cudaman Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 A friend of mine came down on the first day of spring 2022 to help document the first drive of my 1912 Flanders 20 Runabout, see the attached video link. All in all, it went pretty well. I need to adjust the brakes and fix a couple of nuisance fuel drips. Later that evening, we lit the kerosene and acetylene lamps. One of the headlights wouldn't light, it turned out that the gas elbow at the bottom of the light was clogged, easy fix. 13 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Wow, beautiful old car!! I wish you'd drive that around MY neighborhood. Thanks for the video and pictures. How were the headlights originally illuminated back in 1912? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Sounds real good. May it bring many joyful and trouble free miles. 🙂 Dandy Dave! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) There is nothing more exciting than the maiden voyage of any car-especially a brass car. Well done. Congratulations. Edited March 23, 2022 by motoringicons (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) Regarding the headlights, I'm using the original E&J acetylene generator and lumps of calciaum carbide to make the acetylene for the headlights. The top tank is filled with water and the mesh basket holds the carbide lumps. When you open the valve, water drips from the top tank into the perforated brass cup in the middle of the mesh basket, wetting the carbide and generating acetylene gas. The gas is then fed to the headlights via brass and red rubber tubing. Once the gas is flowing, you open the headlight doors, blow inside to dissipate the accumulated gas, then light the burners with a match or other flame. I use one of those long nose lighters to keep my hand at a safe distance. Edited March 23, 2022 by cudaman (see edit history) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Very cool! Good thing you kept the speed down, looks like there was a speed trap nearby. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 My brother has an acetylene set up on his 1913 Rudge. The headlight drew more attention than the bike did at one point. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Very nice! You have done a fine job of making that beautiful car so much better than it was when you got it! Congratulations. You earned it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Pretty surprising how good acetylene lights are, isn't it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erichill Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Too Cool! Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Where does one get carbide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 (edited) 23 minutes ago, MikeC5 said: Where does one get carbide? From Thomas "Carbide" Wilson of course - sorry I couldn't resist as he was a local boy who made those lights possible. Kidding aside it is still available: https://www.lehmans.com/product/five-2-lb-cans-of-calcium-carbide/ Edited March 24, 2022 by 3macboys (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted March 24, 2022 Author Share Posted March 24, 2022 10 hours ago, MikeC5 said: Where does one get carbide? I got my carbide from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Calcium-Carbide-Miners-Grade-1-00/dp/B078X347X8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2TYLW00F9HH0D&keywords=calcium+carbide+rocks&qid=1648125362&sprefix=calcium+carbide%2Caps%2C457&sr=8-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 I have driven my Flanders a couple more times, less than five miles each time. I relined the grease soaked brakes with new "green gripper" linings. I also increased the water drip rate in my acetylene generator and removed the blockage that was keeping one headlight from lighting. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Such a nice car! You have done a fine job of sorting it out and getting it ready to tour again. Many years ago, I knew a couple different people that owned and toured with Flanders automobiles. An elderly fellow of great energy, by the name of Jack Kopp, was a longtime member of the HCCA, and had quite a number of good cars over the years. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, he and his Flanders Twenty runabout were often seen on club tours and outings! In his later years, he had an early four cylinder Studebaker, and he often toured with a four cylinder Cole. The Flanders Twenty was still in his building, needing some minor "freshening". He often talked about it and remembered it fondly, saying he needed to take care of a few things so he could drive it some more. About ten years ago, I got a bunch of early HCCA Gazettes, mostly from the 1950s. While thumbing through them, I found a few pictures of Jack and his Flanders on club tours. He was quite a character! It was like seeing an old friend again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 11, 2022 Author Share Posted August 11, 2022 The heat wave finally broke (for now, at least), so my friend came over and we drove the Flanders again this morning. For this test, I leaned the carburetor out some and slightly advanced the base timing, the car seemed to like the changes. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 11, 2022 Share Posted August 11, 2022 Looking really good! I want to read tour reports of you and that wonderful Flanders on HCCA or "Brass and Gas" tours! Beautiful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 19, 2023 Author Share Posted August 19, 2023 It's been a while since I posted an update. A few months ago the car started having difficulty climbing hills, although it would start up and run fine sitting on level ground. After much investigation and sorting out of the fuel and ignition systems, I finally found the culprit - a broken porcelain in the #3 spark plug. The break was on the part of the porcelain inside the cylinder, so I didn't notice it until I removed the plugs and noticed that #3 rattled when I shook it. I removed the Bethlehem five point plugs and installed a set of Edison 13s. The car is again running normally and climbs hills well. Here are links to the the last video while the car was acting up and the next video after the plugs were