TAKerry Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I recently read on another forum that car tires sitting on concrete will have a shortened life. I think this is a bunch of malarky. All of my cars for the last 40 years have sat in garages with concrete floors and the tires go bad when the tread is worn. Also, used to be said 'Do not sit a battery on concrete. It will drain the power out of it'. This is also a bunch of malarky. What other do's, do not's are just old tales? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I don’t know about tires, but I always put battery’s on wood. This isn’t so it doesn’t charge, but it keeps any battery acid from getting on the floor. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 I always stored my batteries on wood. Until I read an article from Interstate that said it wasnt needed. Accordingly from what I found, very early batteries were glass inside a wood case? (you guys would know more about this than me). When the wood absorbed moisture and swelled it would break the glass thus ruining the battery. Hence not to sit it on concrete, or any thing else where moisture would wick. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, TAKerry said: I always stored my batteries on wood. Until I read an article from Interstate that said it wasnt needed. Accordingly from what I found, very early batteries were glass inside a wood case? (you guys would know more about this than me). When the wood absorbed moisture and swelled it would break the glass thus ruining the battery. Hence not to sit it on concrete, or any thing else where moisture would wick. I used to do that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldWood Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I've heard the battery tale, but never the tire one. What is said to be the logic there, I don't see how a concrete floor is going to shorten the life of a tire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 4 hours ago, TAKerry said: Also, used to be said 'Do not sit a battery on concrete. It will drain the power out of it'. This is also a bunch of malarky. Ever notice that new batteries are stored on metal racks that in most cases are setting on or bolted to concrete floors. It's safe to say this bit of wisdom is bad information. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I had a friend decades ago who had nylon tires(remember those?) on his 59 Plymouth and if the car sat for a few days it would ride rough for the first couple of miles then smooth out. Overnight or a weekend did not have any noticeable issue. Also when I bought my 1980 Plymouth Volare in 2007 it had the original tires and had spent most of it’s life sitting in a heated garage. Especially the last few before I bought it. I drove it home from Cincinnati to Chicago(about 400 miles) and over 50 or so the entire car shook. Tires had flat spots on all four. New tires solved the problem. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 All Model Ts were black and they were designed to run on alcohol. Rolls Royces have sealed hoods. HF broke away from the Dodge brothers because he hated Jews. Tuckers don't have reverse.Big Oil bought the Pogue carburetor patent for millions otherwise we would all be getting 200 MPG. The fiends! 3 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Harper Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 A rich fuel mixture will cause an engine to run cooler. Its actually the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 My wife said "we don't have room for another antique car!" Terry 5 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 It is an "old husbands tale" because old wives are smarter than to believe many of these: My personal favorite (you can guess why ) is that the carburetor leaked down overnight. The Holley type AA-1 carburetor (1939-1957) could, as the power valve was connected to a direct channel to the intake manifold. But most modern (newer than 1957 ) and many earlier have the fuel inlet IN THE AIR HORN!! Do they park the car on its roof??? Kind of hard on the roof paint! And how about a convertible? The Q-Jet has a side inlet, but it also has a check valve. I also like "I soldered up the main jet and redrilled to the size I wanted. And the solder MIGHT have lasted a quarter of a mile before the liquid fuel eroded the soft solder like the Missouri River erodes the levees. As to the battery thingy: Historically, until the tar case was replaced, it was possible. After the tar case was replaced (1960's???), the concrete will not hurt the battery or vice versa. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Old straight 8 Buick carbs leak down in a couple of days. You always have to pump and old straight8 to get it going. Tires: Radial tires go bad in about 7 years according to all tire stores and mechanics. I've that is basically true, but I have a 1991 Buick Park Avenue that sat for 28 years and the tires were lumpy, but didn't blow out on some around town driving until I got tires. To the man who wore his tread off, they had to be the old tires (now called bias tires). I had a set of Universal Tires that lasted of 30 years with a 50-something year old spare and I wore one tire almost smooth before I went on a tour and bought new tires. And now to batteries: I always heard you could not leave one sitting on concrete. Just recently when I was at my favorite garage I noticed he had batteries stored on the floor. I asked him, "are they supposed to be stored on the concrete?" His answer was, "Those were the old-style batteries with the Bakelite cases. These new ones are in PVC cases and concrete does bother them. So, that's what I know on these subjects. I will add, I hate the idea of throwing away tires that look brand new because they're 9 years old. