Period images to relieve some of the stress

[edinmass]

Having run a Duesenberg J up against a blower Mercedes, it’s no contest..............the J eats the car with a star every time. Been there, done that. 

[Tph479]

Could you image being dropped off to t-ball practice  in this?

[nzcarnerd]

6 minutes ago, Tph479 said:

In a race down a straight line I think I would take the Duesenberg....but then again I could have fun with either one of them.

Just beat up old race cars. Do you think that the cars had ashtrays?

 

About twenty years ago an acquaintance ran his Bugatti Type 35B in a local flying quarter mile event on a narrow bumpy country road. It recorded 128 mph. Not bad for a car of that age with only 2.3 litres, supercharged of course.

 

At the same event he also had his Jaguar D-type - a car which was sold just recently. On the same piece of road the Jag went 144 mph.

[edinmass]

10 minutes ago, Tph479 said:

Could you image being dropped off to t-ball practice  in this?

 

I have been lucky enough to beat the snot out of one of these...............wasn’t impressed. And it was the special with the neat carb set up. Actually ran it against a 120 Jag. Pasadena hasn’t been the same since. Going through the In and Out Burger, Priceless!  We were going “animal style”!  🤫

Such is the insane world I live in.

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Tph479]

3 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

I have been lucky enough to beat the snot out of one of these...............wasn’t impressed. And it was the special with the neat carb set up. Actually ran it against a 120 Jag. Pasadena hasn’t been the same since. Going through the In and Out Burger, Priceless! 
 

Such is the insane world I live in.

I understand that this was a total rattle box. 

[edinmass]

How shall I explain it..............my neighbor down here has one. I call it his bread delivery truck. It really pisses him off. I was driving a good one, that was properly dialed in. Except for the thrill of pounding a machine that cost twenty times my net worth..........not much to report. I kept thinking the last five owners never spun it faster than 1500 rpm. Well, I can report it turned a lot faster than I expected...........but didn’t make any power worth remembering. I’ll never look at one again the same way.........It’s a Briggs and Stratton with fancy tin.

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

[alsancle]

I'm sure you guys are all familiar with the famous Lake Muroc match race between Phil Berg's Duesenberg and Zeppo Marx's Mercedes S.  Both cars are still around.   

 

In order for the Mercedes to keep up with the Duesenberg,  the blower was engaged the whole time and it is not designed to run like that.   So,  the Mercedes got out in the lead on the first lap,  but a couple laps latter the Duesenberg passed it and that was that.   Lots of excuses if you are a Mercedes guy like me.

 

 

[edinmass]

If I was driving.........it wouldn't have been close. Look at the two power plants.............420cid and 265 hp, and the star car is 180 with the blower.........110 without? And a much smaller displacement on a heavy chassis also.  I don't think the Mercedes ever had a chance. 

[alsancle]

10 minutes ago, edinmass said:

If I was driving.........it wouldn't have been close. Look at the two power plants.............420cid and 265 hp, and the star car is 180 with the blower.........110 without? And a much smaller displacement on a heavy chassis also.  I don't think the Mercedes ever had a chance. 

 

 

Eddy,  don't confuse a 540K with a 327 cubic inch engine and 115/180 HP with the 29-32 Mercedes SS which has more cubic inches than a J (433) and around 225HP.

 

The Mercedes was successfully raced and an apples to apples race between an SS Mercedes and a Model J Duesenberg would be more competitive than you think.

 

If you want to go SSJ with the Duesenberg than a SSKL Mercedes is a full blown race car.

[TAKerry]

14 hours ago, edinmass said:

Having run a Duesenberg J up against a blower Mercedes, it’s no contest..............the J eats the car with a star every time. Been there, done that. 

I wish I could remember where I read it, Ed you may very well have more info.  Back in the day, I dont think it was Groucho, may have been one of his brothers, had a Duesenburg as well as other celebrity's at the time. The blip I read was about the Marx fellow and 'street' racing, said they would strip everything that wasnt needed off the car, fenders and such, then run the heck out of them. It may have been some one like Clark Gable they were racing. I really wish I knew where I read that, it was quite interesting.

UM!!! Senior Moment. SORRY Alsancle, I saw the post about Ed racing a MB, and somehow didnt see your post at all. Im a bit late to this one. Thanks for posting.

