Modeleh

I found this 1955 Dodge postal van and couldn’t resist bringing it home. I don’t think many have survived, internet research shows very few examples, maybe less than a hundred remain? Supposedly USPS ordered 3000 but it’s unclear how many were actually built. The coach work was done by Fageol. It is right hand drive with a stepped down frame so it can be driven standing up. It has a corrugated roll up door in the rear. I will be installing a slant six and automatic. It originally would have had a Flathead six with an automatic but the powertrain was gone.

If he can’t tell you if the heater works the guy is a moron. Morons typically don’t take good care of their stuff. I would suspect he will be hiding other problems by playing dumb. But is it playing dumb or? Unless this is a GTE or XR7 G walk away from it and find one to buy from a more intelligent person.

You might be further ahead to just replace the entire axle. I’m sure you can find a second hand axle complete with electric brakes from someone dismantling a modern junk RV trailer.

Thanks for the information, next time I’m near Orcas I’ll have to take a ride. $30 is very reasonable and I’ve always wanted a ride in a Mountain Wagon.

Tell us about this beautiful Mountain Wagon. Although it’s true that getting bit by the steam bug makes you a little crazy, this group looks certifiable.

It’s also possible to restart the engine using the impulse mag without touching the hand crank but the engine must be warmed up and not let sit for more than about ten minutes. The 414 cube T Head 4 cylinder in my pal’s ‘13 Lafrance is able to restart that way. It is running on the original mag that has never been rebuilt.

I just watched that yesterday as well. I’m amazed how ignorant Dennis Gage can be after spending so many years earning his living being around old cars. On the other side of the spectrum there’s Jay who is so knowledgeable and proficient on old machinery and how to operate it.

Yes now we’re talkin’! Nice truck! They can do a lot more than just look good!

Factory GCVW ratings are a little hard to find for the old trucks but my trailer is only a 10kGVW. My Lincoln is 5500lbs and that’s about the heaviest I’ve towed. The truck handles it no problem it’s got a 390 4spd 4.56 gears and a Gear Vendors overdrive and air bags in the rear for load leveling. I agree with the other comments on the Cummins engines. I don’t like to use my 66 in the winter, the brine they use on the roads is just too hard on things plus the single wall box means I have to be super careful if I haul firewood with it. I found a nice 78 F250 4x4 and am installing the power train from a 96 Ram 12valve Cummins 5spd to relieve the 66 of any winter duties that come up.

Thanks Ken. I find the history of the cars as interesting as the cars themselves.

Come on I thought you all were old car guys! Let’s see some classic tow trucks! 66 F250 4x4

PFindlay do you think there’s any possibility that the REO is the same one that Dave Proctor has? Next time I see him I’ll have to ask him the history of his REO. I just love the brass front axle and Canadian headlamps on his car.

I’m not great at decoding the Manufacture and model year of cars of this era, but I enjoy reading the responses from the experts here.

Aeroquip 303 hose is probably your best bet for something of modern quality with the cloth outer appearance. Available at aircraft supply shops like aircraft spruce. Not sure if it has ink stamping along the hose, might want to ask the vendor, it would be nice to have an unmarked hose for your project.

If the carbon tax revenues were actually being used to help diminish our environmental impact it would be a different story. Currently there is no evidence to support such a claim.

I experienced the same thing with a 96 12v Cummins 190hp. Golden oil until about 3000kms after a change then began to darken. My 95 Winnebago with a 230hp 12v Cummins with a larger sump than the Dodge Ram has black oil nearly immediately after a change. Same injection pumps just different fueling rates. I believe the fueling rate of the diesel in question has an affect on oil discolouration rate and your 2014 is fueled to make a significant horsepower increase from the 90s engines. They were seriously detuned in the 90s to try and get some longevity from the transmissions. At one point the automatic equipped pickup had a 5.9 engine rated at 175hp, in the same year Cummins offered the same engine in a Marine configuration rated at 300hp with just fueling changes. I would imagine those engines wouldn’t have shown the golden oil phenomenon but I haven’t owned one so I couldn’t say definitively.

Thanks fellas, as for house calls, my project progress rate is so painfully slow that I would be sure to wear out my welcome!

This is my 62 that I just finished last fall. I bought it in 2009 for $2300 and a 69 TBird in trade, probably around a $2500 car. The Lincoln needed a trunklid and I converted a sedan decklid to fit all the convertible specific parts. There’s no doubt they are complicated. I painted it myself, very challenging to do a metallic finish because I didn’t want any panel transitions not blending so it all had to be done at once. Meant a lot of tricky masking to have the top in a partially retracted position to facilitate spraying the panel that the top sits on when top is full up.

I think Mark’s suggestion is the way to go. The jump boxes are just a little more convenient than a wet battery because they are AGM so are spill proof and can have other features as suggested like a built in lamp, air compressor and USB port, I’ve even seen some with a built in inverter. If you’re on a tour you could simply bring it into the motel room each night and top up the charge with the AC wall pack.

If you ever watch Hagertys Barn Find Hunter, the host Tom Cotter just loves to recite the Marti Report numbers. Everything is a 1 of a kind for that guy. Never mind they built 35,000 similar models that year.

This 1913 American Lafrance Type 10 is completely original, right down to the lower radiator hose which will leak for awhile each spring when we fill the cooling system. It seems like some kind of rubber coated canvas and will stop leaking after awhile when it swells up. Tires are original foam filled. We believe it to be the oldest surviving unrestored fire truck in operable condition. If anyone knows of one that’s older I would enjoy hearing about it.

GM made some great cars over the years but that generation of Corvettes sure were garbage. In the Pacific Northwest the frames just didn’t last. I recall one being lifted up on the hoist at a tire shop I worked at around 1992 and chunks of rust were literally falling off of it. But I’ll never forget the license plate frame that said Wine ‘em, Dine ‘em, 69 ‘em. That particular owner definitely fit the stereotype.

Tinindian, Absolutely wonderful photos and story. Thanks so much for posting. Reading stories from guys who were there at the time is just so rare today it’s a real treasure. Keep them coming if you have them. My grandma on my mother’s side grew up in Winnipeg born in 1913 among 7 kids in the family with my uncle still going at 91, who knows they could have been the recipients of merchandise hauled by your grandpa.

Would anyone be willing to comment on approximate value of a 1930 Nash coupe with the twin ignition straight 8? It’s in similar condition to the 29 pictured in this thread but it has the bijur lubrication system and thermostatically controlled radiator shutters. It seems the twin 8s don’t trade hands often so it’s hard to find a value but they seem to be rather uncommon.

Exactly my point about why to avoid the multiple carb models. I won’t get into my opinion of other shortcomings of the Corvair because I know there are a few supporters of them here. But how many of those proponents of them still actually own one? Their value or lack thereof on the collector car market speaks volumes. Do they get attention? Yes, dollar for dollar probably more attention than nearly anything else but the market says that the actual demand is low. And it’s not because it’s a forgotten marque.