poci1957

I also hesitated to post and give attention to this topic but there is some unfortunate truth from Lahti35 and Bob Hill. In most hobbies there have always been people who were difficult/eccentric/odd/etc. and they can be especially attracted to dealing with old cars. Especially with (my favorite scapegoat again) the cable TV shows constantly showing greed and avarice about speculating in old cars and encouraging the careless modifying. The AACA is generally less about those things to me and Steve is right that all we can do is try to associate with agreeable folks and avoid the disagreeable. With the general coarsening of society the hobby is probably just mirroring life in general, Todd C

I agree with Owen Dyneto on all of the above

I think it was both fear of fire generally and especially in dealing with gasoline. The owners must have rightly seen the chance to use that to their advantage of being the first fireproof garage in town, Todd C

Good question, it seems in 1910 they built the first large garage in town specifically designed for automobiles, as opposed to a converted livery stable or farm implement dealer. The Shellabargers were a very prominent business family in the city and one of the family scions was an early car owner who saw opportunity in the business. The Fireproof garage was said to be completely built of brick, concrete and steel with "no combustible materials" in it's construction. It was a full slab with no basement to support the weight of the automobiles and the addition of extra stories if needed and with steel trusses to eliminate the need for posts in the work area. So looking at their ad in 1913 we can see they mention the fireproof garage to reassure customers of safety and also mention they offer storage and parking. Their product line was carefully positioned to cover multiple price points, plus they had a cyclecar coming and two electrics so they really covered the market. Three years later the town's most prominent new hotel opened nearby and they soon claimed to offer 24 hour service and quarters for chauffeurs who were apparently expected to stay near the car and not as guests in the hotel. An interesting look at a car dealer from the teens, Todd C

The Cole DOES have a cool look with that cowl and windshield. In fact the whole style seems advanced for a medium priced 1913, I was not aware how nice they look, Todd C

Hey Kevin, here is an ad from my hometown newspaper that you may find interesting

Put me in for Librandi's in Harrisburg, they have been in the chrome business for at least 35 years and know what an old car owner expects. Last time I was there the owner was showing his own 1948 Town & Country at Hershey so these are car people who know what they are doing. No chrome is cheap so you might as well at least be confident you will not be disappointed, Todd C

I am very impressed that a beginner would dive into something like a Cole and a Maxwell......kudos to you for going seriously old school and out of the mainstream, great to see, Todd C

That was my initial thought too. Knowing now that it is 25" long it could also be a side or tail trim piece, possibly from a 1950s GM vehicle

Wish I could help on the other part, is there a part number on the back anywhere?

That seems to be true here too. ACE Hardware still has the individual pieces, at least the one near me, Todd C

Regrettably I also get the impression (after working at dealerships for over 28 years) that this is a big part of the problem when a dealer mechanic cannot readily diagnose your repair. It is not just the guys fault, of course, since the system is set up to handle regularly seen problems as quickly as possible and is upset by anything unusual. It is frustrating for the dealer and staff too since they really do want to solve the problem and make you happy; if for no other reason than just to make the problem go away so they can move on. As others have said your best bet now is to be friendly and cooperative but firm that this is a problem that must be figured out before your warranty expires. Also that you cannot just go away and will go to the next level(s) to make it happen. And do not let them just blame the wheelchair people to get out of it, good luck, Todd C

Hey Ed, that is an interesting business model that I do not think I have ever seen before, seems like a good idea. Since it lasted 15 years would you say this model worked well for you? Plenty of customer demand? Tell us a little more, Todd C

Looks to me like part # 1 could be the center grille piece from a 1941 Pontiac as seen here, is there a number anywhere? If so part number would probably be 505196 or something similar.

I know Lowes does not own Craftsman and that is why I was a little surprised (but not unhappy) to see them in the stores alongside the Kobalt brand that they presumably do own. I assume this means Lowes must (correctly) also think Craftsman is the stronger brand. I have a few small Kobalt items but no hand tools, anyone here have an opinion on them compared to Craftsman or other popular lines?

They are promoting it down here too, just noticed in the last month or so. Makes me wonder what they will do with their Kobalt brand that they presumably invented to compete with Craftsman, Todd C

I know and I agree that logically that timeframe is probably appropriate for those reasons. My observation was more a personal thing since to me the 1970s thru mid-1980s and the late 1980s thru mid-1990s seem like such different eras in automobiles, but I am in for the accepted 1972-95. I look forward to meeting the Malasian contingent at the Iola Car Show next month and to personally see the soon-to-be iconic Golden Smog Pump (a genius idea IMO). Todd C

Exactly right Bernie, my equivalent was Car Exchange magazine circa 1980 featuring 1960s "special interest" cars. For the younger reader "Special Interest" was the label then for cars with potential collector appeal but less than 25 years old and thus not yet antiques. The 1980s car today is in a similar place except they actually ARE over 25 years old and still not widely embraced by traditional collectors. I recall many issues where the car on the cover or in a feature was only 15 years old or less but to me they still seemed like artifacts from a distant time compared to a 1985-90 model today, Todd C

