Jack Bennett

AKA, “Heaven”.

Hi dship……But, do you ever wonder if one morning you woke up, poured a hot cup of coffee, and decided that it was time to say “Phooey with the rules, regulations, town council, and the judgmental opinions of others”, what you would choose to do? Factually, we have one go around in life, and I have a special sort of admiration for the fellow who has the testicular fortitude to cut the cords to all the naysayers and antagonists, and live the way he chose.. Not meaning that we need to form a commune or go into seclusion, but I, personally, am saddened that a country which advertises itself as being “free” would frown upon, make laws against, and pass its judgement on any person who was not considered to be Presidential material or chanting some anti-this, or anti-that slogan at some riot or protest. Just saying…… Jack

HI Ben…….Since my 2nd retirement, the death of my daughter and then my wife, and having my world reduced to myself and my dog, this forum has gained a level of importance gathering at the family supper table once had. That said, I will move on after adding that I must watch how far I wander off topic, because doing so could put me off the forum also. Looking back, I sometime think I too should have chosen a different path in my life, and put more energy and effort into pleasing myself and paid far less attention to tending the needs of others. Either this fellow was successful, in the financial arena anyway, because the property alone was worth a good sum, and, as evidenced by his downfall, being his girlfriend, he apparently had a side social life also. And, it would not take a Mister Geppetto to tell when a Pinocchio car collector said “No……..I don’t need another car, and I think I have too many already”…………. Jack

Today is a total bust in regards to working on the Fargo. Wet weather I can stand, and cold weather I can stand…..but cold, wet weather just doesn’t appeal to me as being conducive to working outside on a old truck. So, today I may start on re upholstering the back of the seat, and start shopping for springs to fabricate a lower part of the seat. Yesterday was a bummed out day too with hail, rain, wind and gloom, but I did get the boards which form the base of the bed nailed down, and the sheet metal cover reinstalled. A real plus to the days labor was determining that the flange which connects the 1951 Dodge pickup drive shaft to the four speed transmission appears to be the same bolt pattern used to connect a drive shaft to the 1929 Fargo rear end. I have not actually fit this up to determine it as being fact, but I made patterns of both the rear end input shaft, and the Dodge front drive shaft flange, and by all appearances they are the same. This is a huge load off my shoulders because I have been sweating having a new drive shaft fabricated, and the rear flange made up to fit it. Jack

This is a very sad story. It appears that the man had the ability to buy, pay tax on, and keep the authorities away from his property for several years. Being reclusive isn’t a crime, and if his only offense is collecting junk cars, so be it. For some of us this is a chosen life style, and very often old cars are, by far, better friends than any self serving human. It also appears that he did not open up a guest ranch for wayward criminals, or steal cars to put on his property. I wonder what the people who read this, and close the article in disgust, after they passed judgment on this man, will do in their spare time to appear normal. Jack Jack

Hi 24Chry48…….Yep, they were 5.50X18, and I had given up hope on finding some at a decent price. Only after I got the Fargo home did I realize the immense amount of work, and the potential cost of parts needed to get the truck even rolling. Finding four tires, especially of this odd size, at such a fair price was really a blessing. I am always antsy about buying anything on line, and I, seriously, thought this was a scam. I told the gentleman selling the tires I was Leary of the number of on-line scams targeting people who had antique cars, and I would only buy the tires if he sent them, and then I sent him a check for the tires and shipping. Surprisingly, he agreed, and I did get the tires, and as agreed, sent him his asking price, the shipping costs, and a cash gift for his honesty and trust in me. The tires are new, never mounted, and still in their original wrapping. I am a many denominational guy, and, even though it could have only been one of many deities who intervened in helping me here, I am grateful because it surely was more than luck which put me in touch with such a respectable fellow. Jack

Weather really stinks today in Washington State. Rain all day and cold enough you can see your breath. Even for a hard core guy like me, this isn’t the sort of weather I consider fit for a fellow to be working outside. So I took the opportunity to do some sheet metal work on the Fargo, and have nearly gotten one fender ready for primer and paint. The past couple of days have been nice enough that I have gotten the wooden parts of the bed finished and in place. But, I still need to cut the boards which make the floor of the bed and attach the metal flooring to it.

