John Gelfer

Try Jon at The Carburetor Shop in Eldon MO. He's got lots of old carbs, rebuild kits, and expert advice. thecarburetorshop.com

"Pork! It's the other white meat". Failed first attempt from Pork Producers Council.

"I got you babe" Sonny Bono

Thanks, Mark. I would like to know what model distributor you have. Does Bob's sell the capacitors too?

I have a Delco Remy model 658B distributor in my '28 Gardner. It is probably common to several late 1920's cars with 8 cylinder engines. What is the correct point and condenser set for this? In case there were model changes, the SN of the distributor is 10357. Thanks!

Try some Marine Clean. You dilute it with hot water, and it will clean just about anything off of metal.

Try Jon Hardgrove @ The Carburetor Shop in Eldon MO. I'm sure he has a Carter BB1 for you. http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/

I have a sending unit that needs repair or replacement. It is out of a 1928 Gardner. It does not have any gears, just a cam which is attached to a copper diaphragm that moves as the float rises and falls. The total movement is only about 1/4" as the cam on the float rod has a very small offset. I hooked it up to an ohm meter to see if the resistance changed from one extreme to the other, but zip change. Has anyone seen a sender like this?

How about a metal stripping hot tank? I sent a tank out that had about a half inch of tar in the bottom from sitting for eight years, and it came back looking like new steel. Of course, it took all the nice shiny black paint off the outside too. I even looked inside with a mirror and a light. It was flawless, and ready for etching and sealing.

Yes the dip tanks at a metal restoration place will work best, and should be the first choice if you have lots of rust. If rust is not the issue, Marine Clean from POR-15 will do an excellent job cleaning old varnish and gunk out of your tank. Has anyone else out there tried it?

Forget the acetone. I am now a convert of Marine Clean by Por 15. I tried it on another tank. I used warm water to dilute it 4 to 1, and in about two hours, I had a very clean tank with no gunk at all. It's less toxic than acetone too.

This is a photo of a good friend's grandpa, along with his car. My friend remembers grandpa being partial to GM cars, most notably Cadillacs, but he only saw '50's and 60's cars in his lifetime. He would like to see what gramps was driving back in the 1920's.

What great photos. I wish they had lables to ID the cars.

I concur with the 810/812 Cord dash. With the simple but elegant engine turning, and the short and shapely knobs, it is a true work of art. The pre-selector shift stalk mounted on the steering column may not actually be part of the dashboard, but they pushed it over the top for a unique look. My late father in law owned three of them. What beauties!

Where was the Dixie Flyer manufactured? I never heard of this brand before your posting. Sounds like a worthy project. I imagine you will have a tough time finding parts. By the way, the Lagonda is a very fine automobile, and a real beauty. I think there is one in River Hills, WI. (Just next to Milwaukee...) Yes, please post some of the shots of your work in progress.

Not sure, but I think Lycoming made these for Auburns. Was it dual Shebler carbs?

I am looking for a tool to spread the leaves apart just a bit, so I can put a little grease between the leaves of my Model T. I have seen one before that looks like a C-clamp, but has a tapered blade to wedge between the leaves. I tried to find one on e-bay with no luck.

May I say WOW? What a beauty. You are doing a fine job, with skill and patience. I can't wait to see The Hup finished. Seeing your progress is an inspiration to all restorers of the rolling antique iron.

Pictures???

Is it completely illegal to drive a brass car with carbide and kerosene lamps at night? I live in Wisconsin, and have a 1912 Model T. I have not attempted to fire up the lamps, and probably won't drive at night, but it would be nice to know if I risk a fine if I get the urge to cruise on a full moon eve.

The new timing chain may not be exactly the same spacing as the original. My '28 Gardner had thrown the chain many years ago, which led to its lengthy 35 year "storage", (along with broken pistons). After rebuilding and a new timing chain, it too ran noisy. My father-in-law who owned it at the time figured out that there was a poor fit on the old timing gear with the new chain. He calculated that the modern links were a bit longer than the old chain, and cut a new gear a few thousandths over for the correct mesh. End of noise. I hope this is not your problem, as there aren't many machinists around who can do this kind of work.

Is there an aftermarket 2 speed gear box that sits in front of the diff? I thought there were some products like this years ago. You would have to shorten the drive shaft, and machine some splines to fit the 2 speed unit on both ends. I would be interested in getting such a unit to increase the top end in my '28 Gardner. It's gots tons of torque (I think I could pull tree stumps with it!), but is geared a bit too low.

Is it plain steel inside, or was it coated? After the caustic soda treatment, it seems you would be prone to rusting easily.

Hi I tried to call your 917 562-8369 #, but it asked me for a mailbox #, which I didn't have. I want to buy the '28 Dykes. How do we proceed? I could send you a money order, bank check, or personal check. Thanks, John Gelfer

NO! Do not advance the spark for starting. You must retard the spark to avoid kickback (push spark lever up) for starting, or you will damage the starter (electric), or damage your arm if hand crank starting.