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 The engine is worn out at 50k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I remember hearing about never changing automatic transmission fluid in an old car, but to just keep adding fluid as needed. Supposedly a worn transmission would quickly develop problems with new fluid, but might remain OK longer if left alone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 12 minutes ago, Big Beat said: I remember hearing about never changing automatic transmission fluid in an old car, but to just keep adding fluid as needed. Supposedly a worn transmission would quickly develop problems with new fluid, but might remain OK longer if left alone. I had a mechanic drop the pan on a 69 Cutlass auto transmission, had some grit in the pan (clutch material)…told me he’d recommend putting the old fluid back in rather than new… 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f.f.jones Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 3 hours ago, Terry Bond said: My wife said "we don't have room for another antique car!" Terry My friend's EX-wife said the same thing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Some years ago, I had a bad battery. I put it on the concrete floor from the garage. When it was time to bring the battery for recycling, I noticed that the concrete was slightly damaged by the battery...I think that the idea to put a battery on wood is to protect the concrete! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 12 hours ago, f.f.jones said: My friend's EX-wife said the same thing! The old saying was to tell them "don't let the screen door hit you in the tail on your way out". Probably more difficult to put into action now days. I knew of a guy in Baltimore who came home from work and found his wife had totally destroyed his prized antique car with a sledge hammer during the day. Now in that case he was later seen with a new wife or girl friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 The best of all because we have all had to listen to it at a car show. Some of you may tell it. "When I was in high school my buddy a needed a car. There was an ad in the newspaper for a 57 Chevy for $100. He called and it was an old lady. She told him the car was very nice. It was her husbands and he passed away. She just wanted the car to go to a good home. So he went to look at it. It was a 57 Corvette with Fuel Injection and only 1000 miles. It was in her garage under a cover just like new with a full tank of gas! He paid her the $100 dollars and drove the car home!" I have also heard the same wives tale told with a old Ford that becomes a Shelby Mustang. Then the guy telling you the story will swear up and down that it really happend. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Don't forget the car with the decomposed body inside. Couldn't get the odor out of it so it had to be crushed. Usually it's a Corvette, sometime a Cobra, a Porsche, Ferrari or some other high end car. Never an 0ld beat up Plymouth or Studebaker 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 That’s because Studebaker’s are consider to valuable! dave s 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Studebaker used Ford 289's. Hear that all the time. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 (edited) On 1/23/2022 at 8:17 AM, 8E45E said: Studebaker used Ford 289's. Hear that all the time. Craig A 318 is a not SBC only in the limited Chevy world. In the Mopar world it is a Small Block Chrysler (SBC) Edited January 25, 2022 by 28 Chrysler (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Sure you don't mean 383? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 46 minutes ago, 8E45E said: Studebaker used Ford 289's. Hear that all the time. Craig Not so. My 1959 Studebaker Lark VIII, could beat any new Ford Mustang on my Air Base in 1965. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 "Bill Harrah offered me $15,000 for my Model T" 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 19 hours ago, carbking said: As to the battery thingy: Historically, until the tar case was replaced, it was possible. After the tar case was replaced (1960's???), the concrete will not hurt the battery or vice versa. Yes, this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregush Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 RE the batteries on cement floors; Early batteries were in wood cases with hard rubber cells setting in the case (IE 6 volt, would have 3 cells), the later ones replaced the wood with a hard rubber case with cells molded in. So yes, there could have been issues setting them on damp concrete floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 If you don't buy it right now I am going to sell it to Jay Leno... 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Paul - my Dad did. And most of them had pendulums and struck every 15 minutes. Used to have 14 minute visits One thing this thread points out is that at least some of the old husbands tales actually at one time did have merit. Another carburetor related item is the "my car had an experimental carb, but the first time I had it serviced, the dealer took it off and wouldn't give it back". For the rest of the story, research the 1933 Ford and Bracke carburetor. Carl - you mentioned the Pogue carburetor. I have never seen one in person, but one did turn up on Ebay for, if I remember correctly, $2500. It received no bids. If we had still been going to swap meets, I would have bought it to, along with a Fish I own, shut up the tire kickers that all wanted to buy one of the high mileage carburetors bought up by the oil companies. Really funny to see their faces when I would bring out the Fish, and ask "what's it worth to you?". Would you believe, not one single offer! Jon 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 I think we have drifted from "old wife's tales" into "good old boy's tall tales"! Wife's tale. "Ford's model T floor boards were made out of packing crates specified to certain dimensions from other suppliers." Pretty much been proven not true. True story or tall tale? I was told by a fellow that he answered an ad for a model T speedster. Got there, and found it was a Stutz Bearcat! True story. Of course, the"true story" is that a fellow told that to me. I never did believe the story. A long time ago, I met a fellow that claimed he lost a Duesenberg to Bill Harrah in a poker game. I have never decided whether that one was true or not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 You have to drive Model A Fords up hills in reverse or they will run out of gas. