21raceabout

Hi - I am looking for a timing chain for a 1914 Cadillac (4 Cyl). THANKS!

Hi - I am looking for a timing chain for a 1914 Cadillac (4 cyl). THANKS!

Bill -Good to see the Packard is coming along. Thanks for the post card, Rick

What alloy steel is recommended for axle shafts? What is the consensus on heat treating? I need to replace an axle shaft in my 1911 White. It looks like someone made a replacement for the left one out of butter and it has started to twist. (Hard to imagine given the limited HP of the car.) THANKS for your opinions in advance.

Looking for the left(passenger)side axle for a 1911 White. The one in my car appears to be a repro made out of butter. Greatly appreciate any leads or help, Thanks

I have an old tire with a "Firestone Oldfield" (as in Barney) logo on it. Anyone know what years these tires were made? Size is 32x4 1/2, well worn.

Self correction; There were no production 6 cyl Mercers prior to 1922. A 6 cyl. Mercer T-head racer ran at the 1911 Savannah Vanderbilt Cup race but did not finish due to a serious water leak. Mercer had won the 300 cid and under race at Savannah on the previous day with a 4 cyl. T-head racer.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">1915 was the first year of the 6 cyl motor, called the 22-70 and I think was designed by a guy named Franquist. Very long stroke motor but well balanced and powerful. </div></div> All Mercers had 4 cylinder engines until the late 1922/1923 models which came out with a 6 cylinder Rochester Motors engine. It was not an in-house Mercer design and was not as rugged as it should have been, helping to kill off the marque. The 1915 22-70 models (22 HP SAE formula, 70 HP on the dyno) L-heads were designed by ERIK DELLING. Delling had previously been responsible for the Deltal racer (was at Hershey in 2001) from which the 1915-1922 4 cyl. Mercer engine was based. Delling left Mercer soon thereafter and was responble for the Delling steam car.

The car in the B/W photo is a 1915 Mercer Raceabout chassis S/N 2549 engine S/N 2270 with a modified body aft of the hood. My research found the first "modern" photo of it in the June 1951 edition of Road and Track pp. 10. It is being driven by then owner Dick Teague (Studebaker-Packard, later AMC chief stylist)at an event in 1947 in California. I have a letter from the late Mercer expert and HCCA pioneer Herb Royston who said that Mr. Teague had purchased a Mercer "racer" in this time period. The seller from San Diego had told Teague that the car was Eddie Pullen's famous #4 racer which had won the Santa Monica Grand Prix. It was in fact a "back yard" modification of an L-head Raceabout with #4 painted on the radiator. When Teague learned the truth from Royston, he drove the car to Chicago and traded it to D. Cameron Peck. The car next shows up in the June 1950 edition of the HCCA Gazette (pp15) where it is being shown at the Fairfield CT spring meet by a Mr. Leslie Taylor. It was then owned by a Mr. G. Fearing of Westwood MA from about 1954 to 1957. In 1959 it was back out in California, owned by Dr. Henry Newman. A year later it was in the Harrah's collection. In this time period, the bodywork may have been returned to it's original form, but I am not sure. After Harrah died, the car was sold out of the collection. Today it is owned by a private individual in Nevada.

In bone stock form the car shown was capable of 70mph. Guaranteed by the factory to do a mile in a maximum of 51 seconds.

Most working original Motometers with a car logo go for $100 or less in the flea markets. If it has no car logo it should be even less. I have heard from other Marmon owners I know that there is a guy who will spend any amount to get anything Marmon that shows up on ebay. Sounds like the guy in Canada might be your best bet. Good luck. P.S. My grandmother came from Finland, we still have family there.

I may be able to help you, please email me at hayfordd@juno.com

Looking for some advice on how to prepare a wood body for paint. It is an all wood rear tonneau for an '04 Cadillac. We have an original but in rough shape. It looks like seams were covered with gauze. Was the exterior originally covered in some sort of cloth? Ideas on how to cover the seams? Seal wood with polyurethane prior to prime and paint? THANKS! Rick Hayford

Try Karl Krouch in Mechanicsburg PA. He had the big tent with all the tools, jacks (and some air pumps) in the Chocolate field close to the new pedestrian bridge. His email is krouchs@msn.com

Can you tell us where motorhome parking is this year?

The racing "Only" in previous post reported to have a 200 Cubic Inch engine.

There was an "Only" car which attempted to run in the 1910 Santa Monica Free for All<BR>race; apparently piston siezed before completion of lap one. Maybe same company?<BR>Ref: "Real Road Racing; The Santa Monica Road Races" by H. Osmer/P. Harms

I doubt you will find a multi-grade oil that is not also a detergent oil. I run 30W non-detergent in my old cars, changing often, as was previously recommended. The fact that your clutch, gearbox and engine all run in the same oil is another reason to change often...and be careful shifting.

Thank you very much - we will give that a shot. Thanks again for your help!

OK, so you probably know the next series of questions... where does one refill the system? I see a "box" in the very front of the trunk... what kind of fluid should we use? - hydraulic oil as used in heavy equipment? THANKS!

Folks; a family friend has a 55 Chevy Belair convertible with a power top. The problem is that the power system does not seem to have the "umph" to raise the top any more. I am completely unfamiliar with the system, I hear motor(s)running when we push/pull the switch but no motion. Is it a hydraulic system that might be low on fluid? THANKS!

BE CAREFUL! I've read the horror stories of people who rented their cars to the movies only to have them returned dented and damaged. Perhaps the worst story was a few years back when a gentleman rented his 100% original 1940's era car. It was returned weeks later with a damaged transmission/clutch and re-painted (very poorly) in a different color. The production company was completely unrepentant, with an attitude something like the original Animal House movie when D-day takes the torch to Flounder's brother's Lincoln... "You f'ed up, you trusted us". <BR>Get everything in writing, make sure they have enough insurance, find out who gets to drive your car and consider requiring a bond if your car is really valuable.

The Ameila Island Concours is a great affair. The Y2K show actually had 20 Mercers present, of the 142 documented Mercers still in existence. Anyone with a passion for cars would enjoy this event. Why there was even a 1939 Lagonda V-12 Rapide there too... really!

Thank you gentlemen. I checked out the AQ and it does look like the 1928 Jordan Blueboy... except that the one in AQ has a notch at the bottom for a crank. The mystery radiator shell does not. Is it possible that it in a later year ('29...) the crank slot was dropped? I should have also added that the shell is 31" tall, 21" wide, and 4 1/8" deep. The owner also found the remains of some front fenders which may or may not have gone with this vehicle. I thought they might have been from an older car as they are not simple crowned shaped, rather they have a double tier raised area somewhat like the Jordan '27 Victoria shown on pp174 of the AQ V13#2. Thanks again for your input!

Looking for photos taken during 1958 Glidden tour by Richard Merrill or others. Interested in any other materials related to this tour. THANKS! Rick Hayford dhayford@cybertours.com