Dixie Flyer "Firefly" speedster photographs.

[Bill Boudway]

Hi Bernie,

Thanks for the update photo.

We've all been waiting to see the progress.

A question; Is the image reversed in the photo, or will the Dixie drive on the "wrong" side?

Regards,

Bill Boudway

[oldcar]

Well spotted Bill!

As an Australian delivered car when new in 1922 the Dixie Flyer has always been right hand drive. There is no evidence that it was converted after it left the factory so it would be a fair assumption that Kentucky Wagon built a RH Drive export model. From my research it would appear that about 30 cars came to Australia. I know that North West Motors in Liverpool were the English import agents. I also know that a garage at Cardiff in Wales had a sales/service agency but have been unable to discover any others in the UK.

The Australian delivered cars may have come through North West Motors too but this is only conjecture on my part.

It is quite likely that they were also sold in South Africa too but have been unable to find any proof either way. The one in Iceland is left hand drive. It is an earlier car, either 1917 or 18. with a rounded radiator top. Interestingly one of the spare engines is just two numbers different to my original cylinder block.

While my car is 1922 with the HS70 (3 1/2 inch bore) engine the block was cast on May 28 1920 (5 28 20) Yet this larger bore engine only became available for 1922. Earlier cars had the HS50 (3 1/4 bore) motor. Prior to 1917 they used a Lycomming engine.

Bernie J

Edited March 15, 2010 by oldcar (see edit history)

[oldcar]

This must sound completely crazy to some of you but This afternoon I have started to completely dismantle the Dixie Flyer!

This is preparation for the final assembly. "Dave the Painter' tells me that he has finished the mudguards (fenders) and is ready to start work on the main body. Being a fastidious worker he requires the body off the chassis. I have also decided that the paint applied to the wheels some months ago is no longer up to the required standard and so all five wheels are about to have the tires stripped off prior to going to be bead blasted. Then they can be repainted before fitting new tires. The chassis can also receive a final rub-down and freshen up.

With one eye riveted to the calendar there is no room for second chances. Yesterday son Steve came to assist with the silver soldering of the windscreen frame so I now have (hopefully) the final load of "stuff" to go for nickel plating. Radiator surround, wheel "knock on" hub caps, windscreen frame, and quite a box full of little bits. Having said this I just know that there will be at least one more visit with more "shiny stuff".

Bernie j.

[oldcar]

Help!!

We are just starting to put together our travel plans for the AACA 75th Anniversary at Louisville. Getting from Australia to the West Coast is the easy bit. We are now totally confused by the huge number of options available to get from there (LA) to Louisville. Can any of the experienced travelers possibly advise the most practical route?

Bernie J.

[Bill Boudway]

Hi Bernie,

How will you be travelling?

Auto, train, air?

Regards,

Bill Boudway

[oldcar]

Hi Bill

Almost certainly by Air. Alternatively we may think about renting an Auto and driving although it does seem rather a long drive, even for us. The time factor also comes into it.

Bernie J.

[Bill Boudway]

Hi Bernie,

Yes, a long drive from Los Angeles. Perhaps four days. More if you drive the

Dixie Flyer.

your trip reminds me of the great movie about the worlds fastest Indian. A great story about an Aussie who restores an Indian motorcycle to take to Bonneville for the speed trials.

Good luck with your painting and final assembly.

Regards,

Bill Boudway

[oldcar]

Hi Bill

Much as I would like to be driving the Dixie Flyer we won't be bringing it on the plane with us. Hopefully it will arrive in Louisville before us.

Re the World's Fastest Indian much as I would like to claim it as Australian the film was actually made in New Zealand about a New Zealander. They just like people to think that they are Australian. They are so confused that they talk about their two little islands as the "Mainland". It is a bit like Canada and the USA.

The first lot of paint finished, the Black bits, look great. Unbelievable in fact, when I think about the heap of rusty rubbish I brought home in the first place.

It could have saved me lots of $$$$ if I had made new fenders, but I was determined to use as much of the original sheet metal as possible.

Bernie J.

Edited March 22, 2010 by oldcar (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Hi Bernie.

Dont be afraid to drive from LA to Louisville. If one just wants to drive, four easy days[2100 mi]. With a side trip to the Grand Canyoy, five. Hope you have the time to do that. Be a shame to come and not see some of our country. I still remember my drive from Brisbane to Sydney in 1970. Very happy I did that trip.

