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edinmass

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Posts posted by edinmass

    Where do you get the front ends on your old cars aligned?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    It’s not common to see weight placed in a car when aligning it. ( Back when I was doing them.) Some manufacturers call for it as standard. Others say the specifications they give are unloaded and are correct when you load them. On the modern machines you can see things change as you get in and out of the car while it’s on the rack. I don’t work very much on the modern super cars, with their crazy wheels and interactive suspension.........I’m told some of them can only be aligned in one or two places in the country. I think pre 1980 most cars alignment is basically straight forward. I have seen brand new cars built so crooked they burn a set of tires off them in 3000 miles. One was so bad it couldn’t even be brought close to specifications. Chrysler refused to fix the car. We actually had to cut it apart and weld it back together. Technically it was “frame damage” by the time we were done welding it back together. 

    • Thanks 1

    mid teens carburetor rebuilder

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    Will do, I figured half the adjustments to the mixture were “the joy of tweaking the car for your enjoyment, more than performance.” Hot spots around four valve cars was a common issue......in my White, they angled the valves for better flow AND better cooling and it also allowed for a higher compression engine.......it’s stated in their announcement of the engine. It must have been common for cracks to develop in the mid teens with the multi valves, because they felt it necessary to announce they had solved the problem. 

    The Wandering White Thread - A Custom 1915 Rare White Finds A Good Home In Florida

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Stanley I have a copy of that in my pile of paperwork that I found while researching my car. Thanks for posting it. I probably have ten or twelve similar announcements in trade publications from October of 16 to February of 17 announcing similar ideas. After having put in so much time, I have come to the conclusion that for a bunch of reasons they didn’t want to build a six after the one they sold from 1913-1916. When you consider the price class they were selling in.........no matter how “special” you four is, it simply just won’t cut it in the world of six, eight, and twelves. Essentially, the war and unlimited truck sales at huge profits distracted them from car production. Their focus changed, and by mid 1916 they were committed to building the 16 valve and selling it. It’s a fantastic and interesting engine. Powerful, modern in every respect, easy to service. But it was outdated from the day it went into production. I’m guessing the 16 valve was doomed from the start, and just built to keep the dealer network intact. They probably lost half of them when they became a truck only company. Certainly a four was the industry standard till the very late 20’s for most all trucks. So the 16 valve White was caught in a corporate, as well as a wartime production pinch. It’s an oddball of automotive history. Which is why I enjoy it so much. 

    Where do you get the front ends on your old cars aligned?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    I agree 100 percent Dave. The average age of a car in the US is 12 years old.  Most modern shops are strictly geared for fast in/fast out service. The average tire shop, under car shop, and franchised service shop doesn’t want a car on the alignment rack for more than a half hour......... 

     

     

    Another strange fact......a car that pulls and can’t be brought into spec will often be pushed out of adjustment to compensate on the other side. Sometimes wire wear will be effected, sometimes not. While many people think alignments are straight forward, often times they are not.......for countless reasons. It’s part skill, and part art. 

    • Like 1

    mid teens carburetor rebuilder

    in General Discussion

    Posted


    George, they make five gas machines that are portable.....IE for running down the road. That said, I’m surprised you have to adjust you 1918 that much under normal driving conditions. The Rolls Royce cars also all have mixture adjustment from the steering wheel. Unless changing to a significant amount of altitude, we almost never adjust them. Obviously you want to keep it running rich.......melted pistons and burnt valves tend to get expensive. I have driven a bunch of Pierce cars from 1910 to 1928..... usually only a short or medium distance......not the thousands of miles you have run in them. I expect that your basically live at sea level, and I’m sure you tend to get into the hills and mountains and have elevation changes that come much faster than we do back East. I find most early cars cold blooded and thus I tend to fast idle them till they are at full operating temperature. Next August, I’m going to visit you again before Pebble, and probably before the Pierce meet. Looking forward to a ride in the 18. 

