oldford

Tom, The condenser on that distrubutor was a large disc type that was about 2" across and located on the outside of the unit about 3" down from the distributor head. These are not available, so simply mount a modern one in the same place and fish the wire up to the points from there. There should be a small tapped hole in the side of the housing shaft that will allow you to mount the condenser. Frank

When you come to Rhinebeck next month, take a look at the steering box that I'll have there. It's a typical hot rod steering box with the frame bracket, so I'm told. I was going to use it on the fronty speedster, but went with the chevy box instead. We'll be behind the grandstand again.

Tom, glad to hear that Carl treated you right. I timed my big six statically. There should be marks on the flywheel that correspond to 'intake valve opens' and 'TDC'. I think I did it by setting the flywheel at top dead center. The distributor should have a manual advance tang that I set fully advanced. Next, with a small test light, I set the points to where they were just opening. With it set like this, it would not start, since it was too far advanced. I then moved the advance lever ever so slightly retarded in several steps to try to find the spot that would allow the engine to start. Then it was a matter of driving the car and getting it to run well without overheating. It took me several hours. When I simply set the flywheel at TDC without advancing the distributor, the car would overheat terribly. This may have been because the timing was retarded. Good luck. Frank

If it still has the factory top, it would be 1923 or later, due to the one-man top. Most likely 23-25. Certainly a Ford T.

Typically, the timing gear and the crank gear will have alignment marks stamped in them. One wil have a single punch mark on the tooth and the other will have a single punch mark on the valley. Since both gears are keyed to the shaft, the rest is easy. You will have to mark the old gear with a mark that aligms with the key and then, if the cam alignment mark is on the missing part, make your own marks. If you have all of the pieces of the broken gear, keep them until you have the new one installed. Frank

From the "Histomobile : The complete online car specifications database." I found this gem: 1929: Chrysler adapts the more efficient downdraft carburetor. Now I don't know if this was the first use of a downdraft carburetor, but this indicates that this was the first year tha Chrysler used the downdraft. Frank

Let's see.... looking at this page, go to the upper left, just below 'Participating Clubs' and click on Antique Automobile Club of America and you're there. Te age of Electronics....

Send me an email....I have a few oldford@frontiernet.net

I forgot to mention::: mark the cam gear and a corresponding spot on either the crank or on a bulkhead somewhere. Just in case the camshaft spins, you'll be able to relocate it in relationship to the crank. Frank

First, remove the crank handle nut. THis is the large nut that engages the crank on the front of the starter pulley. It is standard right hand thread. You may have to put the transmission in low or reverse to keep the crank from spinning. Next, remove the starter pulley, this is obvious once the crank nut is off. I think there are four standard bolts that hold it on. Then, remove the front cover and expose the cam gear. the small cap scres that goes through the distributor ger is all that holds it on. then a puller and you're set. Good luck...... Frank

Tom, I checked my National Service Data and your 1917 Stude is indeed positive ground. I had a '27 Big Six President and at one time had the front of the engine apart because of a stripped pot metal distributor gear. I used a 45 degree bevel gear from Boston gear and it worked fine. I had to mill the hub off the gear on te cam shaft, but all was well after that. If your four is like my big six, the cam gear runs off the crank gear and the generator is run off the cam also, but is a helical gear. I also beleive the water pump gear runs off the other side of the crank. It sounds like the crank gear is not spinning with the crank, since it would be unlikely that both the cam and the water pump gear would break at the same time. The gear is held on with a large key and two things come to mind. Either the crank gear is stripped (unlikely, since it is iron) or the key has broken and damaged the key way. either has the potential to be a big fix. Keep us posted. Frank

I guess you can tell from my username which car I'd recommend. Model T Ford. - 25+ years old with a reputation for reliability. -- You Bet!! - Air Con -- Just fold the windshield down - Cost around $2000-$2500 -- It might be a little more, but it would be worth it. - Must be easily fixed (mechanically) with parts readily available in case we break down. (I am pretty handy with a spanner, but prefer not to). Parts are available through parts suppliers in the mail. - Not too much of a gas guzzler. I get about 18 mpg with mine.... - Hopefully have plenty of room inside. Room for 5 This may sound like I'm joking, but not really. You can see much more of the country at 30 mph than you can at 70 mph. You might not make it all the way to New Orleans, but you sure wold see the Coast just fine... Good luck in your final choice.