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-mman Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 If you want to know a car's true condition, just look at the Carfax and the odometer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Toilet paper oil filters are better than any others. Magnets on your fuel line will double your gas mileage. Mothballs in your gas tank will greatly increase your horsepower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 1 hour ago, Brass is Best said: You have to drive Model A Fords up hills in reverse or they will run out of gas. But with a model T or some other old car with the gas tank under the front seat and gravity feed, that could be an issue. At some point the gas needs to flow uphill. My mom told of riding with her parents backing up Knapp's Hill, a road that wound straight up the side of a cliff. It was replaced in 1936 with a tunnel and road we still use today. It is still a little steep, but nothing like the old road. This is on US-97A between Entiat, WA and Chelan, WA. Today there is a zip line outfit operating over the cliff where the old road was. Here's a clip. The old road is at 0:55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 I am indirectly partially responsible for the great cow magnet fiasco! My apologies.A lot of years ago, got a call from a gentleman in Texas that had rust issues in his fuel and was going to take the car to the Pate show in a couple of days for sale, and could I overnight a rebuilt carburetor to him today?Well, the answer was no, but: I told him about the Carter Magna-trap. This was a magnet with a special shape to fit into a Carter glass bowl fuel filter. I have told many enthusiasts about this, and suggested one of the refrigerator magnets like your better half uses to stick honey-do jobs to the refrigerator.He told me he had a dairy farm, and had several of the cow magnets (cows are stupid, they will eat just about anything, including baling wire....oops, showing my age again ). If you feed one of the magnets to a cow, the wire doesn't pass into the entire digestive tract (you city folks, use Google, not about to get into the digestive system of a bovine ) He would make a loop in the fuel line and tape three of the magnets to the loop, hopefully to stop the rust from passing into the carburetor.About 3 days later he called, and he was laughing so hard, it took about 15 minutes for him to repeat the story. Seems everyone that looked at the engine asked about the cow magnets. After the first few, he started with a story that he continued to embellish as the day wore on. The final story was the magnets created a flux field, supercharging the fuel molecules, and giving almost non-Newtonian power and fuel economy!Well, you guessed it. P.T. Barnum scores again! This even made the Johnny Carson show (remember the "headlines" segment)? Over 300,000 cow magnets were sold in the southwestern United States within a month. Every supplier was sold out, and had back orders.Here is a link to a picture of the Carter Magnatrap that I placed on my website:http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Carter_Magnatrap.jpgAnd now you know "the rest of the story" Newspaper story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...noredirect=on&utm_term=.19601413ca5d Absolutely true, and the beginning of the cow magnet increased gas mileage myth. Again, my apologies for being a part of it! Jon. 1 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 1 hour ago, m-mman said: If you want to know a car's true condition, just look at the Carfax and the odometer. Laugh all you want, but I got a 2011 GMC Sierra with just Carfax information and the dealer's pictures. Looked good enough on the Crafax I drove 70 miles to look at it. It checked out in person, so I bought it, and 30K miles later it is still a wonderful work truck. Even had new tires on it, by date code and wear. What other information would even make one look at a 187 K mile truck on a dealer's lot 70 miles away?🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordyStepho Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Doesn't matter what it is, if it can interact with moisture and oxygen, it will degrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregush Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 2 hours ago, jordyStepho said: Doesn't matter what it is, if it can interact with moisture and oxygen, it will degrade. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 8 hours ago, carbking said: Well, you guessed it. P.T. Barnum scores again! This even made the Johnny Carson show (remember the "headlines" segment)? Over 300,000 cow magnets were sold in the southwestern United States within a month. Every supplier was sold out, and had back orders. The same can be said for a couple of 1970's fads; the Pet Rock and the Mood RIng. If I remember right, the FTC was going to press charges if the manufacturer of mood rings kept on advertising them as that, where one's body temperature activated the liquid crystals to produce the color, not a person's mood. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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