Packard enthus.
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Posts posted by Packard enthus.
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22 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:
Many found they did not do just fine in other than warm climate ,during a life of service under normal driving in different climates ,not just taken out for a car show on a beautiful day .....
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Good point. I call em "hangar queens". What shows up at so many car shows these days. Collector cars all fixed up as costume jewelry, often with little or no attention to restore their nmechanical condition to what they should be like as useable autos.
Let's be honest.....don't you agree that a good number of collector cars displayed at today's cars shows would not serve well...if at all....as automobiles?
Again...I live in the high country of northern Arizona, where it rarely gets down in the winter much below zero f. So I am not competent to discuss what it is like...how my Packard Twelve would behave...in your winters.
As a side-note, my car does show up at car shows But,obviousy, since it is maintained as a working automobile...wouldn't stand a chance in competition with a "hangar queen".
Just for fun...here's an old photo of it taken right after a snow storm - hmmm...if memory serves...while it was way below freezing at that moment....most certainly wasn't down to actual ZERO. Here's a little factoid.....I didn't leave it out in that field that day.... I got in....I hit the starter button....and....and...well......try and guess what happened....!
Bottom line - no argument....12 volts is better than 6 volts...for any number of good reasons. But...argue all you want...if you look up old photos and movies of what things were like prior to the 2nd World War era in cold winter situations....you will see more than one motor vehicle in motion. My own experience may not be typical... I wasn't around in those days......but it does suggest 6 volt cars can give good service, AGAIN...IF PROPERLY MAINTAINED...!.
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On 10/24/2023 at 2:41 PM, alsancle said:
For what it’s worth, all the European cars I’m familiar with were 12 V in the 1930s.
As I noted earlier, I remain puzzled how American mfgs. kept us stuck on 6 volts clear up to the early 1950's. Of course they knew 12 volts was a better way to go for any number of reasons - my Packard Parts Book shows they were well aware of this - 12 volt elec. components were listed for my year, for cars going to Europe & Asia. But again....dosn't change the fact that cars orig. mfg. for 6 volts, will do just fine IF they are properly maintained. But two more "agains"...dosn't change the fact that electrical resistance issues cause less trouble the higher the voltage.
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On 10/24/2023 at 3:26 PM, arcticbuicks said:
@Packard enthus..............how do you find starting the packard in -30 degree weather......or even -15 to -20 weather that at least a third of the USA would get .......and colder in Canada and other countries Packards were sold too.........of course most people are not using Packards in that weather now a days..........but during their life of service from new many were.......and the 6 volt starting was inferior,and poor lights and slow heaters.....................
Guess you didn't know....while -30 winter temps may be common in your part of Canada, they are not common here in the United States. I personally have never tried to start my Packard Twelve when it is that cold....rarely gets below ZERO f. where I live (in a high mountain valley here in northern Arizona - the Packard starts right up.)
You are correct...Packards were sold not only in the United States and Canada, they were sold all over the world. The reason they sold more than ALL the other big =-engined super luxury cars combined......well.....want to take a wild guess....? Maybe they DID perform good service as designed.
Oh...by the way...my experience with the big-engined "super luxury" cars of the pre-war era is not limited to Packard Twelves. Here's a photo of my '38 Cadillac Series 90 (a V-16 now in a museum somewhere....originally owned by Mae West).
Did the "ordinary man's" car of the pre-war years start reliablly in cold weather? I personally have no experience with such vehicles.....my "hunch"...based on old motion picture films of that era....is they did. Well...again...assuming proper maintainence.
Yes, I agree....to this extent....given enough neglect and abuse....as you say " 6 volt starting was inferior, poor lights and slow heaters". Perhaps you didn't know that before the "sealed beam" headlights starting in 1940 production, reflectors of the earlier headlights were not sealed all that well...as the car aged...the reflectors dulled. End result...as you say...."poor lights". While a WELL MAINTAINED 1930's era headlight system is not as effective as today's significantly more sophisticated system, it was quite adequate for the normal speeds and roads of that era.
