unimogjohn

Here are a few pics of the Danver's Buick National Show. I took over 80 so will post them to my Picasa site in a couple of days. But here are some examples.

It is Monday, July 11th. Joe and I just unloaded the 23 and took her for a spin. All is good. It is great to have an enclosed trailer. We averaged 10 mph on the way home at about 60 to 63 mph. The new "made in China" radial tires on the trailer held up well in 1200 miles of use. Still have the little nipples. I made sure they kept their 80 psi air charge. I also checked them at every stop, always warm, but not hot. Well the trip went well, we had a great time running around Boston. The show was great with lots of beautiful cars. The field was full. The judging was professional and each class had it own set plus a chief and deputy. The chief stood by me and explained what they were looking at and for. They certainly were as good if not better than I expected. We had decided to have the 23 judged just to get a baseline and hopefully get some pointers on how to make the car better from the experts. There were eight cars in the B1 class. We did not compete against each other but rather on how the car was scored on the maximum 400 point system. So each car had the potential of being a 400 point car. There were gold, silver and bronze awards given out based upon the number of points your car received by the judges. During the show we had lots of people stop by and talk to us. We invited many to sit in the car and experience how it felt in the 20s. Was a great day. Later than evening we went to the awards dinner. It was well attended and was sold out. Looked to be over 400 folks. Had a great time talking to the other folks at the table. They were all from the New Jersey chapter and drove their cars to the show. They called for the B1 rewards, and I was surprised to hear my name called. Then they announced the awards from the Bronze to Gold. I was in a fog of sorts and for the first of the awards, and then they said "next up is the Gold award for the 1923 McLaughlin Buick, model 45 Special. A very rare car, and we are glad that it made it to the show." So the old girl got here due. Needless to say I was very surprised and humbled. Here is a pic of the award that she received. The Gold award was points in between 385 and 400. I can send away for the judging score sheet, I think I will so I can see what I need to improve. Oh, a funny story. We went to pre-qualifying and as you remember the horn was not working. Well, I would have received a deduction so decided to see if I could get the button working. Alice and I worked on it for about an hour and got it to work after a fashion. It would stay off, but if you it you looked wrong at it, it would go off. I told not to touch it if we got the horn to stay off. We rumbled up to the qualifying stand, and they asked to hear the horn. I hit the button and the horn went on, but would not go off, so I had to run over and take the nut and wire off the post. Everyone got a good laugh, but it passed, and that was the important thing. Anyway, it was a great meet, and I encourage everyone to attend and support their club shows. They are always great and fun.

Old Car, it is easy. The brakes are mechanical, run by levers and rods. Greg was "playing" with us.

It is Sunday, July 10th. PM. Just arrived home from the Buick Nationals in Danvers. We had a great time during our week there. Took lots of pics yesterday at the show and will post results tomorrow. Left this morning at 5 AM and arrived home at 7 PM. We are pooped. But I did get this report from Greg. Old friend Jim Davis came by today. We played in the street. A beautiful and memorable day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: n1014f@gmail.com To: n1014f@gmail.com Subject: Speed Car 2011.07.09 Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2011 22:26:35 -0400 Greg Reports: 1921 Dodge Brothers Touring Car Three YouTube links ... A Saturday afternoon with the Dodge ... fun ... fun ... fun !!! YouTube - ‪2011.07.09 GREG DRIVES HIS 1921 DODGE TOURING CAR.mpg‬‏ (Greg driving) YouTube - ‪2011.07.09 GREG TELLS OF HIS 1921 DODGE BROTHERS TOURING CAR.mpg‬‏ (Greg tells about the car) YouTube - ‪2011 07 09 GRANDDADDY DAVIS' SPECIAL SOLO DRIVE 1921 DODGE‬‏ (Granddaddy Davis drives) Jim Davis, Retired Government Clerk

