JimKB1MCV

Matt, the fact that it is a Champion without OD is going to a little limiting in todays world. If you can it would be a good idea to drive a similar car to see if it suits you. The Champion engine has a reputation for being underpowered but tough. My exposure was in the late '50s when I 'progressed' from a '31 Ford to a '50 Champion convertible with OD. You need to be aware if you buy the car it will be much more of a project than you expect. Hane fun and good luck. Jim

An example of garage music here in the hills and glens of southern Maine- ☺️

... and the above in motion!

I had a similar sighting (sans pups) about a week ago. The Victor mouse traps baited with PB went on watch the same day plus a rat trap baited with sunflower seeds, in case of chipmunks, which usually are an issue all summer long but this year not so much. But just in case... This has been a very dry year here in southern Maine, more garter snakes than usual may be keeping the Mickey and Alvin population in check. The furball I spotted found one of the traps the first night they were set. I dumped the carcass off my deck for the coyotes. Just to hedge the bets though I have a five gallon bucket trap containing two gallons of water (with inclined ramp) and an empty Go-Jo can that spins on a length of welding rod with peanut butter on it to spin Mickey off to mousie eternity. No takers yet. Indeed it is mousie time again.

Re the black and white photo with the blonde passenger, isn't that Dianna Dors, a '50s Hollywood bombshell? The top-down shot is lots more attractive. 😎

A picture of the other side of the engine would clear up some questions. The eccentric (located just inboard of the small drive pully) works the (usually) slide valve but looks too offset to work a traditional valve, it may operate a rotary valve (or valves) as in a Corliss engine. You might be surprised at the work an engine that size can do. Before the advent of electricity similar engines and boilers powered small shops through overhead shafts and pullies and flat belts where water power wasn't an option.

To get to cup holder you want/ like I think you will have to build it yourself. Spilling a cup of anything on wool upholstery would have been a MAJOR catastrophe in the thirties. I can remember the 'no food or drink in the car' rule that was strictly applied. The owner's manuals of the thirties and forties had pages of stain removal instruction. By the mid fifties (?) synthetic fabrics seem to have replaced the wool and was much more durable.

Johnny, you really need to get yourself some DC electrical background at a basic level. One of these manuals will give you that and a lot more background that applies to getting and keeping your car sorted out. We all had to start somewhere. Unless the corner gas station/repair shop comes back, or you have a mechanically inclined chauffeur something like this Motors Manual will get you started (!). Good luck. https://poshmark.com/listing/1949-Motors-Auto-Repair-Manual-hardcover-book-612421926f6c91f4e25f85b0?utm_source=gdm_home&utm_campaign=13132532864&campaign_id=13132532864&ad_partner=google&gskid=pla-1272947252120&gcid=521981878713&ggid=121840577669&gdid=c&g_network=g&enable_guest_buy_flow=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwrNmWBhA4EiwAHbjEQHWN7C3pge5xDuWLxv7RgbEi9EYR2fXEXXYguTMsSPxPyP-1Fcmk0RoCikoQAvD_BwE

Terry you're teasing us a little here.😊 Is this Sterling in one of the Lombards? Probably not if its still not running yet. Or is there a new vehicle in Logging Museum stable? Before you mentioned the Sterling name I was hoping it was the engine was the early Waukesha you've been working on for years. Details would be nice.

Welcome With your description there really no way (at lest for me) to even guess the problem. Model As are probably one of the best documented makes out there, the owner's/operator's manual is the best way to get started. Really need more information, I've seen the identical problem enough times to say its either the ignition system or the fuel system. Probably. Maybe. 😁 Could have a blown head gasket? There people here who can help but need more to go on. Good luck

Well, I guess they are out there. This one is newer but a little interesting.

66 Sunbeam saloon (OK, its a rebadged Hillman, But...) has a crank. BL engineering at its best. 😁

First heard the term 'sorted' used working on merchant ships that had been mothballed since WWII or the Korean Conflict. That could be because lots of the senior engineering types were OFs of 50 or more and had distinctly North UK or even Scots burrs in their speech.