As for the heating systems - you apparently arent aware that very effective cabin heating systems were available as early as during the World War ONE years. I dont recall the names of the early mfgs. of these systems....by the late 1920's both Southwind and Janitrol were avail....had particularly fast-acting and competent cabin heating systems ( I have a modern version in my airplane). True...those heating systems based on cooling system water did, as they do today, take time to produce enough heat to make a car's cabin comfortable. Yes, if a faulty electrical system reduces fan speed....as you say....."slow heaters".
Packard, like many mfgs. of the pre-war era, had outstanding fast-acting heating systems using exhaust manifold heat. At some point in time. aware that lack of maintainence of the exhaust system could make these dangerous, they were discontined prior to the SECOND World War.
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On 10/22/2023 at 9:04 PM, arcticbuicks said:
Well.... nobody is perfect .......I wonder if maybe the Packard engineers were running 2 volts short of a full load ..........but they did finally come to their senses when they went to 12 volts........and with good reason
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You have a point - i have trouble undetanding why the entire American auto industry was stuck on 6 volts clear into the early 1950's. Yes, as delivered as new cars, by the 1920's most everything had self-starters... and again, which provide reliable service IF properly maintained.
I disagree...to this extent, about your crack about "Packard Engineers running 2 volts short of a full load". Up into the World War Two era, Packard was known for superb engineering, outstanding build-quality, and reliability. Obviously...something went terribly wrong following the war, resulting in each year's product becoming more and more unsaleable, as more and more customers resented the declining proudct.
My recollection is some GM cars started coming with 12 volts for '53 production. Quickly became an industry standard for American passenger cars. (had been the standard for commercial years going back to the First World War). For obvious reasons...by the 1950's, the buying public wanted more and more electrically powered accessories. Much less expensive and much more practical to go to 12 volts.
Hopefully...we can meet at some auto event. I can show you how my well-worn but properly serviced Packard V-12 starts....right now...hot or cold...bone stock....!
But on the other hand...is a '52 Cadillac any harder to start on a cold morning than a '53? Well...again....assuming both are properly maintained...? So of course I agree with you there was "good reason" for the industry to go to 12 volts.
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ANSWER TO QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
1) "nice to have extra starting power"....? Those of us who maintain their cars AUTHENTICALLY, meaning trying to keep them historically accurate.....we have plenty of starting power! Did you know they had design engineers...test engineers in those days...?
2) my own car has radials that LOOK like bias white-walls. Yes, if I had an ordinary car of the pre-radial era....I'd have reservations....at the very least, I'd have a frequent inspection routine to see if the wheels are starting to crack. I personally dont have that concern.... pre-war "Senior Series" Packards had wheels mfg. by a famous high-quality Detroit firm named 'MOTOR RIM AND WHEEL". Ever seen the video (taken from old films) of what Packard did to their cars in the 20's and 30's on their proving grounds, to make certain they would provide good service under even the most absurdly severe circumstances...?
3) cold or hot starting problems? Again...I agree....can be a problem - again if you have a car not properly maintained. Again...my suggestion...FIX IT! A car made during or after the first world war...a modern era car that has trouble starting under ANY condition likely to be faced in the real world? Again...FIX IT...!
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BATTERY QUESTIONS:
Yes, back in the earlier years of the old car hobby, some folks used 8 volt batteries when the vehicle originally had 6 volts. A funny story about human nature that illustrates the problem.
At a car show on a hot day, couple of years ago...I'd pulled up...shut off...was then asked to move it. Hit the starter...and of course it did what any well-maintained (well...American...!) vehicle durn well better do. It started instantly.
It happens that my car is a '38 Packarad V-12, bone stock (except for a high-speed rear axle gear-et). They did not have seperate engineering schools, nor did they have a separate ASTM or SAE "standards" just for Packard Twelves. Be assured by the time the early 20's came about, most cars had reliable self-starters.
The problem....you abuse and/or ignore a piece of mechanical equipment long enough....and it will get crabby. Certainly true of Packard Twelves.
Well...anyway...a couple of "experts" happened to be standing by...and started telling me that I didn't fool them..... "bet you have a 8 volt battery in that thing". I couldn't resist it...told them that the problem was in old time battery voltage... "you had to have a special FOUR volt battery to make em start fast....".