I will continue my search for more information regarding the location and history of the “Robert’s Motor Company”. But as is expected, the smooth road of a otherwise benign search often contains bumps which are as interesting as they are distracting. If you bleed 30 weight and sweat kerosene, this link may be as interesting as it is distracting https://oldmachinepress.com/2014/10/25/roberts-motor-company-aircraft-engines/ Jack

Hi Jeff……I have been continually cautioned that assigning names, and personifying a machine, or any other inanimate object is extremely dangerous to the maintenance of a suitable social status, and may possibly result in irreversible mental damage. This considered, I neither assign names or personalities to my old cars until they are “reanimated” and I have returned them to a level of operability. Still, there is credence to what you say, and it is a necessity, rather than a just a part, of living with these old machines that we move them beyond the “just another car” stage of existence. It hurts a seventy-plus year old body as much when it is cut by the sharp metal of a new Cadillac Escalade as it does when cut by the metal of a 100 year old Dodge Roadster. But, the Escalade is parked in the driveway while the roadster sits comfortably in the well lit, and heated, garage. A mental search may reveal that the Dodge is considered to be “family”, and the Escalade will never be more than “transportation”. And having a precious relative with no name, or past, is simply unimaginable. Jack

Thanks for your reply and kind comments 24chry48. I procrastinate every time I put finger to key to complete a on-line order for anything with which to clothe and feed my old cars. Most recently I looked across the bridge and could see far enough into the future that putting a new top on the Fargo cold be seen as a reality. Selection of the tires was much easier because I located a fellow which had four brand new, still in the shipping wrap, 18” tires in his basement. He had apparently ordered them many years, aka decades, ago and had never gotten around to putting them on his car. When I saw the price at which he wanted for the tires, and the fact I’d nearly given up on finding serviceable 18” tires of any sort, made the fact they were also whitewalls a negligible consideration. But, the seemingly simple task of selecting a material of a suitable sort for the new top of an old panel truck loomed on the horizon. But, not unlike the tires, an opportunity to buy the material for a new, antique looking, top reared its head, and could not be ignored. I was convinced that the “Long Grain” vinyl top material sold by Snyder’s, and the other antique car outfitters I buy from, was a no-brainer. But, while meandering around the antique car forums I saw a material called “tuxedo”, which is a much finer grained material than the Long grain I used on the Willys, so I ordered 17 feet, and that will be what you see when you look at the top of my old panel truck. Jack

Hello Walt……Having a single track mind, and even more focalized as I work on these old machines, I immediately Googled “FEDERAL” and “KENWORTH”, thinking they would return a location where the truck may have been used. Instead the results always came up with “KENWORTH” being a truck, and no cities named “FEDERAL”. We do have a “Federal Way” not far from Tacoma, but the truck was bought over 200 miles away in Oregon. So, I Googled just the word “Federal”, and the truck brand “FEDERAL” popped up, and a new link to my 1927 Willys Knight was opened. That sort of history makes my timbers shiver, and I just had to share it. Jack

Hi 1912 Minerva…….How very strange you suggest that. I had nearly finished sanding one panel of the truck side, and I noticed flecks of red and white paint mixed with the green base paint. So, I set aside the surface preparation tool and reverted my scraping to a razor blade. All that was left of the lettering on that panel was the numbers 123-***, but everything had been erased with the paint removal. So, I stopped working on the first panel and began carefully removing the paint on the second panel with a small scraper. Sadly, there was no number on the second panel, and I thought the rest of the letters had became unreadable too. But, a few more minutes of scraping began revealing letters, and the first thought in my mind was putting the clear varnish I’d bought to do the cab inside to a new use. What a cool idea! It will be a tedious task to scrape all the old black paint off, and remove the badly rusted parts of the panel without damaging the lettering……but, isn’t this what it’s all about? Thanks for the suggestion. With my tiny 750 megabyte memory it will be easy to find as I work my way through this. Jack

