Tom Laferriere Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 Hi all,I just wanted to post a small note that if your are a fan of dual chain drive cars, then please join my new Yahoo group, American Lafrance Speedsters. There are several pictures and polls. Only fun allowed. I have purchased a American Lafrance Speedster project and I am looking to connect with folks who have similar interest.Please join if interested.http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanLafranceSpeedsters/Tom Laferriere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redpaint Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Tom,I have been following the discussion about speedsters. I am a life long, dyed in the wool fire apparatus restorer. I love the old ALF rigs and have restored a lot of them. I grew up in this hobby with the un-offical historian of American LaFrance who hated speedsters and anyone associated with them. While I agree it is bad to cut up a good fire apparatus to create something that never was, I do like the the mechanics and looks of a well done speedster. I guess I have to say that because I now own the first speedster ever built by our friend in Colorado. We have to make sure people know what they are and the history behind them. To answer some points in the discussion, The bore and stroke of type 10, 12 and 75 motors is 5 1/2 x 6 inches. The type 38 is 4 1/2 x 6 inches. The problem with explosions in the crank case can be greatly reduced if you make sure the original brass oil strainer is installed in the oil filler. It acts as a flame shield when the carb back fires at the filler neck.Ken SoderbeckHand in Hand Restoration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 They are cool rides: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 The neatest one I ever saw was "Mr.Toad" with a toy tonneau body. It was from Australia or New Zealand on a Gas & Brass tour back in the early 1980's. Don't tale offince Tom, but the thing all AFL speedsters need are speedster proportioned wheels & tires IMO. Not that I'd turn down seat time in that monster. I do remember visiting an ALF speedster builder in Pennsylvania years ago that cast his own aluminum wheels. They looked like wood spokes when finished, but the stack of amuminum Corvair engines they were cast from always made me wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Can someone post a pic to this thread if I e-mail it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hi Jeff,Any more photos to share of the beast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I had a fun day driving this job in Rothrock state park in PA about 15 years ago. You get excited with the enormous torque at disposal, you wear your ball cap backward to keep the chain oil from running down your neck. You should wear a face mask, a stone off the front wheels in the forehead is like getting shot with a 22 caliber round. You can see they get hot after pulling the steep hills in high gear to listen to the big bore engine working at 400 RPM.Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hello Tom! Our Alf Speedster has been invited to Amelia Island. Putting the finishing touches on it this week then off to Amelia Thursday. More pics when we return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Leonard Shepherd Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I think this is one at Hershey in 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 STUDE 8, well said. Its an adventure to drive these beasts. The gray one above was mine at Hershey in 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Restorer32</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hello Tom! Our Alf Speedster has been invited to Amelia Island. Putting the finishing touches on it this week then off to Amelia Thursday. More pics when we return.</div></div> That must feel good. Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepcak Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Hi,I am attaching the link for nice speedster built in Britain.http://www.old-timers.cz/index.php?optio...=45〈=enJosef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1925franklin Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Hello Tom, I think I'm getting the "hang" of following your forum now... I notice alot of the talk is of the feeling of driving these "beasts"... I know the engines are huge and they are alot of vehical to keep under control, but I live out in the rural parts of Western Pennsylvania, and when we are out for a drive, I find it relaxing and pleasent to be on a lonely country lane with the trees reaching over the road way, and the fields opening up on both sides of the road. Often we will take our Speedster on a 40 to 45 min. drive to a quiet lake for a picnic lunch. So, I have never referred to ours as a "beast". Although, many times when other people see it or go out for a ride with me, THEY will say something along the lines of "What a beast this car is" ! We were invited to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix again this year, but were unable to atten due to another event on our calendar already in place. They say we will be invited again next year. I'm looking forward to it. Once I figure out how to attach an image, I'll include one of our "Beast" LOL William Woodcock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 The neatest one I ever saw was "Mr.Toad" with a toy tonneau body. It was from Australia or New Zealand on a Gas & Brass tour back in the early 1980's. Don't tale offince Tom, but the thing all AFL speedsters need are speedster proportioned wheels & tires IMO. Not that I'd turn down seat time in that monster. I do remember visiting an ALF speedster builder in Pennsylvania years ago that cast his own aluminum wheels. They looked like wood spokes when finished, but the stack of amuminum Corvair engines they were cast from always made me wonder.Mr Toad still lives in New Zealand. It is a 1910 four cylinder model and was built up by an ex-patriat American who died in 2007. I first saw the car in 1980 at the International Vintage Car Rally in Rotorua, New Zealand when it was just a very basic speedster. It subsequently acquired a four seat touring body. It was supposedly a genuine car rather than a converted fire engine but I always had my doubts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Im surprised there are enough LaFrance speedsters to make up a club. The only one I knew about was the 1918 touring built by Ron Fawcett of Whitby Ontario in the fifties. It sold in 2007 for $17600. Did you know about that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Is Ron Fawcett still around? We made a set of top irons for him year ago for a huge early Pierce 66 Touring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Unfortunately Ron passed away about 3 years ago. His shop is still in business in the hands of his son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Al Brass Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Mr Toad still lives in New Zealand. It is a 1910 four cylinder model and was built up by an ex-patriat American who died in 2007. I first saw the car in 1980 at the International Vintage Car Rally in Rotorua, New Zealand when it was just a very basic speedster. It subsequently acquired a four seat touring body. It was supposedly a genuine car rather than a converted fire engine but I always had my doubts.The speedster body and touring body quickly interchanged so that the owner had the choice of what configuration he motored in. His name was Bayard Sheldin and I think his son may now have the car. RegardsAl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) The