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TTR

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    Where old cars go to die.......A Pierce Arrow comes to the end of the road.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    @edinmass Thanks for expanding.

     

    It's just that I too have cut up a fair number of, mostly postwar American, cars for parts and while many came with Titles and VIN, etc tags attached, I've taken efforts to prevent them to be used in unscrupulous manner. Most of my experiences were 20+ years ago and most of the parts, especially (West Coast) sheetmetal, ended up in northern Europe. 

     

    Besides, I've heard, read and seen plenty of (bad) examples where cut up car's single "identity" has been used to not only recreate one but several carbon copies of not only what it was, but also other, more "desirable(?)" models of similar car.

    Somebody recreates the "identity" around the chassis or even just (stamped) front crossmember, while other(s) might do same with the engine or the body, etc.

    Some of this continues still today, especially in the realm of high-end, postwar Italian sports cars, etc and surprisingly many nice, complete, running & driving lower end examples get "sacrificed" (or should I say "butchered") to recreate fakes of higher end models. Really sad. 

     

    Where old cars go to die.......A Pierce Arrow comes to the end of the road.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Ed, without perusing all your posts here, this interesting topic brought up a question in my mind. 

    Of all the cars you've cut up/scrapped for parts, etc, what happened with all their original "identities", i.e. Titles, VINs, etc ?

    Has any of them been"recreated/resurrected" in other cars ?

    Or have all these ID's been buried or cremated with the cars they were born with ? 

    You know, "rust to rust" or whatever they say after the end of ones life or road.

    Just curious.

    1939 Roadmaster Phaeton -Surprised by Sale

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    1 hour ago, TTR said:

    May I also add my personal pet peeve (one of numerous) commentary/inquiry about any "surprising"(?) auction result ?

    Does any of you personally know either the consignor or high bidder enough to confirm (reported) "result" actually being a real transaction ?

     

     

    I mean, while I don't (have time nor interest to) watch TV or follow auctions, last I heard Mecum was some entertainment show in former and allegedly about as real (auction) as shows about housewives in major metropolitan cities, survivors at inhospitable locales...

    ... or black'n'white movies about "Cowboys and Indians" I saw as a kid. 🙄

     

    What has your vintage car done for other people lately? Stories of the happiness we create when we drive our vintage cars

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    30 minutes ago, Jack Bennett said:

    And, I’ll bet even money that people who collect, and drive, old cars are less likely to commit a crime, serve prison time, and can talk longer about their old car than anything else.

    Well, while presumably not very common, there are more than plenty examples of individuals having used their illicit financial gains to hide or park them in old/vintage car(s) or collections of such.

    Many have even been sentenced to prison... 

    • Like 1

    What has your vintage car done for other people lately? Stories of the happiness we create when we drive our vintage cars

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 1/8/2022 at 7:29 AM, Brass is Best said:

    All you have to do is take your old car for a ride. Watch peoples faces in other cars and on the sidewalk as you pass. Count the thumbs ups and waves. People love old cars unless something is seriously wrong with them.

    Fully agree, except in my case of 40+ years and driving hundreds of thousands of miles with hundreds of vintage cars on two continents, the amount of greetings, smiles, thumb's ups, waves, etc is uncountable and I wouldn't surprised if they all filled more than one large warehouse.

     

    And the times I've had something (serious or not) wrong with any on the side of the road, the amount of inquiries offering assistance has always been surprisingly high. 

    Heck, I couldn't even count the times I've just stopped to take a leak or scenic photo while out driving a vintage car and someone inevitably slows down/stops to ask if I need any assistance.

