Christmas parade in Florida.

[Buick35]

My 35 Buick didn't like it.Idling so long and sometimes moving a few feet at a time we had to leave early after reaching close to 200 degreesF. I even installed an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.I topped it off with water before I left and it was dumping it out of the overflow.I got tired of people telling me I had a coolant leak. Like I said,my wife and I and a passenger had to bail early. It cooled down on the way back home.No more parades for me,at least not in Florida!

[Grimy]

21 minutes ago, Buick35 said:

My 35 Buick didn't like it.Idling so long and sometimes moving a few feet at a time we had to leave early after reaching close to 200 degreesF. I even installed an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.I topped it off with water before I left and it was dumping it out of the overflow.I got tired of people telling me I had a coolant leak. Like I said,my wife and I and a passenger had to bail early. It cooled down on the way back home.No more parades for me,at least not in Florida!

The underhood radiator fill necks (as on your car and on my 1934 & 1936 Pierces) are at the top of the radiator and thus should be topped off *only* when the car is fully warmed and coolant fully expanded--otherwise as coolant expands as it gradually increases to full operating temperature it will be pushed out the overflow.

 

That does *not* explain the 200*F idling temperature, however.  What was the ambient temp?  Do you keep it at a fast idle?  is the fan belt sufficiently tight?

[Buick35]

The ambient temp. was about 85 degrees.Fan belt tension is o.k.Thanks.

[alsancle]

When I was 6 years old I asked my dad why he never put his cars in a parade.   He said:

 

1.  Idling along for 2 hours in 90 degree heat is a recipe for disaster.

 

2.  Most people have no idea what they are looking at so you are really wasting your time.

Edited December 19, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Walt G]

There was for decades an annual Easter Parade in Garden City, NY on long island. It was fun and I did participate but then the Chamber of Commerce took over organizing it - most were not car people, so they thought it was a good way to have a fund raiser too. Car owners were charged $15 per car to drive in the parade. And there was a trophy awarded at the end judged by the Chamber. 1) I don't like awards or trophies of any kind for anything 2) if the cars weren't there you wouldn't have a parade so why hit the car owners with a fee?

I kind of resented on Easter having to drive my car down a road at a slow pace so spectators could see it , I stopped going entirely. Not sure if that parade is still on or not. After a while any car could go in the parade ( most with cars that were older stopped going) and it started to resemble a used car lot parade.

[JV Puleo]

I did one parade — in 1971, the year of my town's centennial. I had to have a friend drive it because I was committed to marching with the RI Highlander's pipe band. The car overheated and several more things went wrong, the worst of which was knocking a tooth of the reverse idler gear. I fixed it but I'll never do another parade. alsancel  — or his dad — are absolutely right. 99.9% of the spectators don't know an old car from a hole in the ground so why bother.

[John_S_in_Penna]

I grew up attending the annual 4th of July parade

in Pennsylvania.  That's where I first saw antique cars

and learned to appreciate them.  I would look closely

while they were gathering before the parade began.

I remember an American Underslung;  a 1960 Thunderbird;

a 1959 Cadillac 4-door hardtop;  and a 1954 Cadillac

Eldorado convertible among others.

 

So those of you who take old cars to parades, please

know that you may be planting some seeds for the future.

[edinmass]

 

I love a parade......a d do two of them every year. Fourth of July and Memorial Day. Great memories of my family and middle America at its best.

[Grimy]

3 hours ago, Buick35 said:

The ambient temp. was about 85 degrees.Fan belt tension is o.k.Thanks.

The ambient 85* tells the story.  Fast idle or 1200 rpm or so when you can (clutch disengaged) under those circumstances.  On such occasions, I wish I had a Franklin!

Edited December 19, 2021 by Grimy
fix typo (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

Thats the problem with Christmas in FLA. Christmas is supposed to be a cold snowy holiday. My wifes cousin was trying to rub in today that her weather was 70deg in Tampa while we had a nice 40deg in MD. 

 

Personally I have no desire to go to or participate in a parade. I guess its the curmudgeon coming out in me. I can barely tolerate crowds. Hershey is the exception because cars are involved. I barely remember it but somewhere mom has pictures to prove it. My family participated in our towns parade around 1970. We dressed in period clothes and rode in an early Packard. Dad drove and I remember riding in the back with my brother and sister. Dad had a friend that owned a few Packards that were in the parade. He was signed on as a driver of the one. It was a four door phaeton, green. My limited knowledge of those cars now has me thinking it was 1920's era.

[hidden_hunter]

2 hours ago, TAKerry said:

Christmas is supposed to be a cold snowy holiday. My wifes cousin was trying to rub in today that her weather was 70deg in Tampa while we had a nice 40deg in MD

News to me 🤪

 

Though not predicting a hot one this year 75f only Perth has anything remotely warm at just over 90

[John_S_in_Penna]

8 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:

News to me 🤪

Though not predicting a hot one this year 75f, only Perth has anything remotely warm at just over 90

 

I was going to say the same thing:  that for the

entire Southern Hemisphere, Christmas isn't supposed

to be cold and snowy!  In fact, the days are longest

and the weather may be hottest at that time.

