get most of the air out. I don't know if these cars use thermostats or some kind of restrictor as Ray500 mentions, but that can be a spot where an air pocket can block flow. So that would be my first guess. Do you have any idea how much coolant you poured back in? Check your manual for its capacity and compare that to how much you added. I bet it holds 5 gallons, so if you removed the water pump and drained much of the system (probably not the block) you should have needed 3-4 gallons to fill it back up. If you did less than that, then perhaps it's under-filled.

  

My second guess would be that something isn't right with the water pump. Again, I'm not familiar enough with these cars to know details, but I would double check to make sure that the common shaft that turns both it and the generator is actually turning the water pump. I'm guessing the shaft is visible so that should be easy to check. Also check to be sure that the impeller inside the water pump is actually attached to the shaft. I've had this happen on two separate cars where the water pump looked good and the shaft turned just fine, but the impeller was not affixed to the shaft and was not turning so it did nothing. That's worth checking if all else comes up good.

  

If it has radiator shutters, make sure they're open. I don't know when Lincoln switched to a thermostat, but it was around this time. But if it still uses the thermostatically-controlled shutters, make sure they're working or at least that they're all the way open. It can sometimes be hard to see them behind a grille.

 

The only other thing I can think of is to do a test to see if there are combustion gasses present in the coolant. There are kits that will inhale fumes from the radiator neck and a liquid will turn color if there are exhaust gasses present. That would indicate a blown head gasket. A pressure test might help, although this probably isn't a pressurized system so don't go crazy with the pressure--just enough to determine if anything is seeping out where it shouldn't.

 

When you get back, give it a few more checks and we'll keep trying. Good luck!

 

 

Thanks a bunch for all the details Matt... I'll follow up on some data when I get back home. My gut is telling me that, as you said, the system is not full (32 quarts). If I remember correctly the car took ~28 quarts.

[1937 Lincoln K Overheating]

7 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Are there any other symptoms? I'm having trouble understanding how the engine can possibly generate so much heat to cause that volume of water to boil that quickly. Is it truly overheating with steam coming out of the radiator and pegging the gauge? If so, something is truly amiss and there are likely combustion gasses running into the coolant either through a head gasket failure or a cracked block. That's really the only thing that could get it that hot that quickly. Alternatively, perhaps the block and/or radiator are significantly plugged and there isn't a large enough volume of coolant in the system and that's how it is able to heat up so quickly.

  

Just by simple physics, the engine would have to be a lot hotter than any safe operating temperature in order to raise several gallons of water to steam in five minutes. A gallon of water on your stove with fire under it (@ 500 degrees or so) will take 10-15 minutes to boil. Your Lincoln holds 3-5 gallons of water and even at its hottest, won't be 500 degrees in the water jackets. If it's boiling over that quickly, there's something VERY wrong inside and it's probably hot enough to cook the oil as well. I wouldn't run it if it's truly making steam that fast.

  

Can you confirm that it is indeed overheating or merely puking coolant (which is commonly mistaken for overheating)? If it's just puking coolant, that's kind of normal, especially if it's over-filled. Most cars of this vintage like the top of the radiator to be vacant, so only fill it to the top of the core, leaving the upper tank empty. That leaves room for expansion. If you're topping it up to the cap every time, it can easily lose 1/2 gallon due to expansion each time it warms up. Let it puke and leave it alone--it should find its own level at that point and it will be OK from there on out.

  

 Also, what does the gauge say? Do you have one of those infrared thermometers that can read the temperature of an object? If not, get one. They're not expensive and it will help you troubleshoot where the heat might be. It should be hottest at the upper hose coming out of the block and coolest at the lower hose, and you should probably see a difference of 20-30 degrees if your radiator is healthy. That will at least help you narrow things down as to what is malfunctioning and whether it is internal or radiator-related.

  

Please confirm that it's actually overheating and not just spilling excess coolant. Then let us know temperatures at various points of the cooling system and we should be able to do a little more diagnosing.

  

Keep us posted!

Thank you very much for the detailed response, I am away from home at the moment and can follow up on specifics this weekend. But here is the full chain of events: the car needed a generator repair, so we removed it along with the water pump as they are tethered via rag joint, after re-installing the two components we filled it with coolant and tested it to make sure it was charging. Later that day we took the car for a quick test drive, initially it seemed fine but after about 10 minutes the temperature gauge was pinned at the limit, and it started blowing coolant out of the radiator cap, the hood latches were even hotter than hell. After this we drained the coolant and let the car idle while filling the coolant slightly above the core and within 5 minutes it boiled over like a Yellowstone Fumarole. Unless of course this is the puking which you described as we did not drive the car following this. Should the car be running when it is filled? Am I supposed to prime it in some way? Sorry if these are stupid questions as I am used to working on simple inline 6s and 8s which are hard to break, and not these multi-cylinder beasts. 