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2

    Packards at the Yalta Conference (1945)

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    10 hours ago, 1935Packard said:

    I've been watching the Netflix series "WWII in Color: The Road to Victory" (which is quite good, BTW), and there are a bunch of Packards shown when FDR, Churchill and Stalin are being driven around.  These shots from the Yalta conference in 1945 are examples: 

     

    351972325_ScreenShot2022-01-06at9_38_25PM.png.f4bcd06f4eb6c5b9321e6c5ce2b430ff.png

     

    1592652249_ScreenShot2022-01-06at9_37_00PM.png.ac10dd5581cf8f3d0490a938bc665c20.png

     

    This was presented as Stalin's limo going into the Kremlin a few weeks earlier:

     

    335408811_ScreenShot2022-01-06at9_44_38PM.png.13ddd47135a93d98249bca4ff11d0cc9.png

     

    (Sorry for the whitewalls, AJ.)

     

     

     

    3 hours ago, 8E45E said:

    I wonder if that is where Stalin got his idea for making the ZIS-110 look like a Packard.

     

    Craig

    Here we have great examples why "History" is and constantly/continuously gets riddled with countless inaccuracies, misrepresentations, -understandings, etc.

     

    OTOH, these ^^ are far, far less important (inaccurate/-correct) details than found in vast majority of "History" most people tend to "believe" in.

    Ban on Internal Combustion Engines

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, joe_padavano said:

     Do you REALLY want to drive your collector car into downtown NYC 

    I actually do, but only once to accomplish something I've been wanting to do for decades.

    OTOH, it is a loooong road trip from Riverside, CA (and back), so I hope to combine it with other interesting stops along the way.

    Maybe when The Met produces another/next "Ring"-cycle ?

    car lifts

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    Not recently, but the last one (Made in Germany, except for American made electric pump motor) I got was given to me for free 20+ years ago. It was manufactured in 1991.

    Still works good and I've received at least half a dozen offers from people wanting to buy it, but since they're no longer available nor is anything similar, I have no intentions of selling it.

     

    I bought one (Made in USA, all of it) about a year or two earlier after an extensive/in-depth research and paid full retail, because it was and still is the best (design & quality) on the market.
    Only drawback was the wasted few hundred bucks on “installation” which I ended up doing myself after realizing the two guys contracted by the lift dealer had no clue what they’re supposed to be doing or how assemble this particular type lift.

    I told them that if they just unload everything and leave, I wouldn’t report their inadequacies to the dealer.

     

    Happy with both lifts.

     

    Oh, and both are "two-post" style lifts.

     

     

    Did you get anything car related for Christmas?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    While my wife and I aren’t into exchanging xmas gifts, per se, I got the same/similar, but very personal and practical gift I’ve now received at the end of December for past few years:

    A custom designed (by my wife + initially her idea) 12-month wall calendar, each month featuring picture/photos (taken by me) of my Roadster at various cool, interesting, unusual locations/places I or we have been with it throughout that year, i.e. previous (2021) calendar featured photos during 2020 and so on.

     

    It has become something I look forward to every year and enjoy seeing over my desk at the shop year round.


    Besides the countless photos for documenting the work on clients cars and components, I also take a lot of photos during my drives/our (vintage road) trips and while most of my shots are somewhat “artistic”, often focused on the background, place or scenery rather than the car itself, I always make sure the car or some portion of it is shown in the pictures as a memento (or proof) that I/we were there with the given car.

     

    Here’s the latest + few from previous years.

    5F24B091-64A4-48BC-9219-AA5F44E03F98.jpeg
     

    00A16BB4-0A11-46F1-A5A5-AD76BCEAE52B.jpeg
     

    P.S. My wife creates a calendar for herself also, but for some reason chooses/prefers pictures of the car and me in or with it ???

     

    • Like 3

    Planning your next tour? Show us where you have gone in the past

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    3 hours ago, Rivguy said:

    I had a dream of driving … …California Highway 1 from Southern California up to the Canadian border. There's always next year, but you can only put it off so long!

    Wife and I have been postponing a similar trip for 3-4 years already due to variety of excuses/reasons and again, have plans + reservations in place for next year.
    Return drive will be through more mountainous routes, including Sierras, etc.

    And now that she retired earlier this year, our scheduling options are wider.

    Fingers crossed.


