Grimy

Re Bleach's comment: The late letter sequence depends on whether the car was reissued--or was initially issued--a California plate during the plate series lifetime. I based my comments on when the alphabet was used up for the black plates on the black Calif plate I acquired from DMV for my 1964 Cad Fleetwood 60S bought in Wash DC in June 1970--that plate was ZJH 943. I was active Army and thus entitled to use my domicile state's driver's license and auto registration; did so thru AAA but it wasn't easy... :-) Just perhaps.... cars sold new in Calif in late '69 and early '70 were issued the dull-looking yellow-on-blue plates while I got the now-preferred yellow-on-black ones. I preferred the black plates even then....

Hello John, Congrats on your acquisition of the 1953 Buick! When your car was new, in California it would have received a 1951 long-format plate with a 1954 (year of expiry) metal tab. There was also a 1955 tab issued for expiry in that year. Calif began using semi-permanent plates with annual expiry stickers in 1956. These plates were in the now-USDOT standard size. The plates used 1956-62 were yellow with black letters/numbers and on passenger cars were three letters followed by three numbers, as in your TRV 603. I believe that your TRV 603 plates were a circa 1961-1962 new plate for that vehicle, as the series began with AAA in 1956. By 1962 those plates were nearing the end of the alphabet. For 1963, another series of plates, this time with a black background and yellow figures, was instituted as a complete reissue. In both cases (1956 and 1963), obsolete plates were NOT required to be turned in, and many found their way to garage walls. These black plates are truly permanent and are still valid today (several of my cars still wear them, but with current expiry stickers). The 1963 plates (issued till approximately August 1970, when they reached the end of the alphabet again) used the same format of three letters followed by three numbers. Hope this info helps. I'll try to answer any followup questions you may have.

Studepeople, thanks for the kind words. We're all here to help each other.

Studepeople: All comments in my post are about the Clark tranny except the statement that the Brown-Lipe ratios are more favorable as close-ratio. The Clark tranny like yours has a wide gap between 2nd and 3rd, which is difficult on a steep upgrade as you must wind up the rpm in 2nd (normal 1st) before shifting to 3rd (a tall normal 2nd). As I recall, the two sides of the herringbone gears were cut about half a degree off from each other for sound-cancelling qualities.

It certainly looks like the Clark 4-speed in my 1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B. The best identification factor is the herringbone gears. P-A used the Clark ONLY in 1930, and on all 3 models, A B and C. It is a crash box requiring double clutching. P-A also used a 4-speed Brown-Lipe transmission, which is far more close-ratio than the Clark (see below). 1st gear (left rear of the H, against the spring) is a crawler, a parade gear, or for starting on a steep hill. 2nd gear (usual low gear position, not pushing against the spring) is fine for normal starting from a stop on level ground. 3rd gear (usual "2nd gear" position) has a ratio of 1.25:1 and is very useful. When shifting between 3rd and 4th, be careful because the ratios are so close. Unfortunately, the ratios of 1st and 2nd are also very close, so there is a huge gap between 2nd and 3rd. One really needs to wind up the rpms in 2nd before shifting to 3rd. The Achilles heel of these trannies is the herringbone gears which are riveted together. Use a small pry bar to **gently** test how securely each pair of gears is still attached. If there's any slop, you'd be well advised to have them re-riveted before any damage is done. Also check the input shaft bearing and replace if there's any slop (remove collar before checking). In Northern California's climate, I use Texaco Thuban SAE 250 gear oil in all my crash boxes. That weight is good for slowing gears down for clashless shifting. It will be stiff for only the first five minutes in our mild non-freezing winters.

If you're working on a Series 80, pm me. I can do photos next week. I may have a spare pair of curved brackets as well.

The downtown Oakland Chrysler-Plymouth dealer was The J. E. French Company, in the 2700 block of Broadway, on the east side of the street. They also had a branch in Berkeley, at Oxford and [Channing Way?]. I have a pair of their license plate frames sized for Calif's 1940-1955 [i.e., long] plates. There was a separate dealership in East Oakland (still within the City of Oakland) called Melrose Motors, but I don't recall its 1966 location.