Just a bit of Deja Vu. In case you missed it, in the comments on the link I provided, Federal trucks were equipped with the same Willys sleeve valve engine you will find under the hood of my 1927 Willys Knight 70A, and were marketed under the brand “Federal Knight”…….and the circle is completed in the Bennett stable. Jack

While not the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, or even finding the lost White House corner stone, in Tacoma, Washington archeology, this rates as a ten on a scale of 1 to 10. I have nearly finished up all the wood work of the cab and bed on then 1929 Fargo Express Panel, and am now preparing the sheet metal for re-installation. During this procedure I use a surface preparation tool, large and small grinders, a small sander and steel and copper brushes. If you have the picture, it isn’t hard to imagine the amount of metal and paint which can be laid to waste very quickly. But, sometime this is destructive, and can actually destroy the historical information shed along with the metal and paint. Thankfully, I was able to move from a power sander and grinder when I found very fragile lettering under the old coat of black paint covering the side panel of the truck bed. So, I discarded the haste of getting the panel prepared for painting, and instead went into the preservation mode and switched to using a scraper and a awl to carefully remove the rust, crud and paint. I dote on history, and the origin and use of my old vehicles is as important as the metal, wood and rubber they are made of. In this case I found, concealed under the flaking paint a hint at what sort of job the Fargo Express Panel done during its service life. We all Know Kenworth, but I had not heard of the “Federal” truck brand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Truck_Company until I began stripping the layers of past from the Fargo’s bed. This made my day, and I am seriously considering on using the “ROBERTS MOTOR COMPANY” logo on the repainted truck bed panels………. Comments are welcome and will be part of my decision as to how the truck will be finished. Jack

HI 24Chry48……..It is without a doubt that your “cringe” at spending money, while totally dependent on its availability and liquidity, on tires for your collector cars is figurative, rather than literal, I’m placing my bet that you do it, regardless. I do metal detecting with a machine which cost me over $800.00 in the 1980’s. The tools (digger, pin pointer, battery packs, and my essential camouflage clothing and sexy finds pouch) probably cost another $500.00 or $600.00 dollars. I will not expound on the other expenses such as gas and car maintenance here, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of consideration as a major expense. And, not unlike the flotsam I collected while engaging in the equally expensive hobby of genealogy, at the end of a days metal detecting search I have some pull tabs, a few bottle caps, a penny or two, and loads of discarded lip stick tubes and bobby pins. Yet, I can’t wait to buy more batteries, add a new sniper coil or a set of waterproof headsets, and head for the inviting mud and dog poop to search a new park. In appreciation of forum “topic” rules, I need to be super careful not to let this post stray too far from antique cars, so I’ll talk about that instead of my boats and bee keeping hobbies. I have a fake left arm……..no complaints though because the titanium holding the pieces together feels no pain, and it is much better than having no arm at all. However, the people who installed this arm don’t know much about mechanical devices, and upon completion I had lost a good percentage of the range of motion normally expected of a fully functional arm. The lower half of the windshield of 1923 Dodge Roadster I adopted was broken and needed replacing. It really stymied my aspirations of returning the windshield to its magnificent state of clarity when I learned that the replacement glass would cost $200.00 and change. Being retired and frugal to a point of being painful, I resisted paying this much for a piece of glass, cut and installed by a professional auto glass dealer, and, instead opted to buy a piece of uncut glass for about $95.00, and cut it myself. I had missed the fact that the windshield was 1/4 inch narrower at the top than at the bottom, and therefore, the perfectly rectangular piece of glass I’d so carefully cut did not fit the frame. So, a bit of force, applied to strategically determined places around the top perimeter of the glass would surely force it into the snug, but very wobbly frame. Remember the goofy arm…….? Well, it doesn’t respond to pressure, and can do some really stupid stuff if pressed beyond it’s own limits. As the frame twisted, and the spiderweb of cracks spread across the face of my previously flawless glass, the $200.00 cost of having the glass professionally replaced, seemed far more reasonable that it appeared to be only seconds before. Reasonably, I could have just reinstalled the windshield frame without any glass at all. Or I could have opted for a much cheaper, non-safety glass replacement from Lowe’s, but that was not reasonable. So my next trip was to Tacoma Glass, and in my company was a empty front windshield frame from my 1923 Dodge Roadster. A few days later I returned to the dealership, handed them my credit card and collected my beautifully finished windshield. Now, as I nurse a cold MGD and peer through the magnificently clear windshield of my roadster, I don’t even think about the cost of replacing a piece of glass on a 100 year old car, I am just grateful I still have the eyesight to enjoy the view and am capable of having the car and the ability to do it. Jack

