Jump to content

A text message while out sorting a car….and another car adventure begins….

edinmass

By edinmass
in General Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted
11 hours ago, Walt G said:

Ed, Interesting perspective. My great friend the late Bill Hamlin of Ontario , Ca. had two Tuckers and would run them on the Ontario Speedway at near 100 mph.

I believe the first one he bought was when it was 3 years old ( because he couldn't find one to buy new) and Bill was an Engineer at Lockheed Aviation so knew a bit about cars and other things mechanically. The engine Tucker used powered many helicopters as well so seem to have proved their reliability.  Perhaps you found the rear mounted engine a bit difficult to maneuver to work on .

WEG


Walt……….I always try to be fair and reasonable. It’s difficult to truly communicate how poorly a Tucker is built. They are really nothing but a prototype………hand built and assembled. The welding on the frames are so poorly done it looks like I welded it after drinking a fifth of Crown. The engine was half assed modified from a helicopter air cooled unit. The transmissions are a mess. In the end, it was just a dream and the car would have never made it. The movie made the cars valuable……….I remember seeing them for little money in the 70’s. Didn’t want one then, and certainly don’t want it today. I know the people who have them are very into them………I rather drive my 15 Ford T.

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Walt G 25,000+ Points

Walt G

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ed, We will agree to disagree. I have not stated that the Tucker was a perfect car, yes its fame is fanned by legend? a movie etc. But the fact also can't be denied that my friend Bill Hamlin lapped the Ontario speedway in both his cars at close to 100 mph ( and not just one lap, sustained high speeds ) and they didn't fall to pieces , explode, fail to proceed etc. this was in the 1970s.

I totally agree you always try to be fair and reasonable . My comments will end with this as the conversation could go on Pro and Con forever. Do I absolutely love the Tucker? no, but I think it had proved itself of some worthiness at least by what Bill Hamlin could see his do and the one that Lester Schaefer had that I drove and one that is here on long island I have ridden in were/are perfectly fine.

Edited by Walt G (see edit history)
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
alsancle 25,000+ Points

alsancle

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Walt G said:

Ed, We will agree to disagree. I have not stated that the Tucker was a perfect car, yes its fame is fanned by legend? a movie etc. But the fact also can't be denied that my friend Bill Hamlin lapped the Ontario speedway in both his cars at close to 100 mph ( and not just one lap, sustained high speeds ) and they didn't fall to pieces , explode, fail to proceed etc. this was in the 1970s.

I totally agree you always try to be fair and reasonable . My comments will end with this as the conversation could go on Pro and Con forever. Do I absolutely love the Tucker? no, but I think it had proved itself of some worthiness at least by what Bill Hamlin could see his do and the one that Lester Schaefer had that I drove and one that is here on long island I have ridden in were/are perfectly fine.

 

Walt,  did Bill have to do a bunch of re-engineering to make it work that well?   My parents were in California when they were filming the movie and a caravan stopped on the set.  My dad said that 75% of the cars they had did not run at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Walt G 25,000+ Points

Walt G

Posted
Posted

A.J. someplace here I have information that is in letters ( didn't have internet then for communication)  from Bill Hamlin. I don't think he re-engineered the Tuckers he had all that much but he must have done the valves etc as he was an engineer with access to all kinds of equipment so he could fine tune anything. He was a bit of a street rodder and that modifying efforts focused on an original 1934 Reo Flying Cloud coupe he had. The Franklin Olympic and Reo used the same car with an engine swap- Franklin installing a 6 cyl Airman engine in the Reo in the 1932-34 era  to create the Olympic series Franklin.  Bill had his Reo totally stock looking but rebuilt reworked a 32 Franklin engine to have triple carburetors ( flipped the intake manifold over) , plus a columbia overdrive. Stock wheels etc. He told me he used to put on an old jacket and hat and drive the Reo around and young guys in hot rods would pull up next to him and chuckle, then he would nod to them if they wanted to race, they laughed and did, well as they got neck and neck over 60 mph he would drop in the Columbia OD and just walk away from them and they couldn't believe it. Told me he often had to raise the hood to prove "it was just a lowly 6 cyl.in line air cooled engine". He had the last laugh often..........

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted


The Buick is finally going down the road……..still more to do, but this is the first time on the open road with a plate on it. All other drives were around the block. Still not feeling 100 percent since my surgery……..and actually going backwards a bit in the last ten days. Should all be good soon………enjoy.

 

 

  • Like 25
Link to comment
Share on other sites
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted
49 minutes ago, EmTee said:

Wow, that dash is really a work of art!  The car sounds great and really seems to drive well.  How does the rest of the interior look?

 

Looks like my face.........weathered, wrinkled, and past it's prime. 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marty Roth 25,000+ Points

Marty Roth

Posted
Posted
On 1/15/2023 at 8:49 PM, edinmass said:


The Buick is finally going down the road……..still more to do, but this is the first time on the open road with a plate on it. All other drives were around the block. Still not feeling 100 percent since my surgery……..and actually going backwards a bit in the last ten days. Should all be good soon………enjoy. 

 

Congrats !

Sounds great - sometimes wish I had my 34-57 back

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted

While Ed was away! Phil with the hands like “George the animal Steel” kept busy. Here are a few photos. Enjoy…..

