J.H.Boland

I'm no expert,but I think leather was used on open cars of the era.

I remember seeing a story in one of the old car mags many years ago about a guy in the USSR who had restored ,as well as possible in the USSR, a big WW2 Mercedes that had been captured by the Soviets. He managed to keep it as his own by telling the politburo that he was maintaining it for the fatherland and for the memory of his fallen komrads. As I recall, just to be safe, he joined the Communist party too. We all need to keep our guard up. Socialism is far from dead.

When I was still in my late teens, I found myself running out of display space in my barrister bookcase. The simple solution was this "brick" wall.

When my grandfather bought his farm in 1955, there was a set of these sitting in a fence corner. They likely never got a bid at the previous owner's clearing farm sale. At the time, they still had nice red paint on them, but sadly rotted away.

They're great old trucks. Hopefully you live in a rural area though. They aren't very fast !

Those were my feelings after losing Burt. However, that only lasted about a week and a half. Clancy arrived soon after. I've shed many a tear over lost dogs, but their companionship is priceless.

After losing an old dog, I decided to look for a rescue. The local shelter presented several dogs, and the last was Burt. Burt had had a rough life so far, He had kennel cough, mange, and other afflictions. He was released into the compound where we were sitting and at first totally ignored us. After a little while, he came up to within a few feet of me and looked me right in the eye. To my surprise, he came up, turned around, and sat down between my legs. I had been chosen by him !.He turned out to be a great , very loyal and protective companion. He even followed me around as I was cutting the lawn, as evidenced by his green paws ! It broke our hearts when some years later he developed throat cancer and we had to put him down. Clancy replaced him.

Clancy has always been an avid rider. The rear seat of our '40 Packard coupe is one of his favorite spots. I've captioned this one "To the doggy beach, James" !

I think you nailed it. I passed it on. Thanks. Jim

These photos appeared on another forum. Fellow is trying to figure out what he has. If anyone knows, I'll pass it on to him. Thanks. Jim

It would be fantastic if Erwin Rommel's badly damaged Horsch turned up in a barn somewhere. I had the honor of meeting RCAF Spitfire pilot Charlie Fox , who is credited with the attack, on a couple of occasions.

Now the cruise nights are overrun with Camaros, Corvettes, and Mustangs. Even for a diehard GM guy like me, it's a treat to see a nice correct Model A.

I can relate to that ! My '25 Buick coupe would only fit in my previous trailer if the rear tires were deflated ! Ended up buying an over-tall trailer too !

Those are nice finds ! I love that pickup conversion and do you have photos of the '25 (?) Buick lurking in the back ?

In the spring of 1972, after 4 years of dickering, I struck a deal with the grandson of the original owner of a '21 Chevy 490 . It had been sitting in storage since 1931 in a small two car garage on a tobacco farm in SW Ontario. The friend that originally put me on to this find volunteered his truck and well worn trailer to bring it home. On arrival, we found that the building had settled somewhat and it took some digging to get the doors open. It was a real thrill to push the ol' girl outside for the first time in 41 years, watching as the breeze blew some of the dust off. After tying it down, we headed back down the narrow gravel road. It was soon apparent that we were losing bits along the road ! A stop soon showed what we were losing. Walnut shells ! The car was packed with them ! The rest of the trip was uneventful. The reception I got from my parents, (who loaned me the money to buy it) was less than impressive. I guess I must have enhanced it's condition a little. It soon found a temporary new home in an old hog barn.

The Packard looks familiar.

This is my 1978 GMC Caballero which I bought new. The cap was added mere months after i bought it. It was handy for protecting swap meet purchases. Apart from the modular chrome wheels (bought in 1983 to replace the detested wire wheel covers) and the addition of a Diablo front spoiler, it has mostly original paint ,original drivetrain (305 auto),and interior. The first photo shows it new. The second is a recent photo taken in the same spot.

I've posted this '40 Packard Business Coupe before but I think it rates a reappearance on this thread. It had an amateur paint job many years ago which, if nothing else, helped preserve it. The wheels were restored before new tires were installed. The running board rubber is new. Upholstery is original. It has 46500 original miles. I'm the third owner in 83 years.

They apparently never heard of the Snowmobile Company of West Ossipee, NH. They supplied kits to convert Model T Fords. I once had a set of their skis with the hopes of building a 490 snow machine. The Model T and 490 have interchangeable 1/2 inch kingpins so the Ossipee skis would bolt right on.

This 490 Chevrolet snow machine was once on display at the Minnie Thompson Museum near Stratford, Ontario. Some of the collection was auctioned off in the late seventies, including the Chevy. I bid on it but was outbid by the Canadian Automotive Museum of Oshawa, Ontario where it still resides.

I'm posting this "what is it" request for a friend who isn't terribly computer savvy. He has a wheel with a multitude of springs (shock dampeners ?) and would like to know what it's off. The outer rims are 40 inches in diameter. one is 2 5/8 inches wide, and the second is 3 3/8 inches wide. The narrower one was inside the wider one when found. The main casting is 18 inch diameter and the second is 16 inch diameter, and appear to have been turned on a lathe. The spokes are 1 1/2 inch and 1 1/8 . The hub is 2 1/4 ID with fine threads inside for a hub cap. Any help would be appreciated. He may restore it for a project, but would be more inclined to do so if it's off a high wheeler rather than a farm implement ! Thanks. Jim

I only ever got caught in a thunderstorm once with the '21 Chevy. With the two piece windshield, it would have been helpful to have a wiper on both sides of the glass, plus another pair on my eyeglasses ! I finally pulled into a local variety store/gas station that had a protective canopy.

When my wife to be and I met, we attended the same church. I was driving my winter beater '62 Chevy 11. Things really heated up when I pulled into the church parking lot with my fresh-out-of-winter-storage '78 Caballero. The first marriage lasted 25 years. I still have the Caballero.

Definitely looks like a 490 Chevy chassis. Even the original radiator and shell appear to be 490, with a bigger taller shell mounted right over it. Different ! I cleaned up the photo a bit.