Hello Walt…..Hooray……Bravo……..Whoopee…….Kudos………Accolades and any other source of praise you could be rewarded with for making this post. I am 100% certain that you already realize that my wheels will be painted on a whim, and that will probably be determined by the time of day and number of MGD’s I’ve drank prior to starting the task. The wheels I am about to paint is on a 1929 Fargo Express Panel truck I, admittedly, bought on a whim. Thus far I have chosen purely transportation related vehicles as the receivers of my ministering, and this panel is the first 100% commercial vehicle I have owned. In the nearly eight decades I have been afforded life, I have learned that there is no “right” way of doing anything, and the illusion that I would even need to replicate the way the wheels on this truck looked in 1929 is surely nothing more than a mirage. I do appreciate the thought behind your statement, leading into the comment “I am not going to get into this much, because it would take a lot of comment”……………………… On a 95 year old commercial vehicle, or a solely transportation/luxury, and totally hobby related vehicle, whether or not it is painted, fully restored or just sitting on rims in the garage, its rich, and rust colored patina allowed to shine through is wholly dependent on a great number of things which go much deeper than a layer of paint or the type of tires were chosen to compliment the cars appearance. Rather, your statement echos and amplifies why I would post a thread and make a time worn and much overworked topic, such as the selection of tires being appropriate to the vintage of a car, the main subject. It is needless to say that whatever I choose to do with anything, in this instance the tires, on my old (zombie) truck is done on a spur of the minute whim, is immune to criticism or judgement, may be totally insensitive to period correctness, and its undoing, and redoing is what the hobby is all about. And, the comments which impart the welcome inclusion of those who are physically, financially, demographically or, for any other reason unable to actively own their own car, or physically work on one, is indeed what this sort of forum is all about. Personally, my old car hobby is just like a juicy pie, sliced into manageable portions, and served up in quantities which are both digestible as well as fulfilling a taste particular to the minute I select to partake. Now that I have had my fill of the verbal side of working on my old truck (making comments on the forum) I will retire to the garage, crank up my radio to some good music, and sand the fenders of my old truck in preparation to painting them. And, Sir, that is a comment, and I welcome anyone with a old car, a radio, and hopefully a cold MGD, to chime in and keep this forum rocking. Jack

Hello 69merc. For fear that I would be home-locked during the fairly long, and all too common, Washington State rain, damp and windy season, which makes a week end drive in my old Willys or Dodge border on insanity, I undertook reanimation of a more modern 1951 Plymouth Cambridge. I has electric windshield wipers, which aren’t appreciated until you remember your vacuum powered wipers won’t work during a long hill climb, modern lighting and a heater. Also, it has full wheel covers, and, in spite of it not being a Porsche 911, it is a classic Plymouth with gobs of aura and pride. This, after looking at your beautiful Mercury, I am certain you understand. Not putting wide white walls on my Plymouth would be the equal to you contracting me to install a new, glistening white, environmentally friendly flush mechanism and ultra modern styled commode in your refurbished bathroom. And, upon completion of the install, and my departure, for a long weekend, from your home, you notice I overlooked putting a seat on the commode. And why I like white walls on my Plymouth becomes perfectly clear. Jack

