Rusty_OToole

Some years back I saw some reminiscences of an ex Buick employee. When he started there in 1909 his job was to bolt the flywheel onto the crankshaft, I believe it fitted on a taper, then machine the flywheel. Once the flywheel was "trued up" the flywheel and crankshaft were a matched set and could not be separated. Wonder if your hubs were made this way, the axle shaft and hub bolted together then the hub trued?

30s Pontiacs have an unusual feature, an oil filter inside the oil pan. I don't know if it needs to be changed or cleaned out periodically. Might be worth asking on the Pontiac board just in case it needs some special service.

Glad to be of help. It would be interesting to know how long it takes to get delivery from Hamilton Ontario to Echuca Australia. If you could let us know when it arrives.

Not from that shot. It is either a fibreglas body or a heavily modified stock body. Impossible to tell which without looking at it or at least more pictures. Did you look at it? Is it made of steel or plastic? Does it look factory made or crude, home made? Have you gone over it and looked for an ID plate or other identification? Don't forget to look under the hood, on the firewall and inner fenders, on the door jambs. While you are at it take some more pictures, profile, rear shot, instrument panel, windshield and back window, etc.

Al Lambert at Gasket City can help you if anyone can. He stocks gaskets for cars back to 1907. GasketCity.com He is on Saveryn Road in Hamilton Ontario Canada.

There are tinsmiths making furnace ducts and air conditioning ducts all over the US. Any of them should be able to help you , if you have dimensions or drawings to go by. Or even a battered sample to copy. I used to know a whitesmith or tin smith who specialized in odd jobs like that. He spent most of one summer making authentic mess kits for War of 1812 re enactors. 100 of them. I'm sure he could help you, unfortunately he is dead.

A Chrysler Airflow model CU coupe set the following records at Bonneville in 1934, racing driver Harry Hartz behind the wheel: AVERAGE SPEED TOTAL MILE RUN 95.70 MPH.......................1 90.04 MPH....................500 84.43 MPH..................2026.40(For a 24 hour run) So far as I know this is the only time a flathead Chrysler was timed in this way, officially certified by independent experts (in this case the AAA contest board). This was with a 299 cu in 122HP flathead straight eight, certified stock but no doubt prepared by Chrysler engineering to give of its best.

By the way I am willing to accept that a prewar Buick Century would top 100 especially the compound carburetor 1941 model. Also the supercharged Cord, certain models of Duesenberg, perhaps a Stutz or 2. But such speeds were way beyond the ordinary car of the time. I suppose it would be possible for a 16 cylinder Cadillac coupe to do likewise but that would be a very unusual Cadillac indeed. Remember the original question was how fast would a Cadillac of the forties go? No model, year or body style specified. I would say the typical V8 Cadillac sedan or coupe would top out at 92 to 96 MPH and hold that speed all day, as serene as the smile on the Mona Lisa. A genuine 100MPH was a lot harder to achieve at that time than people of today would think. I don't mean on an uncorrected speedometer, in one direction with no allowance for wind and grade. People don't realize that air resistance, and therefore horsepower required, goes up as the square of speed. In other words to get from 50 to 100 MPH does not require double the power, it requires 4 times the power. Once you get up to 90 to 95 that last 5 or 10 MPH is awfully hard to come by. I would like to see a timing done by an independent expert preferably in some kind of official setting before I take it for gospel.

As for those who claim their prewar car goes over 100 MPH how can you tell? What car of that vintage has a speedo that reads over 100? The more expensive forties cars I have seen, have a speedo that only goes up to 100. Cheaper cars were clocked for 80 or 90.

January 1951 at the Daytona Beach Speed Trials the fastest stock car was a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door sedan with hemi head V8, 180HP engine and Fluid Drive. Top speed, 100.13MPH electrically timed both ways on a course surveyed by Florida state highway department surveyers. This was not down hill, with a tail wind, on an uncorrected speedo, or on an oval speed track where you can get a boost by coming down off the banked turns. It was certified stock and independently timed before witnesses, a newly introduced model off the local dealer's showroom floor with 400 miles on it. It was the first certified stock car to officially exceed 100 MPH in the speed trials since the prewar supercharged Cord V8. Most powerful cars of the forties would top out around 90. Some might do a little better depending on model. None would break 100 MPH "for real".

One other point... as your car was assembled from imported parts, what was sold as a 1934 model may have been made from parts used in the USA on 1933 models.

Not sure how this conversation got into this thread. But maybe I can clarify. In 1968 VW brought out their most luxurious model yet, the 1700cc 411. It was meant to compete for sales with BMW and Opel and even the smaller Mercedes. It had a brand new, fuel injection, 1700cc 4 cylinder engine. This engine was later enlarged to 1800cc. It was adapted to the Type 2 or VW bus, and was also used in the Porsche 914. Final versions used in the bus were 2000cc air cooled and last of all, a 2000cc water cooled. I have also heard that VW developed the 914, or had it developed by Porsche, as a super duper Karmann Ghia type VW. When top brass turned it down for production Porsche took it over and produced it as a Porsche, using motors and parts bought from VW.

