Ron Green Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Anyone have a interesting story about using old car parts for something other then what they were intended? A friend has an Amphicar shell at the end of his driveway that he uses for a mail box.Having been told by the wife that our basement had water in from the heavy rains yesterday I began helping her mop and move things. After 5 minutes of mopping and seeing that I would be there for many hours and not having a wet vac I told her I would be right back.Out to the shop and grabbed a 12 volt windshield washer motor, some wire with alligator clips, rubber hose and my trailer battery and preceded to the basement. The contraption worked pretty good at sucking the water out which took about an hour. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronbarn Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Ron, I keep an old car bulb horn on the wall of my barn. When I finish a small project I press on the bulb a couple of times to signal that "I finished something"! I guess I'll wear out the rubber bulb if I ever finish a big project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24T42 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 My husband owns a brand new brass radiator for a Model T still in the crate. When we were first married, he did not want to keep it in the garage so he brought it into the living room. This was fine with me but I kept tripping over it. So one day while he was at work, I managed to it over to the end of the couch where I placed a doily on the crate and put a lamp on it. It made a great end table.As with most collectors you always have a lot of extra parts that seem to work it's way into the house - hood ornaments, etc. Once again, if you can't bet them join them. I bought a old post office mail sorter which proved to be a perfect way to display all those "extra" parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aanderson44 Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Someplace, in all my stash of books, is a book on building power tools for the home shop, using "junkyard" automobile parts from the 30's, mostly Ford, to create such things as a drill press, bench grinder (using a V8 Ford differential, locked up--on a pedestal), all manner of stuff. If I can ever find it, I will scan some of the pages, and put them up on the 'net.I've had this book since about 1953 (when I was 9!), given to me in a whole bunch of books that had belonged to the deceased son of my dad's boss (who was as much like a grandfather to me as anyone I ever knew!)Art Anderson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I have had a car engine block made into a lamp next my chair in the living room for over 20 years. Granted it is a Crosley CoBra block complete with over head cam installed. It sits on it's back so the cam is vertical and the piston holes point towards me to store stuff. The top piston hole has a piston in it that I machined so that a small clock would fit in it.I have an understanding wife. (1st an only)Then some of you probably have seen my use for cast iron Crosley blocks at Hershey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 I inherited a set of book ends made out of an aluminum piston split vertically down the center. We had several sets of these that my father made sometime during WWII or some time around then. They are about 4 1/2 inches tall and the original diameter of the piston was about 6 inches.I think I am cheating, because the family recollection is that they were made from aircraft engine pistons (Which does not make much sense as my father spent WWII building ships for the Navy). <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Zwicker Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 In addition to my cars, I also collect antique slot machines. I was at the Chicagoland coin-op show and had a small aluminum plate with the words, "Wild Deuce" on the plate. This plate was on the front of the slot machine and signified a special payoff back in the 40's on a Mills Hightop Slot Machine. No one bought trhis part for several shows until finally one guy just had to have it and I asked him if he had the proper machine for this part. He said he didn't even have a slot machine, but did have a 1932 Ford Street Rod and wanted this for a dash board plate. When the aluminum is buffed and polished it looks like chrome. I was asking $10 for the plate and he offered $5. However, realizing the value (to him), stuck with my price and he bought it. He was smiling from ear to ear as he left the booth. He later told me that he nicknamed his car, "Wild Deuce". I guess I should have asked $50.......Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 You still can't forget the hubcap that becomes a dog dish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave7 Posted November 20, 2006 Share Posted November 20, 2006 How about this use for an engine block. Must have an understanding wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted November 20, 2006 Author Share Posted November 20, 2006 Quote; "Must have an understanding wife."Very!!! I just knew there were others who had unusual ideas or automotive stuff that migrated into the house. We have a guy locally that has a 63 or 65 Corvette in his family room for many years. He couldn't get it out if he wanted to without major destruction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Yeah and you can put it next to the front door and use that as an umbrella stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah and you can put it next to the front door and use that as an umbrella stand. </div></div>Make sure you pull out that fancy mailbox post that they hide in the bottom end and use it first. Take off all them pistons first, though. They make a nice front yard set like that, especially with truck tire planters! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAnderson Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I once saw a junkyard with a Model T rear brake drum mounted high on pole. A small ball pein hammer was mounted below it with a hole drilled through the handle for a lag screw pivot. A clothesline was attached to the end of the handle. Help was summoned by the customer pulling the rope which lifted the head of the hammer and it smacked the drum, making a loud clear ringing sound. The pivot hole was drilled in a spot on the handle that allowed the head to swivel back down after hitting the drum. Simple and very effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL) Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I saw half a model T differential rigged to a mule drawn cane mill so they could run it off a tractor PTO rather than have a mule walk in circles. I prefer the horizontal type run with a flat belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 How about unusual uses for non-car parts? When I was restoring my 1912 Triumph motorcycle, I had a hard time finding the right spring for the exhaust valve. Was contemplating having one made but at work one day, a friend leaned back in his office chair and the darned thing broke. He landed on the floor and pieces flew everywhere. A small spring rolled across the floor and landed against my feet and amazingly resembled just what I needed. I took it home and checked it out and it was a perfect replacement for my broken, rusty valve spring. It's still on the Triumph and works just fine. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 I couldn't find the little rubber handle for a Amphicar interior light anywhere. Was checking out a bag of alligator clamps used for wire jumpers which I had laying around. Seems that the rubber handle piece is an exact match to the factory part for this handle. A 4" baking type cake pan that unclip's into 2 pieces from Walmart is perfect under a Solex carb for a heat shield. Use the bottom round part that has a small lip and discard the rest. It is cheap, beats machining, prevents vapor lock, keeps fuel from dripping on the manifold and looks like it belongs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_jmarsicano Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 A Halibrand rearend Quickchange centersection is round with 12 bolt holes evenly spaced around the center. Makes a nice clock when you split one in half at the track. Ask me how I know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 I believe the racers have the market pretty cornered on parts made into household items. Sheet-metal and fiberglass wall ornaments, Hoosier coffee tables, Hilborn fuel injector candelabra's, etc. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 This Proves without a doubt that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.......Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparky65 Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 A few years back some one bought a bunch of metal spoked Model A wheels from my father that were pretty well useless he thought. When we asked the guy what he was going to do with them he said he was going to weld a few of them to weld four of them together to make a rocking chair. He said he had made a few already and they were very comfortable because of the shape of the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted November 24, 2006 Author Share Posted November 24, 2006 Having just received the latest Griot?s Garage catalog there are some interesting things they have come up with. A tape dispenser made from a disc brake caliper, a pencil holder from a engine cylinder and a salt & pepper shaker that look like ratchet extensions that are held in a chromed exhaust tip. Won?t she be happy Christmas morning. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 We have two re-casts of some REO lever-style door handles as the handles on our kitchen pantry. Very classy. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave@Moon Posted November 29, 2006 Share Posted November 29, 2006 When I bought my first house it's street number was the same as a 1960's Chevy motor. I ran out to a swap meet the day after the closing and bought two "307" badges for either side of the mailbox. Virtually every neighbor I had eventually asked me what they were and where I got them. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Most people assumed I had them made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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