 

One Australian actress, interviewed on an American

TV talk show, said that the hot weather reminded her

of Christmas getting close.

 

But our Australian cousins, above, said it best.  Thanks.

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Guest]

 Speaking of driving slow in a group, It was requested by the family of a deceased friend that we should drive in the funeral procession with our hot rods.

 I drove the whole way in second or first to keep the temp down.

 

 I was especially welcomed at the funeral parlor by a family member as there was a down pour just before getting there in my roadster.

[oldford]

I love parades, especially when I can use my 28 Ford AA Pumper. I'm a fireman here in Upstate NY and run it as much as I can. Of course, parades as a great deal from our cars and also ask a great deal from my leg that operates the clutch...😆

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by oldford (see edit history)

[Pilgrim65]

Only ever done one actual parade 

it was around the Rockingham race track carrying the nascar car drivers before the main event in my cobra replica , great fun .

[TAKerry]

1 hour ago, oldford said:

I love parades, especially when I can use my 28 Ford AA Pumper. I'm a fireman here in Upstate NY and run it as much as I can. Of course, parades as a great deal from our cars and also ask a great deal from my leg that operates the clutch...😆

 

A vehicle like that is built for parades!

[Larry Schramm]

20 hours ago, Buick35 said:

My 35 Buick didn't like it.Idling so long and sometimes moving a few feet at a time we had to leave early after reaching close to 200 degreesF. I even installed an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.I topped it off with water before I left and it was dumping it out of the overflow.I got tired of people telling me I had a coolant leak. Like I said,my wife and I and a passenger had to bail early. It cooled down on the way back home.No more parades for me,at least not in Florida!

 

Sounds like it is time for a new radiator.

[JACK M]

Bailing at 200?

Didn't give it much of a chance.

 

[Peter J.Heizmann]

22 hours ago, Buick35 said:

My 35 Buick didn't like it.Idling so long and sometimes moving a few feet at a time we had to leave early after reaching close to 200 degreesF. I even installed an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.I topped it off with water before I left and it was dumping it out of the overflow.I got tired of people telling me I had a coolant leak. Like I said,my wife and I and a passenger had to bail early. It cooled down on the way back home.No more parades for me,at least not in Florida!

I am with you on no more parades.  Have a Triumph TR6 that I have owned since new in 1972.  Around 1982 a local Fire Chief and good friend asked if he could borrow the car for a parade to carry a local politician.  I had to be out of town however told him he could borrow it provided no one else drove it and no one sits on top of the roof tonneau cover.  Worked out well so I thought.  He returned the car to my garage.  About 2 months later I decided to take it for a cruise.  Alas!  Had no clutch plus the roof bows were bent.  A friend said the politician decided to sit on it so more people could see him.  Costly lesson to say the least.

 

On a lighter side in 1956 my father's lawyer and golfing buddy volunteered to have the National Guard provide an Army tank to participate in our 4th of July parade.  Talk about a huge financial hit for the borough.  It was a terribly hot day and the roadway tar turned extremely tacky.  Every time the tank made a turn the tracks would chop up the road plus left track marks along the 1 mile route.

 

 

[Marty Roth]

We have driven literally DOZENS of parades here in the greater New Orleans area,

and with almost every type of vehicle 

from our Fire Truck - 1951 Ford F-6 Pumper built by Boardman for the local Monsanto chemical plant,

to the '52 Kaiser Manhattan

'58 Bel-air

'63 Impala convertible

'70 Caddy convertible

'27 Chevy capitol AA Roadster

1914 Buick Touring

1912 Oakland transporting "Uncle Sam" in the 4th of July Parade

Multiple French Quarter Parades and the Tomato Festival Parades

and more Mardi Gras parades than I can recall,

as well as a Memorial Day parade in the 1934 Buick - I think it was Seal Cove? up in Maine in a VMCCA tour with Louie tha' Lobstah

 

If you car is marginal - don't do it !

 

When your car is PROPERLY PREPARED, running cool and driving well, and you know what to expect,

Parades can be a wonderful way to share our joy of our hobby with the public,

and to potentially encourage a young (or young at heart) person to participate.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[Fleek]

Topped it off with water? Hope you meant coolant. Antifreeze  is as important in keeping things running cool as it is for keeping it from freezing. 

[Graham Man]

Always wanted to use a 5/16 cotton rope and tie it to the fire truck in front of me, enjoy the ride, if you need... hit the brakes and snap the rope, drive away.

 

I have a couple cars with granny low, works great, or just get an older car