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

[Pete O]

Here's a period image guaranteed to relieve stress.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Pete O (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

On 4/14/2021 at 3:47 PM, Tph479 said:

My friend Jim took the picture when he owned it. Picture was in frame when he gave it to me. Before arriving in Chicago the car came of of Ireland and was owned by a man named Desmond Fitzgerald. In later years this car was painted bright red and given whitewalls and chrome wires wheels.

 

I was talking about Jim Debickero several weeks ago. We were all wondering about his health, or even if he was still with us. The discussion we had about him revolved around a 1937 SS-100 that he bought in Minneapolis around 1962. The car recently resurfaced and its very interesting history was revealed.

Here's the car when my dad had it, and the last photo is just before restoration started ab out a year ago.

 

 

 

[West Peterson]

Manufactured on May 1, 1937, registered FMT 984 and finished in black with red upholstery, chassis 18093 was despatched from Jaguar to Halls Car Sales in London’s Great Portland Street, via Henlys. Although there is no record of the original owner, the history file shows a photograph of the car at a Swiss petrol station in August 1939, which was taken by the motor racing photographer Robert Fellowes. Fellowes was travelling with the owner, said to be a Cambridge student called Monday, to photograph the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix (a walkover by the German Mercedes team, pursued by Auto Union).

Less than a year after the photograph was taken, Fellowes joined the Artists Rifles. He had reached the rank of Acting Captain when he was badly injured at El Alamein, losing one leg and the other left in bad shape. Although he seemed to recover well, even acting as a liaison officer for a propaganda film, he was to lose his life as a result of sand entering his lungs during the injury.

 

Author Chris Nixon has published a book of Fellowes’ photographs covering the Grand Prix from 1934 until 1939, based on the archives now owned by Neil Corner. An earlier book, published in period, was penned by Rodney Walkerley. Virtually nothing is known of the car’s activities, although the black-and-white photograph in Switzerland is as evocative as it is fascinating. Surrounded by locals and off-duty soldiers, the men look on while a lady pumps fuel into the SS. Could the owner be standing by the car? Why is there a spanner located in the passenger door? A reoccurring problem, maybe. There’s a leather bonnet strap, and the name Little Audrey along the bonnet. Little Audrey has long since gone, as has the multitude of car badges, with the exception of two Union Jack ones (at the edge of the louvres). By September, war was declared and the SS 100 went into hiding once back in England.

[alsancle]

2 hours ago, West Peterson said:

 

I was talking about Jim Debickero several weeks ago. We were all wondering about his health, or even if he was still with us. The discussion we had about him revolved around a 1937 SS-100 that he bought in Minneapolis around 1962. The car recently resurfaced and its very interesting history was revealed.

Here's the car when my dad had it, and the last photo is just before restoration started ab out a year ago.

 

Jim has good taste in cars, didn't he?

 

Tim Heywood who frequents the forum still sees Jim once in a while so he is still with us.  

Edited April 16, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Tph479]

1 hour ago, West Peterson said:

 

I was talking about Jim Debickero several weeks ago. We were all wondering about his health, or even if he was still with us. The discussion we had about him revolved around a 1937 SS-100 that he bought in Minneapolis around 1962. The car recently resurfaced and its very interesting history was revealed.

Here's the car when my dad had it, and the last photo is just before restoration started ab out a year ago.

 

 

 

Yes, he is in excellent shape. He lives near me and was hanging out with me last night when I was working in the garage.  

[alsancle]

22 minutes ago, Tph479 said:

Yes, he is in excellent shape. He lives near me and was hanging out with me last night when I was working in the garage.  

Tim,  thanks.  I fixed my post above.   I was getting you and Tim Martin mixed up.   You are both Packard guys and both named Tim.   Too much for my feeble mind.

[twin6]

[coachJC]

 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by coachJC (see edit history)

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

 

40 minutes ago, coachJC said:

 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Dave Gelinas (XP-300) (see edit history)

[twin6]

No idea what make this is, but I'd give it garage space.

[twin6]

Early car wash.

[Walt G]

Check out the single self generating headlamp on the car that is getting its wheel washed - WOW. Can anyone identify who made that lamp?