Still Thursday. Just received this from Greg. " Dodge. What to do about the sticking engine? I took the gas can to fill with 87 octane and picked up some Lucas fuel system cleaner. With that in the tank and the engine running, I took it out into the road. I took it around our "long block", and then headed off for Frank Gables's house. Once you make a short stretch on Rt 17 (alive), you can take this charming little dirt road up to his place. Says his front doorstep is at 995' elevation. The car made it all the way up, but no ball of fire. Used all the gears it had. Took him for a spin, then he followed me home in his Ford. Guess he needed an excuse to get it out. I let the Dodge cool off and later tried starting it.. So far so good. PS. Did I mention that after sitting all those years , the brakes were still up? The pedal just as firm as the day I parked it. (they're mechanicals, silly). Avanti. Another set of brake pads came today. This set is Wagner brand, printed right on the box. I pulled the front wheels, changed the pads and went for a spin. No squealing followed me back. So far so good. =

It is Thursday, July 7th. Much to do. Over the past two days we have visited Battleship Cove and Salem. At Battleship Cove we toured several US warships to include the Battleship Massachusetts. Everything was self guided, and we were able to go from the top of the ships to the engine rooms and everything in between. Joe and I had a great time walking up and down all those ladders and mysterious passageways. We spent about five hours there. Today we took the girls to Salem and went through their historical area, and visited the Salem Witch Museum. It was a girl thing, and did not hold my interest. But we had a nice walk and lunch at overlooking the bay. Joe and I got the Buick out of the trailer this morning and took it through its pre-show inspection. Passed with flying colors. We took it out for a couple of spins around the complex before putting it in the show field for everyone to look at. We will put it back in the trailer this evening and take it out tomorrow. Good to have it out for folks to look at. The show is full, registration is closed for any more cars. They told me about 320 cars are registered. Saturday should be a fun day. Still only about 20% of the cars here, but I am sure some are hidden away in the trailers that dot the parking lots. Here are a few pics of our tours and a few of the cars that are on the field.

July 5th, PM. Just got in from a very long day in Boston Harbor. We decided to go on a sightseeing boat tour. Even picked a luncheon tour. It was a great three hours or so. Some pics taken on the cruise are attached. Got back to the hotel and a few cars have pulled in. Tomorrow is going to be one of the big days when more cars arrive. Not much activity today. Tomorrow Joe and I are headed off to a local car museum and then to Battleship Cove where they have many former naval ships on display. Should be a very interesting day.

It is Tuesday, July 5th. Here is Greg's report. I do not know if I can load his pics. Will try. Long weekend with some done. After the last time I took the Avanti out in public, I've been gun shy. So Friday night I waited until I thought all the crazies had gone home.....almost midnight. Wrong again, on a stretch of two lane road that narrowed to a single lane, that was when some AH (American Hero) decided to pass me. With nowhere to go, I stomped the brakes and hit the shoulder. That's when getting the horns to work was moved to the top of my list. Evidenty Raymond Loewy should get credit for inventing the invisible stealth car. Now the horns work. But maybe I should hook them up to a toggle switch. When I pull out of the driveway, turn on the horns and let them blare until I get back. Trouble is that there aren't any traffic manners left in Northern Virginia. Spilling out of the DC and beltway area, it amounts to if you are going to maintain the speed limit and stop on red, we'll just run right over you. I also got the switches and courtesy light working. Now for the Dodge. It has always given me exhaust system trouble. Especially where the manifold and exhaust pipe connect. A flimsy coupling nut . I pulled the entire system off for repair. All manifold gaskets, those copper/asbestos rings, were shot. The coupling nut would only grab a couple threads. And the pipe itself is thin and pinholed. 1. Made a new coupling nut. 2. Modified some existing flange gaskets to fit. 3. Brazed the holes in the downpipe. Exhaust work is never fun, but with the manifold place and the downpipe and nut sealed with packing, it seems tighter than I've even known it. Took it for a spin around the place. It did fine. Getting better all the time. Until I tried to restart it afterward. Engine wouldn't turn over with the starter. Lights and horn worked!? Stuck the crank in the front and realized the engine was stuck. Siezed. I yanked on the crank a while and it broke free. Started fine. Ran it a while and turned it off. Same deal. Broke it free again and drove it up to the shed. It stuck again. Considering the issue. It had oil pressure. It had coolant. What next? Pull the pan and look for bearing trouble? Placed a call to the Idaho hotline. Dr Baldwin asked about the old gas. Was I running on it still? Yes. His theory was that the old gas was gumming up the works. I pulled the plugs and although had cleaned them, they were rich and STICKY. His suggestion was shoot some aerosol carburetor cleaner in the cylinders and see. I did and it freed up. Poured oil in the holes and turned it over for a while. I put a pail under the fuel tank and pulled the plug. Photo enclosed. Tomorrow I need to 1. Put some fresh fuel in it. 2. Call the insurance company and add it to the list. 3. Rack up some miles. Hope you had a safe and happy fourth. Even when working on this stuff, I had good company and good food.

