Steve Braverman

Side mounts are one of those things. I like them on some cars, but not others. My black, 1932 Franklin does not have them, and I absolutely love the way it looks. However, big, black sedans can also look great with side mounts. My green, 1930 Franklin has only one side mount, as that was standard equipment on the seven-passenger sedan. So I get to enjoy both looks, with and without side mount, depending on which side I stand on. My yellow, 1933 Franklin has a rear mount, where as most of the convertibles had side mounts (I guess a trunk would come in handy). I absolutely prefer the rear mount on the convertible as I feel it makes the car look long, lower, and sportier.

Walt, you should come back to the Trek. The food in the dining hall is quite a bit better than in the past. Most of the dorms are air conditioned. There are suites available to families with private baths and kitchenettes. We spend a lot more time touring and less time sleeping under the tree. Also, the Trek has been at Caz for 52 years, however we may need to relocate for next year as the college is facing some financial problems. We will know soon, and I am looking at other venues (slim pickings). We have also had well-attended psychology lectures given by one of our long-time members. It's a unique event for sure.

Unfortunately, if you come to a Franklin Trek, you may be forced to actually drive a Franklin, as well as ride in one. Like I said, resistance is futile. I look forward to meeting you this summer. I am currently working on a recently acquired 1930 seven-passenger sedan, and I will have it at the Trek next year.

If you are interested in Franklins, you are welcome to attend. If you show up in a '38 Buick, you won't be kicked out. We often get visitors in water-cooled cars. The HH Franklin Club is open to all air-cooled cars built before WWII, but we've had a few Corvairs and VWs show up in the past. I'm sure some people would make remarks, but that's people. If you want to follow us on public roads, nobody can stop you. If you want to register for the Trek and be a participant, you have to be a club member or a guest of a member. I will warn you, we will try to convince you to buy a Franklin, and as they said on Star Trek, "Resistance is futile." By the way, the 1937-38 Buicks are some of my favorites and I have one on my bucket list. I hope this is a positive enough answer for Jack M. We pride ourselves on being a friendly and welcoming group. The HHFC is one of the most supportive car clubs I know of, and Franklins are one of the most affordable cars in their class.

I am a member of the AACA, HCCA, and the HH Franklin Club. I am a member of my local AACA region, but it is struggling and has almost folded recently. Here is my take: I like touring and have no interest in car shows. Sitting in a field of static cars while guys in hats pick them apart to see who gets the plastic trophy seems to be a waste of a sunny day, and that is all that my local clubs seem to want to do. I usually attend a few local shows, and I always leave frustrated and bored. I have not been on an AACA tour for over a decade. Almost all of them seem to be scheduled when I have to work. I am a teacher and I get 12 weeks of vacation, but the dates are carved in stone by the board of education. When I have complained about tours being scheduled during the week. during the school year, I've been told that I need to consider my priorities when choosing my vacation time. When a tour is scheduled Monday to Friday, as many are, not only are you excluding teachers like me, but also families with children. If a tour were say, Thursday through Sunday, I could take a personal day or two, but not an entire week. The answer I get is that summer is too hot and weekends have too much traffic. I joined the HCCA a few years ago, as they call themselves "The Premier Touring Club." I even went out and bought a brass touring car. I find that most of their tours are also out of my reach. Maybe someday. I inquired about joining the local HCCA chapter, nad found out the next meeting was a lunch on a Thursday. I am most active with the Franklin Club. I own five Franklins. Their annual, week-long meet is in July/August, and I never miss it. They also have a rule against judging, which I appreciate. I have served on the board twice, and I have been the Franklin Trek (national meet) chairman for three years. I look forward to retirement, when I can enjoy my antique cars with the rest of you.

The wire wheels are a desirable accessory, although these are not really correct for this year car. No, the original 1924 wheels will not work with the later axles. 1924 Franklins never had side mounts.

These pullers are out there. I recently acquired one for $50 for my 147 that I'm working on. Franklin used the same puller from 1913-1931.

New frame rails for a series 10 is fairly straightforward, and they can be replaced without tearing apart the whole car.

I have two wood-frame Franklins. The engineering is fascinating. i don't know of any other cars with wood chassis rails post WW1.

Possibly air cooled, but not a Franklin.

I'm going to second Walt G's Franklin suggestion. Not only are they more reliable than others due to their air cooling. but they are usually more economical to buy than others. My 1932 and 33 will both run at 55 mph quite comfortably. I'm not as tall as Walt (5'9"), but I find the Olympic to be very comfortable, and the two prior owners before me were both over 6'. If you can find a Franklin Olympic, you'll have a truly great road car, and something unique.