According to my info (National Service Data) your Whippet Six took an Autolite MZ-4011 and mounted with three bolts. I'll try my interchange manuals and see if there might be a more common one that may fit....

I should add one other note to the statements above. The Stude was a three speed selective shift, not unlike a late model standard car. The Ford was a pedal operated planetary that was virtually an automatic. I sold the Studebaker because after 5 miles of driving, I couldn't tell the difference between the Stude and a '57 Chevy. I ALWAYS feel like I'm driving an antique car when I'm in the Ford. Two years ago I drove the Ford 250 miles from Rhinebeck, NY to Stowe, VT and it took me two days. This year we will do it in my 1908 one-cylinder REO. I'm going to reserve three days this time. Three days up and three days back. Just try doing 250 miles in three days in a '57 chevy....

I'm going to show some bias here, but since I've owned both Studes and Model T's , I think I can comment. The Big six was one of the best made mid-priced cars of the era. I think it was better than most. The Ford was light and snappy and about the cheapest there was. Even if Henry had not made 15 million of them, they would still be in good supply due to one thing -- vanadium steel. It was much lighter and more flexible than ordinary steel and I think it is the one thing that is most responsible for the Ford's longevity. One of the Ford's weakest points is its electrics. The coils and magneto system were state of the art in 1910, but by 1920, it was old technology. The Stude was conventional coil/distributor from the start. As far as parts for the Stude are concerned, tough to find in quantity, but every once in a while you hit the mother load. There are a ton of Fords, but only a few Studes left....

Size is everything... The Big Six had a larger engine and was generally a much larger car. It had six lug wheels instead of five on the Light Six. There were three models: Big Six, Standard Six, and Light Six. They all had different engines, drive trains, interior appointments. Talk about lack of common parts, even the hubcaps from the different models would not interchange!

According to the Encyclopedia of Motor Cars, there was only one Rockne. It was made in Detroit by Studebaker and was sold from 1931-1933.

If you look on page 258 of Tad Burness' American Car Spotters Guide ('20-'39) you'll see that it is identical to the 1923-24 Studebaker Big Six 7 Passenger Touring. I had a 7 Passenger Big Six and those ugly disk wheels with 6 lug nuts are a dead give away.

Dave, I'll try to give an answer similar to yours, in that the movie wasn't stupid, but it did have a rediculous scene or two.... There was a made for TV movie about Henry Ford a few years ago that started out with a camera moving through the Ford plant in the summer of 1908, presumably to 'listen' in on the conversations between H. Ford and his design team. You could hear them remark about the new 4 cylinder engine in the new Model T, and how this car was going to revolutionize the industry. As the camera entered the room, there on the floor between the men, was a brand new 1926-27 engine with wide pedals!!! Now you would think the technical assistants on the movie set could have figured that one out...

It fits 1951-52 Pontiac 6 cylinder (all) and 1953-54 Pontiac 6 cylinder standard transmission.

I've had the pleasure of having a booth in Hershey next to a couple of good ol' boys from Charlotte for quite a few years(past AACA pres. for one). THis year they gave me a jar of that Marmon Mustard that was part of the banquet and it might just be the best mustard I've ever had. I would like to know just how good the Wenol is on the brass lights on that 10 horse Stanley.....

I don't know too much about dodge trucks, being a model T guy, but this weekend I saw a bronze coin that was a dodge dealer give-away that boasted dodge trucks with hydraulic brakes and 4 rings per piston. I know that dodge bros became dodge after being bought by chrysler in 1930 or so, and that dodge cars had hydraulic brakes before that, but any idea what the vintage of this coin could be? THanks.

If I'm not mistaken, I think it was unpainted cast iron grey. I drove nothing but Ford products in the 60s and 70s and always remember the master cylinder being natural rust after about a year or so.

Many Big Six Stude parts for sale, most from 1926-27. Cylinder Head, planed and magnafluxed (real nice) $150. Can deliver to Hershey. Many parts, call for needs. 845-876-4800 or email.

Thanks for your concern, but we try to remain true to the brand. You need to stop buy our booth and see the Reo. I'll even let you drive it if you like. It's amazing that this car was a contemporary of the Model T. It's a generation earlier in design. I think that's why I bought it, being so primative and all...