speedster body and touring body quickly interchanged so that the owner had the choice of what configuration he motored in. His name was Bayard Sheldin and I think his son may now have the car. RegardsAlThe owner was C Bayard Sheldon (actually Clement Bayard - named for the car he told me once). He first came to NZ for the 1972 International Rally I think and brought his early Maxwell. He enjoyed it so much he decided to emigrate. He lived in Whitianga I think. I believe the LaFrance is now owned by Reece Burnett, a Waikato VCC member. I haven't been able to find a picture of it on the net. It is certainly one of the better looking LaFrances, mainly because it is on car wheels (37x5 maybe?) rather than truck ones. Edited July 29, 2011 by nzcarnerd (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Al Brass Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Hi ?,Thanks for putting me right on the name. I thought it was Bayard Sheldon but was convinced by somebody else it was the other way around. Should have stuck with my first instincts !!I did some work on it one time he was in the South Island and took some photos but I can't find them on my 'puter. I'm wondering if it was before digital and that may be why. The last time I had a chat with him was at the Vero in Invercargill, he was camped near us.RegardsAlasdair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dgilmartin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Great discussion thread. I think that the ALF speedsters are fascinating. I owned a Type 75 triple combination many years ago, but I know little about when and where conversions were made. I know that ALF made at least 7 automobiles at the factory, but as many of the Type 75 were in fire department service until the 1950s, I'm not sure where the trucks came from for conversion to speedsters or when. I'm guessing from the photos that I have seen elsewhere that there were a lot more made outside of the US than inside. Did they compete on tracks or were they just used for touring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dgilmartin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I just rechecked the number of factory built automobiles. Make that 22 vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 This is the New Zealand 1910 Speedster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 and this is with the optional body style....I have started a flicker page for my 1915 Speedster.... just some basic pictures and a photo history of my car.If you are interested click on this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/59346333@N03/sets/ and click on "American LaFrance Speedster"RegardsGavin1915 Type 12, dripper 6, Speedster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 I have had a really good look at the 1910 Speedster in the above photos. After a couple of hours looking all over it and under it and I have to say that in my mind their is zero question that it IS a converted fire truck.RegardsGavin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Here are two images of geniune factory built American LaFrance cars.RegardsGavin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34dodger Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Mr Toad in Invercargil, NZ, Jan 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34dodger Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Mr Toad in Wanganui, NZ, Jan 2012. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Here are two images of geniune factory built American LaFrance cars.RegardsGavin Note that the 'genuine' cars have shaft drive.Gavin I looked your flickr pics. I think the Tipo 2 Fiat you might be the parts that I owned about 20 or more years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Note that the 'genuine' cars have shaft drive.Yes they needed to do that as the transaxle for the chain drive is very long. To get a short sporting wheelbase with chain drive you have problems with bearings as their is not enough distance from the nose of the trans to the clutch to get in good flexable joints. As some people with American LaFrance Speedsters have found to their cost. I have had to shorten the shafts both at the chutch end and transmission end to get enought length to run the double geared joints that the rigs had.Some have tried to get away with only one geared joint, but that does not takeup all the movement of the drive line and chassis and leads to pressure on bearings and bearing failure.As far as my information goes all 22 American LaFrance cars were shaft drive and all used the four cylinder engine. They were built as Sporting cars and not fire chiefs cars as such.RegardsGavinNZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Gavin I looked your flickr pics. I think the Tipo 2 Fiat you might be the parts that I owned about 20 or more years ago.Interesting! I bought the remians from Terry Wilson after he restored a 1912 Tipo 2. I think my car was also owned by Dale Conlon at one point as well.Please contact me direct at gavinnz@xtra.co.nz as I would love to hear what you know about the Tipo 2.Kind regardsGavin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Seeing how this topic has resurfaced, I have a 4 cyl Speedster project I am going to let go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavinnz Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Just wanted to say "thanks Tom" for posting this topic, which gave birth to the Yahoo American LaFrance Speedster group, which I joined and ended up buying my Speedster project from a contact made on that list!RegardsGavin1915 Type 12, dripper 6, Speedster project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Laferriere Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I love me speedsters. Although not ALF speedsters, I dropped these of yesterday at the NY International Auto Show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RKimC Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 My 1921 ALF Type 75 as is becoming a speedster.I had the chassis sandblasted and powder coated. I restored the brakes and trans-axle. I shortened the rear frame, moved the trans-axle one frame member, and removed every other spring to lower it. I am building it as a homage to Old 16, the Locomobile that won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1908. (Except on steroids!)Next is the "body" where I can mount the bucket seats, the copper gas tank, the trunk, and the rear spare.Finally I will return the straight-6 under the hood and then GO.Life is good here in little Rock.Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Kim, hopefully you have seen the new Speedster section of the forum - thanks to our superb moderators. Perhaps you would consider posting your progress there?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Killerbunny Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi,I am attaching the link for nice speedster built in Britain.http://www.old-timers.cz/index.php?optio...=45〈=enJosefThis is not on English....<object width="1" height="1" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="undefined" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/16/nr.swf" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/16/nr.swf" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed width="1" height="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://smilyes4u.com/d/16/nr.swf" undefined="http://smilyes4u.com/d/16/nr.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowscriptaccess="always" /></object> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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