Guest 7gipsey Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Hello, new guy here and looking for information on a recently purchased 1925 Franklin 11a? I have been researching the Franklins and find the aluminum body story interesting. But my newly purchased car has steel everything , what am I missing ? Purchased this car to build a motorhome from so there will be parts left to sell but I need to correctly advertise them so as not to misrepresent them to anyone. Thanks in advance, Gipsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Motorhome?!?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 7gipsey Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Yes Motorhome ! I have a very early Wayne bus that needs front sheet metal. My wife , a recent cancer survivor, wants to see the redwoods in California. I want to take her there in style, my idea of style anyway. Gipsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Well, if it is not a complete original car then all I have to say is... NICE MATE... Old Franklins had wooden frames. We love photos. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I believe by series 11, almost all of the body is steel. The chassis is wood. What exactly are you going to do to this poor car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clincher Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Series 11-A touring car has aluminum body, steel fenders. Don't know about other body types. A magnet will reveal what's what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympic Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Steve, my 27 11B has an aluminum body by Walker. Most 11Bs I have encountered have the aluminum body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 What exactly are you going to do to this poor car?If you see it, you will not be able to unsee it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLong Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 May i suggest a different approach? If you are using the Franklin sheet metal and body only, this might work, but NOT with any part of the Franklin engine or drivetrain.If you use the existing truck engine and trans and drivetrain, a Franklin sheetmetal graft onto the coach might look rather interesting.The Franklin's were made lightweight, in order to get acceptable performance out of their horsepower-limited aircooled engines.. If you were to put the Franklin engine in that motorhome, you'd have to gear it to have a top speed of 20mph in order to not not overheat or blowup the engine in short order. It's just a matter of physics.. Power to weight ratio, body frontal area, driveline drag, etc.. There is a reason that most of the '20's commercial trucks only ran at 15-25mph under load ! Greg L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Steve, my 27 11B has an aluminum body by Walker. Most 11Bs I have encountered have the aluminum body.I stand corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 7gipsey Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 let me try to add some pictures !!the Franklin I bought at auction, rough but restorable ? Restored it is another 25 Franklin 4 door. Parted out it helps perhaps to save a couple more cars ?The bus body has served as a fishing cabin for the last 40 years, I want it back on the road as a motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Braverman Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 The Franklin looks pretty rough. The bus looks rather nice. What happened to the original front end of the bus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 7gipsey Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Well the above seems to have posted, this new computer works but I'm used to the old format . Yes weight to HP, I plan on a later model drive line and engine. The cowl, fenders, hood and headlights are what I plan on using. I would like to use the windshield but haven't measured anything yet, to cold. The sheet metal was all gone from the bus when I bought it, showing in the picture is 35 ford big truck sheet metal I had planed to use. Gipsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 GO FOR IT !!! I applaud you. Treat the wife nice. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrhd29nz Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 The Bus looks in great shape, and with that Franklin up front...It will look very cool. If it were me It would have a 12valve cummings under that hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin-Madman Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Steve, my 27 11B has an aluminum body by Walker. Most 11Bs I have encountered have the aluminum body.There was a batch of early Series 11 Bodies that are all steel made by Raulang, a successor of Rauch & Lang of electric car fame. The cars are a bit more sedate than a normal, aluminum bodied S-11. Edited February 10, 2014 by Franklin-Madman (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Now that I see what you're planning, I have to soften my views a bit. I was thinking of the Cadillac from the old Kevin Costner movie, "Fandango" with the International Harvester front clip on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 A friend of mine made these cast iron toys along the same lines as the planned transition....Packards, not Franklins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympic Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Franklin Madman, you are absolutely correct about the steel bodies by Raulang, because I had a 25 with the steel body. With that extra weight, it was no where near as perky as my 27. Which is no where near as perky as my 33! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 7gipsey Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 12 valve Cummings, love to do that, not at all in the budget.Not a good photo but that's the tag under the hood (RAULANG ) mystery solved, thank you.GOOGLE 1925 bus and look at the photos, that's what were shooting to attain.The cast iron are a little more art deco than mine hopes to be, but on the same line style wise. Were looking for a heat wave Saturday, 40 f, and I hope to clean some more coon squat and corn snake skins out to find a serial #. I do believe the missing parts, steering wheel, seat fabric and wood structure were actually eaten!!!Gipsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyardjeff Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 That Franklin front clip would look good on that bus body,I think there is someone on ebay that has been trying to sell the front half of a similar year Franklin for a couple years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 7gipsey Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) taking the car apart, mostly with an air hose. The wood is so bad that high pressure air removes it. very good wood wheels and rime, doors with hardware, drive train and rear fenders almost ready to go up for sale.[ATTACH=CONFIG]236469[/ATTACH Edited February 27, 2014 by 7gipsey (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Keep us up to date on your restoration now that you have all of us interested. bob smits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Unless you have a good running engine in the bus, a nice running used Cummins 12V will not set you back any more than a rebuild on the original bus engine.A Cummins engine will be far more reliable, have more power and get better fuel economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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