Sure enough...at an auto show some months later...a couple more "experts"....i overheard them...discussing the four volt battery solution.......
Bottom line.....can you imagine someone buying a new car...of ANY era....and tolerating for thirty seconds if the durn thing wouldn't start...right now...hot or cold...?
Well...i have to qualify that....by the early 1930's Packard engineers were amongst several different mfg. technicians writing in the journals of the era...coming up with ideas to solve the "vapor lock" issue...as the fuels of that day were being produced with ever higher 'Ried Vapor Pressure" components. (yeah...I know...there are some "experts" even in here who didn't pay attention in their high school phsyics classes....they dont "believe" in vapor lock....!).
so with the above exception.....cars should start IMMEDIATELY on the electrical systems they were designed with. If they wont....FIX EM !
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6 hours ago, alsancle said:
With the 3.79 rear end, a model J Duesenburg is doing 70 mph at about 2600 RPM. You still have another 2000 RPM to go, assuming you were running the steel rods........ Ahhhh...the "what if's"....? Tell us what the stock rear axle ratio of those cars was...and why? Steel connecting rods? Why where they better than the "stock" rods......and when were they available...? Discuss, please ?
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3 hours ago, JFranklin said:
I never experienced vapor lock until they started pushing E-10 gasoline.
I am not sure there is a connection. We know from Packard engineering discussions in their tech. manuals of the early 30's, that as the oil companies raised the Reid Vapor Pressure of motor fuels (to enable easier starting in the winter)....vapor lock became more of a problem. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of fuel chemistry can come in here and tell us whether the addtion of alcohol significantly raises the Reid Vapor Pressure of motor fuel.
I note with amusement in another forum some fellow is claiming that "straight eight" cylinder Packards never have vapor lock - its only the V-type motors that do"
Of coruse that is utter nonsense - even a cursory review of either SAE or Packard tech. manuals going back to the early 1930s make it clear the problem is keeping fuel from vaporizing in the fuel lines. The size, type, and cyl. layout of any given motor is irrelevant to the problem of vapor lock. What matters is the placement of the fuel lines, and what sort of device brings the fuel to the carb.
My primary concern about using E-10 gasoline - well...two concerns.....first...some tech. discussions suggest it causes gasoline to 'go bad" sooner; that the "shelf life" is only 30-45 days.....and secondly, it can cause non-metalic fuel tanks and older rubber parts to start disintergrating, making for an explosion hazzard.
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I see some folks are still puzzled about the vapor-lock issue. Well-discussed in this and other sites down thru the years, but apparently, still some folks who "dont get it" about basic physics and the boiling point of modern gasoline.
Anyone want to discuss ?
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3 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:
I have suggested several times that we have a section to talk about cars that will one day reach AACA status, but have found little to no support.
Fear not - see my above post. "Time marches on"....with all that implies....!
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THE AIM OF THE AACA issue?
More than one poster in this "thread" has asked, expressing their curiosity in various ways, "why shouldn't such cars be discussed in here......many people appreciate cars before they reach 25 years old..."
This causes displeasure amongst those of us of the "Old Guard". But let's keep an open mind. Things change! Those familiar with the histories of the AACA and the CCCA recognize as generations change, their tastes, their culture changes. Use of language changes.
For example, there was a time when the "Old Guard" objected to the introduction into the AACA of the Model "A" Ford. Too modern...after all...it had four wheel brakes (internal expanding) an on-board electrical system...even a drive-shaft with transmission attached to the back of the engine block, lower pressure "ballon" style tires...etc.
The "Old Guard" hissed that (at that time) the word "antique" referred to cars that had two wheel "external contracting" brakes, lighting, if at all, by accetelyne gas provided by an on-board carbide generator...T head motors... wood wheels with high-pressure narrow tires....etc.
Some folks had no embarrassment at calling my '41 Cadillac an "antique". That's a car with a fully automatic four speed transmission, geared so much higher than earlier cars...so that it could cruise all day at extreme speeds, "factory" air conditioning, hydraulic brakes on all four wheels, power windows...all-metal construction...pressurized cooling system...independent front suspension.....and so on.