It is Monday, July 4th. Well we made it to Danvers. No problems. Took us about 13 hours including an hour or so for pit stops and lunch. Got 10 mpg with the Suburban. We kept it on 55 to 60 mph most of the time. Today we are heading to the beaches, Gloucester and beyond. Should be a nice drive and fun day. Tomorrow is registration day. So we will register early and head into Boston for a boat tour of the harbor. Hopefully we will find out when we can pull out the car at least for a display. Hotel is very nice with huge parking lots also.

Still Friday, well we are ready to go. Have the 23 loaded in the trailer, fits nice. Tomorrow I pack up the tools and spares into the truck. Pick up our friends at the airport and then we leave VA at 5 AM on Sunday. Hope to be in Danvers at about 7 PM. I will try to post every couple of days. We are going early to visit Boston and the area, kinda like a mini vacation. The car activities do not start until Wed/Thur. The big show is Saturday. We head back home on Sunday. If you get to the show, pls do stop by and say hi. Would like to meet you. Here are the pics I promised this morning.

Ken, thanks. I am usually careful, but it still got me this time. I am slowly on the mend. Sure does ich, must be the sign of healing. It is Friday, July 1st. Today is load the 23 day. Yesterday I spent a few hours cleaning the underside of the car, not real good, but enough to get the cobwebs off. I have some work today to do. Remember the horn issue? Well, I forgot to tighten down the set screw on the throttle control arm, and it released from the adjustment arm. So the the rod dropped out of the gears. So I have some adjusting to do this morning. Also, when the rod dropped it ground out the horn circuit and it started to blast away. Hard to work with that blasting away. Also put down the top as it will not fit into the trailer with it up. No big deal. The old girl looks really good. Will take a couple of pics today. Anyway, here is Greg's report. "Another good day. After work I made some gaskets and reassembled the carburetor for the old Dodge. It found it's way to the engine and after all the related gadgets were tightened, I put more gas in the vacuum tank and turned the shutoff to on. Fuel filled the carb float chamber, and I thought might as well try it. The engine went to work before I could pull the choke. Didn't run it long due to no coolant in the radiator. Fetched some water, poured it down the hole and waited for some to run out the drain cock. None did. Crawling underneath, I was alarmed to see the drain cock closed. I normally drain the water from the systems for winter storage. The closed drain could mean that there was still some water in the system. Once upon a time I drained the Hupmobile that I used to own. I watched the water drain until it stopped. The next spring I found out that the drain had clogged which left enough water in the lower radiator tank to allow it to freeze and burst. Maybe this Dodge job might not go so easily after all. I opened the drain cock and anti freeze ran out. Oh happy day, I must have learned a lesson from the Hupp. When I parked the Dodge I had also run some Prestone through it. Good boy. I topped off the radiator with water. I then needed to check the condition of the gas tank. Surely it was dry and full of crud. Pulling the tank for cleaning was certainly next. When I removed the gas cap and peered in with my flashlight, I was totally amazed to see the tank about 1/4 full of gas. Nasty, but wet. That stuff has been in there at least fifteen years. I added some fresh from a can and tried the starter again. It was again running, not real well, but running. Game to try driving it, I made my way to the shop where I gave it a quick bath. Then, the trusty old thing made the grade back to the storage hangar. So, it is alive again. Needs some work. Sounds like the muffler is shot, needs tires, the upholstery leather is hard and will take time to rejuvenate, the top has issues and so does the paint. But, it is mobile again. And, I made the round trip without getting run into."

