Jump to content

What are you working on right now?


Recommended Posts

6 hours ago, dibarlaw said:

Worked on rebuilding 21" wood spoked wheel that had loosend up on my 1925 Buick Standard touring.

When evaluating the problem it should be noted that the car was originally equiped with 22" rims. I have already restored a set of 22" rims and wheels but am not ready to swap them out. I just want to be able to drive the car for the rest of the summer. Some time in the dim past when the car was fixed up in the late 1960s the wheels were changed out to 21" wheels. Possibly because of wheel condition or the need to use more available 21" tires. What was done was to swap out the earlier 1925 hubs in the later 1926-1927 wheels. I found the hub bolts to be a bit loose. Needed to make some new nuts and salvage some better bolts as these are peened over after tightening to the brake drum. So when removing the drum much of the end of the bolt is deformed. 

 After stripping and scraping the spokes/hub and fellow of the old 1960s finish of primer and black paint there was some reminants of the original Patrol Green and red striping. The spokes all apear to be solid and sound without any cracks or checks.

DSC00566.JPG.54a07a39d8b045596fad27e2feba0d6f.JPG    DSC00567.JPG.aabfe01a191f5f72b72638f804e1341b.JPG

 I had used Boiled Linseed Oil to soak into the spoke segments and the turned sections going through the fellow.

DSC00565.JPG.58ec2270edb268d2a0f06f21ea50ab52.JPG  DSC00568.JPG.251a28483dd0df34269ffca3080f23a6.JPG

Using a taperd pin to open up the joints and inserting .005 stainless steel shims between the segments. I filed off any paint sealing the ends of the turned spokes. each day for a week I would put a dab of BLO to the end grain and it tis still drinking it up.

 I hope to get things painted up this week if the humidity ever goes down!

What part of the wheel is the "felloes?"  I've never owned an early car with wooden wheels...

Edited by 63RedBrier (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, 63RedBrier said:

What part of the wheel is the "fellow?"  I've never owned an early car with wooden wheels...

This holds true with car wheels, too....

wood wheel.jpg

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
8 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Easy stuff this weekend as we acclimate to the 40 Packard after a quick vacation.  Cleaning up the interior and removing some "adornments" love the look more now!  Before & after.

20220813_173005.jpg

20220827_183357.jpg

 

 

You are a good man.  HUGE improvement.   Put that removed crap on ebay.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks AJ!  It was nice they put the bumper gaurd on with some rubber door edge guards to protect bumper chrome which was unmarred underneath!

 

With mechanicals essentially done, lots of little things to address that will improve the car overall.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished a radiator replacement in my '96 Mustang GT. Not too hard to accomplish. Parts are still easy to obtain. No leaks or cooling puking, but the temp indicator was starting to swing a bit over to the left of center. It wasn't indicating out of the normal range, but I've put over 60,000 miles on the car in 13 years ( currently at 216,700 miles!) and it definitely wasn't where it used to be. I had just run up to Sacramento at 75 mpg. in 90+ degree weather. It was reading higher than what has been normal in those conditions. I had considered just trying to flush it out and see if there was an improvement, but was running into a time issue. 

My daughter is having bizarre electrical issues with the '07 Mustang we gave her. It looks like the dreaded Smart Junction Box issues. These critical parts control almost every function except the motor, and have not been available new for many years. There isn't any aftermarket support with refurbished units. Lot's of used ones in the wrecking yard though. These issues make me wonder if these newer cars will survive to collector status. I just bought a beautiful blue '06 GT convertible which was supposed to be a forever car for me. Hopefully what I learn from her car will help me deal with mine. 

I'm going to let my Daughter use my '96 until I can get her car squared away, that's another reason I swapped the radiator, I didn't want her to have any problems with the car. 

Edited by Rivguy (see edit history)
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well after rebuilding my 2 rear wheels they do seem to be much more solid. I had one wheel left that I had not refinished as it still had the old cracked and chipped black paint on it when I got the car in 2011.

 So last week I did get that one finished.

 DSC00575.JPG.ac24a646d7b553bf442f4ff00e9a273d.JPG Great! All four wheels now match!