In the May/June "Official Publication Of The AACA (see the article starting on Pp. 76) the title is APPRECIATION FOR MERGING ANTIQUES. Featured are photos of late Chevrolet pick-up trucks, a Ford LTD, and Tarus. The author shows no reluctance to calling them "attainable antiques".
Bottom line - whether the "Old Guard" like me..... likes it or not, the flow of history cannot be stopped. Be patient...wont be long now before I can call my 2008 Toyota 2008 an "antique".
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DRIVING CLASSICS, cont:
I enjoyed Su8overdrive's excellent article, agreeing with some of his points, disagreeing & finding faults with others....
Let's see - his is a long article -but definitely an outstanding one - deserves a fiesty response.
First of all, you are mistaken - if you knew how good looking and charming I am, you'd know it wouldn't be fair to male college students to have me back in the class-room (my teaching credential is in History & Military Affairs, so in my day, not that many cute girls in the classes, but when they did show up...certainly got my respect and attention....). So teaching is out...too busy with my child-hood hobbies....(which have stayed the same).
Secondly, I disagree with SOME of your comments about the Fierce Sparrow.
First - about the Sparrow.....true...it had a SLIGHTLY smaller stroke than my Twelve...but whether that means it would hold together under extremes of abuse....not sure. As you probably know '35 thr '39 Packard Twelves had chrome moly rods, with Federal-Mogul designed "insert" copper-lead rod bearings.
Second point about the Sparrow....by comparison to a Packard Twelve, its V-12 was stone-age in terms of combustion-chamber design. It was a standard "L" head. Cylinder head at right angles to the top of the block. The Packard Twelve could also be called a "L" head, but its cylinder bore was at an ANGLE to the top of the block, giving it a wedge-shaped combustion chamber. my PREJUDICE is that much more advanced design (coupled with better "breathing" from both an intake and exhaust development, made the Packard Twelve more powrful.
Was a Pierce Twelve faster than a Packard Twelve? Sure, but only because it could be ordered with an overdrive. Assuming the exact same final drive ratios....hmmmm.....probably a tie. Yes, I know what Jenkins did. but that car was "tricked".
Interior fittings? C'mon...man...you've been to too many car shows where folks turned once magnificent motor cars into costume jewelry without regard to historical accuracy. Chrome was considered vulgar - the interior fittings were nickle plated (as, incidentally, were the engine fittings...!
Now I REALLY take offense.....you say Packard Twelve engines "no better than a Auburn".......how dare you! They were neither designed, engineered, nor qualifiedly set up to compete in the Packard Twelve price class...nearly ONE HUNDRED CUB INCH less motor! (Seriously, no question that with a "Colombia" rear end...bone-stock to bone stock...they were faster...MUCH faster. Side note....my own Twelve has a 3.23 gear set hidden away in its authentic rear axle assembly.....I suspect you'd agree that "flat out"....no matter what you did to a KB, a 452, or a Series 90....would have a chance....
Yes - one thing we agree on...is the march of technology/progress that exploded in the 30's. That made the "heavy-weights" obsolete before they rolled out of the factory door - as was most certainly the case with my Packard Twelve!
What better example of how right your comment is, is about the "new breed" being so superior to dinosaurs like mine! Some years ago, when I was on the Boards of both the Nat. CCCA and my then Region, I joined many of our "Old Guard" in opposing the admission to the Club of the Cadillac 60 Special. Our reasoning - way too modern,. But to be honest, let's say it is a hot, muggy summer day, and you want to get across townh thru traffic, or cross the desert in a hurry. Which would you rather choose (assuming both were properly maintained....a 1931 Cadillac V-16...or a '41 Sixty Special. That '41 could be ordered with factory air!. It had a pressurized cooling system, fully automatic transmission with a "high-speed" gear ratio enabling it to cruise effortlessly at speeds that would destroy the '31 V-16....down-draft carbs. with pressure fuel pump in place of those vacuum tanks...etc...etc.
Bottom line....looks like we agree more than we disagree.....
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A PERSPECTIVE ON YOUNG PEOPLE & OLD CARS...