Hi prewarnut…….You are a lay-psychic in that you have touched on a subject I am presently at odds with myself. I like to close out my day by doing nothing other than looking at the work I’ve accomplished on my old cars, and making a loosely structured plan for the work I intend on doing tomorrow. On both the Willys and the Dodge I disassembled rhe wheels, separated the spokes from the drum, and meticulously sanded each piece prior to painting and reassembly. Regardless of the color the wheel was previously painted, the spokes were left neutral, sealed, stained and recieved several coats of spar varnish or lacquer. But, these two cars were in far better shape than the Fargo, and I am not looking forward to removing the spokes from the drum or the rim from the spokes to renew their appearance. I will repeat what I’ve previously said many times before and that is the belief that “Far more damage is done while “fixing” these old cars than was ever broken by normal use”. And that includes removing age warped spokes from a rim to which they were attached ninety five years ago, and, sanely believing they will go back together without use of a tool which went extinct in the 1930’s. That fairly clearly dictates that whatever I do to the wheels of the Fargo, it will have to be done with the wheel intact, and that eliminates removal of the rim and hub from the spokes, and that really complicates doing a decent sanding and paint job. I have been looking at photos of other Fargo panel and pick up truck projects and find that it is a fairly common practice to paint the spokes and rims in a color which matches the paint scheme of the body. As a interlude to a final finish of the wheel dilemma, I am thinking about putting all white walls out, painting the rims, hubs and wheel center black and painting the spokes green, to match the body color. One good thing about working on a zombie machine is the amount of latitude I have in doings things like this. Especially, with full knowledge that what doesn’t work today only means I still have something to do tomorrow when I change it. i too am involved in a dilemma with the immorality of hijacking someone else’s thread, and stepping on their topic when I reply to a comment addressed to me, on their thread. Seems like a self defeating expectation of a viable format for a forum, kept alive, and interesting, when it is based solely on exchange of written ideas and opinions, and users are discouraged from answering another members question regarding “spark knock” with a response more related to atmospheric temperature, spark plug temperature range and gasoline octane rating than saying “thunk……thunk…….thunk…….”. That said, I want your input on the wheel color thing and, if it’s done on this thread I promise I won’t complain, and if you put it on a new thread, I will read it. Jack

That is one beautiful car…….and the white walls emphasize the colors very well. On this this car it is easily seen that the tires, being a common accessory on every car, regardless of year, make or model, acts in the same manner as proper punctuation does in a sentence to impose a breath of pause between essential words, and those which define the meaning of the sentence. There is absolutely no doubt that these tires did not happen by accident, they define the space between the pavement and the car, and demand, without words, “Look at me”………”Aren’t I beautiful”? Jack

Going to add this….If you noticed that there are four, brand new, white wall tires on the Fargo Express Panel I’ve recently adopted, you may have also noticed that one side of the truck has one white wall and one black wall exposed to view. The other side has two black walls exposed to view. Sadly, the truck doesn’t have third side because it would have two whitewalls exposed. This weird arrangement gives me the ability to get some idea as to whether I want to show the truck with white walls out, or all black walls, as I progress through the body work and color scheme. I am leaning toward all white walls, and, regardless of whatever input I get on this thread, think I will stay with that decision. But, it is a topic I can post without (hopefully) evoking a argument, and I do, sincerely, appreciate the opinions, information and assistance. Jack

