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The Official Eleanor Roosevelt (And Anything Else Non-Topical) Thread

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Posted by Modelcar on Friday, January 20, 2012 8:16 PM

Murray

Here's a Goodyear tire test for you Quentin....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=vwKMBzJTpmM

 

Nylon tires.....Very strong, but boy they "flat-spotted", badly, if the vehicle was parked any amount of time until they "warmed up".

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 1:32 PM
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 1:33 PM
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Posted by AgentKid on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 1:52 PM

Murray, through the miracle of DVR, where you can watch a program as it is being recorded, I was able to view all forty hours of the Barrett-Jackson Auction on Speed TV last week, and weekend. I would start to watch several hours after the program began and was able to then fast forward through the commercials. The repetition of those commercials would have driven me away from the TV.

Interestingly, I liked the first three days better than the later ones. It is not that the prices were so high on the weekend, but that my tastes run to vehicles that aren't as sought after by major collectors. At some point the cars I like may become more valuable with age, but right now they are still a bit too common to be really collectable.

It sure would be cool though to win the lottery and scoop up all of the 1946-60 GM and Chrysler cars and trucks.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

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Posted by Victrola1 on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:07 PM

Would a stock Studebaker Lark with a Perkins diesel be Tier II complaint?

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:22 PM

Bruce.... a nice '49 DeSoto with Fluid-Drive.

That could be cool!!!!!

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:24 PM

Victrola1

Would a stock Studebaker Lark with a Perkins diesel be Tier II complaint?

Now that would be cool to drive as well!!!!

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Posted by Victrola1 on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 8:28 AM

The television ads touted the diesel Studebaker's economy. 50 years ago, diesel sold for less than gasoline. Cab fleets were reportedly the main buyers. Alas, poor Studebaker.

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Posted by Modelcar on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 7:15 PM

....A brief off topic. Victrola1  If that might be a hobby, with an email, I can probably send a photo of a rare one.

Quentin

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Thursday, January 26, 2012 6:48 PM

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/

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Posted by wanswheel on Saturday, January 28, 2012 3:17 PM

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Posted by creepycrank on Saturday, January 28, 2012 3:57 PM

This didn't become LoCoMobile did it ?

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Posted by AgentKid on Saturday, January 28, 2012 6:06 PM

Locomobile was a different company that only built steam cars from 1899 to 1904 under rights from Stanley Steamer. Locomobile built internal combustion engined cars from 1904 to 1929, when the company dissolved.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, January 28, 2012 6:22 PM

AgentKid

Locomobile was a different company that only built steam cars from 1899 to 1904 under rights from Stanley Steamer. Locomobile built internal combustion engined cars from 1904 to 1929, when the company dissolved.

Bruce

 

About 10 years ago, when we spent Winters in Florida...we would attend a classic auto gathering at Mt. Dora, Fl.  Some of the most beautifully restored classic cars I've ever witnessed would be on display there each Jan. or Feb....Don't remember which.

Too bad, at that time I was still using a film camera {and do have beautiful photos of many of them}, but they are of course not digital.  I could scan them, but first I would have to go thru our drawers of photos in envelopes...{to find them}.

In that collection several times....was a beautiful and immaculately, restored Steam automobile.  I don't remember if it was a Stanley or not.  The owner was busy at times giving rides.  The car was absoutely silent.  So much brass and beautiful red paint.....A real standout.

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 19, 2012 12:26 AM
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 19, 2012 12:27 AM
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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, February 19, 2012 8:46 AM

.....If I had my choice of having "a" Corvette now...I'd like a '57 in all outward appearances, with  "modern" running gear, including powertrain, brakes, suspension, etc.

The TV program "Overhallin" did something very similar to that recently.  They did make some body adjustments in appearnce, but it really did still look like a '57 Vette.

Foose designed, it was done for an entertainer, with unlimited funds, no doubt., and the end result was stunning.  The appearance included {wide white sidewall tires}, but they actually weren't....The wheels were designed with the white ring that appeared to be the whitewall tire.