A personal story to give some perspective of the generation problem. As in the old expression..."times change but people dont"...!
It is a hot evening in Palm Springs, California. Then as now, I love driving my '38 Packard Twelve....a fast, powerful car by any standard. To be honest...then as now...I "drive it like I stole it".....!
The "then" in this particular perspective.....was the fall of 1959. The event had wrapped up...(a joint event between us in the So. Calif. Region of the Classic Car Club Of America....and the local HCCA) in a now long-gone fancy hotel). ( was, admittedly...a 19 year old "squirrel" when behind the wheel..even my Packard Twelve.....o.k...especially when behind the wheel of my Packard Twelve.......(0.K....to be honest.....I still am !)
Me being me....i just had to "peel rubber" as I accelerated out of the parking lot. Lucky me and the guy in the big "brass era" car I ALMOST rear-ended on Palm Canyon Drive...that I have fast reflexes,...locking up the brakes of my 6,000 lb. play-toy just in time.
Shaken up...at what ALMOST happened....I screamed obscenities at the guy in the "brass era" car.....(oh..I should explain....that car had, typical of its era, lighting by accetelyne gas - produced by its on-board carbide generator.....so those tail-lights of that era weren't all that bright....!)
What did "squirrel me" scream at the guy.....(cleaned up for this forum) 'WHAT IN HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU.....GOING OUT ON A PUBLIC ROAD IN A FORTY YEAR OLD CAR"......
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CLASSIC CARS AND THE PLANET?
Since all used vehicles are now "classics", hack - we even have a "Classic Plumbing" down in Phoenix...........i think we should all accept blame for hurting those poor bunny-wabbets...
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On 10/2/2023 at 6:44 AM, Steve_Mack_CT said:
Agree with tph, AJ, not ideal but an unassisted return trip is a victory of sorts at least. Hopefully a minor issue, as we roll into the middle of prime New England driving season.
Just how "good" were the "good old days".....? Well....I agree about the "victory of sorts". Underscores the difference between the big "super cars" of the pre-war era (Cad. V-12 &V-16, Pierce Arrow, Lincolns, Packard Twelves like mine....etc) and the "ordinary-man" cars of that day.
We have TWO of what matters.....TWO separate fan/water pump drive belts, two separate jets in our carbs., two separate ignition coils, points, condensors. We get to keep moving when parts start failing!
Ordinary cars of the pre-war era did not have, and had no reason to have cooling systems that were anything more than adequate for their anticipated use (mostly local driving - understandable, given the pre-war road network).
Just look at the difference in the advertising of that era, as to what the anticipated use was (for example...I saw a advertisement for the then new '34 Packard Twelves, representing how relaxing it was to drive the thing four hundred miles in one day. On those roads, in that era......not something that would be practical in what the "ordinary mans" car could do!. I saw lots of water bags on earlier cars when crossing the desert....NEVER saw one on one of the big "super cars".
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On 10/1/2023 at 11:57 AM, alsancle said:
I went to get my mom to go for a ride today. Absolutely gorgeous fall day in New England. I motored up a 30% grade in 3rd gear no problem. Pulled in to my mom's house, car sat for 30 minutes. Started right up, but when we got a ways from the house I realized the car had no power. I'm thinking maybe we lost a bank of cylinders or a vacuum leak started from nowhere. Managed to limp back to the garage with it.
I am reporting you to the Packard Twelve Worship Society. Packard Twelves are not allowed to cause trouble. Is it possible a Lincoln KB or Cad. 452 owner snuck into your garage? Or maybe a vengance-driven Fierce Sparrow owner who tried to keep up with you on a hot day...? Please report your findings in detail!