Heres a interesting link. There are a few Wagonaires in the SDC. http://www.studegarage.com/wagonair.htm

Happy birthday and speedy recovery. I stopped counting some years ago myself.

"But if you are paying someone by the hour...." Well, if you have to pay someone by the hour its a pretty good argument for getting a set of tools and a manual for the car. Just sayin'...

When I was in high school in the late '50s I drove a '30 Model A Fordoor and as we are prone to do I accumulated a pretty good stash of spare parts, most used but still good, sourced from various relatives and neighbors. in the space of those four years I sold two of the fiber timing gears to local college students who were set afoot by Model A timing gear failure but never happened to need one myself. My understanding is that was a known point of failure on the A, along with the pesky condenser in the distributor close to the exhaust manifold. The parts went away (mostly) in the ensuing years, the remaining item was a kingpin set that I used on another Model A project around 1993. Labor Day weekend 0f 2018 (?) saw my Studebaker President dead on the roadside with a stripped fiber timing gear but thats another story. The hand crank is the best way to turn the engine to set the timing on the Model A if the engine is at all tight, it indexes on a ratchet nut on the crankshaft, no contact with the fiber gear.

My suggestion would be to buy a Motors manual covering the era of your '46 (Ebay or even a used book store) and spend some time studying the book. They were produced for the non-mechanic to learn how to keep a car on the road, they cover most makes of cars and will give you a good grounding in basic electricity and how the car works. Drive the car carefully until you are comfortable with it. Good luck.

For maybe half the listed ask, I might think about it. It looks like a Super Eight nose which I wouldn't think would be a direct bolt-on to a 120 frame due to w/b difference. I'm more than willing to be corrected on that. For reference a '40 six cyl convertible in pretty good original condition changed hands a couple years ago in Texas for (I think) ~10k more. Car needs a close inspection. Too bad about the interior. Dash plastic for 39 and 40 hasn't stood the test of time well.

My '55 Studebaker President which has a 259 cu. in. single exhaust w/ WCFB Carter and a Detroit Gear automatic transmission and radial tires gets a solid 19.5 MPG on tours with mixed country roads and highway driving. Road speeds between 60 and 70 MPH. Thats with regular ethanol- mixed gas. My '39 Packard Super Eight 7 pass. Limo with BW R9 overdrive gets a max of 14.9 MPG on trips, speed kept under 60 MPH. My ( now sold) '31 Ford Victoria which I drove for more than 20 years would average around 15 to 16 MPG with some Model B upgrades and a Snyder's 'Hi-compression' head and HS rear end. I never happened to try non-ethanol fuel and I suspect the cars would a bit better with it.

+1 to all the above. Its not rocket science but will require a bit of research if you haven't done a similar project. Heres a site with available help : https://antiqueradios.com/forums/ Good luck.

The car looks like it may have possibilities. But... You need to be aware that you are looking at major expense in interior work and most likely in wood work. Really unfortunate the owners stored the car outside. Good luck.

I've got to say "+1" to the above. FWIW, I'd respectively suggest if you have found a uncracked manifold for $900 it might save you $800 in heartburn. That said, I wonder if the iron where the crack is located is thick enough for a stitching repair?

It may be the digi-photo but to me the oil I see around that lifter looks contaminated, possibly with coolant. At the very least you probably need to be sure you're getting clean oil to the lifters. Good luck.

I watched it, I really didn't find Derek all that likeable, just a little too much un-reality entertainment. Yes, he did 'get-er-done but don't recall seeing him check things that really could have bit his posterior, like oil levels in the drivetrain or checking for loose tie-rods or even doing a basic chassis lube. His proud claim to complete Model A ignorance may have been a little contrived. Don't most old car guys know the difference between a coupe and a Tudor sedan? I do realize the vid is targeted at a demographic decades younger than I. The burnouts in the intro should have been a clue as well. Working on a case of cabin fever and another confirmation tick on my curmudgeon card in mud-season Maine. 🤪