Hi Gents, My original post was almost seven years (time flies!). Item #1, the early axle, has been sold. I still have the Champion axle available for $75 + shipping. Email address remains valid. Stude 8, I don't have the early axle p/n, but can probably come up with the later one as I have a 1936-46 Stude parts manual. The multi-make axles (I still have about 15 left) were all after-market, post WW2 production so far as I can tell. When I got them, most had tags from the NORS mfr (e.g., Republic). I confirmed ALL using seven different axle manufacturers' detailed catalogs.

Jeep windshield, Jeepster hood ornament and/or hood, too short a wheelbase for Jeepster (was 104") but perhaps a CJ chassis, modified Jeep/Jeepster/Jeep wagon front fenders.

Looks to me like a heavily retouched advertising photo for the Bronco in which the Mystery Wagon, which I would identify as a 1966 Generic, is an added two-dimensional background (in those days) probably an enlarged-to-life-size poster. Note the retouch on the Bronco license plate as well.

Bill, on my 8-cylinder Pierces I use a Holley #12-804 pressure regulator, which I find far more accurate and reliable than the cheap detent-type regulators. I also use NAPA p/n P4259 6-V electric pumps made by Carter which are cheaper (~$60) than I've been able to find either Carter or Airtex pumps. The vanes are retracted when the pump is not running and permit some flow, but that may not be enough for some heavy cars with high fuel demand, so you may need to add a bypass loop with a check valve to permit the factory pump to draw directly from the tank. The check valve prevents the electric pump from taking the path of least resistance to its own inlet.

AND... George's Law of How Long Projects Take: Estimate how long a project **should** take (e.g., 10 minutes), then... 1. Double the digit(s) 2. Substitute the next higher increment of time. Therefore, an old car project which "should" take 10 minutes will actually take 20 hours. If you follow this rule, you will almost always complete an old car project within the adjusted time estimate.

I don't recommend Westley's if you have striping on your wheels--it ate my painted striping. It may eat paint on hubcaps and wheelcovers as well. Simple Green, undiluted, applied with a wheel brush is excellent for **routine** cleaning. For the black portion of your tires (and for blackwall tires), I recommend Meguiar's Trim Detailer, which does not have produce the incorrect gloss that modern tire cleaning products seem to confer.

I live in the urban Bay Area just east of San Francisco, where every property is pricey, lots are small, and cities require variances for constructing outbuildings over 450 sf. Years ago, even as a teenager (that was a very long time ago), I was often able to find rental garages by (1) asking neighborhood elderly widows who no longer drove, and (2) by posting 3x5 cards on the bulletin boards at neighborhood churches. In both cases, I stated clearly that the intended use was for infrequently-driven collector car(s) so that I would not be in and out twice a day. It usually helped if the car was running. I also assured the owner that the cars were fully insured for comprehensive (fire & theft). I could rarely get 'work-on' privileges, so these rental garages were primarily for running cars. Over 20 yrs ago, after a long search I found a single family home with an 1800-sf clear-span garage + a 2-car garage. I bought it and continue to rent out the house and keep the garages. I have a provision in the lease that the driveway will not be blocked 7AM-9PM unless a licensed driver is home. In 1996 I was able to buy a second rental property which backs up against the driveway of the first property. The second property has a 20 x 50 (1,000 sf) garage with overhead doors at both ends. I removed part of the driveway fence of the first, so I can enter the second property's garage from the rear as well as from the front.

Same trailer, same dealer was listed at $13 thousand (or so) 10 days ago on hemmings.com Since the text says this is a reduction, odds are the new price is $11 thousand.

