mikewest Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) Merry Christmas to my friends and friendships not made yet! This was the week before Christmas 2013. The curtains have shrunk and wouldn't reach the snaps! Mike West Edited December 10, 2016 by mikewest (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdc Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) Packards in the snow make beautiful Christmas pictures. Merry Christmas to everyone. I took this last year in the remnants of the blizzard "Goliath". Edited December 10, 2016 by bdc (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) I myself could never use my car like this. I cannot believe it is Pepsi and not a Coke Santa sign. Merry Christmas all!!!!!!!!!! Edited December 10, 2016 by Joe in Canada (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 Joe , Its just a car! This old car has been in upstate NY all its like and its unrestored.... The older I get, if it makes me happy ,I do it . The reactions from others are priceless! Merry Christmas to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Snow is nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Old cars always love going out in the snow. Remember it is salt that is the enemy. I like to drive year round as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 My turn — how about winter road trips? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 Chris, That car is neat! And the roads you have are awesome! How does it handle with those "cork snow tires? Does it have a hot water or gas heater? Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Awesome road trip! Good for you Mr. Bamford. Your lead photo almost looks like a 1950's Koda-Chrome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 I've seen historic pictures of street scenes, circa 1920, where a big snowfall fell and blew right into the open touring cars parked along a street. Yes, snow just piled up on the leather seats. Was that the normal practice? Do we have any people with first-hand recollections? (Pardon me, while I go shovel out my car---) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 White Christmas Florida style. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 42 minutes ago, Chris Bamford said: My turn — how about winter road trips? Chris, those roads and that scenery look great for a winter's drive! Having grown up in snow country, I think a drive on snow-covered roads is relaxing and inviting. But for my own drive, I would probably use my modern car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Mike, you really know how to infuriate the owners of "Trailer Queens". Looks like you are having way too much fun, despite the weather conditions. Hey Chris, where is that picture taken? just beautiful! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 How can anyone spend a whole year doing the conventional and what is expected? It's not the snow. I did it on biased summer tires. Bernie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 We made the cover of Antique Automobile Magazine a few years ago with our 1914 T. Didn't even bother to put up the top - had not put a new one on it yet and the old one was too ragged to even try and put up. Funny story - had a gentleman call me and started asking questions about how I got the picture. He started talking film speeds, Fstops, and a whole bunch of tech stuff I had no idea of! When he stopped and asked me to explain my technique, I told him I just kinda crouched down, pressed the little button on the camera and it went "click." It was an honor to see the pic in print. No, have not restored the gas pump yet. Like it just the way it is. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, 46 woodie said: ...Hey Chris, where is that picture taken? just beautiful! On Highway 5 as it crosses the continental divide going north from Yukon to the Northwest Territories. This was a two week road trip from Edmonton to Tuktoyaktuk in the second half of March 2012. Tuk is the furthest north one can drive in mainland Canada and the 112 miles from Inuvik to Tuk is over a seasonal ice road up the MacKenzie River and along the Beaufort Sea. Photo below is end of land at Tuk. This trip capped off our Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast journeys in the old heap. MikeWest, the studded knobbies work just fine but are as noisy as one might expect. We had two heaters — the factory unit was dedicated to defrosting only and an identical heater from the parts car was mounted on the transmission hump for cabin warmth. We had about 10 days straight of -30°C/-22°F and lower. The running gear had a block heater, magnetic oil-pan heater and electric blanket around the battery. Edited December 10, 2016 by Chris Bamford (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Chris, that's great, I commend you. Areas like that require planning ahead for gas and if you break down I'm sure help isn't just down the road a mile. And people think I'm crazy for driving my '46 Ford Woodie coast to coast. See any polar bears? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) 5 hours ago, mikewest said: Joe , Its just a car! This old car has been in upstate NY all its like and its unrestored.... The older I get, if it makes me happy ,I do it . The reactions from others are priceless! Merry Christmas to all! Sorry you took it the wrong way, I was referring to using a Pepsi sign and not Coke with the old car. Remember the cola wars? Edited December 10, 2016 by Joe in Canada (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) When I was about 15-16 years old, (1969-70) my dad traded a clean unrestored 49 Chevy 4 dr he had found for a basket-case 28 Model A pickup. He said he had always wanted a stock Model A pickup to drive to work every day, and he was bound to have one now. His original intent was to just bolt it together, get it running, brush-paint it, and drive it. But it needed some body work, and we started hand-sanding 11 layers of old paint and rust off of it (we had no air compressor, nor any power bodywork tools). He and I worked on it 7 days a week for 14 months, and when it was done, it was beautiful, with a lacquer paint job applied by a talented friend. Dad did just what he had said he would do...he drove