I only have one self generating headlamp in my collection and they are truly a wonder to behold as to how many pieces it took to make and work efficiently.

It was one of the best "finds" I ever had at Hershey in the old Blue Field, and came from a pile of stuff Randy Mason brought down for the Henry Ford Museum that they wanted sold off because it was a lamp made in Europe and they were/are an American museum. Lamp weighs a huge amount and I carried it at least 3/4 of a mile back to the car that day after buying it. Both my arms are about 3 inches longer now....................

[Marty Roth]

2 hours ago, Dave Gelinas (XP-300) said:

 

 

Dave, do you know the location?

Maybe Quebec?

I count at least 11 Flower Cars

Newest vehicle appears to be the 1961 Pontiacs.

Mob Funeral?

[nzcarnerd]

1 hour ago, twin6 said:

Early car wash.

 

Very similar to this one which turned up on a facebook page a few days ago. I think the car in the fb pic is a few years old as I reckon it dates from 1902-03 but it has a registration plate, and appears to have had its wheels changed.

 

 

[Tph479]

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

59 minutes ago, Marty Roth said:

 

Dave, do you know the location?

Maybe Quebec?

I count at least 11 Flower Cars

Newest vehicle appears to be the 1961 Pontiacs.

Mob Funeral?

Yes, it is Quebec.

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Dave Gelinas (XP-300) (see edit history)

[edinmass]

12 hours ago, alsancle said:

 

 

Eddy,  don't confuse a 540K with a 327 cubic inch engine and 115/180 HP with the 29-32 Mercedes SS which has more cubic inches than a J (433) and around 225HP.

 

The Mercedes was successfully raced and an apples to apples race between an SS Mercedes and a Model J Duesenberg would be more competitive than you think.

 

If you want to go SSJ with the Duesenberg than a SSKL Mercedes is a full blown race car.

In England, we ran J-223 down the M5 against a Mercedes...........I think it was a 770?........... I’ll see if I can find a photo. The Mercedes wanted to pass.........but it just couldn’t no matter how much it tried, and it finally fell back. I think it may have been a 1927 and it was in a speedster configuration. At about 80 mph it sounded like the insides of the engine were trying to come out. I wasn’t knocking.......but the valve and engine noise from the gears made it seem like it was screaming. (Blower noise I assume.)
 

Yes.......no photo, but it was a 1927 Type S..........120 hp according to what I see posted. Does that make it a 630k? I’m no foreign car expert. The two ladies driving the car were from Germany, and they had an impressive collection of cars. They were not casual tourists.......they were hammering that car hard. Sort of a Thelma and Louise kind of attitude. They also had a 1904 Mercedes that they were driving the wheels off of..........I think that was pre “Benz”. Not too sure. The bigger question.......in a long race, will a Mercedes hold up against a J. Say over five hundred miles? 223 is geared to the moon.......so they probably didn’t have much of a chance. 

Edited April 17, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

[hook]

On 4/15/2021 at 9:32 PM, Dave Gelinas (XP-300) said:

Could you identify the city in the lower photo?

[58L-Y8]

A better look at that early car washing:

[Dave Gelinas (XP-300)]

8 hours ago, hook said:

Could you identify the city in the lower photo?

The Original Oyster Café, Pittsburgh, September 13, 1936

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Dave Gelinas (XP-300) (see edit history)

[30DodgePanel]

Anyone from Canada know the story behind this team?

 

My search said Dawson City Canada (Yukon)

 

[LCK81403]

This photo was posted earlier; my attention was drawn to the right rear wheel of the left most car.  Maybe it is just me, however the spoke wheel appears to be rather large for the car.  The car is an unidentified roadster and should not carry so heavy a load that it warrants a 12-spoke wheel.  That car does appear to be relatively larger than the coupe at it's right side.

[hddennis]

14 hours ago, Dave Gelinas (XP-300) said:

Always loved this early custom.https://www.customcarchronicle.com/early-custom-cars/socalif-plating-truck/ 

[30DodgePanel]

Early K-9 daredevil

 

[Pilgrim65]

16 hours ago, Tph479 said:

Is this a jag , has a bmc grill like an Austin A 90

[30DodgePanel]

Wonder how long these were in use?