I like that too and I have embraced this group and enjoy their enthusiasm. The only problem is the 1972-95 timeframe is pretty broad and the participant’s interest can vary from the 1970s through the 1990s. For example I am personally interested in 1970s cars but not really in 1990s models. Our own Linc400 says the 1970s cars are not really malaise since they are not somber but were still marketed with bright colors and interiors with lots of variety compared to the conservative 1980s and 1990s. I see his point but would contend that they are definitely malaise; by association with the 1979 Jimmy Carter speech and also by the spirit of the automakers trying to do more with less in the face of looming gloomy times. But the common thread is that as a group in the old car world they represent a very specific genre that I support wholeheartedly--that of preserving a bit of the post-musclecar era that has been pooh-poohed by older enthusiasts for decades. The malaise group is picking up the mantle of buying an old car just for enjoyment and community, with little expectation of making a quick buck or just following the money like those of us that came before. More power to them, Todd C

For Kevin and our other younger participants note that the irony in the Sears situation is that they rose to prominence 100 years ago doing mail order with no retail stores just like Amazon. In the 1890s-1920s Sears (and Montgomery Ward) served customers buying at a discount through the mail compared to local stores with limited selection and higher prices. Sound familiar? Virtually all rural and small town homes had their catalog and they built their brand through shipping and easy returns with the policy of “satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.” So what happened next? They decided they could expand into retail stores in the cities for people who would like to see the merchandise in person, then buy and take it home today. That worked better for 20th century and suburban living and in the 1990s they decided catalog mail order was out and closed it down literally right before Amazon and the internet revived mail order household goods. Google “Chicago Old Post Office” for interesting reading on the massive structure they needed to service their business and in a final irony note that the City of Chicago is working on repurposing the giant old post office Sears required in their package to entice Amazon to relocate there. So then in a few years Amazon can say “….after dealing with all this shipping and returning imagine how it could be if our customers could go somewhere to see the merchandise in person and buy it right on the spot? That could be a great concept.....” Todd C

All good points and true.....we lament the loss of old retailers but when was the last time we supported them? Why did I and others drift away? One reason was as I hit my 40s I naturally needed to buy less stuff. But I guess as a Sears customer in the 1980s and 1990s I must have felt like I got my perceived quality and value and later I perceived that I got a better quality/value equation elsewhere. And remember, I live in Illinois and know Sears is an Illinois company--I PREFERRED to support them. Regarding employees I would contend that the local stores all pull from the same pool and in fact Sears may have had slightly higher paid legacy employees. But I think they seemed demotivated, probably from company policies during the shrinking of the chain since you can't shrink your way to prosperity and keep everyone's chin up, and customers notice the gloomy vibe. It is a shame, Todd C

Sure sounds like it based on your observations above. I looked at the 1929 Cadillac service manual and it looked like it said the original springs include 10 leafs in the front and 9 in the rear? Yikes, I would think if they did that with springs of modern material it would be very stiff, good luck, Todd C

It is sad to see after how much they affected most car guy hobbyists. I am 50 and starting in my teens would slowly build my tool collection with Craftsman tools, most of which I still use. Virtually all boys my age who needed tools had the same experience. Then during a time I intended to work on cars professionally I much admired the fancier Snap On, Mac and Matco tools but bought Craftsman wrenches and sockets for 1/4 the price knowing they were guaranteed and I had a Sears store within a 30 minute drive virtually anywhere I would be going. By the late 1990s I had a Lowes and Menards nearby and a new Sears moved in too. I preferred Sears tools generally but the others were convenient, well stocked, and had quick and cheerful returns and exchanges. I bought kitchen appliances in 2005 and got them from Lowes. I bought a Kenmore washer in 2005 and it failed and was junked in 5 years. I needed a push mower in 2012 and wanted a Sears model but found a better deal and better experience at Menards--the Sears felt slow, stodgy and difficult to deal with. After more obvious shrinking and cutbacks they closed by 2015 as the two big boxes were the top retail businesses in town. It is a sad end to what really was the Amazon of 100 years ago and a fixture for generations, Todd C

Hi Matt, just throwing this out there as you are very experienced and I am not a 1929 Cadillac expert. Your own comments got me thinking. In the late 1990s Ford released a new generation F450/F550 truck and we got complaints about them sagging lower under load compared to the previous model which was like a buckboard. It was explained that the springs had been designed for more movement to provide a better ride but this extra movement gave them more “give” under load. Seemed logical to me as the result of the never ending need for compromise between load carrying and decent ride characteristics. This must have been a major concern in designing cars in the 1920s too, especially a luxury class car. You needed to make springs heavy duty but also give them a cushioning action, much as the trucks of today, and it sounds like your biggest problem is that yours are too stiff and unyielding. I wonder if you can find any original specs that would tell you any original measurement of deflection that you could compare to your existing springs as I just bet they were replaced in a 1960s or 1970s restoration with whatever was close and would maintain the ride height—probably stiffer truck springs. I can’t know of course but sure seems plausible and maybe the truck spring shop or Eaton would have the specs somewhere, will be very interested in what happens, Todd C

I also think that is reading a little too much into it.