    Many of my/our driving (long distance) adventures can be found in the thread I started soon after joining this site couple of years ago.

    What was the lady driving?

    in What is it?

    Posted

    7 hours ago, PFindlay said:

    Yes, and I've got my wife thinking about it.  That's why I asked about a pattern - it would be nice to end up with something close to an original pattern.

    I would think my earlier comment applies to designing/making an (period appropriate) pattern also, since they sort of go "hand-in-hand" as they say.

    What was the lady driving?

    in What is it?

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    On 12/22/2021 at 4:37 PM, PFindlay said:

    But what's really of interest to me is the winter shroud that covers the hood, complete with a radiator flap. Does anyone have a pattern for a shroud like this? 

    I would think any experienced antique/classic car upholsterer should be able (easily ?) make one to fit your car/radiator. Concept doesn’t seem too complicated.

    The only winter car worth owning.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    14 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

    Yowee! ......Try getting today's kids away from their Game Boys to do that...............Bob

    Well, if they take after their parents or grandparents, perhaps they too eventually graduate (from game consoles) to spending countless hours on internet (forums, etc) or watching (sports or some such nonsense on) TV ? 🙄

    Glitzy, Stripper, or in between ?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TTR (see edit history)

    2 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

    Out of my era of interest, but what does it cost to redo the chrome on a '58-'59 Buick or Cadillac? 

    It depends and can vary hugely based on quality expectations.

    Last time I had ALL bright works, including ALL exterior & interior aluminum, die-cast, steel and stainless restored, i.e. stripped, straightened, prepped, polished, anodized  and/or plated to “Pebble Beach” quality on a late-‘50s American made luxury convertible, the total cost was in higher 5 figure range and that didn’t include any of the fitment prep I did before, during or after.

    But was over a decade ago, so I assume similar job today would be higher.

     

    OTOH, I’ve seen similar cars with (almost) ALL “bright works” restored for lot less, but IMO, results were far below “factory” and in some cases, below what I would expect from reasonably good starting point prior to reconditioning.

     

     

    HOW LONG IS YOUR GARAGE?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Rivguy said:

    Continental kits, not my thing unless it was built in like an actual Lincoln Continental or early Thunderbird. But I like WWWs on all kinds of cars. I wouldn't call any of these additions "pimp cars." A blinged out (modern term) older car, used to be referred to as a g**k wagon because it was covered with tacky geegaws.  These don't have any  pimp connotations. That's a style associated with the SuperFly movie car built by Ray Dunham. There were quite a number of chromed up later model Cadillacs driving the streets of Oakland where I grew up. Big chrome grille, Big chrome driving lights,  Big bumper guards, Flying lady on the hood, WWWs,chrome skirts, half vinyl top with the  famous  "diamond in the back!" Don't forget the boomarang TV antenna on the trunk. Have any of you heard of a S.L.A.B.?

    Perhaps I'm too young and since I didn't grew up around these types of cars, i.e. excessively accessorized/blinged/geegaw'd/trinketed late model ones and only saw such in movies, usually featuring ethnic heritage drug dealers/pimps/etc and occasionally some Palms Springs country club characters driving them, so whenever I see one (or more), I can't help it but my mental image connection automatically associates both.

     

    Or they make me think someone carried away with their J.C. Whitney catalog.

     

    To me, these represent 1950s equivalent of todays brightly/glitterly colored late model Lamborghinis or R-R's one can see in rap videos and alike.

     

    And don't get me wrong, IMO, anyone can do whatever they want with their car(s). Set it on fire or have it dropped off a cliff, as it's theirs to do so.

    I had/have clients preferring some odd (to me) features on theirs and for some I've made it clear that I wouldn't like be caught dead driving such, but most have seemingly had good enough sense of humor to just get a chuckle out of it.

     

    Besides, most '50s American higher end cars came with quite a lot or perhaps even too much bright trim, glitter and geegaw accessories from the factory, but I guess that just isn't/wasn't enough for some. 

     

     

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