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MEETING INTERESTING FOLKS AT CAR SHOWS....cont:
Yes, that happened to me. Was chatting away with fellow car nuts, when an old guy came up (I should explain...clearly older and in less shape than me...I am 83...) and asked me in his booming voice (I should further explain this was a BIG guy....probably still capable of putting up a fairly good bar fight....!)....'DO YOU KNOW WHO OWNED THAT THING IN THE MID 1950'S"? I thought that to be an odd question.....decided NOT to tell him the history of my car....let him do the talking.....! "I AM A RETIRED LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICER. I WAS ASSIGNED TO HOLLYWOOD JUVENILE...WAS UP ON MULHOLLAND DRIVE, SAW PARKED AT AN OVER-LOOK, THIS, KID IN A CAR JUST LIKE THIS...WITH AN EQUALLY UNDER-AGE FEMALE...CLEARLY UP TO 'NO GOOD' THE LITTLE RAT TOOK OFF....TRIED TO CATCH HIM WITH MY (UNMARKED) FORD POLICE CAR. LITTLE RAT RAMMED ME, I WENT OFF THE ROAD, 'TOTALED' THE POLICE CAR...LOST A MONTH'S PAY. I'D SURE LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT LITTLE RAT"........
So I agree....isn't it fun to go to auto shows as an exhibitor with an old car.....you just never know what interesting people you can meet...
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1 minute ago, demco32 said:
yes it is a jaguar I think an xk 140 roadster
You lost me. Thought I explained my Packard Twelve is a Packard Twelve. I never lied to you..never tried to pass my Packard Twelve off as a Jaguar.
For those who do not know, Packards are American cars - Jaguars are English. Big difference - for example, American cars use Mazda-related electrical systems.....meaning...Delco or Auto Lite (Owens in the earlier ones). (Mazda is the Greek god of light). British cars have Lucas electricals - the British god of darkness.......!
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ANY DAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY cont:
Le me supplement my earlier (see above) post showing my Packard Twelve at the museum in Kingman, Arizona recently.
The attached photo shows wife and I enjoying our collector car on the Pacific Coast Highway headed to the Hearst museum at San Simeon. Two lane highway, typical of what major U.S. highways were like in earlier times
The point? 50-60 mph is about as fast as it is comfortable to go on such roads. Explains why most pre-war cars were geared so much lower than post-war practice. A quick summary of the problem - the "lower" (higher numerically) the "final drive" ratio, the faster the entire drive-line must spin for any given speed.
Bottom line...the typical post-war car's motor (with its much less abusive shorter stroke) is operating at approx. half the rpm of the longer stroke motors of earlier eras. Explains why modern era cars seem so much more relaxing to be in on modern highways. For the simple and obvious reason their drive lines are spinning so much lower than the lower geared cars of previous eras. Think of how much harder you are stressing EVERYTHING...not just the connecting rods....when driving the earlier collector-era car in modern conditions!
My suggestion - accept the technical limitations of the earlier collector cars by operating them within the speed ranges, and on the roads they were designed for.
A bit of snobbery here - late Packard Twelves have significantly more competent brakes than late Cadillac V-16's. Those of us lucky enough to have the most powerful, most technically competent "super cars" of earlier eras can re-gear them to cruise comfortably at today's speeds. ( Mine has a 3.23 rear end gear ratio in place of the stock 4:41.) "Do the math"......On a thousand mile trip, a stock-geared car will have to go another 350 miles to arrive at the same place!
So what! Bottom line - isn't the enjoyment of a collector era car best realized if we operate them in conditions best related to what they were designed for? Yes, I personally can cruise my own Twelve down the modern Interstate with the best of them. But the real enjoyment is when I get off, leave the modern era behind, and try and duplicate the experience of by-gone times.
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Gary has the ideal situation - his tow vehicle weighs as much as the vehicle being towed!
For those of us not so lucky, I recommend the steps suggested earlier.
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"A GREAT DAY FOR A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY"...?
i AGREE! For those of us who really love living with a collector-era car.....ANY day is a great day (just be sure your windshield wipers work....!) For those interested in automotive travel history, if you are ever in western Arizona, be sure and visit the museum where you can learn more about U.S. Highway 66...what it was like in earlier times for our collector-era cars. (attached photo is my '38 Packard V-12, which I bought in '57, went to high school in it...college...law school....and used it to get groceries the other day.....!) (this particular photo taken the othe day on my return from California, and the spectacular SAN MARINO MOTOR CLASSIC...!
