1940_Buick

Interesting discussion. Cars from the teens and twenties are my favorites. I'm 46, but my dad was a child of the 1920's so I grew up with stories of these cars from when they were on the road. I've noticed that there are fewer early cars at shows than there used to be. I own a 1911 EMF and 1921 Ford Model T. So maybe I can provide some additional perspective. If I'm taking one of my cars to a show, that means carefully choosing a back road route to the show, paying $12 to park my car on the show field, then sitting around all day. Or, I could just leave my car home, walk on the show field for free, look around, then go home and tool around in my cars on the back roads in my area. I really enjoy driving my cars and as long as there's nice weather, they're both out several times a week. In addition, there are 5 other brass era cars and 4 1916-1929 cars within 10 miles of my home. Twice this year, while I was out tooling around in one of my cars, I met a Model T or two coming the other way (way cool moment). A number of these cars get driven, but are not shown. Possibly for the same reasons stated above. But there are a couple shows out there that attract the early cars. Those shows are still like the ones I remember as a kid. The 1916 to 1929 cars are generally a real bargain! Look for something like a 1917 Overand or 1918 Oldsmobile. These are my cars. I've owned the Model T since I was 35 and got the EMF when I was 44.

I've used tongue & groove porch deck wood (mahogany). It was the right thickness and very durable. No planing needed.

Wow! Not 1, but 2 beautiful Buicks

Kevin... WOW, what a car! A great looking roadster.

My guess would be a 1917 or 1918 Buick

Hello Tom, I'm assuming you're trying to hand crank the engine, instead of using the starter? If so, make sure the transmission is in neutral. If it's in gear the engine won't budge. If the transmission is in neutral, try putting the car in 3rd gear and rocking it back and forth to make sure the engine isn't seized.

Mark is right. They're really simple. You can order a rebuild kit and easily do it yourself. They're just a tank within a tank, with a float and a valve. If there's holes in the tanks, you can just solder them up. If the lid is cracked beyond repair, you should be able to find another lid.

HEY!!! That's ME! and my 1912 Maxwell Special (and my wife too). Quite a car. One of 12 known to exist. It was the most powerful car Maxwell had built up to that date. They swept the 1912 Glidden Tour with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place going to Maxwell Specials. It has a 36 hp T-head engine, 3 speed progressive shift transmission. I bought it from RM (the auction house) as a non-runner. We got it running and took it on the 2008 Brass in Bucks tour. Judging from the amount of sand I removed from the body, it had spent a lot of time in the desert. But that meant that the body was absolutely solid, with nary a dent, let alone rust. All the correct, original brass was in great condition too. This is a picture of it with it's brass all shined up But, it did need a full restoration. The engine was noisy, the interior in shreds, an ancient repaint, etc. I traded it to a professional restorer for a finished 1911 EMF. It is now getting the restoration it deserves. Below is a picture of it, newly finished in its correct colors.

It's a 1921

Special Interest Autos is likely to have them too: Special Interest Autos - Antique Auto Electrical Parts

Like UnimogJohn said, vacuum tanks are simple and quite reliable. Rebuilding them is easy... there's nothing to them. The rebuild kit is an example of how simple they are. It's usually a gasket, a couple crush washers, some springs, and a bunch of new screws. The tank is basically a tank within a tank with a float and valve. Like R-ajax said, always turn the tank off if you aren't going to be starting the car up again in the next hour or so. They tend to leak the gas out if you don't. If you don't have a shutoff valve on the bottom, it's a good idea to install one. Don't put an electric fuel pump on. You could end up with carb problems because these carbs are only designed to hold back the gravity feed pressure from the vacuum tank.

Here's a shot of us last summer in my 1911 EMF This one seems to be her favorite. Its been apart for new timing gears and water pump rebuild. It should be back together this week. She's coming for a visit on Thursday.

I wish I had....

1958 Dodge, 1958 or 1959 Chevy pickup, 1969 Mercury Montego

The fact that it starts for a moment with either tells you you've probably got good enough spark to start. The backfire tells you that the problem is likely to be timing. I'd agree with what's already been said... check the firing order, and then get it to TDC by watching the valves and piston through the spark plug hole, then check the rotor position.

I'm very fortunate they live so close to us. Yesterday we had a birthday party for my father-in-law with a bunch of family at the house. I happend to glance into the living room... my granddaughter had found an issue of Hemmings Motor News, drug it up into my recliner, and was sitting there paging through it looking at car pictures. How cool is that?