Ben

[oldcar]

Hi Ben

Thanks for your support. We are certainly thinking very seriously about driving. As our first visit to the US we think that it would be a shame just to fly in and fly out without actually seeing anything. After all we spend up to four months to visit the UK and France but then we have lots of friends, especially Lagonda people, in the UK. I don't think that we are going to find too many Dixie Flyer owners in America, still we are working on that. We do have one Lagonda friend in Sth Carolina who we would like to see.

Bernie j.

Bernie J.

[MochetVelo]

You might consider using a travel agent here in the USA, Bernie. I think there are a few good ones left, anyway. They could advise you driving, flying or railroading.

Phil

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Bernie, even though you don't "know" any one here, you have a lot of friends. And I would think most would be happy to entertain you while in our area of the country. Good luck and happy traveling , whichever mode you choose.

Ben

[unimogjohn]

Bernie, you are looking at a bit over 2,000 miles from Los Angeles, CA to Louisville, KY. You figure that you will drive 500 miles a day, and you are looking at four hard driving days. So if I were you, I would fly closer to Louisville.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

John is right, Bernie. But the Grand Canyon is very faint from seven miles up.!!

Luck

Ben

[unimogjohn]

Bernie, Ben is right. Here is where we were last week; the Grand Canyon. Just depends if you have the time. Actually, I would make time.

[keiser31]

Love that first shot!!

[oldcar]

Hi All

I have been rather busy the past few days, apart from everything else I managed to "loose" the next part (9) of the Return to Louisville story for the Antique Automobile and have just finished re-writing it all 1500 words.

I have also been doing some work in the garden as you can see in the attached photograph.

Re our travel plans, our present thinking is that we take a week to 10 days to cross from LA to Louisville. but it is still early days.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Just a couple more of those gardening photographs........

[jan arnett (2)]

Bernie there is another alternative to flying into Louisville or driving from Cal and that is to fly into the Cincinnati airport (CVG) which is actually located in Northern Kentucky and then it is an hour drive to Louisville. Since you seem to like anything mechanical you can go to Dayton Ohio, 45 Minute drive and visit the Wright Patterson Air force Museum which is one of the largest military museum of aircraft in the world and then visit the Crawford Automobile museum in Dayton Ohio. If you would be interested I can set up the arrangements for you and I am sure West Peterson would help. Drop me a line if you would be interested.

[Scotts_DG8]

Just a couple more of those gardening photographs........

I've yet to comment on your efforts here but now I find the need. The paint one the fenders turned out wonderful. You're just teasing us all until it all begins to fully come together. I can't wait to see the finished product. Scott

[oldcar]

Hello Jan

Many thanks for the suggestion we will add it to our growing list of possibilities. I will e-mail you when we start to firm up our plans.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Hello Scott

I guess I am teasing you a little bit but it is unintentional. Now to tease you a bit more here is a photo of the tachometer that our son Steve has just finished restoring. It now matches the clock and minor instruments perfectly.

[oldcar]

Scott

I am having trouble with waiting too but then it is up to me to make it all happen.

Slowly but surely I am getting there but some things you just can't hurry.

Bernie J.

[Scotts_DG8]

Scott

I am having trouble with waiting too but then it is up to me to make it all happen.

Slowly but surely I am getting there but some things you just can't hurry.

Bernie J.

Bernie,<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

I completely understand. I was/am pulling your leg a bit. I know that mostly if you’re in this hobby one has to have plenty of patients (skills and/or money helps too). When you’re, more often than not, working with a piece of metal or hardware that is numerous decades old it’s going to take some time to bring it back to a presentable state. And of course it makes it worse if you are striving towards perfection. But in the end that patients along with a lot of hard work and dedication (and a bit of luck now and then) the end product pretty much always pays off. I’ve never considered building basically something from nothing, and am personally very impressed with the art object that you’re creating. I’ll keep watching and waiting, my job during this restoration is simple and I can handle it.<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

Scott

[West Peterson]

Bernie there is another alternative to flying into Louisville or driving from Cal and that is to fly into the Cincinnati airport (CVG) which is actually located in Northern Kentucky and then it is an hour drive to Louisville. Since you seem to like anything mechanical you can go to Dayton Ohio, 45 Minute drive and visit the Wright Patterson Air force Museum which is one of the largest military museum of aircraft in the world and then visit the Crawford Automobile museum in Dayton Ohio. If you would be interested I can set up the arrangements for you and I am sure West Peterson would help. Drop me a line if you would be interested.