It is Thursday, June 30th. Well, my major farm work of cleaning brush on ten acres is done for the season. I have the poison ivy to prove it. Misery! Today I am finishing cleaning the 23 McLaughlin Buick as tomorrow it goes into the trailer. I fixed all the running lights on the trailer. I had half of them out, about half. Most were an easy fix, oxidation or bad grounds, but had one bulb out. Took a trip to four parts stores to find that one little bulb. Over the winter I thing I will change them to LEDs. I also know I have to put down the top of the 23 to get it in the trailer, just an inch or so too tall. Greg did send me his report. Here it is for your morning reading. "Busy days. Yesterday I had an appointment with NASM at their Garber Facility, Silver Hill, Maryland and thought it would be a good run for Seabiscuit/Avanti. It did well. By the time I got back, it was due it's first thousand mile oil change. That was my chore this evening. With fresh oil and filter, it demanded that I take it for a spin, so off to the store we went. With the oil change checked off, I looked ahead to the next project. Broken tachometer wire. That required a new wire terminal, so Radio Shack here we come. Found what I needed and then to the nearby grocery store. From there I proceeded to the closest traffic light . While waiting there for the green light, that's when some guy in a Dodge Ram pickup ran into me. He must have been trying to read the script on the trunk lid, or just anticipating that I'd charge the right on red.....anyway we were both out and in the street in a flash. He was in a state of shock, I was almost. Don't know how, but no visible damage. Bumper doesn't seem to be bent or scratched, doesn't even appear to be out of alignment. I expect incidents like this will come with a shiny car. When it looked like hell, no one would come near it. Back at the ranch, I repaired the tack wire, so it works now. The Dodge carburetor has been soaking over night, so now I'm making some new gaskets for it."

No kits that I am aware of, and I looked and looked. Making the tops is almost a lost art. I was fortunate to find a "trimmer" locally in VA that did mine for me. Dave Coco is on the forum as Trimacar. You might contact him to see if he knows of anyone out your way. Here are a couple of pics of my 23 McLaughlin Buick with its new top.

Is this what you need? 3/8 x 10 ASPHALT CLOTH WIRE LOOM ORIGINAL RESTORATION | eBay

It is Sunday, June 26th. Been pruning huge fir trees, like 20 of them, from the bottom up to about 8 feet. I was getting tired of working around all the dead branches. I am amazed how much more room we have around the house now. The place looks like a park. Other than some poison ivy on the arms and legs, I did not cut any critical parts with the chain saw. And now that the farm chores are done, I can get back to preparing the 23 for the trip to Danvers for the Buick National Meet. I plan on putting it in the trailer on Thursday. Have the Suburban all packed already. I did get to take out the Avanti yesterday to a local show and shine. Lots of cars there at about 5 PM, maybe a 100 or so. But most were newer cars, hot rods, or tricked out tribute cars. But the Avanti had a lot of lookers, and we had some good conversations about the old girl and Studebaker. It was clearly one of the more "original" cars in attendance. Hoped to meet up with Greg, but he went earlier in the day. And, here is Greg's report for the weekend. "Wow, where did it go? Saturday I got in some time for the company, then made a quick run to the Manassas Burger King where they have a weekly cruise in. Evidently we were just a little early, not much activity. Unimog caught us by phone as we approached home/Warrenton, they were just leaving. Now I find out that he found the place packed. Otherwise, stole a few minutes to look at the Dodge Brothers. Removed the coil to clean it and the wiring terminals and replaced. Poured some fuel in the cylinders and the carburetor. Kicked it over with the starter a few times, and it actually fired a few times. Put fuel in the vacuum tank (gravity fed fuel pump), but it wasn't feeding the carb, so it came off for cleaning. I spent some time on it, now it is back in place, and soon I should pull the carburetor for a cleaning and gaskets. Avanti? After driving to Manassas, I stopped by the local fabric store to look for maroon felt to replace the tattered lining in the glove box. Found some that is a little brighter shade of burgandy, but good enough for this "driver". Cut and glued, it's now in place. I accidently stumbled across the box with the plastic bezel for the overhead switches. Got it cleaned and now it is another check mark on the list of items done. Photos of glove box and vanity, overhead switches and vacuum tank."

