Experience with burned chassis?

[jrbartlett]

Has anyone out there restored a burned '20s chassis? This one was in a fire hot enough to melt an aluminum body, but did not melt or warp steel fenders and hood, or the brass radiator shell. Some solder melted out of the radiator. Wood wheels did not burn. What do you guys think?

[1937hd45]

My guess is that the wood in the body burned and took the aluminm panels with it. Is the chassis warped? I saw burned out Hispano-Suiza chassis last year, that looked rough, but someone will try to save it. There have been many burned cars that are prize winning restorations now. Just be sure to check everything and save it.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Bob, good points to Mr. Bartlett.

Aluminum is poured (liquid) around 900 degrees, so, that tells me it was a "hot" one.

As Bob stated, check that frame for warpage, and, while your at it, check any welds.

As for the wood spokes, I am only making an assumption based on little fact, that they may not be burnt, but, sure are brittle from the heat. Who knows.

Regards, Peter J.

[imported_BUGS1455]

I'd guess that if the wooden wheels didn't combust, the core of the fire was above the frame and that the frame has no(fire)damage at all.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Bugs...point well taken.

Heat disipates naturally. Like you, we are only going by Mr. Barlett's description of the "fire".

I have first hand experience of "cast iron" warping while in "steel shot" Wheelabrators simply by the "blast" heat generated. (The Wheelabrators blast the foundry sand off castings.)

In answer to your point, and, based upon little detail of Mr. Bartlett, if the fire's heat melted solder on the radiator, I would still check the frame of the car, as Bob suggested, above, for warpage.

In a progressive order, aluminum is liquid at 900 degrees, cast iron/ductile iron in my industry is poured around 2600-2675 degrees, steel is usually around 3100 degrees, so... the heat generated into the area of the car's fire certainly dried out the air starting from top-to-bottom.

The spokes, obviously old, were more than likely hotter than the daylights at the time of the fire. Dried out even further by the fire than their age, more than likely.

Just my observation based on the author's information provided.

I remain with my above suggetion, along with Bob's, that, the frame, welds, wooden spokes, brass radiator should be looked at very closely for warpage so Mr. Bartlett does not enter into a project that could be very costly.

Regards, Peter J. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Guest Albert]

I had a house fire back in Feburary that distroyed the house, I had some of the trim and other part's for the car stored in a "safe place" above the return air ducts in the basement, the fire got hot enought to melt the miter guage for the table saw (alum) but only smoked the stainless trim for the car. I also had over 200 model rocket engines hanging up on the main beam of the house (also in a safe place) that the plastic packages started to melt but not one of the engines ignited. One thing too is the body is thin sheet, which will heat up quit quickly and is higher than the frame, How long too was the fire, i dont think it was too long if the wheels did not catch i would think the frame did nit gete as much heat as the rest of the car.

[1937hd45]

Here is another thought,did the fire burn of all the grease and road crud off the frame? I'm assuming this was an urestored 70+ year old chassis. We can't have engine blocks hot tanked up here anymore,(EPA) they bake the crud off blocks in large ovens. If the chassis still has crud on it then it should fine. What type of car is it?

[jrbartlett]

I'd like to thank you all for your input. The building fire occurred in the '60s. The chassis has just sat since, in a darkened shed on flat tires, so I can't see very much. It's a Model 48 Locomobile. I recognize there may not be enough there to restore, but was also concerned with possible weakening of the frame and engine metal. I recognize too it may be cheaper just to buy a restored car.

[1937hd45]

jrbartlett, If the price is right save that Loco! Somewhere in my stuff is an original 8x10 factory photo of a Model 48 chassis, I'll post it when I find it. I worked on two Model 48's years ago and they have one tough chassis. The bronze crankcase was a real neat item.

[Guest]

I've got a friend who has plans for building a "Sportif" short touring body out of ash and aluminum panels.

If you have ever seen a Sportif they are the most outstandingly handsome well proportioned bodies for such a large car.

Locomobile enthusiasts rank up there with Simplex nuts pooling their resources for limited production runs of necessary parts.

[Guest Indiana_Truck]

I have an E-mail somewhere from a guy looking for a frame for a Loco but I don't know if it was an 80 he needed. He sent me a picture of an original old wood body and the engine he has but he had no frame. If you are not going to save the frame or decide you want to let someone else take a shot at it, let me know. I think if this car had metal on it that it would be a newer model but then I don't know much about them.

Bob