After 3 kids that really don't care about old cars, I think I've finally got a granddaughter that loves 'em! At least so far... Madelynn is 2 years old and loves Grandpa's antique cars. She's always asking for rides or to go out and play in the cars. She has a couple of toy Model T's, but prefers the real thing

That's great Melvin! Its a great feeling when you know they're back in the US again. My son was in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne 505 PIR from 2006 to 2007. You're rightfully proud of your son!

James, Reading about your dad's passing brought back some memories. My dad was a real car guy. He loved going for rides in my cars. This is him in my 1923 Buick Model 45 touring, Easter 2006. A month later he was gone... So, I've got a pretty good idea of how you're feeling... Working on the Olds will be great therapy.

I'd like to offer a dissenting opinion. Take it for what its worth. True, aluminum pistons have a different expansion rate. If your mechanic does not take that into account, the engine runs the risk of seizing the first time it warms up. At the very least it may ruin the bores. However, if he knows his stuff, he will know what clearances to account for. Aluminum pistons reduce reciprocating mass, because you've got less mass flying up and down in the bores and therefore less stress on the crank, rods, and bearings. Vibration will be less because there is less mass moving up and down in the bores. Counterbalanced cranks were not used until well into the 1920's. The reason that they only make aluminum pistons today, even reproductions for our early cars, is because they are much better than iron pistons. The reason they didn't use aluminum originally is because they didn't have the technology back then. There's a world of difference between an aluminum casting from 1913 and 2010. On the other hand, I've also had early cars that still had their iron pistons and they were still running fine. But these were low mileage engines. When I've had an engine rebuilt, I use aluminum pistons for the above reasons. If you do decide to go with aluminum pistons, I'd suggest Arias: Arias Pistons On the other hand, if you want to save cost, there's no critical reason not to re-use the iron pistons if they are not worn.

The acetylene starting systems are pretty simple. Not good, but simple. Here's some pictures of the system on the 1913 Studebaker Model 25 I used to own. You'll notice the small tube going into the top of the brass intake pipe In this picture you can see where the brass tube comes out of the dashboard This picture shows the switch on the dash Its the switch between the oil dripper and the ignition switch.

I suppose you could experiment with different types of oil. If something doesn't work, you could clean it off with brake cleaner spray. Leather lining is best and will give you a smoother clutch. If you do decide to have the clutch relined in leather, I highly recommend Bob Knaak -- 714/633-9736. He did the clutch in my 1913 Studebaker. I sent him the clutch, waited about 10 days and then called to see if he had received it OK. He said yes, its already on its way back to you. He did a beautiful job on it. The whole assembly looked and worked like new. The effort to remove the clutch for relining may be worth it to avoid braking something in the transmission or rear. Its always easier to prevent damage than repair damage.

James, a word of encouragement about the mechanical stuff... while its very helpful to have someone who is a decent mechanic take care of the repairs, a lot of the stuff that has been mentioned can be done by you! These cars are not complicated, and the guys on the forum are glad to advise. If you have a question, just post a few pictures and you'll get some advice. If you go to Sears and get yourself a decent Craftsman socket set, pliers, screwdriver, etc (you know, the basics), you'll be able to do quite a bit yourself. The tools will pay for themselves in saved labor expenses. You'll also learn about your car and can be proud of your accomplishments. Odds are, the brakes and fuel system will be the only challenges you might need help with. Seriously... give it a shot. Just take your time, take pictures, and take care. You just might surprise yourself

One more thing... get insurance on your car as soon as possible. Do not put it off! You'll need some detailed pictures for the application. Try to get the insurance before it gets towed to your home... just in case.

1) Coker Tire and Universal Vintage Tire are the 2 places for vintage tires. Both are good and run by people who know their business. Its not likely you'll be able to find any "cheap/crap" tires in the size you need. For towing, the old tires might hold air long enough for transport. 2) For insurance on your car, you won't go wrong with Grundy (Grundy Worldwide). Their prices are competitive and I personally know people who have had to file claims with them. The claims were paid quickly and without any hassle. Mr. Grundy is a car guy himself with a nice car collection. If you haven't had antique car insurance before, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how cheap it is compared to regular car insurance. 3) Sorry, I'm in PA.