alsfarms

You do indeed have the start of a very nice speedster. Do not give up and stall on this one! Al

Hello Al, I am more of an optimist when I come to stuff like this rear end. Someone will find a use for it, with a little patience. Any new word on your other project? Al

the truck is probably three tonner. Nice rig for you. Al

Chistech, you complimented me on my lawn. Thanks! Here in the arid west, having a lawn is a labor of love, which I am willing to invest. Our annual rainfall hovers around 7". As a result we have to water regularly or no lawn at all, that includes shade trees and any thing else we grow either at the house or on the farm. No water, no anything! I get envious of the east where everything is green and things simply grow without encouragement. But all that green has a price, more humidity and plenty of little biting "no-see-ums". I guess, I like visiting the east but am OK being a westerner. Al

Ok, this conversation is wetting my history whistle. It would be nice to meet you all at a local cafe, sit around the table all evening talking history of the area and US, then talk history of Pierce-Arrow (Buffalo area) Locomobile, (Bridgeport area) Mercer (Trenton area) then I guess we could also talk about all those manufacturers that chose to cluster together on the western frontier (Detroit area). I am sure that I could learn a bunch more than I was taught in US history! I have plenty of hints to scrounge around on Google and learn some less known history. Joe, my wife likes the "Salt Box" design that also is a part early American architecture. The Salt Box was probably a design that was brought about as families needed more room. They would add the lean-to portion on the back side making the shape it is known for.

This is a very interesting thread you have us on Joe. I do thoroughly enjoy antique automobiles, but also history. Of course old machinery and houses are also a serious interest for me. From a historical aspect, I do have one family line that is 16th century American and originated in the general area of New Jersey, Rhode Island and the other near surrounding states. That family line is western European being German, Belgian and Dutch. "Conk" is that family name. I still have many long distance relatives in that area. I will post a picture of probably the oldest structure in my home town. It was originally the abode of my double great-grand-dad (father of the builder of my home). Back in the 1860's-70's, when my town was settled, my family like most other families owned near a city block for a home site and that was so with my double great grand dad. Property holdings were broken up as the family evolved and now I own the original home site and in the back of my 1 acre lot still stands the original log home that my family lived in until a newer adobe home was constructed, (now long gone) then the next home is my 1899 home. It must have been a labor of hard work to build the log cabin as the nearest trees and mountain range to get trees was 25 miles away. The log cabin originally had an upper floor and loft to serve a a sleeping area for children, (roof and loft was modified in the 1920's). My garden surrounds this log structure and we can grow some great tomatoes! I now use the log cabin as storage for several car projects parts. It is my desire to renovate and make useful again, this log cabin, specific to the era that it was first built. You guys, on the east coast, have the rich early Colonial history. We in the West only have the "Wild West" (newer heritage from the mid 1800's). This chat is a fun diversion while we get back up to steam on the car stuff. Al

I am starting the hunt for some old design gas tank fittings that will be used on a tank that is lightly pressurized to push the fuel up to the carb. Does anyone have an old tank out in the weeds that still has the fittings on it? Al

Nice start! My brother built a "T" speedster similar to your car. When he first built it he didn't put a back slope to the seats. After driving it for a while he didn't like that arrangement at all. He redid the body and put some back leaning slope to the seats which tended to "keep you in the seat" not so prone to slide out. Are you going to run any aux. transmission or high speed gears in the rear end? Your choice of a late series Model T is a good one to get you all the brake you can get. Is your engine also a '26-'27? Share more pictures as you proceed. Al

Joe, is the design of your house some form of a "Dutch" style? Seems that I have seen or heard reference to your roof style as something "Dutch", maybe I am dreaming? Nice old home you have. I bet it could tell more stories than the Mitchell you are working on. Al

The need for this rear end would be someone that is building a speedster, wants an early style (not a '57 Chev.) and is willing to jump through the hoops to install all the guts from a modern rear end being able to choose the gear ratio. This conversion is lots of effort and not many fellows are willing to do that kind of work any more. Are we simply getting lazy or old?