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Floating around the Internet are videos of towing tragedies....for example.. - a beautiful "mint" Phantom 3 Rolls destroyed by poor towing technique.
This discussion applies primarily to those of us who do "bumper" tows.
The heavier the vehicles being towed, compared to the weight of the tow vehicle, the greater the potential for disaster if the appropriate allowances are not taken care of.
Without using fancy physics terms, there is the phenomena of "sway" getting worse and worse as the driver tries to correct. The more the driver tries to stay ahead of the "sway" by correcting, the worse the condition gets, until there is an accident.
The most effective (and usually the most expensive...!) way to engage in safe towing is to have a REALLY HEAVY tow vehicle! In my own case, I have a recent model 3500 series GMC "long-bed crew cab". Weighs around 7,800 lbs. (that's a so-called "one ton" truck). Towed vehicles are about 10,000 lbs (either my 6,000 lb. Packard Twelve in its Cargo Express "box" trailer, or our 28 Ft. Bayliner cabin cruiser on its trailer). Stable towing even at absurd speeds!
What can you learn from this? Again, the heavier the tow vehicle compared to the weight of the vehicle being towed, the less likely the "sway" will be a factor.
I TRIED in past years towing the above towed vehicles with a 2500 series Suburban. That's basically a 3/4 ton truck. Without "sway bars" its "sway" got vicious at anything above 50 mph. Yes, it was a nuisance having to engage those sway bars every time I hitched up, but that did allow reasonably stable towing at speeds up to...oh..say 65 mph.
Bottom line - PLEASE - when towing those trailers loaded with our beloved collector cars........
1) keep your speeds down! Think about stopping distances as well as the "sway" issue.. And the slower you tow, the less likely you are going to encounter a "sway" that gets out of control.
2) use the heaviest tow vehicle (in proportion to what you are towing) you can get your hands on!)
3) if you have ANY question about stability at highway speeds....use any of the "sway bars" avail. from numerous manufacturers.
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Questions re: old car humor
I am still driving my '38 Packard Twelve (purchased in 1957 for twenty five bucks.
C'mon...guys....someone come up with some NICE funny responses when I am asked the usual questions like "did you buy it new"....., "where do you get gas....tires..." etc....etc...!
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Back pressure is common in all engines
I disagree. Some folks have a need for people to "notice" them. The more annoying the better. So they will remove mufflers, cut down "header" pipes, ANYTHING to make more noise. They have decided in their infinite wisdom that this is "good" for the motor and makes more power. Ask them about it, and they will assure you it is silly to bother reading SAE/ASTM tech. papers. After all, why bother with precise, logical analysis when you "know" what you want !
A PERSPECTIVE ON YOUNG PEOPLE & OLD CARS...
Duesenberg
in CCCA - General
Posted
DUESENBURG value?
It's the summer of '55. Fellow CCCA member is trying to pedal a car for a friend. Knows my family has money. Comes over to the house with it. Early "J" that would be lucky to get 80 points these days. I salivated. But my dad wouldn't even come down from watching Uncle Miltie to look at it. Afer all...five hundred bucks for a well-worn used car that needed tires.....? I was furious with my dad for not seeing the value....refusing to loan me the money. After all...as I told my dad...."YOU HAVE NO VISION....THAT CAR WILL EVENTUALLY BE WORTH FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS"......
(so now you know the truth......all I could afford in my high school years was a twenty five dollar car (earned that twenty five bucks mowing lawns). That twenty five dollar car...? Yup...it not only needed tires...needed a battery...my parents thought I was nuts for buying it., especially since it was using oil too....!
In the mid 1960's...solved the oil problem....Pulled the motor at Charlie Last's place....went thru it.....no more oil problem ........
What happened to that twenty five dollar car? Well.. after going to high school in it...used it to go to UCLA...then law school...got married in it...here's a photo of it and my wife on our honey-moon (early '67).
Yup...i keep it 'cause I like it...(used it the other day to go to the grocery store) (used it last summer for a CCCA tour in the Rockies.....) do I wish I had a Duesenburg....(I know the later Dusies are good cars...best proof of that is the later ones have the same Stromberg EE-3 as my car....)....but "beggars can't be choosers".....