Steve Braverman

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shop Rat</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bkazmer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ron Green</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Of course they handle fine, but with radials they would handle better. </div></div> Not if they kill you. From my near catastrophe of installing radials on a car that made it unsafe, I learned that the radial characteristics vary from car to car, both good and bad. It wasn't the fact that the tires were radials that caused your problem, it was the fast that the tires you bought were too wide. Of course if you put tires on a car that don't fit, you are going to have problems. In my youthful ignorance I once installed a pair of radials on the rear of my Corvair while leaving bias-plys on the front. That was an interesting ride.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ron Green</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have old cars with both radial and bias tires and in my opnion if the chassis parts are in excellent condition the bias handle fine. To each there own. </div></div> Of course they handle fine, but with radials they would handle better.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shop Rat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">And there just is no valid arguement for radials being safer on a show car. If there was the AACA would have changed the rules by now. </div></div> The benefits in handling and braking with radial tires are well-documented. If you are depending on the AACA judging manual to dictate what is safe, then you are very naive. If by "show car," you mean a car that isn't driven, then maybe you are correct. But then again, those people who do not drive their cars most likely are not modifying them for safety anyway. When I owned cars of the 60s, I only would drive on radials. The difference they made to my '63 Buick and my Corvair were amazing. If radials are ever made to fit my Franklin, I will be the first to try a set. I just checked with Coker, and 650-19 in a white wall are up to $210 a piece! And on 1930s technology I only get about 10k miles out of them. Tires are the most important piece of safety equipment on any car.

Franklin owners prefer to call them mascots or ornaments, not radiator caps since radiator is a dirty word in Franklin circles. The later lion, the one with the round base, is from the series 11, 1925-27. They are more common than the series 10C lion, used from 1924-25. I've seen them sell from $75 to $250 depending on the condition of the nickel plating. Many years ago a keg full of NOS lions showed up at the Franklin Trek, so they are not in short supply. There are many more lions than cars that need them, but they make really nice paper weights. There are two on eBay right now. One of each style. I've attached pictures of both. You could watch and see what they bring.

I just checked my father's new Haulmark, and it has Hi-Runs on it. So what. In reality, anything you buy is a gamble. I Remember a few years ago when Firestone was having problems with blowouts causing Ford Explorers to roll over. I was at the Ford dealer where a woman was having her tires replaced by the recall. She was having a fit because they were putting new Firestones on her car. The service manager politely told her that Firestone was recalling the tires, but they certainly weren't going to give her somebody else's tires as a replacement. She carried on that Firestones were unsafe and she wouldn't drive with her children on Firestones. I couldn't help myself but to tell her that Firestone has been making tires for over 100 years, and just because they made a few bad ones, it doesn't mean they're all bad. We are all going to have to get used to seeing Chinese goods. Just like "Made in Japan" used to mean junk, the times they are a changing. I remember when I worked in an equipment shop and sold tires for commercial lawn mowers. We had the cheap Cheng Shing Tires and the quality, twice the price, made in USA, Carlisle tires. I guess Carlisles aren't what they used to be. The truth is, you never know how good a product is, foreign or domestic, until you try it. I'm not about to toss out the Hi-Runs just yet, and I'll gladly take any that anyone wants to throw my way.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cut_n_Chop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Gee, no-one has any idea at all? Must be rare </div></div> Cow poop on the New York City Subway is rare... but that doesn't make it worth anything.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1937hd45</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How is the wood in that thing? </div></div> Is there any real structural wood in a 1932 DeSoto? My '31 Plymouth is "all steel." It has wood floor boards and wood slats in the roof, but that's it.

Enlighten me, what was United Motors? I've never seen one of these signs. As for neon, I was watching "Made in America" with John Ratzenberger the other night, and he did a piece on Yesco signs. They showed how neon signs were made by hand, in the US of A. The show is usually re-run on The Travel Channel. Check it out if you can find it. http://www.yesco.com/

Does anyone have an extra tail light and bracket for a '32?

Does anyone have a light like this with the arm? It's for a '32 Franklin, but it may fit other makes as well.

The original finish is a glossy black. Maybe a porcelain coating?

I posted this at the HCCA section, but haven't got a good answer yet. What are the buckets of acetylene lamps painted with? Too hot for regular paint, or even engine enamel.

The hottest the head might get on a water cooled engine is maybe 250 degrees. An acetylene flame burns at about 1500 degrees.

It's way too shiny to be stove black. It has to be some sort of enamel.

Try touching one when it's lit and get back to me.

Hey Dan, Jeff Hasslen made them. I have one if you need it, just have to find it. Or give Jeff a call. They weren't very expensive if I remember. Steve

The "container" as you call it is an oiler. It is belt-driven and supplies oil to all the critical spots. You can see the sight glass to determine the level. The four brass doo dads pump up and down as the car runs. By turning the nuts, the flow rate can be adjusted. The Sears uses a total loss system, and the oil eventually leaks out. The shiny clean engine in KC's picture probably doesn't run much. The oily mess in my picture runs all the time. After I went through it, I reassembled it with all new gaskets, and it still drools oil all over the place. The cylindrical thing on top of the later engine is a breather, or as I call it the oil sprayer.

I wonder when Sears switched to the later style engine. I can read the car number on the above car as 3026 0r 3028. My father's car is 3448, which we always believed to be close to the end. Most of the cars I have seen have the earlier engine.

The gas headlights on my dad's 1911 Franklin have the buckets painted black with nickel trim. What did they paint these thing with that could withstand the heat put out by an acetylene flame?

Any inline fuel filter should work ok. As for plugs, if you don't want to use Champion X plugs at about $25 a piece, Autolight makes a modern replacement. I forget the number. As to getting it running smoothly, they didn't really run smoothly when new.

Try Rare Parts in Ca. http://www.rareparts.com/

Yes the oil is shared between the engine and transmission.You will notice that the oil pan spans both. The model T is very easy to keep running. There are a lot of books on the T. You can also contact Bob Lang if you need any parts. http://www.modeltford.com/ My grandfather gave me a model T when I was 10 years old, and I have never recovered. I'll have to get another some day.

Do you still need this? I have a complete steering column.

I hear there's a nice one available in Tulsa.