De Soto Frank

Chrysler division hedged their bets on the Airflow - they continued to offer a conventionally-styled Chrysler, calling it the Airstream. Unlike De Soto, who had to suffer the 1934 season as an Airflow only...

An 85 series tire is going to be closer to the profile / aspect ratio of the original bias-plys. 70 or 75-series tires will probably look "short". Take a look at Coker's "antique radial" tires - they are specially designed to be very close to the OEM bias-ply tires in sidewall height and tread-width... they aren't cheap, but many guys who tour really like them.

Didn't VW keep them until 1968 or later ?

As for Federal Mandate for Turn-signals, I don't know about that one... Trying to go by vehicles that I have owned: 1947 Chrysler Windsor, '48 New Yorker, '48 Dodge Custom: Factory turn-signals, but the control head was a clamp-on device (but designed specifically for the MoPar steering column and wheel ), so it might have been an option on the entry-level Chrysler / Dodge / Plymouths? 1950 Chrysler New Yorker: factory turn-signals, now integral with the steering column / jacket. 1950 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe: factory turn-signals, but using a Guide clamp-on control head, which included an idle

I think most US cars had dual rear "fender" lights by 1937 or so. Some actually were mounted high-up: thinking '37 Olds and Hupp, which had them up on the belt line... they were still tiny lights with glass lenses, which just aren't that bright. ( Glass lenses transmit light through the lens, but the lens itself does not glow, as with plastic. ) As for trucks, my Grandad's '54 Chevy pick-up ( 5-window cab, but "stripper" in terms of options) came with one stop / tailight, on the left-hand side. For the first time though, the license plate mounting and light were separated from the tailight,

I believe it was "Koontz", and my folks still have the foam-lined galvanized porch box from Koontz Dairy, when we still had milk delivery (1971?) - the last version was in the 2 qt plastic bags - there was a "pitcher"-type holder that you dropped the bag into, then snipped-off a corner and poured your milk... I think this grew out of the Apollo programs ? The "live" Baron von Esskay commercial had the Baron driving the Mack truck, or riding on the running board, and shouting to be heard over the bellow of the four-cylinder Mack engine... he had a thick "vaudeville German" dialect like Jack

And more specifically: an Esskay TV commercial from the early to mid-1970's with a live actor ( little roly-poly guy ) in a WW I aviators' outfit portraying the Baron, along with a real, driving Mack Bulldog ESSKAY truck ? Anybody know if video copy still exists ? Sadly, Schluderburg-Kurdle ( S - K, get it? ) was purchased by Smithfield-Gwaltney a number of years ago, and is now "just a brand".... I believe the truck now resides at the Baltimore Musem of Industry... "Yummy, yummy, yummy - got ESS-KAy in my tum-my! " Goh Oh 's !!! ( This is another "ghost from my youth"... ) Thanks ! :

As for the "late-'30's cars with side-mount tires", some look better than others... Personally, I always thought the sidemount spares on the '40 ( & '41?) Buicks looked a little odd ( anachronistic ) ... Packards seemed to wear them best...

ROTFL ! :D:D

'53 Chevy 150 ?

"Agreed! This makes the CAR stand out. I guess it all depends on what you want to POP! Some cars look more elegant, like the late 30s cars when you add the whitewall, where they look more utilitarian with the blackwall." Well then, why not just remove the wheels and tires altogether ? Then folks will HAVE to focus on "the car itself"... I think in many cases, the wheel was designed as part of the car, and should not necessarily "disappear".... And for those that think it's not important - what's the first thing that looks "wrong" about the reproduction Auburn 852 boat-tail speedsters ? ( F

" Were there any tire manufacturers offering single whites prior to 1940? Not counting the early tires discussed above. " I believe there were. From what I can tell from the factory photos in the factory shop manual and factory parts book for my 1941 De Soto, it was available from the factory with Goodyear All-Weather diamond-tread tires, in both blackwall and white sidewall. The WWW was on one side only. I have some color brochures for the '41 with actual Kodachrome color photographs (as opposed to stylized artist's renderings)... will try to dig them out and examine them for tire quality

True... and there are some of us guys who wouldn't be caught dead wearing black & white "saddle shoes", no matter how "Stylish" they were... I think in some cases, it depends on the vehicle. Some cars or certain color schemes present better with black-wall tires.

Prior to the WW I, all pneumatic tires were white or gray-ish... this was the natural color of rubber. Then it was discovered that the addition of carbon black to the rubber compound made it harder and more durable, and tires became black. BUT, many tire makers used the black rubber for the tread cap only, and continued using the gray / white rubber for the sidewalls. This is why pre-Depression WWW tires have white sidewalls on both sides. There are many original factory / dealer / auto show photos from the 1920's and 1930's showing these cars wearing WWW tires. The width of the whitewall va

Glad to hear it's working now... Thanks everyone, especially c49er, I learned from this thread too !!! :cool: