RansomEli

I live near Austin and have met many such owners as yours. Here's my opinion. Most important part: the cars are 50 miles away and it would be really inconvenient for you or the owner to open the property up to buyers. Without wheels, the cars may be worthless since they would be too much trouble to move. Best business approach would be to category and sell parts. Where an entire car might junk out at $200, you might be able to part out taillights, chrome molding and dashboard items for $400. You can also remove parts and then move them to Austin, where they would be easier to sell. You could also offer the owner a royalty/commission on each sale. That way you don't have to pay in advance (which could tie up a large amount of cash) and the owner would be continually assured that you are paying properly.

Couldn't make it the Chickasha Swap Meet this year. How are things going? Any interesting cars or items? Last year was a bit disappointing. Vendor attendance was down from previous years and there seemed to a general buyers' malaise.

Agree with Dan above. Pressure test your cooling system. I found a defective radiator car that way. Looked perfectly normal to me but allowed water to leak out as soon as pressure built up in the radiator.

Second, price. Third, location. Fourth, pictures. Other than that, a great ad. Do you visit the AACA forum regularly?

Just received my Eastwood catalog. Talks about painting. The guideline says you can sand the primer with 320 grit sandpaper before applying a urethane color coat. The guideline also says you can optionally wet sand with 400-600 grit. I've always sanded the primer with 400 or 500 grit before applying the final coat. Seems to me 320 would leave sand scratches. Does anyone have experience final sanding using 320 grit? With the cost of paint nowadays, I'd hate to make an avoidable mistake.

Just traveled that route a couple of days ago. My recommendations: Oatman is a must. You can buy burro food and feed the donkeys that roam the streets. Also, check out the hotel where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon night. There's a cafe where you can order rattlesnake or boar pizza. Seligman is another must. The town revived itself by capitalizing on the Route 66 craze. From there, take the old Route 66 road through Peach Springs to dinosaur caverns. Pleasant little cave your kids will like. This section of Route 66 is pristine and gives you a true sense of how motoring really was during those days. You can stop at Meteor Crater, but I don't think it's worth the admission price. Very expensive to see a hole in the ground. I do recommend the Petrified Forest. Spend a night in Gallup, NM. Visit the old Santa Fe train depot and it museum. There are lots of Indian stores with tons of jewelry and rugs. Best prices in the Southwest. I bought 2 fantastic Navajo rugs there. Also, be sure to have some authentic lamb stew or Mexican food, New Mexico style. Red or Green is always the question - I prefer Green. If you have the time, visit the pueblo at Acoma, about 50 miles east of Gallup. This pueblo has been inhabited for at least 800 years and is perched atop of a mesa with 350 foot high cliffs. Guided tours are $26 per person, but you get a glimpse of something totally unique. Some Indians also have pots and art for sale. I bought some items at very reasonable prices.

As the previous owner of two Fiats (1963 1200 convertible and 1976 sedan), I can speak with some authority. Get the best Fiat you can afford in the beginning, because you will be working on it continually. An engine that "supposedly runs" is asking for trouble. Find a Fiat you can drive and seems to run well. There are plenty of 124 Spiders for sale in Craigslist and other places. You should be able to get a good, running car for about $3500 - $8000. Good luck. Fiat 124s are really nice cars. But don't rely on it for daily transporation. Fiat parts break not through use or misuse - just because they can. P.S. I just love their air horns. Just like the Ferraris of their day.

I think the 135s for sale on the HHFC website are fairly priced, depending upon engine and body condition. There is room to finish the car at a reasonable price. However, I would personally inspect the car before purchasing, or at least have a Franklin-knowledgeable person do so for me. I'm a little surprised these cars have not already been sold.

Very interesting article. Henry Ford was one of the most brilliant persons of the 20th century, but also one of the most complex. Each of his great points was matched by a similar dark one.

Thanks, everyone. Your answers are reassuring. I always disconnect the battery, anyways. and since I'm working way far away from the engine computer, there should be no problem.

I've got a Lincoln electric welder (smaller version) and want to do some welding in the trunk area of my '91 Camaro. Do I need to take any precautions in order to protect the computer(s) in the car? What about newer cars in the late '90s?

I would join your local AACA. Then, make friends with the members - let them know you are for real. Offer to help out anyone working on 50's cars. You'll be an extra hand in order to gain knowledge. That's how I learned to work on Franklins. My mentor was getting too old to do the physical stuff, so I was his extra pair of hands (and muscles). The knowledge I gained was priceless. Words of caution - you have to first earn people's trust. You can't just go in and expect someone to open their garage to you. Also, be prepared to do a lot of grunt work and deal with cranky people. You have to put in your dues.

I rewired my Franklin and the same thing happened. Turns out the new wires were just a bit wider than the originals. They fit snug into the distributor cap but never reached the bottom, so there was no connection. Replaced my originals and the car started right up. Had to find ignition wires exactly the same width. See if you have an electrical connection.

My 1989 Camaro convertible will be eligible for AACA tours next year! Also, I'll be eligible for Texas antique vehicle plates. This is the first car I owned as a daily driver and kept until it became an antique. It's a sweet car - 98% stock with a 5.0 V8 and 5 speed manual transmission. The stick shift makes all the difference in the world. Can't help but smile as I drive down the road. I may take it on local AACA tours but wouldn't dream of having it judged. Any other members out there who suddenly find themselves with an antique?

I agree. Haven't seen many touring cars come up for sale. Last year I was looking for a 1929 135 sedan - wanted an older restoration but a good runner. Had a devil of a time, when in past years such cars were readily available. There are several sedans currently for sale on the HHFC website, but they need finishing.

You are getting great advice. Nothing I can add. For me, epoxy primer, bodywork, more epoxy, surfacer and color coat is the way to go. Don't scrimp on paint. Depending on the color, expect to pay close to $1000 for primer, surfacer, base and clear coat. House of Kolor had some good paint/restoration books. You might still find them in places like Barnes & Noble. The books (actually, catalogue-sized paperbacks) show you the "right" way to prepare and paint a car.

Here's a list of car things I have to be thankful for: Antique Automobile magazine. You guys are great. I keep forgetting how wonderful each issue is - well written and museum-quality photos. And now, a poster! Let's have a whole separate forum section so we can argue over what to publish next. I vote for a 1904 Franklin, 1913 Mercer Raceabout and 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB. All the experts who graciously share their automotive knowledge with us. Being able to drive my antique cars and share the experience with others. Having just the right tool for a special job.

None of the Bettendorf High School students want to know about Franklins.

What a great video! What if we all tried to do a time-lapse video of our restoration projects? Imagine all the interesting things we could see.

I am the happy owner of a 1921 9B touring and just love the car. It's extremely comfortable and very easy to drive (considering you really don't have any brakes). Here's my advice on selling the car: 1. Don't put any money into paint or upholstery. You won't get that money back and an original or old restoration is what lots of people are looking for. 2. Put money into getting the engine to run properly. Not a rebuild - just get it to run well. These cars are a joy to drive and anyone taking a test drive will be hooked. I'll bet a Franklin Club member would help sort out your car. Depending where you live, you may get a few. Whatever they charge, it would be far less than taking your car to a restoration mechanic who has never worked on Franklin engines. If you are lucky, someone may have changed the ignition system over to a Chevy 6 (sorry for the heresy, Odyssey). 3. Guesstimate on price depends upon engine condition. I'd say between $15-20K, but I'm prejudiced. 4. Advertise on this forum here and the Franklin Club website (http://www.franklincar.org). Good luck and keep us informed.

Alsancle is correct. 95% of a good paint job is proper body preparation. There are lots of good videos and articles on how to prepare a car for painting - priming, block sanding, etc. I have painted several cars with acrylic lacquer, including red and black, and produced excellent results. It just takes lots of time for redos and tons of time for block sanding. This 1980 Chevy was painted in my driveway. After 8 years it still looks good. Acrylic lacquer.

Thanks for all the advice. I want to build a body for my 1908 REO 1 cyl. I also want to build a 1913 speedster body for another project. I don't want to pay someone else - I'd rather slog through the process myself. From all the advice, I think I'll start looking for a good, older model,,

Thanks to all for the tips and advice.

Here are two pictures. From outer end to outer end, the steering wheel diameter is 17 5/8 inches.

My 1922 Franklin steering column is missing almost half of the wooden steering wheel. Has anyone build their own steering wheel, or should I just get someone to manufacture one? Any recommendations on who could do this for me? Thanks.