Consider this an interim response until trimacar chimes in, as he is far more qualified: Through 1928, Pierce-Arrow used "Pantasote" as the default top and side curtain material. One **could** I suppose order canvas, but Pantasote is always authentic. Haartz Company Welcome to the Haartz Corporation has been reproducing a number of varieties of Pantasote, which is quite different from the more common long-grain top decking, which is coated. You can order free samples of Pantasote from the Haartz website. My 1922 Paige 6-66 used Pantasote with what appears to be a cavalry twill liner bonded to the inside, and Haartz has it. I suspect that the larger P-A series 36 in 1928 used a separate cloth liner, however.

Ternstedt was a GM subsidiary company, but they also made ornaments and interior hardware for other car manufacturers, including Pierce-Arrow.

The braided assist grips, with 'puff balls' at the bottom, for the rear seat compartment were used on a LOT of cars, including my Pierce-Arrow Series 80 sedan. The other parts are not familiar.

It is indeed a 1914 Pierce-Arrow. The convex curve of the headlight projection was used that year only in the Teens. It is a 38-hp (calculated hp), known as a 38C2, per the headlights being higher than top of the radiator. Larger cars available that year were the 66A2 and the 48B2. The 38C2 had a six-cylinder 4 x 5.5 bore and stroke engine, rode on a 132-inch wheelbase, and weighed 4300 lbs.

An arrangement for transferring a GPS among multiple 6V cars: Because I have multiple vintage cars, all 6V and all but two with positive ground (and three of which are 1920s cars without 6V lighter sockets), I use a sealed 12V gate-opening battery ($18 at Lowe's online, $35 at Radio Shack on the shelf) as a power supply for the GPS. I carry the battery in a small box or in a plastic Folger's coffee can on the front seat floor behind the gearshift lever. I used a lighter socket adapter from Radio Shack which had alligator clips for intended use with an underhood battery. These clips will work but are too large and awkward, so I eventually cut those alligator clips off and replaced them with smaller push-on spade terminals from Radio Shack. I've used the GPS continually on up to 5-day, 500-mile tours for Teens and Twenties cars without having to recharge the battery on the road. After 5 days, the battery did get down to about 12.1 volts by the end of the trips, but the GPS (2007-vintage large-screen Garmin 800) still worked fine. A cheap, easy solution for transferring GPS among several 6V cars...

Cadillac Aerodynamic Coupe (that's what they called it), a total of 20 produced for the model years 1934-37 (One year, probably 1935, none were produced). This one has a 1933 front bumper. 154" wheelbase, available with either V-8, V-12, or V-16 (most were V-16s, I believe). Great looking car, better from the aft end... George

Scan it, Photoshop the background color and script, print onto a decalomania. I haven't done it myself but had it done to a 1934 Pierce speedo face with superb results.

