MP104Bob, Where was the RR connection in your last post? Again this is test to see if I can post on the forum.
Until the mid-eighties Hemmings Motor News advertised lead body solder and all it's equipment. No one uses it anymore. I know that in the 1950s and maybe later, manufacturers used it to cover up seams in body panels and so forth.
BaltACD Overmod Bullet. 1962, silver mink, red leather, white top. I remember the first night my father drove it home, autumn of 1961; I couldn't believe we owned a rocket ship that streamlined. 390 with a flat-top double-pumper, four perfectly symmetrical venturis. For mufflers, two resonators, at 80mph with the top down the loudest sound was the patter of the tires on the road, and you could distinguish all four of them. I would give shows my freshman year at college: I'd let it be known I'd be putting the top down at, say, 2:00, and there might be quite an audience waiting -- the whole thing was automated except for flipping the windshield-header locks, and the top disappeared in the trunk when down. (The '62 Lincoln had screw motors for the windshield locks too!) Railroad-related content: I was driving this when the last of the PRSL Baldwins were at Morrisville shop in their funeral train. I retrieved the bronze plate from the remains of the steam-generator cladding. It's still under the front passenger seat... Always featured that era of T-birds were lead sleds. I think I read their weight was near 6000 pounds. Of course the thought processes of the time thought weight held cars on the road.
Overmod Bullet. 1962, silver mink, red leather, white top. I remember the first night my father drove it home, autumn of 1961; I couldn't believe we owned a rocket ship that streamlined. 390 with a flat-top double-pumper, four perfectly symmetrical venturis. For mufflers, two resonators, at 80mph with the top down the loudest sound was the patter of the tires on the road, and you could distinguish all four of them. I would give shows my freshman year at college: I'd let it be known I'd be putting the top down at, say, 2:00, and there might be quite an audience waiting -- the whole thing was automated except for flipping the windshield-header locks, and the top disappeared in the trunk when down. (The '62 Lincoln had screw motors for the windshield locks too!) Railroad-related content: I was driving this when the last of the PRSL Baldwins were at Morrisville shop in their funeral train. I retrieved the bronze plate from the remains of the steam-generator cladding. It's still under the front passenger seat...
390 with a flat-top double-pumper, four perfectly symmetrical venturis. For mufflers, two resonators, at 80mph with the top down the loudest sound was the patter of the tires on the road, and you could distinguish all four of them. I would give shows my freshman year at college: I'd let it be known I'd be putting the top down at, say, 2:00, and there might be quite an audience waiting -- the whole thing was automated except for flipping the windshield-header locks, and the top disappeared in the trunk when down. (The '62 Lincoln had screw motors for the windshield locks too!)
Railroad-related content: I was driving this when the last of the PRSL Baldwins were at Morrisville shop in their funeral train. I retrieved the bronze plate from the remains of the steam-generator cladding. It's still under the front passenger seat...
Always featured that era of T-birds were lead sleds. I think I read their weight was near 6000 pounds. Of course the thought processes of the time thought weight held cars on the road.
???
I think this Thread somehow jumped off its track???
I know Balt ACD is a car 'afficianado'; beyond racing cars, I have noi idea where his interests lay?
I grew up in the Memphis,area, during those times >1950's ++ < ; a 'Lead Sled' always seemeed to be used in reference to a car that had a hand-formed body, curves, etc.
The ' Lead sled;' part had reference to the fact that many rebuilders/car buffs used heated, liquified,lead to make their stylistic-shaped rides. The added weight on some of those automotive creations grew to enormous porportions; weightwise! Hince, the terminilogy, " Lead Sled "... .
This was pretty much, in the times, of a pre-Bondo era.... IIRC :-)
Bob, Where was the RR connection in your last post? Again this is test to see if I can post on the forum. endmrw0203241530
BaltACDAlways featured that era of T-birds were lead sleds. I think I read their weight was near 6000 pounds
What made the weight 'special' was that the highest point of the car aside from the windshield was only 39" off the road, with much of the effective chassis weight being on the extreme underside. That made body roll in cornering almost invisible; in extreme oversteer you could four-wheel-drift the car relatively easily. The rear springs, at least on the convertibles which had much extra mass far out in polar moment, were extremely long and had shackles at the outboard end, which made the ride extremely smooth and the lateral compliance... well, certainly not 'sports-car agile' but tracked like it was on rails well over 120mph.
