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a griffin

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Posts posted by a griffin

  1. 6 minutes ago, Str8-8-Dave said:

    That's pretty unusual that they have something wrong with their website but certainly possible and I would expect they will make that right.   I suspect the long lead time is because mufflers are ordered as required from a Canadian vendor.  

     

    I said I had no problems with them ever but in my case the year/make was always 1931 Buick and for only 2 models, an 8-86 coupe over 50 years ago and the 8-66S I'm currently restoring.  That said they always delivered what they said they would in the predicted time frame at a reasonable price and the parts fit like a glove. 

     

    For the first car I had in 1970 I found Burton Waldron in Hemmings, called and ordered by phone, then a couple weeks later drove to Nottawa, MI to pick up my muffler and pipes.  Burt was sitting in a chair in front of an old dirt floor garage with the central fixtures being a tube bending machine and racks of straight tube.    The muffler was NOS coated in protective tar.  I asked him where on earth he ever found a NOS muffler to give me and he pointed to an old barn toward the back of the property and said he had lots of mufflers in the barn...

     

    Burt is long gone and the business moved to modern facilities a couple miles up the road in Centreville.

     

    Anyhow- sorry you are having trouble sourcing parts for the Lincoln...

     

    That's a great memory. Thanks for sharing.

     

     

  2. 12 hours ago, Str8-8-Dave said:

    Waldron's Exhaust – Car exhaust, truck exhaust, exhaust pipes, mufflers (waldronexhaust.com) 

     

    This shop I have used for over 50yrs with nary a problem.  They are slow, they warn 8-12wks lead time right now, but they have factory prints for all kinds of pre-war cars and offer systems in aluminized steel or stainless.   You can price your system on their website.

    They were one of the first I called. They have incorrect info on their website and when I talked to them, they stated they would need to look at what they have and get back to me. As I've restored several cars, I understand the lead time and try to order things a few weeks before they are needed. The lead time doesn't bother me too much.

  3. I'm working on the restoration of a 33 Lincoln KA

     

    I've left a message at Classic

    I've got a call into Waldron's - they are looking for patterns

    MJ Exhaust - kindly declined the job

    Antigo auto - Doesn't have the patterns pre '36

    Read numerous bad reviews of a place that starts with "K"

     

    The last two pre war cars I restored - a 33 Buick series 50 and a 31 Pierce had systems mail ordered and I thought it would be the same with this Lincoln.

     

    Does anyone have another supplier that I have overlooked? I know I could go to my local muffler shop, but I am looking for "original" vs. something other than........

  4. 1 minute ago, GregLaR said:

    The car is interesting but one has to question the choice of backdrop mural featuring a creepy guy wearing nothing but a Speedo while standing in a junk pile.

    It must be art nouveau because I don't understand it.

    Sometimes it's best to avoid talking about the obvious.

  5. This thread, I feel, follows along my theory as to why the hobby is dying. Some do not want to accept change and continues to discount anyone or any company that will include "late model cars" or newer technology.

     

    While I agree that you spend your money where you feel welcomed, there seems to be some that have zero interest in allowing a company to sway a little in it's product.

     

    While it would be nice to have a publication that focused on factory pre-war cars, or just factory cars for that matter, one has to remember that our wants are in the minority. The pool is quickly drying up as the majority of the people around when these cars were on the road are getting out of the hobby, due mostly to age and health. A company can't succeed on a business plan they followed many years ago. I don't care for it, but that's reality. Look at kodak, they refused to transition and they are now all but gone.

     

    In the above responses, there seems to be very few people that voiced their displeasure by trying to contact the company. Maybe if more phoned to express their disappointment, perhaps the magazine would see there is still a following for things other than fuel injection and disc brakes. By not renewing your subscription and not voicing your opinion, what does the magazine have to go on? My thought would be that the customer had probably died, knowing that my demographic was typically and older male.

     

    I'm sure the editor would be surprised if he started receiving multiple calls about the lack of stock cars.

    • Like 3
  6. 13 hours ago, Bessie32 said:

    Thank you so much I emailed him and he called me, wow nicest man EVER and is so full of knowledge on my car, amazing!!! So happy I was able to connect on here with all of you!

    You're welcome. We've all hit obstacles working on these cars. Sharing information is the only way we can continue to keep these cars going.

  7. Hmmmm.

     

    Do you get upset when someone says motor instead of engine?