Following after the asterisks is an article I wrote on the care and feeding of vacuum tanks for the NorCal Region of CCCA last year. Taildrager, check the flapper valve and the suction and atmospheric valve operation on the underside of the cover as described in the article. When your vacuum tank fails on the road: • First, check the integrity of the vacuum supply and the atmospheric vent. Look for loose vacuum fittings—or other vacuum leaks on the intake side of the engine, and check the pot-metal ‘head’ or cover of the vacuum tank for a proper seal. For a quick on-the-road fix, tighten the fillister-head screws (don’t overdo it—the cover is pot-metal), and dab some sealant around the base of the cover where it is screwed to the body of the vacuum tank. The hooked tube from the cover to a spill-over position outside the vacuum tank body is the atmospheric vent—blow through it to ensure it is clear. Some cars have a small rubber vacuum hose leading to the windshield wiper tubing from the special vacuum fitting atop the cover. If your wiper motor or its associated tubing might have a vacuum leak, close off that vacuum circuit with a piece of tape. • Second, check for occlusions in the fuel supply line. I prefer to install a modern in-line gas filter in an accessible position just in front of the fuel tank. Carry at least one spare filter! Remove the copper fuel supply line from the vacuum tank cover and see if the metal mesh “filter” (the only original filter equipment prior to the vacuum tank) in the fuel inlet recess of the cover is clogged. • Finally, with the vacuum tank valve to the carburetor shut off, remove the square pipe plug on the cover (not all tanks have these) and pour one pint of gasoline into the vacuum tank. This will frequently—but not always—wash any gum or ‘incipient varnish’ off the flapper valve and restore the flapper’s operation. This gum, especially after the car has been out of use over-winter or for some time, can ‘glue’ the flapper valve closed and prevent fuel from passing from the inner tank to the outer (reservoir) tank. The addition of gasoline also cures the opposite problem—when a piece of grit is stuck under the flapper valve and prevents it from closing. Occasionally a second pint of gasoline is necessary a couple of miles down the road. The proverbial “ounce of prevention” is a dose of fuel stabilizer in the gas tank at the end of the touring season, leaving the car running long enough to let the stabilizer reach the vacuum tank. • These measures solve the problem more often than not, and are quick, easy, and non-invasive. Overhauling your vacuum tank: For persistent problems, it may be necessary to open your vacuum tank and address issues that have developed over the years. Drain the tank, remove it intact, and then disassemble it on the bench. Remove the dozen or so fillister-head screws holding the cover to the tank. Using a thin putty knife, break the gasket-and-sealant seal and GENTLY remove the cover, to which is attached the float. Set this assembly aside. There are two identical gaskets, one above and one below the inner tank’s flange. Lift out the inner tank and set it aside. What remains is the outer tank—the reservoir, which is where you will find most of the rust, varnish, crud, and corruption that have built up over the years. To clean and seal the rusted inner surface of the outer (reservoir) tank, I have used methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) as a solvent to remove ‘varnish’ and other contaminants, in conjunction with a wire wheel brush attached to a hand-held electric drill. When the interior is restored to clean metal, use Metal-Prep to chemically treat and ‘kill’ invisible rust, followed by gas tank sloshing compound as a sealer. You can use a paint brush to “paint” the sloshing compound on all interior surfaces of the reservoir. (NOTE: MEK is the solvent used by Northern and other manufacturers in their 3-part gas tank renewal kits to attack ‘varnish’ and other fuel tank deposits, but per Northern’s instructions, varnish removal usually also requires mechanical abrasion – such as sharp gravel or chain in a gas tank, or the wire wheel for the vacuum tank. I found MEK at my local Ace Hardware for $15/gallon. Use sealer only in the outer tank, as its use in the inner tank might inhibit proper operation of the float.) Examine the inner tank, which was usually nickel plated at the factory for corrosion resistance. Clean the tank and look carefully for pinholes or other issues. Solder any holes. At the bottom of the inner tank is the flapper valve. Check the flapper valve for free movement on its hinge, and ensure that the inner (sealing) surface is free of tacky or gummy substances or grit, using aerosol carburetor cleaner and a nylon brush. The flapper portion itself (Masonite) will probably have a circular indentation, but this is a design feature and is normal. Turn the cover or head upside down on the bench. Examine the pot metal cover assembly. If it is deteriorated, there is no repairing it. Examine the gasket surface of the cover. If it’s out-of-flat, file carefully to restore flatness. (Basket-case vacuum tanks can be acquired inexpensively at swap meets. You don’t care about the shape of the reservoir—a correct cover in good condition is the most important criterion for purchase.) Then examine the two valves—one suction (vacuum) and the other an atmospheric relief valve--both actuated by the up-and-down movement of the float in the inner tank. You may find ‘whiskery’ corrosion on the valves and on their pivot rods, inhibiting their movement. When one valve is open, the other must be closed. Holding the cover in its normal position, move the float up and down and observe the operation of the valves and their springs—they must operate sharply to trip the valves reliably. To remove the corrosion and clean, use aerosol carburetor cleaner and a nylon toothbrush-style brush. Two small extension springs cause the valves to operate sharply. If a spring is stretched or broken, it must be replaced (see below for source). Very occasionally you may find that a bronze valve seat has come loose. In this case, push it back in position and use a very small punch to carefully stake the pot metal to hold it in place. Examine the float for any pinholes, and confirm by submerging in water and looking for bubbles. Solder any holes closed. (If the vacuum tank has not been flooding, you probably don’t need to submerge the float.) Reassembly is simple: Place one gasket on the top surface of the reservoir. Often the vent hole in the outer tank/reservoir has an upwardly-protruding vertical lip. Make a chalk or tape mark on the outside of the reservoir to indicate the location of the vent hole. Insert the inner tank and float assembly and align with the screw holes and the vent hole. Place the second gasket on top of the flange of the inner tank. Mount the cover atop the second gasket, aligning the vent hole and the screw holes. Replacement fillister head screws to attach the cover to the outer tank can be found in the electrical parts section of a home improvement store. If judging points are not important, add flat washers under the screws to spread the load for less future deformation. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN these screws or the brass fittings, as the pot metal cover will break. Essential vacuum tank parts and supplies for overhaul and to carry on tours: • Two one-pint (approx. capacity) METAL cans of gasoline, tightly capped. I use empty Gumout or Chemtool liquid carb cleaner cans. Check the cans periodically, and when the inner bottom shows formation of rust, replace the can itself. Be sure to stow the cans upright, and in a manner in which they will not tip over. (The State of California requires only state-approved containers, but who's to know...) • A funnel of suitable size with which to pour in the gasoline. • One set of two identical gaskets, available inexpensively from Olson’s Gaskets and Restoration Supply. Before ordering, check the O.D. of your cover—most Stewart-Warner vacuum tanks have a 4.25-inch diameter cover, irrespective of the shape of the reservoir, which itself may be tall and narrow, or shorter and wider. • One set of two springs which control the operation of the vacuum and atmospheric valves. Reproductions are available from Classic & Exotic Service (Brian Joseph, Classic & Exotic Service, Inc. and eBay seller ID bwjandld), in Wisconsin. Finally, I do NOT recommend using an electric fuel pump to supplement a vacuum tank, even with a pressure regulator dialed down to 1 or 2 psi. A vacuum tank is reliable, correct, and if need be, can be fixed on the road. There’s nothing at all wrong with that!