Amusingly, the steering gear was manual-ratio, some amazing number of turns lock-to-lock, but had strong power assist so you could drive the car very sensitively with just one finger on the wheel... much like a Citroen DS or SM, now that I think about it. Brakes were four-wheel drum, but quite competent to get you stopped in a straight line... once. I did not experiment with inducing brake fade, and wouldn't now -- I once demonstrated you could drive all the way from Lydecker Street in Englewood to Lot 23 in Princeton without ever actually engaging the service brake (and the emergency brake was not only pedal-activated, it had a latch that could only be disengaged with the edge of your left foot, so it was useless for bootlegger turns... unlike the vacuum-release brake on the '72 Mark IV, tee hee...) using selective downshift on the Cruise-O-Matic three speed for engine braking. Not that I'd do that other than as proof of concept, but I very seldom find myself using the brake except coming to a stop.
All the Birds after 1957 were large cars. The '58 to '60 were in fact large, Edsel-size cars (remember that the MEL was the engine family for Mercury, Edsel, and Lincoln cars) and the Bullet Bird, as with the similar 1961 Lincoln, was a tremendous downsizing. The '64 to '66 generation was basically the same construction as the '63 (with the improved front suspension and front disc brakes) but with different (and much uglier in '64-'65) sheet metal. Then in '67 you went back to sedan size, with the option of rear suicide doors, and then by '72 to the Ford version of the Mark IV, which was a Torino chassis with 3' overhangs and the enormous 385 block (429, I think, the ¼"-shorter-stroke version of the 460) which just didn't 'handle' at all by a serious definition of the word.
54light15, the Hudson Highlands and its environs are living proof there's places on the East Coast that don't have to take a back seat to the rest of the country as far as scenery goes!
Overmod, at least you SAW a train at that Route 46 grade crossing! I never did, nor at the Route 17 crossing either!
And to all who say "Thank you!" you're VERY welcome! I've been binge-watching this wonderful channel the past day or so!
Overmod- The Bullet Birds were and are my favourite- I only drove one once that belonged to my boss when I had a part-time job in high school. But, I did own for many years a mint 1962 Lincoln Continental which might have come down the line the same day as yours- the Wixom plant, right? A sedan, though and not a convertible. Mine had the 430 M-E-L with a 2-barrel. At 80 mph it was loafing along and with 15 inch (80s' Chevy pickup rims) with radial wide whites, it looked amazing and would actually take curves with style! Presidential Black with a one-of-one custom-ordered red and black interior. Cripes I miss that car.
A few years ago I saw an absolutely gorgeous 62 Bullet convertible, ivory with a red interior and black canvas top that looked fresh from the restorer's shop. Just to keep this in a railroad context, it was parked outside my favourite model train shop.
OvermodBullet. 1962, silver mink, red leather, white top. I remember the first night my father drove it home, autumn of 1961; I couldn't believe we owned a rocket ship that streamlined. 390 with a flat-top double-pumper, four perfectly symmetrical venturis. For mufflers, two resonators, at 80mph with the top down the loudest sound was the patter of the tires on the road, and you could distinguish all four of them. I would give shows my freshman year at college: I'd let it be known I'd be putting the top down at, say, 2:00, and there might be quite an audience waiting -- the whole thing was automated except for flipping the windshield-header locks, and the top disappeared in the trunk when down. (The '62 Lincoln had screw motors for the windshield locks too!) Railroad-related content: I was driving this when the last of the PRSL Baldwins were at Morrisville shop in their funeral train. I retrieved the bronze plate from the remains of the steam-generator cladding. It's still under the front passenger seat...
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Bullet. 1962, silver mink, red leather, white top. I remember the first night my father drove it home, autumn of 1961; I couldn't believe we owned a rocket ship that streamlined.
Very enjoyable! Thanks.
Overmod- what kind of Thunderbird? A Baby Bird, Squarebird, Bullet Bird or Glamour Bird?
Flintlock76It's a well-done railfan video channel that makes extensive use of drone footage and it's quite artistic!
Trains, railfans and drone videos were made for each other; this video is proof. Thanks for the links.
Seems like just yesterday I was stopped at that grade crossing on Rt. 46 with a GP18 doing the honors.
In the Thunderbird.
With the top down.
Thanks for that- especially the ones showing the mighty Hudson river and Storm King mountain.
Didn't know I could sing, did you?
Anyway, this isn't about jettin' off to the Coast, but about a VERY interesting YouTube channel that found ME called "North Jersey Aerial Rail." It's a well-done railfan video channel that makes extensive use of drone footage and it's quite artistic! I've been binge-watching for the past day or so and it's well worth a look on everyone's part, especially if you're interested in Northeast railroading.
Here's the site: https://www.youtube.com/@northjerseyaerialrail9597/videos
Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1TAJ8BBgbU
I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I have!
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