 As has been my experience with this car.... When ever I do ANYTHING to enhance the car cosmetically there is an proportionate downgrand in performance.. Proudly showing off my matching wheels we drove the car to church Sunday. On the way home the oil pressure gage is swinging from 0-15. Not the steady 22 lbs it has been since we rebuilt the engine in 2018. So this week we will do some exploratory surgery down below. I believe one of soldered joints in the oil distribution lines has opened up. I had to re solder a spot many years ago that had been sealed with RTV blue! Also have a spare engine to check to see how the oil distribution lines look in that engine. 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Being in a waiting mode to move the 1919 Lombard tractor to the museum and not being very good at waiting for other people to do their part, or for bureaucratic processes to take place, I had to find an outlet for my impatient energy lest I bombard people with emails and phone calls and make a general pain of myself. I decided to focus some of that energy on positive things like creating a bit of artwork of the tractor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1427340619_1919StrerlingPoweredLombard.jpg.324b3fc8dadb22416041db746ab523f5.jpg

 

Edited by Terry Harper (see edit history)
  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Earlier I posted about how I've been debugging the electro pneumatic shift system on our Cord.  This has been a long project.   The issue started when I was driving it to the upholstery shop for a new top and I lost 4th gear.  That wasn't a big deal because the car will go 45 mph easily in 3rd so I made it to the shop.  Two months later when we went to pick the car up,  reverse and first went away.  I managed the 10 mile drive home using only 2 and 3rd and didn't burn up the clutch.    So trying to carefully trace the problem with lots of help from my Cord buddies I did the following:

 

1.   Replaced the entire shift harness

2.   Rebuilt the selection switch

3.   Replaced the firewall plug with a dummy (now using one piece harness)

4.   Rebuilt the cross shift mechanism.   Required draining the transmission, so I pulled the filter and cleaned that while I was at it.

5.   Replaced the interlock switch with a new one

6.   Replaced the clutch switch with a new one.

 

And guess what?   It still just goes in to 2nd and 3rd!     I've given up and the car is going in to the shop where I know they will figure it in an afternoon.  I'm not too proud to admit failure.  I'm just not that smart.

 

In preparation for that trip,  I had to replace the two optima batteries (back ordered for 2 months), topped the tires off,  button everything up and get it off the stands.  I spent sometime detailing it just because.  The paint is almost 60 years old and doesn't look too bad.

 

EDIT:  The whitewalls are a mess, but I hate them and didn't feel like messing up my garage cleaning them.   Coker makes a really nice 16" blackwall radial and I have a set of brand new heavy duty wheels that will hold up to the sidewall presssure.

 

 

IMG_1056.jpg

IMG_1068.jpg

Edited by alsancle (see edit history)
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A nice looking Cord...and that's a lot for me to say because, as a rule, I don't like them much. I also don't envy you the job of sorting the complicated electrical stuff. I think I'll stick to pre-1920....that's about as much as I can learn!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, JV Puleo said:

A nice looking Cord...and that's a lot for me to say because, as a rule, I don't like them much. I also don't envy you the job of sorting the complicated electrical stuff. I think I'll stick to pre-1920....that's about as much as I can learn!

 

I could teach a class on how the shifting works, but I can't fix it.  The car has some sentimental value to me as one of my earliest memories was the trip from Boston to Auburn Indiana I took in the passenger seat back in 1969.

 

Here are my parents circa 1971.

BuckHillFalls1971-4.jpg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

AJ I have been steadilly transitioning to the blackwall camp, but something about mellow, older paint and older www looks pretty nice on the Cord.  Why not wear the www out first once you get the shift issue sorted? Perfect time of year if he can turn it around pretty quickly for you.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, edinmass said:

If AJ buys a set of white wall tires, He will be reminded about it from now until the day he dies. 

Not gonna happen Ed, but he should run those whitewalls into the ground.  I wasn't going to comment on radials but I know you can get some of them now that look pretty good... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Not gonna happen Ed, but he should run those whitewalls into the ground.  I wasn't going to comment on radials but I know you can get some of them now that look pretty good... 

i’ll need to inspect them a little closer for any dry rot Steve. Probably 20 years old at this point.

 

They have an aggressive tread, so they don’t look like as much of a crime as many white walls do.

 

Also, the cord was delivered factory with white walls. This presents a separate dilemma for me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, alsancle said:

i’ll need to inspect them a little closer for any dry rot Steve. Probably 20 years old at this point.

