Carroll_1

Rustosity My 1915 REO rescue that sat outdoors for 45 years has a high level of "rustosity."

Thanks, I hadn't thought of Dawn. And it'll improve my chances with the touch-up paint. As would the solvent if needed. Thanks for both suggestions!

I expect this topic has been discussed previously, but I couldn't find it in searches. Having repaired the clutch, ring & pinion, and brakes on my 1918 REO, it's time to tidy it up a little before putting it on the road. It looks like the previous owner may have handed a youngling a can of wax and encouraged him to go wax the car without further direction. And so he did. It looks like every nook, cranny, crack, joint, seam, louver, hinge, and screw slot received a liberal coating. Then, after all the easy bits were polished, the remaining spots previously mentioned were left as-coated. And, not to shirk responsibility, shame on me for ignoring the problem for another few years. I've tried soft scrub brushes while washing, toothbrushes, plastic picks and scrapers w/o much luck. The car has a mediocre older paint job with lots of chips and scratches, but it's intended to be a driver and re-assembly guide for the other 18 REO I'm restoring, so I'm not prepared to pull it apart just yet to get the wax out. Does anyone have any other advice, tips, or products that might remove this, ahem, waxy buildup?

A tractor, two jack stands, straps, nuts, bolts, etc. Jump to 2:14.

Mister Oswald on the engine hoist letting me know what he thinks about having his tires trimmed.

As a small mfg. business owner for 35 years., here are my random thoughts on crisis management. Everyone has at least one of these traits - Technician, Manager, or Entrepreneur. Any business owner should have entrepreneurial skills. If not, at least be a good manager. Entrepreneurs can find managers and technicians; not the other way around. Customer down-payments are recorded and accounted as liabilities. Treat them for what they are, OPM, Other People's Money. Inventory isn't necessarily bad, but recognize that it represents cash. Building a nice big inventory, either materials or finished goods, can create a false sense of security. It's your money. Cash Is King. Weekly cash flow management (cash flow statements, sources and uses of funds, balance histories) is a must. Maybe even daily. Monthly cash flow management is too late, the horse is already out of the barn. Employees require leaders. Identify the good ones, share the plan, then get out of their way. Train the mediocre ones. If they learn, repeat, and then get out of their way. If they can't, or won't learn, unfortunately, they also must live by the King's rule. Personally, I believe everyone can learn, but the question is, at what cost?

Not paying attention once while testing an armature with a growler, when my fingers carelessly slipped down past the insulation on the test leads. Luckily, the leads were short, so when I went down to the floor the leads were pulled from my clenched hands. No real harm was done. It did improve my chewing ability as my clenched teeth were lapped-in nicely. And I had a new hairstyle for a day. After that, I convinced my shop manager that selling rebuilt generators made far more sense for our shop.

Star Wars Land Speeder meets mid-30s coupe. It's got nerf bars on the front; must have been meant to be used?

Best wishes for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!

I use a compact tractor with forks on the loader to move my REO frames and engines in and out of the shop. With the weight that far in front of the tractor I have to use 4-wheel drive as the rear tires are just skimming the ground. I was raised on a grain farm and was well aware we used fluid in the big tractor tires. Never gave it a thought for my "baby" tractor. Duh! Thanks for this thread.

I'm not certain but based on the small clips at the outer edge of the drums, I think they could be 1931 REO Royale.

Craig Dusing AACA HCCA REO Club of America

In 1987 I removed the engine from my 1967 RS/SS Camaro and put it in a race car. The engine lasted two races. Then I sold the Camaro rolling chassis in order to build another race engine. That engine lasted two weeks. Then I sold an 18-1/2 ft. Larson ski boat w/125hp motor, to build another engine. I won't continue. I eventually learned how to build dependable race engines, but the dues to join that club were high.

Congratulations Tom & AJ for a great job in the race and for allowing us to follow along. Your photos and insights into the event were exceptional! Craig

I really appreciate the photos and reports from everyone as we follow along. I'm hoping to make the few hour drive to catch them at the Thursday lunch stop.