Well I'll be!!! I thought I lived in an old home, but out of us three, I live in the new home as my home is only 120 years young! I will post a front shot of my home as it is now. But if you can conjure up in your mind this picture; in 1983 a dam broke up river of us about 15 miles. Now as you look at the front of my house, imagine water up to and just lapping at the top of my front door threshold. Water was about 4' high around my house. I didn't have a good 1983, at all! I was just lucky that my great-grand-dad had lived here since the 1860's and had survived several dam breaks so when he built this house he put it up on a full standing foundation, unusual in our area as most early homes were flat on the ground. In our small town, we now only have two old homes standing, mine and one other up the street, the flood of '83 destroyed 22 homes total. It was several years before we got back to some form of normality in my little town. OK, Joe, sorry to detract from the talk of solder and brass and threads, (my story was brought back to my memory by Terry's water issue). Back to the rebuilding of the Mitchell. Al

Hello Joe, How much solder bleed through did you get on your threads (on the inside)? What a nice job you have done! Did you use silver solder? If yes, what flavor of silver solder did you use? Now Terry, what you suggest for solder practice is not fun even a little bit! That flood issue is something that anyone with a basement absolutely dreads! Are you back together or just getting started? Do you use your basement as living space or as storage? Of course, there is always more to the story when it comes to catastrophes. Good luck in anyway or form, I feel your pain! Al

What year are your Packard wheels? My big series Nash for 1929 also shares wheels with Franklin, Chrysler and Packard, (maybe others also that use the 7 lug design). Al

This Wisconsin engine project is being helped along by Terry and Don....many thanks! Al

Looks like it is my turn to share just a bit of an update on my American-LaFrance WISCONSIN special. I have been gathering pieces for more than a few years and am inching closer to having the critical items needed to start the project. I thought I would share a picture or two of the brass valve cages I just received. I now have a full set of 8 cages for the Wisconsin 4 cylinder, so from that standpoint, I need not hunt for those pieces anymore, SWEET is the thought. Wisconsin is actually a good design for the "T" head type engine. Let me explain, while most other makes of "T" heads had the open intake and exhaust valve stems and springs, as well as the lifters, Wisconsin has two piece cast aluminum castings to enclose the complete valve stem, guide, and lifter to keep out most of the road grime and then to keep any oil mist in place to lubricate the guides and lifters. The pictures will show you the four valve cages I just received, an example of the cast aluminum valve stem covers and lastly a picture to show you where they fit in relation to the jug. The two "ribs" around the middle of these castings are to hold a flat spring formed to simply clamp these two castings around the valve guide and lifter to keep them in place. I have some spring stock to build these mentioned springs and actually complete this set of valve covers. One last side note! I bought this project as a classic basket case that was the result of an over zealous restorer a long time ago. It was a complete and restorable unit at that time. However, no favors were the result for this rig, one missing rod, four missing valve cages and a wealth of other small pieces that simply could not be located after digging and scrounging for almost a year in this dark garage. As the Paul Harvey thinking would be in the "rest of the story", resist the urge to make an intact vehicle a basket case unless you are willing to follow through with it! Now for the bright side, I am about to get a start on the rebuild of the Wisconsin "M" four cylinder, I am trying to not hold my breath however. 🙂

Nice update, Did you build a complete new driven sprocket of machine of the teeth and weld on a new sprocket gear? Al

I bet the radiator gets your juices flowing! Nice job, when you get a fit with your radiator shell, share a picture or three. Al

Nice update on a big project! How about telling us about the gear replacement? How and where did you go to address that issue. Did you end up replacing two gears? How about a fast forward on the wheel repairs? Al

Interesting car! someone should buy that and enjoy it! The wheels are rather interesting and look similar to what is found on the same vintage Buick's. Al

I was hoping that Chase might see a reaction and post an update. I hope all is well with him! He did have a bit of a "set-back" last year. Al

Hello Marc, share an update on your various projects. Al

Hello Chase, What is the latest regarding the speedster build? Al

another note..... I see you have a priming pump hanging on the side of your cowl. Do you actually use it and if so, how have you plumbed it into the fueling system? Al

Hello Mike, Are you using the Franklin axles and wheels? I do not recall. What wheelbase is your speedster going to be? How badly worn is your engine? Excessive or just typical? Al

I think it may be a few years earlier but still could very well be a Maxwell product. Is the 1918 Maxwell a "Full Floating" axle design? Al