It is Thursday, June 23rd. I have the Suburban and trailer all ready to go. Will hook up tomorrow and get the 23 McLaughlin Buick loaded and ready to go. It will be its first time in the trailer. Previously we had hauled her with an open car trailer. Now she will be out of the wind and the rain. Here is a great report from Greg. Lots of things going on. "Busy here, but always time for some hijinks. I had taken an original Wright artifact, an engine oil pan that had suffered not only from time, but had actually crashed and burned in Mass. on Oct. 22, 1915. Made from .015" tinplate, the painfully straightened and repaired pan was hand carried to Lorton, Va. to a plater we use. Took it Monday, and they called today that it was finished. It was a nice day, so Seabiscuit was called to service and with a stop in Manassas for 'Ol Bill Honan, we were off. Ninety miles round trip on a hot summer day. It did well although even with the new radiator core, it did push the temp gauge needle up toward the boiling mark. Except for stumbling at the stop lights (mid grade gasohol), the car did well. And as an Avanti owner will verify, on a hot day and the windows down, we were both drenched in sweat, but that was a small price to pay for a road trip in it. They are brutal on a day like today, but it comes with the suit. Spent a few minutes on the Dodge, cleaned the spark plugs. I guess the other news is that friend Jim Davis, who is always looking for something to post on his Youtube site, took the collection of pics and videos of our trip in May and has edited and posted. You'll see there are some re-runs, but he opens with the debut of the long awaited Indianapolis Motor Speedway event footage. Then he posted every photo taken on that camera, even the outtakes. That's Jim. We have another camera with some pics, they will follow at a later date. Jim's a good friend. A couple notes when viewing the Indy portion. Our group, the first out, was for racers made before 1936. You'll see us being passed by progress. Also, as we come into the pits you will see the remaining two groups waiting their turn, so this is a great record of the cars attending. Sorry for the grainy images, but the good news is we didn't run out of camera memory. Here is the link: YouTube - ‪2011.05.12_19 GREG'S INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TRIP MP4CELL.mp4‬‏ I am also enclosing photos of: Wright engine #43, a production engine from mid 1911. Almost restored and almost ready to run. That will make three original Wright Model B engines that we will have functional. And the oil pan. The wall decor photos show the remains of a Burgess-Wright Model F (built under license in Mass) . It's last flight was to the scene of the accident fatal for Chauncey Redding and Phil Buhlman. These parts were removed and the remainder burned on the spot, a swamp near Saugus. The parts have been a source of study in our reproductions, but this is more than enough for a restoration of the machine. Someday. Ps. Dianna Crain, watch our entry into the pits, you're taking our photo. =

It is Wednesday, June 22nd. Going to be another hot one again today, mid 90s, with thunderstorms later in the PM. I have been getting the 03 Suburban and enclosed trailer ready for the Buick National Meet in early July. It is not that long of a trip, about 700 miles each way. The trailer got new shoes (aka tires); and yesterday treated the Suburban to an oil change, and then ran off to town and got a transmission flush, transfer case change, and rear axle change. I am sure that these had never been done with its previous owner. The truck has 113K miles on it and figured it was due. So now that the towing rig is done I can concentrate on the 23 McLaughlin Buick. Greg has been really busy at work and have not heard much the last few days. But he sent me this report last night. "I know, where's Greg? Working. Busy days, but good ones. Day job has seen me pulled from airplane engine duties and reassigned to the airframe department making the sheet steel fittings that hold everything together. It's been about fifteen years since I've done this, the relearning curve requiring some front end alignment. Otherwise, the Seabiscuit (Avanti) is running better. I've been playing with ingition timing and it likes more. Today I ordered new seat belts for the back seat. The Stoddard. I'd pulled the steering box and mailed it to Gilbert at Rempco. He called first thing Monday and said that yes, it was badly worn. No, the repair wasn't as easy as he thought it would be, and yes, he could take care of the .030/.050" backlash in the worm and half nuts. He'll take out the slack in the half nuts by making up a new worm gear. All I have to do now is wait for it to arrive and send him some money. Good deal. The Dodge Brothers. Cleaned what sludge I could through the drain hole in the pan, made a new gasket and closed it up. Now it has five quarts of fresh oil. Next I need to buy a new 12v battery and begin testing the ignition circuit. The original battery was a huge thing, so knowing that anything will fit in the battery box, I'll buy a battery that will fit the '64 Avanti that will follow the DB work. I've had lots of good company , the last few days. My son and I went to lunch today in the maroon Avanti. I was really pleased with the ease that he handled the clutch and sometimes stubborn shift lever. I have to work at it every time I drive it. Good job Logan. Stearman Bill, Jim Davis, Frank Gable.....good to visit with them all. Putting in some night shift for the boss, that's cutting into my projects, but no complaints. It's all good."