 

28 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

only

 

[1937 Lincoln K Overheating]

The car starts up fine and runs like a swiss watch for about 5 minutes but boils over within minutes of this and cannot be driven. The water pump has been rebuilt and the overheating problem seemed to start after the generator was rebuilt, which involved the removal of the water pump. Am I missing something? From what I can tell, and have been told, the car does not have a true thermostat, instead shudders in front of the radiator. There is no steam in the exhaust, and the motor seems to run fine. I would appreciate any help!

[1941 Buick Series 40]

On 6/7/2018 at 9:32 PM, Buicknutty said:

 It looks very nice, congrats on your new ride! Love more pictures when you have the chance.

 Keith

Will do! I will be picking it up in about a week.

[1941 Buick Series 40]

Just sealed the deal on the car... I think I got a good one!

 

[1941 Buick Series 40]

6 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I thought I'd chime in at kgreen's request.

  

First, there is no "Deluxe Special" model. All 40-Series cars are Specials. Period. They have various model numbers which will dictate certain details about the car and that's what you should focus on. As the article I wrote points out, there were two distinct Special series, the A-Series and the B-Series, but neither is Deluxe.

  

The 46SSE that you're considering is an A-Series Special on a 121-inch wheelbase. That wheelbase is shared with the Model 41, the Model 46, Model 46S, and the Model 49, not to mention all the Super 50-Series cars. The "SE" part of the car's designation indicates that it was originally equipped with Compound Carburetion and the interior fabrics from a Super, which were slightly more upscale. There are some who say that the "SE" stands for "Special Edition" but I can find no indication of this in any literature and I don't think they were using such terms in 1941. I think it was just a way of making the slightly upmarket car stand separate from the standard 46S.

 

It's worth noting that the B-Series Specials were not "lesser" cars or not as nice. Same engine, same interior, same suspension and brakes, etc. They used Chevrolet bodies and were therefore limited to the 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, and 2-door convertible models that Chevrolet offered that year, but they carried Buick hardware throughout. Only the sheetmetal was shared, the rest was installed by Buick. They were on a slightly shorter 118-inch wheelbase to accommodate the Chevy bodies, but the frame itself was also a Buick frame, not a Chevy. So they were not lesser cars, just a way for Buick management to hedge their bets if the fastback look had failed.

 

Mechanically, all Specials used the same 248 cubic inch engine, with standard single carburetor or dual carburetors as an option. Horsepower was 110 or 125, respectively. Same transmission, same rear end ratios (4.11 or 4.44), same brakes, same steering, same wheels and tires, etc. They drive about the same, too, regardless of wheelbase. The only significant difference, other than wheelbase, is that the B-Series Specials did not receive the rear fender ornaments--a neat little fact I just learned from another board member here last week. 

  

The 46SSE is arguably the second-most-desirable Special model after the 44C convertible. Handsome, reasonably affordable, plentiful parts, and fun to drive. I think you'll enjoy it!

Thank you! I'm going to see it tomorrow and will be making a decision on it, it is an all original car with original cedar green paint. 

[1941 Buick Series 40]

10 hours ago, kgreen said:

Matt Harwood has a good write up on '41's.  I think he knows this model year as well as or better than most.  Here's a link to his site:

  

http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/1941_buick_buyers_guide.htm

 

The 40 Series Special used the Chevy body while the 40 Series Special deluxe used the longer wheelbase Buick body.

Thanks! That helped a bunch! SO the only difference is wheelbase?

[1941 Buick Series 40]

I have the chance to buy a series 40 46SSE and have been searching around to find out what the difference is between a series 40 special and a series 40 deluxe special. 

If someone could help me out that would be great!
Thanks

[Cadillac options/accessories 1955]

1 hour ago, Restorer32 said:

Has your '55 with the Continental kit ever been shown at the Potomac Region shows held twice yearly at Capitol Cadillac? It would be an interesting conversation piece for sure.

We only recently acquired the car, Also the car now lives in central Massachusetts, but it certainly would be great take the car home at some point!

