Ray Bell Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 I know, I only ever seem to log in when I want something identified... But the way I see it, some of you people enjoy picking up on little things which point to just what make or model a car might be. So here's another one to see if you can satisfy yourselves that not much escapes your attention. Points I picked up were: Semi-elliptic springs front and rear External contracting brakes on rear, front hubs missing. 4-cyl side-valve engine with updraught carburettor. Remote gearbox - possibly an indication of it being pre-1920? Tailshaft (driveshaft) arrangement is unusual, at least to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durant frank Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 From the pictures I would say a mid 20's Star Model M, made by Durant motors. The clues: W5 continental motor separate mounted transmission 4 cylinder so a Model M Rear brakes only, so was made in Michigan, New Jersey Or Leaside Canada. Ribbed fenders and splash aprons like my Model M Star Unique Spicer coupling between clutch and transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 Thank you, Frank, that does very much look like the right car... I think the rib around the 'splash apron' is a very unusual feature. The shape of the top section of the hood, even though the one I saw was damaged, fits with that overall shape in that area too, and I wondered what the 'W5' casting was all about. I think the owner will be surprised that I came up with these answers quickly. However, after typing up this much I had a quick look at Google to see if I could pinpoint the year and found that the identical car was named a 'Rugby' for British markets, which probably means the Australian market as well. So this might well be a Rugby. I do recall looking at a Rugby a few years ago, but I couldn't say if it was the same as this or not. Oh, and what year do you reckon? About 1924? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durant frank Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 Hi Ray, The W5 was the Continental motor designation used by Durant. My touring car is listed as a 1926, but has a lot of the earlier 1925 features. We in the Durant Motors Automobile Club, joke that Durant's moto was "no two cars alike". They even varied from plant to plant. This touring was made in Canada, I have another one that was made in California and is very similar but it has four wheel brakes and is a 1925. You are correct about Rugby being used in the British markets because the Star name already existed there. You can see a lot more info on our Club website Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 This was Durant's answer to the Ford and Chevrolet, Durant Motors popular priced offering. Sold as a Star in North America, there was already a Star car in England so they changed the name to Rugby. Rugby was also the name of their light truck line. If they sold English Star cars in Australia, they may have been rebadged there too. Friend of mine has a 1927 Star, he may be interested in parts if you are not too far away from Cobourg Ontario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Saxton Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 They were called "Rugby " here Ray, because an English car, probably still marketed here into the early 1920s had residual rights in the market to that name "Star". It must have been well over a decade since you visited here, Ray; and I cannot remember whether I had the Roamer Duesenberg running, with which I enjoyed giving visitors joyrides on the property. Last time I drove up the Newell Highway to Queensland was about 5 years ago. I stopped well off the road late at night north of Moree for recovery sleep. When I stared the engine to resume travel an hour and a half later, It would stall when I let out the clutch in first gear. It would move in reverse to a better spot, so I decided to wait till daylight. There was plenty of oil on the left rear brake where the broken wheel bearing was. So I jacked up the back wheels, and tapped the "bush mechanic" button. Then I adjusted the brake shoes in the drum that side, so the wheel turned easily by hand, and drove steadily on to Goondawindi well off the traffic lane. At Repco I bought two rear bearing kits, a small trolley jack, and a 20v angle grinder with enough residual charge in two batteries. I then drove slowly to where I could buy my autistic son breakfast/lunch. Then I found my credit card was still in Repco, which had closed at 12 oçlock because it was Saturday. So I pulled up under a shady tree to change the wheel bearing. ( on the 3rd of January, it got to about 42 C) . A mechanic pulled up with his service truck and asked if I needed help. I thanked him but said I had plenty of time, because I could not leave town until I could retrieve my credit card on Monday. Les said he knew the girls in Repco and would get it back for me. Well, he might have known their first names, but not their surnames or mobile phone numbers. Several hours later he located the management through his network, and my card was returned to me that evening. There was more than that, which I can tell you another time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 I love your great stories, Ivan, and it is over a decade since I visited you... I had the misfortune to have to spend several days working in Goondiwindi recently. I had no need to go to Repco, but did finish up in Supercheap Auto after something or other. Around about right now Rusty will begin to realise that I'm quite some distance from Ontario, while in fact this car is located in someone's driveway at Alice Springs, where I am working this week. Those 20-volt cordless tools are extremely handy, I'm carrying with me on this trip a rattle gun, angle grinder, 6" power saw and a drill, all of them from Aldi. It was this angle grinder which I used to cut the Jewitt chassis near Mungindi into three parts so I could carry it home in the Forester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 Oh yes, I did have a ride in the Roamer Duesenberg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 A lot of Stars were scrapped for the engine which was used to power farm equipment like buck saws and in boats. The separate transmission made them easy to adapt to other uses. I bet there are still hundreds of them scattered around the bush and farms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 I'm sure a lot of other cars suffered the same fate... I heard of one Vauxhall 23/60 which was used to power a sawmill. I remember seeing regularly a '38 Dodge which was in use running a pump from a farm dam. Bob Trevan's K-Model Ford engine was found in a boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 1924 Star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 Thanks for the post... What distinguishes the 1924 model from other years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 11, 2019 Author Share Posted August 11, 2019 Okay, men, here's another 'garden gnome' that I couldn't identify... How will we go with this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72caddy Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Looks like a Dodge Brothers - mid to late 20's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzBob Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Dodge Brothers 4 cyl. engine. Not sure of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 11, 2019 Author Share Posted August 11, 2019 Thank you... I probably would have worked that out myself if only I'd walked around the other side of it. Or at least had a good guess, as the inlet tract through the centre of the block was a feature I knew about. It has to be pre-1928, then, when the 'Fast Four' was introduced prior to the Chrysler merge and 6-cylinder engines. I think that would be right? Does anyone know when Dodge went away from the external contracting rear brakes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustDave Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Isn’t bernie(old car). Looking for a dodge chassic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 I'm pretty sure this one isn't for sale... In a bit of desert where there's seldom grass, a neat 'garden gnome' like this helps fill things out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted August 13, 2019 Author Share Posted August 13, 2019 Does what appears to be an air cleaner on top of the manifolding indicate this is a very late model of this engine? I've been hunting around for photos and have seen that same shape over on the other side of the engine where the carburettor was typically fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 Here I am again... A friend found a radiator surround in the rubbish when he was building his house several years ago. So it became 'decoration' in the garden. It actually looks to me like it's going to be something someone else finds when they sell the place and are cleaning up the joint. Nevertheless, it's probably an identifiable item at this stage, can anyone help with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 1926 or 1927 Oldsmobile.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Bell Posted February 12, 2020 Author Share Posted February 12, 2020 A belated 'thank you' for that, yes, you've got it there I'm sure... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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