Hi alsankle……..How very true that we can do what we want with our cars. But, while “car” is a important word in this thought, “we” and “ours” the tie breaker is when it comes to adding things like a moto-meter, instead of a radiator cap, wind wings or some nice brass body trim. I chose this mundane, and overworked, topic because, as “ours” and “we” can be used to replace “you”, “me”, “they”, “them”, and on forever, “tires” can be replaced by a million other things “our” old cars needs, and falls right in line with other things “we” buy for “our” family, pets, and maybe more hesitantly, ourselves. One thread on this forum was devoted to a members plight because the white walls on his old car was turning yellow…..note, I said “tires”, but could have easily said “teeth” or “underwear”. Another AACA member was lamenting on the restriction that another, very popular, but far more strict on the use of aftermarket, non-oem tires on his classic Chevy was a reason for denying membership……and it was treated with the same level of angst as if his wife had filed for a divorce. A term I overuse is “my”, and it is usually associated with “my” old cars, and it can be discussed for hours as long as it doesn’t stray into becoming “my” lawyer, “my” church, “my” finances and “my” personal affairs. Isn’t it wonderful though that the width of a slab of rubber, on a tire which must be special ordered, at costs we can ill afford to spare, on a old car which sits idle for 9 months of the year, can be a non contentious topic, which will provide hours of word fodder for similar thinking brothers of a different mother, without one referral to any of the aforementioned, and not one single word of anger to be heard. Yep, if the very idea that I would even consider spending a fortune for a set of tires for my old car says reams about me, what is said if I go a tad further and add a white wall to those “Coker” sweeties? And, honestly, if you like writing, and the forum is your canvass, isn’t writing about the tire choice, on “your” old car, as challenging and fulfilling as a thousand page thesis on the price of tea in China? Jack

I like white walls on the tires of each of my antique cars. But, I have been gently chastised regarding the use of these tires and the fact (?) that very few antique cars came equipped with white wall tires, and they add a natty look to a otherwise good restoration. OK…….I do the toe twist and look down with a abundant show of shame, and, wven though my white walls are here to stay, express my undying gratitude for the person offering the information. And then my boat is (literally) rocked while I was watching the movie “USS Indianapolis” when they show a wide angle shot of the Capitol, supposedly shot in the late part of the 1930’s. In this, intended to be period correct photo shot, a number of 1930’s cars are shown….and to the last one, are all sporting white wall tires. Among shop worn threads this topic should rate a really high score. But, it carries he same amount of talkability as “what oil to use in a antique car engine” so let’s toss it around for a while. Jack

I ran the tests on the engine I bought to replace the one original to the Fargo. But, I was told that the guy, who sold the engine to the guys boss, from whom I bought the engine, thought it may have been rebuilt. The engine specs were all good for a engine of the sort, and the age of the one I bought. I bought an engine to replace a locked up engine in a ninety five year old truck. The purchase of the truck, and everything I spend to return it to being operational, is considered in the same vein as when I owned a boat, used the motor home and ate in a restaurant. In the same breath, I will add that more stuff is broken by being fixed, than fails through normal use and it is not on my list of pleasures to needlessly “fix” anything on this engine. So, not knowing when, or if, the inside of the engine was sludged up or would need to be disassembled, I bought five quarts of 30 weight, non detergent motor oil, off the shelf, at a O’Reilly’s, which I pass wherever I go. The 30 weight oil is less than $.6.00 a quart, which makes it easier to throw away than the $7.00+ a quart for the next step up of multi-vis oil. Now I have ran the engine to its normal operating temperature and can see that it is still clean, has no water or gas and seems to be ok. Now I will replace it with new straight 30 weight oil, because that’s what the other cars in my stable use, buy a new filter, which is actually a sock, and feel relatively confident my old engine survives another seventy years. My KIA gets serviced and fed by the KIA dealership, and I have a lifetime maintenance and oil change contract. My Ford E-450 based motor home is dropped by the Ford dealership, I come back to pick it up in a day or two, and the extent of my involvement in maintenance and lubrication service starts and ends when they anvil my credit card. The 1995 Ford F-250 is a different story altogether. It is used on the Highway, at highway speeds, and has recently been depended on to pull a trailer, and the truck it was carrying, over 400 miles. This truck is fed high quality, high detergent, multi-vis oil and the transmission and differential is maintained, by me, by the book. Now, to the drudgeries of cyber talk. I have been advised to stick to “the topic”, and refrain from making comments to posts and threads other than those I, personally, originate. Thus, since I did not originate this particular thread, and the issue was extensively discussed, with exactly the same outcome, in a 2013 thread, I must step away from further comment. Jack