Dayton is another good place to fly into. The Crawford Automobile Museum is in Cleveland, but there is a pretty nice Packard Museum in Dayton, along with the absolute best aviation museum in existence!

[oldcar]

Thanks West

We have some pretty nice Packards here too, if not the super ones you have or nearly so many. Here are a couple that I photographed at a run last weekend. If you see copies of the Automobile magazine from the UK I have regular contributions in their Automobiles in Action section.

Edited March 29, 2010 by oldcar
Grammatical error. (see edit history)

[oldcar]

Looking back I started this post asking if anyone had Dixie Flyer Speedster photographs. well 23 pages later and so far the only photo that has been found was one taken in 1923 and forwarded to me by West Peterson following a reply to my series in the Antique Automobile by a 90 yo gentleman living in Boston. Surely there must be some others around in old albums or somewhere? What have you got up in the attic?

Bernie j

[alsfarms]

Hello Bernie,

You must be feeling good and that maybe you will make your goal. I wish I had a picture to share with you but don't.

Al

[oldcar]

Hi Al

Thanks for the thought! You cannot possibly imagine the sort of pressure I am putting myself under to get this job completed.

I just felt that it was a timely reminder as to what this thread was originally all about. Finding Dixie Flyer photographs. I guess that the lack of response only confirms how few out of the original 7.000 remain. Some people will tell you that this is because they were so bad. My theory is that because they were so "tough" that rather than be put out to grass or parked in a barn they were all driven into the ground, then had vital bits salvaged to perform other functions around the farm or where ever. I believe that many of the low millage barn find veterans are only there because they broke down early in their life and were pushed into the barn often in disgust rather than from a wish to preserve them.

Bernie j.

[oldcar]

Stop the press! Another Dixie Flyer found! This one in Texas no details yet except that it is a 1920 Touring. Watch this space.........

[oldcar]

:) I know how you all love photographs. Here is one taken just an hour ago. I had just fitted the two front wheels having collected the hub-caps from the platers two hours earlier.

Let me remind you that there is just six weeks before the car has to be ready for shipping to Louisville.

Bernie J.

[oldcar]

Hi All

Sorry no new photographs just yet. I am working flatout in an attempt to meet the May 14 deadline for sea freight to the US. With luck I should have some stunning new pics for you by early next week.

Bernie J

[oldcar]

:DAs suggested in my last post things are starting to happen. I collect the painted body from the painter tomorrow. With this firmly bolted in place on the chassis, final assembly can start in earnest. All that remains to be painted now is the hood (5 pieces) so that May 14th target is looking better.

Bernie J.

[Bill Boudway]

Hi Bernie,

I have the instructions for adjusting the Gabriel snubbers.

Please send your snailmail address and I'll mail a copy by air.

gnbboudway@msn.com

Good luck,

Bill Boudway

PS: I know someone who painted their vehicle in the trailer on the way to the Hershey fall meet.

Hang in there!!

[oldcar]

A taste of things to come..........:)

[oldcar]

Patience my friends

I am working 8 to 10 hours a day 7 days a week. The four fenders are now fitted and today I have been working on the electrical wiring. the rear lights, stop lights and turn indicators are fitted and wired up. With such a fantastic paint finish I just have to be extra careful. My aim is to have the car ready to go back to the trimmers next week so they can do some final detail work and fit the carpet etc. Looking at the car from underneath it all looks fairly much as it would have in 1922.

Bernie j

[jan arnett (2)]

Hope to see the final job in Louisville.

Jan

[oldcar]

Thank you Jan

As you will see from the attached we are now firmly on track for Louisville.

First thing tomorrow the Dixie Flyer goes back to the trimmers shop for the seat, carpets and trim to be installed. with this in place the Dash can be refitted and the electrical wiring completed so that should take care of the next day or so but first a couple of photographs taken earlier this evening (Australian time) and some that my ever helpful and enthusiastic son Steve sent of the work he is doing on the Dash and a new gear lever knob that he has turned up out of "Spotted Gum" the timber that I have used for the steering wheel rim and dash.

Bernie J

[unimogjohn]

What a great looking car. Looking forward to seeing it in KY up close and personal.

[oldcar]

Hey John

We are really starting to get excited. It will be great to meet so many people who feel like old friends already. At long last I can see the finishing post as all those bits and pieces are coming together and final assembly means just that.

Helen is having great fun sorting out our travel plans for June-July.

Regards

Bernie J.