replaced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geDD4uECyME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWLtDWcFmjA 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee H Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Nice! For all we know, that car could have been sold by Floyd Clymer! (One time youngest-ever car salesman, later erstwhile automotive historian) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Congratulations on a wonderful car and great videos. I see by the Honda Element in the garage that your desire for excellence in automobiles is not new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 19, 2023 Author Share Posted August 19, 2023 (edited) That 2007 Element is the best daily driver I have ever had! It is coming up on 190,000 miles and I fully expect it to go at least that much more. It is a base model 2WD 5spd car, so no automatic transmission or rear differential to worry about. Edited August 19, 2023 by cudaman (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 My 2003 just turned 242,000 miles with only basic maintaince. If my EMF history is correct Studebaker took over EMF sometime in 1912 and rebranded the remaining cars as Studebaker 20 and 30. Also didn't Flanders produce a big 6 cylinder car in 1912 of which there are no survivors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMc Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 I believe this 1912 Maxwell is a Maxwell badged 6 cylinder Flanders. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/100-year-old-maxwell-is-still-the-sweetest-runner/3TALL5ZGKSEJBTV4TB7JE2G2NA/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 6 minutes ago, Robert G. Smits said: My 2003 just turned 242,000 miles with only basic maintaince. If my EMF history is correct Studebaker took over EMF sometime in 1912 and rebranded the remaining cars as Studebaker 20 and 30. Also didn't Flanders produce a big 6 cylinder car in 1912 of which there are no survivors. I have been a bit more curious about the evolution of the early Studebaker six cylinder engine lately. I sort of lost interest when I had to sell the 1915 built series 16 Studebaker six that I had had. However, lately, one of the big antique automobile dealers has had a 1912 Everitt six cylinder touring car for sale. I believe one of the lesser known of the EMF/Studebaker group. Photos of the engine were very interesting, in that it resembled the EMF and early Studebaker four cylinder engines, and I couldn't be sure, but it appeared to be a mono-block six?. Studebaker is generally considered to have been the first mass production mono-block six. I find the relationship between Studebaker and that 1912 Everitt to be interesting. As for Flanders building a six? Again, I am not sure, but I seem to recall reading something about it years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericmac Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 I am really impressed with the car and your willingness to drive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) Thanks! I was very lucky that the car still had its original Splitdorf Model F magneto in working condition. I was able to find a nearly NOS correct Flanders carburetor at Hershey a couple of years back. Members of the EMF registry (especially Daryl Kemerer) were very helpful providing the correct lamps, coil box, and floor mat. Here are some pics of the car in its essentially finished state. Also, many thanks to Classtique Upholstery for using my original leather seat material as patterns to make new leather seat covers. Edited August 20, 2023 by cudaman (see edit history) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 Interesting car and informative post I haven't read previously. I assume the "fore door" in title topic is a typo? Or does it mean something not obvious? Is car really a 1 door or 2 door? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) In 1912, "fore door" meant a car with front doors. Most cars did not have front doors at that time, although quite a few had rear doors if they had a rear tonneau (rear seat area). Edited August 20, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 Bloo is correct, "fore door" means the body has a front door, kind of a new thing in 1912. The Flanders is right hand drive and has only one door, on the side opposite from the steering wheel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 17 hours ago, DavidMc said: I believe this 1912 Maxwell is a Maxwell badged 6 cylinder Flanders Again if my memory is correct the 6 cylinder Flanders originally had a compressed air starter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudaman Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 Robert's memory appears to be correct. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanders_Automobile_Company The "new" Flanders Motor Company of 1912 didn't last long, because Walter Flanders was soon asked to rescue the dumpster fire that was the United States Motor Company after Ben Briscoe left. He agreed, and started chopping away all of the non-essential makes (including Flanders), creating a much leaner and stronger Maxwell Motor Company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) Not to hijack but here is the Everitt discussed earlier: 1912 Everitt Six-48 Touring | Hershey 2018 | RM Sotheby's (rmsothebys.com) 1912 Everitt Six-48 Touring - Classic Promenade Edited August 21, 2023 by Jim Skelly (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 What a great looking brass touring car. Anyone know what it sold for in 2018? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Thanks bloo & cudaman for clarifying "fore door", me coming from a maritime area, I was contemplating it differentiated from "aft door", i.e. rear door, but thought that might be too obvious. Never heard the term used before, learn something new everyday. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert G. Smits Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Gunsmoke said: earn something new everyday I am sure this was a new term to many of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 Glad to see that you don't really look like Red Green. Nice job on the Flanders, enjoy it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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