Phil, the used ones I have seen for sale usually look much worse that yours. To repair yours I would simply use JBWeld to fill in the worn portions and smooth when still setting. Make sure that you clean the neck first. Your neck still looks serviceable to me. Just an opinion.

Barrie, best to contact your local DMV. Here in VA all vehicles, regardless of age, must have a valid VA title. However, if the car is coming from a state where there is no title requirement then the VA DMV will accept a bill of sale. For example, I bought a 63 Avanti from RI, which does not have a title requirement for cars over ten years old. So VA accepted an old 1974 registration form and a bill of sale. So each state has its own rules.

It is Friday, June 17th. The changing of the tires on the trailers is done. Now I feel much better on taking the enclosed trailer to the Buick National Meet in a couple of weeks. A wash job and she will be ready to go. For your morning coffee break. Here is Greg's report. Oh, and we got over 1.5 inches of rain out of the storms last night. The pastures and gardens are very happy. "Dear diary, Britt had called to say that he'd gotten the concrete. That meant he was ready for me to help with the installation of his new flag pole. Now this is pretty much out of my line, but knowing that he spent most of his life sticking his neck out for our flag, I 'd be more than glad to dig a hole and pour cement. As soon as I got back to my lair, the storm began. I've learned not to work around heavy machinery during a lightning storm. Lesson #1 A long time ago our local Shenandoah AACA region sponsored a garage tour . Members drove their old cars to visit other members' shops and collections. I was there when they stopped at the Sine (Mitch) family homestead. It began to POUR rain. I recall an MG (overrestored because the doors fit tight) holding water. Running for shelter I found myself in the new shop away from the house. There was a lathe but not yet wired for electricity. Also there was Bobby Renner. Leaning on the lathe. A bolt from the sky nailed the lightning rod on the house and Renner was knocked to the floor. (Lessons learned that day were don't touch on heavy equipment during a storm, also don't stand next to a used car salesman ). Lesson #2 Friend Bill and I were here in the shop one evening when during a storm, lightning struck. We both were witness to a spark of current that jumped from the milling machine table to the vertical column supporting the table. Like a giant spark plug. Made no sense at all since the mill is all one piece, but we both saw it. So, with no progress being made tonight, an update on my day job. As time approaches when I must return a borrowed cylinder from the Smithsonian's Langley Aerodrome artifact collection, I need to make as much progress as possible on our repro. The water jacketing process is pictured. Photos of: * Repro cylinders with domes installed. *First attempt at the surrounding jacket. *The most insignificant component is the hardest. Obviously a tool and die maker on Langley's staff die formed the seals around the exhaust ports. Nicely done, without hammer marks yet crisp and neat transitions. Photos show developing my die set. *The original sample. *My first try at the drawing the seal from steel sheet. Fits nice, but I must work out the problem of tearing the corners. I don't know if I'll get to spend much more time working for Langley this month. We're up against Wright Brothers deadlines. Now let's see if this will find it's way through the storm when I hit that SEND. ....."

Still Thursday. Just got a short note from Greg that I thought I would pass on. "Day job heating up here as a new Wright Brothers airplane has to be done in two months. Yesterday I spoke with Gilbert at Rempco in Michigan who handles machine work for us. We discussed the play in the Stoddard steering box that won't adjust out, recommended I send him the box for renewing. Knocked off work and Seabiscuit (the Avanti) and I drove up to Md. Pulled the steering and it is on its way to Michigan."