it every day to work for a year or two...regardless of weather conditions. And since we had no garage at home, it sat outside for all that time. That first winter after the restoration, we got a beautiful snowfall one night. Mom got the whole family up early, (before the new-fallen snow would get trampled everywhere), put us all in our old raccoon coats, and took us over to our neighbors' home, where their backyard would make a beautiful backdrop for a Christmas card photo. I think the year was 1970, but might have been 1971. Edited December 10, 2016 by lump (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 1 minute ago, Joe in Canada said: Sorry you took it the wrong way, I was referring to using a Pepsi sign and not Coke with the old car.. Yes Coke is what is popular now but in the 60s Pepsi was just as so. This sign was discarded from a small local grocery store and I dragged it home. The printing co label in the the lower edge and its there the date is. I was offended a bit . I wouldn't run the car in salt either but some snow doesn't hurt to get the image. happy New year as well! Chris, That car is neat! And the roads you have are awesome! How does it handle with those "cork snow tires? Does it have a hot water or gas heater? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 I was amazed at how well that old Model A did in the snow. One night after a big snowfall, me and some other teens were hanging out on an uphill street, waiting to help push cars up the hill that couldn't get enough traction to make it. There must have been about 10 of us, enjoying the adventure. Just then I heard my Dad's Model A coming around the corner, and I ASSUMED that he would really need our help, with those skinny tires. But Dad came around the corner, drove right up to where I was standing behind a car we were trying to push, rolled down his window and warned me to be careful. Then, starting out right in the middle of the hill, he simply drove right up to our house. I was amazed. Later, he told me that those "skinny tires" I was worried about were actually a help, not a hindrance, because they tended to cut through the soft snow to the pavement, instead of floating on top of it. I was beginning to see that my old man wasn't so "dumb" after all. Maybe "old guys" knew a thing or two that I didn't. Hmmmm.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 This is the only photo I have of that Model A pickup that sorta shows how pretty it looked after the "quickie" resto, which Dad had originally intended to do. Of course, like nearly all such projects, once we got going on it, we just couldn't cut corners or do the job "half way." On this particular day, there was a picnic for members of our Southern Ohio Chapter of AACA, at the home of a good friend. Dad couldn't go that day, so Mom decided to go anyway. She convinced Dad to let her drive the Model A, but then surprised me by allowing me to drive it. I had just turned 16 and gotten my new driver's license. I thought I was a King that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Chris, I really admire you for making that incredible trip in your the old Dodge. Bravo! I am dying of curiosity about a few details... Is your Dodge still running the original 6-volt system? Were the "block heater" and electric blanket used only at night, and thus powered by 120 volts, or did you find a way to power them with DC voltage from your car? AWESOME trip in an awesome car. Well done, sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 holy mackerel is this thread making me fell like a wimp. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&J Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 10 minutes ago, alsancle said: holy mackerel is this thread making me fell like a wimp. I sure don't feel like one.....but I am thin, always was, and need to be warm. I stopped driving a roadster in 1985, upgraded to a convertible coupe with real side windows. The roadster was even unpleasant at 7 AM on the way to work 3 miles away on a mid-summer morning. Windwings helped defect some nasty drafts, but still hated get blasted by wind and road noise. Good riddance to those roadster/tourings. The only two early cars I will keep are a 32 Ford cabriolet which also has a good heater and defroster.....and a short bodied 2dr 32 Nash convertible sedan. I already have a nice deco heater for that one too. I'm poor, but I am practical. Back in the hippy days, there was a local old VW bus with a woodstove in the back. LOL . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) In my twenties, I decided I wanted to do like my Dad had done, and drive a stock Model A to work every day. I found a 1930 2 door sedan with an older restoration for cheap, and bought it. It would run pretty well, but suddenly stall as I drove at 50-55 mph. When the seller had told me of this problem, I suspected that the radiator cap and fuel cap might have been switched. But the problem persisted, even with no cap on the car at all. I eventually traced the troubles to a paper match, which must have been tossed in the gas tank at some time. It had migrated into the fuel line, and swollen enough to restrict fuel flow. I blew it out by putting air pressure in the tank, and it drove great after that. I put a manifold heater on it, as my Dad had done, and drove it every day to work for a year or two. I wore a headphone set with FM radio in it, and had a ball. People would freak out when I parked it in a parking lot right in between other cars. But it was my transportation, and I was determined to drive it like I would any other car. Interestingly, the more I drove it, the more reliable it became. I think that sitting in a garage for months on end allows too much time for gremlins to sneak into wiring, fuel systems, etc, etc. Edited December 10, 2016 by lump (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 1 hour ago, 46 woodie said: Chris, that's great ... See any polar bears? No bears, only a few deer and the pair of Meese below 32 minutes ago, lump said: ...I am dying of curiosity about a few details... Is your Dodge still running the original 6-volt system? Were the "block heater" and electric blanket used only at night, and thus powered by 120 volts, or did you find a way to power them