I bought a kit on ebay for my 147 that includes hoses, wheel cylinder kits, and a master cylinder kit. I was going to go that route, but thought better of it. I took the master and wheel cylinders, and drove over to Apple in my 16A to drop them off. The guys were amused to see the car, and were happy to know that the brake components that they rebuilt 15 years ago are still working perfectly. As a side note, after the car sat for a few years with an engine failure, I was unable to get a brake pedal and determined it was the master. I brought it in to them, and they re-rebuilt it while I waited under warranty. This was seven years after they rebuilt it the first time. As for DOT 5 fluid, whenever I hear about it all I think about is you and Ken Johnson rebuilding his brakes on the green at Caz to flush out the silicone fluid. I always use DOT 3.

Looks very straight and solid. A nice restoration candidate.

What does it mean to index the bore? I was going to attempt to rebuild my master on my 147 myself, but I'll probably take the ride over to Apple and let them do it.

Price and location?

This is a few miles from where I live. Al Krupski is a farmer and also our county legislator. I see him in a suit at local functions and also on his tractor. When I walk on my street in the fall, I often find potatoes in the road by the railroad crossing where they bounce out of the potato trucks. Yes, they still grow them here.

This is Harold Sharon's truck. It is now on display at the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich, NY.

Hope to see you there! Bring your Franklin.

I made this post to promote my event and my club, not to argue the merits of social media. The HH Franklin Club maintains a conventional web site, we publish an award-winning magazine, we publish a newsletter, we maintain a Facebook profile, and we're working on an e-mail newsletter similar to the AACA Speedster. The Facebook group is not affiliated officially with the club. It was started by a few active members, myself included, and operates independently. If you'd like to join us, that's great. The group is very active, and questions are answered quickly and by many people. It operates very similarly to the AACA Facebook Group. As Wayne Sheldon says above, we would be doing a disservice to ourselves by not having a presence on social media.

The HH Franklin Club recently held its 68th Annual Franklin Trek in Cazenovia, NY. For those of you unfamiliar with Franklin Automobiles, they were built from 1902-34 in Syracuse, NY. All Franklins had air-cooled engines and came in four, six, and V12 configurations. The HHFC is different from many other antique car clubs. We do not have judged events, and rather give awards based on longest distance driven and people's choice. Our annual event in Cazenovia (20 miles from Syracuse) had 201 people this year and over 40 Franklins. We are usually better attended, and are still recovering from the pandemic. The event is held on the campus of Cazenovia College, and we are accommodated by the college, making the week-long event affordable. Franklins are unique automobiles with very advanced engineering and high-quality construction that are comparatively affordable to buy. The HHFC is an amazing club, and we offer benefits and services to our members that are unmatched by other single-marque clubs. For more information check out www.franklincar.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/H-H-Franklin-Club-Inc-105608826960 Or find the Franklin Automobile Enthusiast Group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/251339938628026/.

I bought the IR compressor from Tractor Supply, and so far i'm happy with it. I know it's not of the same quality as the unit it replaced, but it's new, it's quieter, and it doesn't leak. For those that asked, it runs at 1750 rpm.

If you're still looking, I'm thinking of selling my 1925 10C. It's located on Long Island, NY. I'm asking $30k.

I went to TSC to look at the Ingersoll Rand compressors. They have a huge decal on them the says, "Made in USA," and in smaller type, "from global components." The pump is made in India. My old compressor is a Saylor-Beall. I looked it up, and it's a $3-4k unit new. Now I'm undecided between buying a new tank and restoring my old compressor, or just buying the new one. In all fairness, the new IR will probably last me forever.

I think the motor and pump are fine. I've looked into a new replacement tank, and the cost is about the same as a new compressor. Even though I think they're fine, a new compressor will probably be much better, even if it is chinesium. Tractor Supply has the same size compressor, and it just went on sale. I think I'll pick it up, and hopefully it will outlive me. I will be sure to drain the tank more often! https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ingersoll-rand-80-gallon-5-hp-reciprocating-air-compressor?cm_vc=-10011

My air compressor is probably over 50 years old, so when I found the bottom of the tank rotted through, I wasn't too surprised. It's a big unit with an 80 gallon tank. Besides air tools, I also have a small blast cabinet and a canister sandblaster. Do I need such a big compressor?