Jacob Riis (note the spelling) was a "muckraker," and I use the term as a compliment, in the tradition of Lincoln Steffens and others. Theodore Roosevelt is generally credited with the coinage of that term in this context. Note that Riis died in **1914** (born 1849) and his book "How the Other Half Lives" which you cite was published in 1891. So these conditions were documented between 1878 (see other You-Tube Jacob Riis videos) when he began to use flash photography and 1891, when his book was published. The vid you linked, Bob, contains a statement that Theodore Roosevelt visited Riis's office and left a card with a note reading "I want to help." This was **before** Roosevelt was President (1901-1909). Thank God, the muckrakers has very good effect, but their ascendancy was long past before the 1920s and your cars of the 1930s. A critical factor was Henry Ford's decision in 1914 to pay his factory workers $5/day, which essentially was a 400-500% increase over normal industrial wages of the day. This was shrewd, in that it allowed his workers to be able to own the Model Ts they were creating, but is also caused a sharp increase in almost all industrial wages. Other factors included the post-World War I reduction in the middle class's use of household servants (chauffeurs, cooks, maids, etc.), perhaps because the middle class was priced out of the market for unskilled household help--but that is far too broad a topic to address here. I don't want to turn this into a political discussion, just to note that Riis's book was published before the earliest American automobiles. And despite the fact that some well-moneyed folks were responsible for all that misery, that vid **can** be viewed as an argument for well-regulated immigration.... George

My all-time favorite is the line included in a Hemmings ad of 30 years ago offering a pre-war Cad V8 which said, "Engine disassembled for your inspection." Quel droll!! George