It is Thursday, June 16th. I have received a few requests for the story behind the 1923 McLaughlin Buick, model 45 Special. I bought it about five years ago now. It was an abandoned project, but all of the hard work had been done. Everything was in boxes. It took us two trips with trailers to haul everything home from upstate NY to VA. One piece of documentation that I received was a 1925 drivers license that was found behind the driver's door panel. Evidently it had fallen into the innards of the door and remained there until the panel was pulled. Based upon the information on the license I did my research and found information on the owner and her family. I wrote an article for the McLaughlin Buick Club of Canada and the Buick Club. Both published the article. Thought you all might have an interest in reading it. I have also included a pic of the drivers license. Title – My “Albert” Hello, my name is Ethel Edith Hickmott. I was born on July 4th, 1877, and I am now 48 years old. I live at Longfield Court in Longfield, Kent County, England. Longfield is small, but I like it. You see I was born here, and I imagine that I will probably die here too. I am single, and a schoolteacher. The good news that I want to share with you is that I just bought a brand new car. It was very expensive, but it was so glamorous. Maybe too flashy for a woman my age, but I wanted it. So throwing caution aside I purchased a McLaughlin Buick Touring car from Roots, Ltd in Maidstone. I so enjoy this car; it is a wonderful machine and takes me everywhere. The only problem I have had with this car is that I lost my license to drive a car in June of 1925; and wouldn’t you know it I was pulled over by a Police Constable. Oh, what a problem. I was fined 5 pounds, and I had to get a replacement license at a cost of 1 shilling. That really hurt the budget for this month. Ah, but life goes on, and my Buick and I are still the best of friends, I call him “Albert”. Ethel Edith Hickmott’s 1923 McLaughlin-Buick, Model 45 Special was manufactured by General Motors of Canada. In 1908 Sam McLaughlin and Billy Durant made a deal that would allow McLaughlin use of Buick running gear etc. for 15 years. However, in 1918, McLaughlins felt it wise to sell their company to GM at that time. Sam McLaughlin, who really was "McLaughlin Car Company" had no male heir. Also, he knew that the deal with Durant had been extremely favorable and the renewal would probably not be as lucrative. The McLaughlin name continued to be used until 1923. Even after the purchase, Buicks were always referred to as McLaughlin-Buicks. It was an export model and right hand drive, hence the Special designation. It probably was one of a small number of right hand drive cars that were produced at the McLaughlin Buick factory in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It also has a Canadian built engine manufactured in Walkerville, Ontario. We know that it was not one of the 47 export cars that Buick built in Flint as they were completed cars and shipped to dealers in Europe and elsewhere by Buck. Production records for 1923 at General Motors of Canada were lost at some point, and there is no known record as to how many export models were produced. But auto historians figure that it could not have been more than a couple of dozen. Also it may be that this is the only 45 special with a Canadian produced engine that survives to this date. The car is currently in Marshall, VA just 60 miles west of Washington, DC. How it returned to the states is a mystery. But some data does exist that it was imported to Massachusetts in the early 80s. The car was driven “as is” for a few years in Florida when the engine seized. This gave the owner the opportunity upgrade the car as it was getting rather tired and worn after 65 years. I would rather not use the term restoration as not everything was or will be restored to new. So for the past 18 years it has had a major mechanical rebuild, bodywork done, and fresh new paint. New leather upholstery has been partially installed. It had been the owner’s plan to drive the car again, but time got ahead of him and he never seemed to have the time to finish it. Retirement loomed and other interests took priority so it was time to sell the car. I bought the car in upstate New York in October of 2006. What a beautiful prize. She is not finished by any stretch of the imagination, but all the piece parts to finish are hopefully in the 20 or so boxes that came with the car. Now all the fit and finish work is to be done. “Albert” is now in the garage with my 1928 Buick, Model 29 Town Brougham. It is great to see two beautiful Buicks together. My immediate plans are to get the car running with the completion of the wiring and cooling system. We hope to have this done by the spring of 2007. Interior work has to be completed and a new top made. We hope to have her all done, well maybe not the top, by August of 2007 for the annual McLaughlin Homecoming in Canada. Well, back to the garage and the 23-45 Special. Time to check everything over and inventory those parts in the boxes. I sure hope that I can fine a spot for everything. Just couple of final notes. Ethel Edith driver’s license was found inside of the door panel. It must have slipped behind the panel and kept safe all these years. The facts pertaining to Ethel Edith are true, only “Albert” is fiction, but I am sure that she gave the Buick a name. Don’t we all? I am continuing my search for her relatives and hopefully they have saved a picture of her and maybe the car. We are changing the car’s name to “Edith” in honor of her first owner. I think that it will be a fitting tribute to Ethel Edith Hickmott. Ethel died in Longfield on February 16th, 1964. Ethel was 87 when she died and is buried at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Longfield, Kent County. John Feser Pictures at Picasa Web Albums - John and Alice

Your tires on the 23 are high pressure. I keep mine at about 60 PSI. You can go up to 65. The PSI rating should be on the tire also. If you are shearing off the stem, then the rim is slipping on the wheel and cutting off the stem when you are making a hard stop. You should see evidence on the little wedges, which will show movement. Tighten down those wedges, but be careful not to over tighten or you risk pulling out the threads. They do have to be more than snug. Hope this helps.