The oil filter you refer to is called a bypass filter. It filters the excess oil normally diverted back to the oil pan after the pump builds up pressure. The oil that oils the engine goes direct from the pump to the oil galleries, and does not go through the filter. In other words that type filter has no effect on oil pressure or volume to the bearings or anywhere else. Any filter is better than no filter at all. The bypass filter filters the oil much finer than the newer full flow type. It keeps the oil very clean. The filter must be installed according to manufacturer's instructions. Someone on the Olds board should be able to furnish them from an old manual.

Some photos may help identify exactly what you have.

For chrome plated steel try cleaning with a copper scrubbing pad and Pledge. The copper will not scratch like steel wool. The pads are 3 for a $1 buck at the Dollar Store. Get off as much rust as you can then polish with Flitz, Simichrome or your favorite chrome polish. Finally, wax with car wax for protection. If you polish and wax it regularly it will not rust again. For stainless trim stained by nearby rusty metal just the chrome polish should clean it up.

No. I could look it up I suppose but as long as the trans works ok I am not that interested.

I should think they are very rare in New Zealand. But what do I know, they could be in the back row of every used car lot. Possible value $5000 in good shape. Up to $25000 if it has been sealed in a vacuum chamber since new and is absolutely flawless. As low as $1000 if it is a wreck or parts car. Prices courtesy Old Cars Report Price Guide and reflect selling prices across the US. This was one of the best built cars of its day with up to date brakes, engine, etc. If it is in good shape you should be able to drive it anywhere within reason. By that I mean keep the speed below 60 and remember it is a family sedan not a sports car.

You need to do a "major adjustment" to align the shoes properly to the drums after a replacement. After that periodic "minor adjustments" to take up wear. If you do not know how to do these adjustments suggest you get a manual. It is a little too complicated to explain here.

For engine parts try Vintage Power Wagons, certain model Power Wagons had the same engine as your car. I know they have NOS pistons on sale for $75 a set of 6. They have other parts as well. Most parts are available through your local parts stores like NAPA if they can only find the right part number to order them. Or you could try Roberts Motor Parts or Andy Bernbaum.

Hi Donny. If your car has the original engine the serial number should be C38XXXX. Engine number located on the engine block, at the top edge of the block, near the front, left side, above the generator. It is stamped on a raised pad on the block. Original carburetor Carter B&B EX1-2. Carb number stamped on the web on the front of the carb above the float bowl. There are several B&B carbs that will work, as long as they have the 2 electrical switches for the transmission control. One on the front and one on the back. So, the engine is original but the carburetor is not. The transmission will not work unless you find the correct Ball and Ball model Carter carburetor. Variations of his carb were used on all Chrysler and DeSoto cars from 1946 to 1954. You could look up The Carburetor King, he posts here regularly and is an old carburetor expert. He should be able to supply a rebuilt carb and may take your old Stromberg as a trade in.

Dwell can only be adjusted by taking the distributor cap off and adjusting the point gap. As others pointed out, the distributor was made to be adjusted by feeler gauge. You can double check with a dwell meter.

This is the first time I have seen these 2 cars brought together this way. Yes, I can see that they were contemporaries and selling in the personal luxury category. They weren't too far apart in price either. But really they were completely different in personality and so were their customers. In other words I don't see an Avanti buyer seriously considering a Riviera and I can't see a Riviera buyer in an Avanti.

The UK Imperial gallon is 20% larger than the US gallon for a start. Then, the US has the most stringent, and least sensible pollution laws on the planet. These laws have caused untold damage to your economy since the the sixties. If diesel costs more than gas, and the car costs more than a gas car, and gets about the same mileage who is going to buy it? The reason diesel never caught on in the US. In other countries diesel cars are popular and get super mileage. One reason is, diesel fuel is cheaper (it is easier and cheaper to make, and you get more diesel out of a barrel of oil). The US and Canada impose a double fuel tax on diesel because only trucks use diesel and they wear out the highways faster. This brings us to the subject of road tax. In the fifties and sixties they collected enough road tax to build the interstate hiway system. Today the tax is higher than ever. They collect enough money every year to build a 100 lane hiway from coast to coast. Yet America's roads and bridges are falling apart. Might be interesting to find out where all that money goes.

Haven't seen any with thrown rods but have seen more than one with broken pistons. It seems when the engine gets worn a ridge forms at the top of the cylinder. Further wear allows the piston to rise higher in the cylinder, hitting the ridge. This only happens at high revs. So, a motor that has given good service at moderate speeds can suddenly break down if taken out on the hiway and driven at high speed. If not revved so high it might have gone on for years. For the detail oriented types - I realize that it is the top ring that cuts the cylinder and leaves the ridge and it is the top ring that hits the ridge and breaks the piston, I was trying to keep it simple.

Glad to be of help. Appreciate the feedback too.