     

    The term builder has been around since the first car was "built". Sure it has been used more when describing modified cars, but has it's own place in restored and "rebuilt" cars. I've had my hands in "builds", street rods to kustoms to restorations. The skill needed to work on any is in the same wheelhouse, be it welding, metalwork, woodwork or wiring. We've taken on cars where the only original part was the roof and the dash and reassembled that to a restored or restomoded (both) vehicle. Assembling cars is the same as building a car. Many components coming together to make a whole. At the end of the day, as the car is sitting on a show field or in your garage, you can say, " I BUILT THAT".

     

    A restorer, a craftsman, a builder are one in the same and the project they are working on is a build. 

     

    Now........a technician is not the same as a mechanic, that I am sure of.

    • Like 2
  8. 16 hours ago, Walt G said:

    The coach builders would order a chassis , most of the time it would have the four fenders, firewall ,hood and lamps as well as the dashboard that you see grained. The dash would be housing the factory gauges , the decorative but functional caps you mention in real wood would be created by the coach builder to harmonize and flow with the open or enclosed body that they were commissioned to build. There were several companies that supplied the coach builders directly with the fine and exotic woods, plus those that supplied the ash wood for the framework of the body that would be the basis to then tack the formed sheet metal to. Also suppliers for hardware, interior and exterior handles, knobs etc.

    A story way to log to recount who and what here on the forums. More suitable for a print publication but there is scant room for that story in magazines like the AACA Antique Automobile because of lack of space.

    And will, unfortunately, be lost to time eventually.

     

    Amazing to think about all of the back stories in the history of automobile making.

  9. 4 hours ago, f.f.jones said:

    There are a number of tutorials on YouTube showing faux wood graining.

    DIY tools and kits are available from Amazon and ebay. "How-to" books are also available from the same sources.

    With a little practice and the right materials, a novice can do a very presentable job. Give it a try. 

    The process of faux woodgraining is something I'm familiar with. My comment and inquisition was based more towards the actual woodwork. I may not have expressed that clearly.

  10. As things are progressing on the Lincoln I am working on, one thing that has me a bit intrigued is the woodwork design and use on the interior of higher end cars. As most know, on later models, most woodgrain was faked either through paint techniques or appliqués. Earlier cars had actual wood with either nice grain patterns or what appears to be inlays.  

     

    Attached are 2 examples of the "basic" wood work in a 33-34 Lincoln - each by a different coach builder. Note in these examples that the dash itself is a painted woodgrain, while there is actual woodwork across the top of the dash and along the door tops.

     

    I would also like to know who has had experience replicating interior wood work and what materials did you use? It appears that the work going across the top of dash ashtray is some type of laminate.

    e7b5913ab23ca666ba583c5307fcc05b-1000.jpg

    Murray_Lincoln_KA_V12_Roadster_1933_13.jpg

  11. I'm putting together the torque tube assembly for the 33KA I'm working on. This unit was disassembled years ago by the previous owner and was delivered to me in pieces. 

    I'm using the parts book that shows an exploded view of the pieces, but I'm questioning the bearing that rides in the speedometer housing. With everything put together per the drawing, the bearing is able to slide 7/16" inside the housing, along the propeller shaft before it comes up to the speedometer gear. 

    Anyone have knowledge putting one of these together? I'll post a few photos in a bit.

  12. At a show this weekend and saw a beautiful 61 sitting in a spot. As I looked the car over, I noticed a worn chrome bezel in the driver fender. Talked with the owner who said it was for a spotlight. He had the spotlight at home, it worked, he just felt it was out of place on the car. The original owner ordered the car with the spotlight.

     

    Did GM have a spotlight option in 61 or was this a dealer installed item? The bezel seemed to fit the fender very well.

     

    Unfortunately, no pics.

  13. Listen to Matt. After following his posts, and seeing that having the proper tool made a job easier (whoda thunk?) I searched for and bought the same wrench for a 33 KA I'm working on. Best little purchase of the year.

     

    At 85 bucks, it sounds pretty reasonable over fabrication yourself. Factor in your labor rate and materials. Plus all of the measurements are factory correct with a factory wrench.

    • Like 1
  14. I've used and installed products like Dynamat and Roadkill that, as most know, are a butyl sheet that is sticky backed. A cheaper alternative to these brands is a company called Noico. I've not personally used it, but a close friend did and is happy with the results.

     

    I've also used, and prefer, spray-in such as LizardSkin which has 2 systems, one for noise (sound control - SC) and one for heat (ceramic insulation - CI). 

     

    Between the sheets and spray-in, I've done 15-20 cars.

     

  15. If you're not concerned with the originality, Lizard Skin is a good option. There are two parts to their system, one is ceramic insulation for heat and the other is a noise reducer. I've used it on several hot rods and it is a vast improvement. It stiffens things up and reduced noise and heat considerably.

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