with DC voltage from your car? Yes, 6-volt positive ground. We added a second battery as backup, wired in parallel with an isolator switch. Never needed it. Spare battery is at left in the bottom photo. This pic was taken shortly after a full engine rebuild, inside was like new but outwardly looked like the engine had never been apart so as to match the rest of the car. Yes, 120 volts — you can kind of see a 20' extension cord wrapped around a holder just inboard the RH taillight in my first photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Nice, Chris. I'm sure that folks from the Canadian territories, Alaska, and other frigid regions have had to come up with similar innovations "back in the day," to make it safely across frozen wilderness areas. I admire your spunk and sense of adventure. I hope you took lots of video, photos, etc. Seems to me that this might make a VERY popular story on YouTube or Facebook, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 Talking of skinny Model A tyres... I was working in Central Otago in about 1979 and arrived at our accommodation in the evening. Outside was a Model A two door sedan sporting recent paint etc on the outside, no door linings or head lining etc. inside, i.e. under restoration. I found the owners in the bar - a young couple on honeymoon. They had just come over an alpine road that was closed due to snow. When asked, the driver said he just drove up the bank and around the gate and carried on! There were no problems. I was impressed. The Studebaker at home was too low to do that! The accommodation, by the way, was the Lowburn Hotel, which is now c. 30 m under the surface of Lake Dunstan, a hydro lake impounded in 1992-95. This was a historic hotel, being a coach stop in the early days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 It would be an amazing trip that I would never have thought of doing. My father flow up to Inuvik on a fishing trip years ago and was picked up by the RCMP as soon as his foot hit the ground. Did not know alcohol was not legal to have up there and word traveled fast. The officers seemed happy he just turned it in and no paper work. Some how I do not think they poured out a bottle of Crown Royal down the drain. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 4 hours ago, lump said: In my twenties, I decided I wanted to do like my Dad had done, and drive a stock Model A to work every day.... Interestingly, the more I drove it, the more reliable it became.... That's well said! It should be the perfect motto for all of us old-car owners: "The more I drove it, the more reliable it became." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capngrog Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 8 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: I've seen historic pictures of street scenes, circa 1920, where a big snowfall fell and blew right into the open touring cars parked along a street. Yes, snow just piled up on the leather seats. Was that the normal practice? Do we have any people with first-hand recollections? (Pardon me, while I go shovel out my car---) Well, I don't know about circa 1920, but I do have first hand knowledge of the winters of 1962 and 1963 in Great Falls, Montana. My first permanent duty station in the Air Force was Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, and I had just purchased my first car, a 1958 Chevrolet convertible ( 348 c.i., 3 deuces, 3 spd manual floor shift, 4.11 posi rear etc.). I'm originally from Florida (born in Tampa), but my parents were living in Chappaqua, N.Y. at the time, so I had a nice road trip out to Montana in the old '58. I'm tending to ramble here, so I'll try to tighten it up a bit. Back to John S's post: After a heavy snowstorm in Great Falls, there would be snowdrifts INSIDE my car! It was normal practice to just sweep the stuff out and go my way. It was very cold in wintertime Great Falls, which meant that the snow flakes were pretty fine and were driven just about everywhere by the high Montana winds. I could never get that car to seal tightly enough to keep the snow out. After two of 'em, I became tired of the Montana winters and began volunteering for transfer to any place else. I even volunteered for Vietnam twice, but the USAF wound up sending me to France ... go figger. Glad to be in Florida, Grog P.S. That '58 was my FIRST and ONLY convertible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarredKnightfan Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 If only the snow wasn't followed everywhere by salt, ice & cold temps. Some awesome pics, tho ... my goodness mercy me. Cort, www.oldcarsstronghearts.com pig&cowValves.paceMaker * 1979 CC to 2003 MGM + 81mc "Rockies are calling, Denver snow falling" | Steve Wariner/Alabama | 'Tennessee Christmas' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 I took this picture back a few years ago, I no longer own the FC170. Never took it off the property into the salt but couldn't resist the photo op. Obviously when we were still in Western NY. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcslr Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 our picture for our Christmas card this year. They are tough on grass - traction) but road and driveway - not too much problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 There is a 37 Desoto in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 2 minutes ago, JACK M said: There is a 37 Desoto in there. Might have to use the choke today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted December 12, 2016 Share Posted December 12, 2016 (edited) 'Tis the season. I just dropped my Wife's Tahoe off for a transmission rebuild. I told the guy I was thinking of putting on a Snow Dogg 6' 8" plow so if a couple of hundred would beef it up, go ahead. I told him I never had much experience with 4WD vehicles until my Wife's health issues prevented her from shoveling snow. So I was open to his advice. Bernie Edited December 12, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 (edited) As close as I have come -- just out of the garage on to the driveway. Edited December 13, 2016 by 1935Packard (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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