 

They have an aggressive tread, so they don’t look like as much of a crime as many white walls do.

 

Also, the cord was delivered factory with white walls. This presents a separate dilemma for me. 

What is dry rot? What does it look like? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Milburn Drysdale Dry rot is sometimes unrelated to sun exposure - our old 120 had nice WWW Firestones with maybe 200 miles on them if that, looked fantastic on the outside but all cracked on the inside, they were 20 to 25 years old.  I suspect sitting for long periods is a factor.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Here is a picture you almost never see. Probably for good reason.

248B9842-ADA4-4008-9839-F0985A95600A.jpeg

 

You are correct, it's an incredabily rare photo of you doing actual work. 😛 The fact that it doesn't shift means your skill set is about average. 😎 Fix it till it' broke!

 

To be fair, one can not expect a classically trained engineer and electronics expert to fix an analog system. 😇

 

 

Are you still buying me a fancey dinner at Hershey? Me be hungry!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
  • Like 1
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Terry Harper said:

 

Did you turn it off and then turn it back on again? 

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

.

.

.

.

Sigh........ I will go sit in the corner.

 

 

 

Not sure what you mean?   They crank out and they do work.  Although does anybody make an LED replacement bulb in 6 volts?  The RH one I had to bang to get it to come on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

Not sure what you mean?   They crank out and they do work.  Although does anybody make an LED replacement bulb in 6 volts?  The RH one I had to bang to get it to come on.

A.J. it was my attempt (after a very long day) at a lame joke poking fun at a younger generation that expects everything to be electrically driven and digitally controlled.

 

 

 

Edited by Terry Harper (see edit history)
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a restoration shop called Classic Coachworks rebuild the muffler for my 1915 McLaughlin.  I sourced the pipes from a heavy truck store, the results are too nice to hide under the car.

 

Regards, Gary

 

DSC_76393.JPG

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Added a new board in the middle section of the lath fence. Also found some funky brackets and after hammering them to my satisfaction, anchored the posts to the bar-b-q. The brackets and fence will be all painted soon.

IMG_3178 (1).JPG

IMG_3180 (1).JPG

IMG_3179 (1).JPG

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Putting the finishing touches on the 1950 Chevy 3600 tow truck so it's ready to go to Hershey. Decals done, I installed new weather seals around the doors this evening, and we'll be adding some accessories in the bed like a jerry can, fire extinguisher, tools, and other tow trucky things. I also have to replace a bulb in the rotating bubble light, but it's proving hard to find. Also debating on whether to reinstall the visor over the windshield--I usually hate them but it seems to work on this truck.

 

Why do I love this stupid thing so much?

 

722238238_2022-09-2115_34_38b.jpg.c320d455b3816a1f80835bc77ecd82d2.jpg

 

Pre-decals but with the visor:

DSC04577(1).jpg.2168055b6171d5f81d79e919cdb9a415.jpg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Putting the finishing touches on the 1950 Chevy 3600 tow truck so it's ready to go to Hershey. Decals done, I installed new weather seals around the doors this evening, and we'll be adding some accessories in the bed like a jerry can, fire extinguisher, tools, and other tow trucky things. I also have to replace a bulb in the rotating bubble light, but it's proving hard to find. Also debating on whether to reinstall the visor over the windshield--I usually hate them but it seems to work on this truck.

 

Why do I love this stupid thing so much?

 

722238238_2022-09-2115_34_38b.jpg.c320d455b3816a1f80835bc77ecd82d2.jpg

 

Pre-decals but with the visor:

DSC04577(1).jpg.2168055b6171d5f81d79e919cdb9a415.jpg

Here is our 34 Dodge.

68646540_10215849177244845_4572268187269201920_n.jpg

gallery_6737_451_1183249.jpg

IMG_0122_zpsow5t6xac.jpg

IMG_0141_zpslst66moe.jpg

IMG_7082.JPG

IMG_20190811_223755.jpg

IMG_20200518_181949.jpg

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Y'all are evil. I want a vintage wrecker so bad. And I'd probably use the thing. My wife would consider me acquiring one as an act of war though, since I've quite ably turned our picture perfect country homestead into a junkyard WITHOUT the aid of one.

And @Matt Harwood- that A.D. tow truck is perfect! I thought the one tons were 3800 though, and  three-quarter tons were 3600? Beautiful rig. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...