Hi ABear. I am not a professional anything now, other than a retiree who treats the privilege as if it were a profession. I look at the title of this forum, and they have included “antique” as their first name, and the continuation of the title, being “automobile collectors association” hints that it is a place for people interested in “antique automobiles” to congregate and discuss their hobby. I have as much fun communicating with folks on the forum as I have maintaining and driving my old cars. And when the weather, my health or even just my attitude makes working on the cars impractical, this is the nearest outlet available to actually doing it. I have also tried a hiatus from posting to the forum because there are some folks who have drifted so far away from the hobby aspect of our affliction that they have forgotten that this is not a owners manual, and any posts must be understood by the aspiring antique car hobbyist as it is tolerated by the “old school” type of person, regardless of how “passionate and insistent” their ways may imply wisdom. My 1923 Dodge Roadster has no modern oil seals, rather, both it and my 1927 Willys Knight use felt seals, and implores the operator to avoid overfilling the transmission, crankcase and differential to prevent lubricant loss and counter contamination of clutch and brake linings. It also, in a very non contentious way that a semi-grease weight of lubricant be used in the gear boxes, and a straight weight, non detergent oil be used in the engine to prevent damage to the brass bearing surfaces. That said, I just finished installing a 1951 Dodge pickup engine in my 1929 Fargo Express Panel truck and have left the original 230 cubic inch flat head engine installed in the 1951 Plymouth Cambridge I drive regularly. IF you want to gather information on any procedure or material used in the restoration of a HOBBY vehicle, you only need “Google” it, and a million answers are available right in your own living room. But, if you want to “talk” to people to explore the possibility of buying a old vehicle, and entering the Hobby of old car restoration, you “talk” to others with similar interests on a forum such as this. However, joining such a group does not imply that you are neither dumb or totally ignorant of the answers to the questions you ask. It is suggested that any person who is able to acquire a classic or antique vehicle has a lifestyle which permits it. That fairly well eliminates the severely mentally impaired, the demented who devotes free time to conceiving criminal activities, and most certainly, has demonstrated that their anti-social personality demands immediate medical attention. I use the forum as a method of expressing my ability, as a retiree, to buy and own a collector vehicle, and I am not ashamed of being able to communicate with others regarding the pursuit of the affliction as a hobby However, when my experiences on the forum, while sparring with the pride and egos of the elite, and those who deem themselves as the sole possessors of old car information, exceed the amount of sweat and blood I’d shed by installing a clutch, in the mud, on a sub-zero weather day, and trashing my mind too boot, on my old truck, I’ll take the truck and leave the forum to the warriors who have survived combat in the (lubrication) pits of hell. Jack

I have taken the liberty of posting a thread time stamped 2013, regarding the same subject. Note the comments, who made them, and what the one piece of semi-authoritative material says about what oil to use in a “FLAT HEAD”……and not a “FLAT SIX” 218 and 230 cubic inch MOPAR engine. I don’t know where you live, but anywhere short of north of the Article circle, I’d still stick with straight 30 weight, non-detergent motor oil. And, be prepared to provide anyone who goes “crazy” at hearing any advice which may disagree with this, the telephone number of a good psychoanalyst and a anger management specialist. Jack