    • Like 1

    mid teens carburetor rebuilder

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    George, by jetting it, I meant using a five gas to tune it properly. In this case, adjusting the main jet. Obviously, checking the entire ignition system top to bottom would also be included. On this system, I didn’t remember the adjustable main.......I just work on too much stuff........but over pressure is a common issue (I did remember that part.) for the cars dumping fuel and running poorly. There are a bunch of ways to deal with that.......some easy, some not.

    • Like 1

    Where do you get the front ends on your old cars aligned?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)


    Craftsmanship - which doesn’t just mean skill.........but pride of workmanship , doing it right regardless of time and cost, are no longer part of 99 percent of any service you pay for today....from painting the spare bedroom, cutting a lawn, or fixing a screen door. Simple fact is most technicians under fifty are simply not capable of doing an alignment on anything that can’t be plugged into a computer. Almost every shop is flat rate today, as there is zero incentive to do it correctly. Your best bet is a speed shop/hot rod shop as they will probably have the capability of doing the alignment manually. Most will just set the toe.......what they call toe and go. Ride height, centered steering wheel, proper air pressure, shaking down the front end, dealing with rusty or stuck bolts........just a few things a 20 year kid won’t bother checking before he does the alignment. Sad but true, doing it yourself will probably be the only way you are certain it’s perfect.

     

     

    On a modern car alignment, the machine will not give all green lights till it’s in range......and the under car technician CAN NOT cheat it.........but then again, you need to see the print out. And some the time the print out that you get isn’t even your car.....it’s just one that is all green lights from another car. A proper alignment on a 60’s car should run from 100 to 400 dollars depending on how much actual time it takes to do the job.....I would figure one hour minimum just to check it and get accurate readings if no adjustments are necessary, to four hours to make adjustments and recheck it. 

    • Thanks 1

    Where do you get the front ends on your old cars aligned?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    Why not buy the equipment and align it yourself? I purchased a used set of slipper pads from my Snap On dealer, and a clamp on caster/camber/toe guage for less than 400 dollars all in. Then you have control of it getting done right. Trust me on this one:

     

    First- most people,today can’t do an alignment unless the computer can tell them how to do it.

    Second- It’s only good as the guy spinning wrenches, and most will short cut it as “good enough” and ship it.

    Third- Half the guys after cheating the alignment and road testing it will over and under inflate tires to make it track straight.

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    • Like 1

    The Wandering White Thread - A Custom 1915 Rare White Finds A Good Home In Florida

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by edinmass (see edit history)

    This car appears to be a one off custom body, there are no firewall numbers stamped in the usual place for a white, and no brass tag anywhere, and no signs of it having one. The other 1915 16 valve car is the same way. The town car is supposed to have belonged to the White family when new. Not sure how solid that story is. The only numbers we have on the car is the engine casting date and engine number. It’s 100 percent 1915 30hp chassis and platform. The transmission is similar to my 17 but still different. When I get a chance I will compile all the photos, dealer information, and other observations for everyone to see them. It’s just too dam busy right now in the shop. Sometime after the first of the year I will find the time. We are getting ready to title and register it soon..........and get the date to 1915. We shall see how that goes.......

    Owen Magnetic

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, alsancle said:

    Assuming complete,  it did seem pretty cheap.   That is the AACA magazine for this month.


    Ed’s number on rule of car collecting........there is nothing more expensive to own than a cheap pre war car.

    • Like 1

    1941 Cadillac Convertible Sedan

    in Cadillac & LaSalle

    Posted

    That’s NOT a brass car!

     

    Looks great. Fantastic driving car. Easy to service and source parts. I recommend them to everyone as their first CCCA classic or first pre war car. Honestly, it’s almost cheating as they drive so well and have so few issues it’s almost like driving a 67 Caddy. I think they made three hundred of my memory is correct. I had one for a short time in the 80’s. Unusual color......and I think it looks good. I’m certain you will be happy with it.

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