It is Tuesday, June 14th. Heading off thing morning to start the process of putting on new tires and fixing a couple of others. Will take a couple of days worth of trips back and forth to town to get all three trailer back on the road with new shoes. Here is Greg's report from last night and a bit more information on the 1921 Dodge tourer. "Work done on several fronts. Did a little detail work on the Avanti, then drove it into Warrenton on the hunt for food. It did well. So did I. The Dodge. Drained the oil, removed the spark plugs and poured a little solvent down the holes. Removed the valve chamber side covers. I recall this car would occassionally stick a valve, so I'll make sure they are free before I try turning the crank. Friend Ken Peppard sent a note asking about the carburetor and intake method on this thing. There isn't a visible intake manifold because the ports are cast into the block. That's the upper cast connection on the carb. Of interest is the air inlet. That's the shuttered lower connection which leads to a passage through the block to the exhaust manifold. Preheated air is drawn through that cast opening you can see in last night's photo of the right side of the engine. In tonight's and last night's photo of the left side you will also see the North East 12 volt starter/generator, the reason for the nickname Silent Starter Dodge. The plan is to do these little things without devoting any time to this one. He also sends this link to a DB brochure. Thanks, Ken. 1920 Dodge Brochure - The Old Car Manual Project Also, got in time on the buffer making Peerless oiler parts shiny. Distasteful job. Lots more to go. On a more somber note, news today that the Liberty Belle B-17 suffered an inflight fire. The pilot did a heroic job of making an emergency landing in a cornfield, all escaped, but the ship was consumed by the flames. Just a reminder that even though those of us who thrill to the sound of round or other type engines......they are always at risk. A sad loss for all of us, but especially for those who loved and maintained it." Ps: Here is a link to the crash. NTSB Investigates B-17 Bomber Crash - Local News - Chicago, IL - msnbc.com =

It is Sunday, June 12th. Greg called and asked if he could use the Trailblazer and the open car trailer. I said sure and pulled it out of the llama pasture. Of course it had a flat tire, a cotter pin through the center tread. So have to get that fixed, but I did have a spare so put it on. All ready for Greg's next adventure. Here it is. "Thanks to John Feser and with the help of my son Nathan, I've loaded and moved the old 1921 Dodge Brothers (slow four) touring car. The car was found I guess in the sixties. Winchester antique car enthusiast Vernon Unger took Clayton Bennington (another of my mentors) with him to help with it's purchase, and Benny owned it before they got it back to town. It changed hands again before I heard about it. It had come from Upper Tract, West Virginia. The property of two brothers who were in business. In fact, when I visited the surviving brother (in the seventies), he told me that the car was bought new in Hillsboro, W. Va. in 1921 and they paid for it with apple jack. They then removed the rear seat and installed a tank. "Never got it hung up!" while serving as a moonshine tanker, it did evidently get shot up. Clayton told of a puncture in the lower cowl. The car changed hands again, when I heard of it in '76. Since then it has seen some hard miles and poor storage. Long neglected, in fact the last time I remember using the car was one day in the early nineties when I drove it from White Post to Warrenton, VA, my two young boys along. Taking the back way (forty-one miles an hour, uphill, downhill, straight and level), we had departed Marshall, VAwhen we had a flat. And no jack. Limping along the busy highway, we crossed when we saw a home. But nobody home. We were without many options and remember these were the old days without cell phones. I noticed that they had a split rail fence and a stack of firewood. With a log as a fulcrum and the rail as a lever, it was all they could do, but the boys lifted the rear wheel so I could change the split rim and tire. I was so pleased, not just that they were able to help out, but that it was also the first time I'd seen them team up. They were usually arguing with each other. Today while he was helping me load the car on the trailer, I recalled the day to Nathan. He didn't remember any of it. My plan is to get the car up and running, newer tires, and maybe some top/upholstery work. But I don't want it to interfere with other projects that need my time. I tried taking a few pictures when unloaded and in the shed, but it was so dark that none turned out. IOU more photos, but here are a couple of the engine." =