[Cadillac options/accessories 1955]

I was checking this thread to see if anyone else had a '55 Caddy with a Continental Kit. Our 1955 Cadillac Coupe DeVille was under the same ownership since new until a few years ago. The car has the original Arlington Metallic Green paint and original interior. With the car we have the original order form (specifies a continental kit), acknowledgement letter from Capitol Cadillac-Oldsmobile Company of Washington DC, and car invoice from the day it was delivered (specifies a continental kit). Also, notice how the continental kit from Cadillac does not extend the full bumper which would also require a tailpipe extension such as this example: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/62/e8/bb/62e8bb5a3e56fcde929a9d45e0e8e8d5--american-stock-paint-schemes.jpg 

So my answer would be yes, but very uncommon and possibly custom ordered as the question mark after "continental rack" on the yellow order form would imply. Additionally, the car was ordered with "Vogue" brand whitewall tires, on the continental kit sits a "Vogue" brand whitewall, which also proves the originality.

[Supercharged Auburn Air Cleaner]

For sale is a genuine supercharged Auburn air cleaner.

While by no means perfect, it is usable as is with the obvious damage. The cleaner could also be restored for a show car.

PM me for a price, and feel free to ask about other 851/852 parts as we have a small pile of mechanical and body parts.

 

[1937 Lincoln K Headlight Trim]

Does anyone know whether the headlamp trim rings from a 1937 Model K are compatible with those from a Zephyr of the same year? The small tab at the top of mine has broken leaving the top pulled away from the fender. Alternatively, does anyone know of a good way to repair them? I still have the piece that broke off, if that helps.

[1936 Auburn Water Outlet]

8 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

Your question does not make sense to me via terminology - do you have a picture?  The only "valves" on the engine should be the drain on the side of the supercharger top case and on the radiator at the lower hose.    Also you can post out on Auburn Cord Duesenberg forum.

 

Do you mean the thermostat ?  An aluminum head has a relief for the thermostat and a steel head generally does not (have not yet figured our what they did for a thermostat on a steel head car).  On an aluminum head the thermostat fits in the head and then the gasket goes on and then the neck bolts on,  Thermostat is a five dollar item at local auto parts store (I generally get one that is lower temperature - under 180 degrees).The gasket is made of paper gasket material - I would use sealer on such.

I must apologize for my unclear nomenclature, I did in fact mean the thermostat. Also your answer was exactly what I was seeking, thank you very much for the help.

[1936 Auburn Water Outlet]

Does anyone know how the water outlet gasket seats relative to the valve? Does the rolled edge of the valve sit over the gasket, or should they never touch? Also, what material is the gasket made of? The car is a 1936 852 SC

[1935 Buick 60 restoration]

Ralph:

Great car with tremendous potential. I wish my father had been a car guy. When I was 14 (1969) I never saw these cars around to be worked on. But at 15 I bought a 1937 International Pick Up to get running by the time I would get my license. All my father wanted for me to do was for me to get rid of it. He didn't believe in resurrecting the older cars.

I teach Tech Ed at our high school and also wish some of my students had your enthusiasm for this hobby. All the advice presented so far is sound. We will look forward to hear more from you about your projects. And help when we can. What model is the 1922? Many on the forum have these cars and are quite knowledgeable.

Best of luck and keep in touch.

Larry

The 1922 is a four cylinder roadster with 22,000 original miles, it is a 100% original car and we want to keep it that way.

[1935 Buick 60 restoration]

Ralph,

Great looking car, love it. My Dad did a post high school cross country trip with his mom in one of those in 1935.

First thing to do is remove the oil pan and clean out all gunk that no doubt collected over the years. Take out the oil pump pick up tube and clean it too. Take a look around in the crankcase to see if anything looks out of place. Reinstall the oil pan with a new gasket.

Take the valve cover off and clean up under there too. Then pour a little oil over the valve stems and give each one a little tap with a hammer to see that they are not stuck. If they're stuck you could bend a push rod, not good.

Pull the spark plugs and pour some transmission fluid into each cylinder. Let it sit for a few days or a week. If you have a crank you can try that and see if you get any movement or put the car in gear and gently rock it back and forth.

Others will add too and or correct some of this but it's a start.

Have at it

Dave

Thanks for all the help everyone! I opened up the rumble seat an noticed a large amount of rust in the floorboard. Is there a place that has the blueprints for my car?

[1935 Buick 60 restoration]

I'm starting this thread because of the car my father and I recently purchased. It is a 1935 series 60 sport coupe, while the car has good, solid metal, the engine requires a lot of attention. I am currently 14 years old and ready to do more serious work than the carburetor, fuel pump and brake work that I have done on a '41 Packard and a '22 Buick. The engine has been poorly painted w/ a incorrect color, the manifolds have been off during it's 20 year storage period. The valves are caked in grease and the Buick spark plug cover is missing. We have done the obvious stuff so far (mystery oil), what else would you recommend doing to free the engine? Does anyone know where to get a spark plug cover and Buick luggage? I will have a lot more questions in the future. Thank you.