D4BF708A-3928-41C7-B889-23EA44C1E80A.jpeg

26A357C0-BF81-42A4-ADCE-C9CC9AB38FB1.jpeg

F49CFBEF-0617-4D5F-9268-75F2DA8A0917.jpeg

1617A150-81B9-4141-A874-20E98A0D1A7B.jpeg

302701EA-DCE3-4666-8878-663E1246D085.jpeg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SC38dls 25,000+ Points

SC38dls

Posted
Posted

Ed, I think George deserves some of that Royal Crown you haven’t been consuming the last few weeks. By the way the picture of you at the convention looks like you have lost a few pounds! Keep it up young man, your knees will appreciate it!  
dave s 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted


Interesting……no one down here will deal with new friction material for me……so I went to McMaster Carr……..bought everything I needed for an overnight delivery for very reasonable money. Probably less than shipping them out and back, never mind the cost of repairs. So we should be on the road by Wednesday. 

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dandy Dave 25,000+ Points

Dandy Dave

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, edinmass said:


Interesting……no one down here will deal with new friction material for me……so I went to McMaster Carr……..bought everything I needed for an overnight delivery for very reasonable money. Probably less than shipping them out and back, never mind the cost of repairs. So we should be on the road by Wednesday. 

It is getting the same way around here Ed. I have my own brake rivet machine and do use it. A buddy needed the linings put on the bands for an old Caterpillar D7 3T series. Cat would not do it for him. I did it. The asbestos scare has no one wanting to deal with this stuff. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BobinVirginia 5,000+ Points

BobinVirginia

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, edinmass said:


Interesting……no one down here will deal with new friction material for me……so I went to McMaster Carr……..bought everything I needed for an overnight delivery for very reasonable money. Probably less than shipping them out and back, never mind the cost of repairs. So we should be on the road by Wednesday. 

I’ve used them a lot! The CAD dimension page and specific information available particularly for special fasteners is fantastic! Great resource for many items in my opinion. Glad you could source your material and can get the Buick back together! 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lahti35 10,000+ Points

Lahti35

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, BobinVirginia said:

I’ve used them a lot! The CAD dimension page and specific information available particularly for special fasteners is fantastic! Great resource for many items in my opinion. Glad you could source your material and can get the Buick back together! 

I too appreciate their detailed drawings... it's saved me money and time over the years by eliminating wrong part purchases. They ship fast too, I usually get my order within 24 hours (as long as UPS does their job).

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted

With traffic down here, and toss in almost no one actually stocks things anyway, they are a fantastic choice to save time and gas money. I also like the fact I am doing the friction myself....much better quality control and material choice. Too many times I have had outside suppliers change the friction material and end up with issues and have to do the job over. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Shootey 2,500+ Points

Shootey

Posted
Posted

All I mostly know about Tucker is that Bev Ferreira found his in the basement of the Cliff House in San Francisco and that he allowed it’s use in the movie only if he drove it which he did and that after Bev passed I purchased from his estate sale a tiny crescent wrench, a super long screwdriver, a little SK socket set and a bound ‘early ‘60’s year of Road and Track. I hope some of you had the good fortune of knowing Bev.  

36A51BF4-84CD-4C3C-95F2-2D432651457C.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grimy 25,000+ Points

Grimy

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Shootey said:

All I mostly know about Tucker is that Bev Ferreira found his in the basement of the Cliff House in San Francisco and that he allowed it’s use in the movie only if he drove it which he did and that after Bev passed I purchased from his estate sale a tiny crescent wrench, a super long screwdriver, a little SK socket set and a bound ‘early ‘60’s year of Road and Track. I hope some of you had the good fortune of knowing Bev.  

36A51BF4-84CD-4C3C-95F2-2D432651457C.jpeg

I did indeed have the honor and privilege of knowing Bev--what a guy!  And I bought some of his National Service Data manuals at his estate sale.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted

As far as the friction, I spoke to local users of McMaster Carr products in the past, and I have driven their cars and found them to work fine. I will post the results here. Also, I am bonding the material, as well as using some rivets. I don't trust just the glue......I have seen it fail on a Duesenberg. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MikeC5 10,000+ Points

MikeC5

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's very different from what you would typically receive for a modern, non-asbestos brake lining.  It's clearly a woven product and it actually has brass wire woven into the matrix.  I believe that's what you can see in Ed's close up photo; the yellow-ish interrupted lines.  I don't have anything to really compare it to on the same car but I can lock up the (rear only) brakes on the '25 Dodge.

Edited by MikeC5 (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
3macboys 10,000+ Points

3macboys

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, edinmass said:

I will post the results here. Also, I am bonding the material, as well as using some rivets.

This I will be waiting to see.  I had to reline one of the wheels on the 31 Pontiac.  I have the tools but not the knowledge and didn't trust myself to get it right without an instructor on hand.  In the end sent it out to a shop about 60 miles away.  Turn around time was less than 2 weeks and the $200 I considered fair as it included the return shipping.  I'd still like to know how to do it though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
edinmass 25,000+ Points

edinmass

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

Brakes are done...........fairly straight forward. About three hours and 100 dollars out of pocket. Shipping them out would have cost more both ways, and this way I had control over the parts and materials. Used Pliobond mt-35 glue and then heated it to 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Easy all around. McMaster Carr had everything. I'll probably do them myself from now on. 

 

First I heated the steel to 400 degrees for three hours to burn off all the oil and grease. 

 

Used a 3M buffer pad to clean the surface, then a brake rotor non directional finish cookie to make for a better bond. 

69828762544__2702BC91-0A2F-42C1-9FEE-F68A51876F71.jpeg

IMG_9111.jpeg

IMG_9112.jpeg

  • Like 5
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
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...