Actually, the wheels / tires were modern wide, low profile tires, but still somewhat, looked like a '57 should in the tire dept.

Beautiful red paint....and light colored "concave" section at the fender / door area.

Correction:  I realized a bit later the Corvette {above}, that was redone for the entertainer, was by "WestCoast Customs" and not designed by Foose.  All by the west coast business.

Quentin

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 19, 2012 1:17 PM
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 19, 2012 1:21 PM
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 19, 2012 1:30 PM

The Electrovair II.  Electronic concept car using a second generation Corvair:

http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/vehicle-videos/electrovair2.html

 

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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, February 19, 2012 2:34 PM

......The '57 being the 3rd year for the basic design, I'd wager the engineers, product design, etc....never would have thought that design...especially the 2-door hardtop {and convertible}, would become a famous classic design, decades thereafter.

Then the following year....a really comprehensive redesign of the complete line {passenger cars}, would only be used one year...!

And it started a new line of V8's too.

Quentin

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Posted by creepycrank on Sunday, February 19, 2012 3:48 PM

1957 was the year that both Ford and Plymouth introduced "ALL NEW" models which made the 57 Chevy look old in the context of the era.

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Posted by dakotafred on Monday, February 20, 2012 6:06 PM

creepycrank

1957 was the year that both Ford and Plymouth introduced "ALL NEW" models which made the 57 Chevy look old in the context of the era.

I remember well ... and Ford overtook Chevy as No. 1. Yet, look at which car became the classic!

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Posted by Juniatha on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:30 PM

Well , personally , I think the Chysler line for 1957 was the cleanest , swiftest and most elegant of that year which revolutionized the looks of automobiles – and they were said to be the best riding in ways of road holding , cornering , anti dive etc .


Typically Fifties , the advertising singing of an alleged 'torsionaire' suspension , whatever that was to be , made a sort of fluffy-airy-non-descriptive not quite esoteric but almost as airy whisper of torsion bars used at front in place of coil springs .   They also had a series of competitive tests with GM cars forgivably set up to make the Gimmies look next to ridiculous .    Although there was a degree of bias in these tests , no doubt , seen with 'modern' knowing eyes , these advertising films could only be as convincing as they looked with a real technical advantage built into these cars ( and I think they did look convincing to anyone who cared a dime for how his car would handle a taxing road situation or most anything beyond plain boulevard riding ) .


As for me – u-hm , well , I was just carried away seeing these elegant fins and cat-like suspension in motion ...


Sad to think what has since become of Chrysler , once a proud American car company offering cars that did hold advanced design in some respects .   I wished they had kept to it and pushed on with it - there would always have been customers prepared to pay an extra for advanced suspension and engine combined with breathtaking styling .   I bet - or , let's say : I hope ...


Hemi !!

 

= J =


Edit : three words fixed one last sentence added

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 3:18 PM

....Interesting comments...{welcome back = J =}, enjoy following your comments, as a sharp engineering mind.

Just a comment or two:  My older brother had a '58 Plymouth 2-door hardtop, and he did like the car...Drove Chevy's and Ford's previously....but quality was certainly a downfall with these vehicles.  Example, he had to place pie plates at various locations in the car when it rained....Terrible.

One other comment on the plus side:  We had a customer at {Mong's Esso Station}, back then....and he was a young engineering student.  He had a very nice {pretty sure it was a '57}, Fury, beautiful car...The 318 with the factory {2} 4-bbl carb set up...and he installed a Paxton blower feeding both of them.  When he would pull out from the station, and put his foot in it.....Wow...that engine would wind out faster {at that time}, than any other I ever heard.....!!

Quentin

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Posted by Juniatha on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 4:07 PM

Hi Quentin

Oh yeah - that quality issue !   I read Chrysler - though hoping for success - was caught by surprise with the rage for their 1957 cars and just rushed them off the converyer belt , loose ends or not .   Inevitably , they had to pay the price next year when ironically (a) fixing of production line flaws as well as (b) much lower selling rate , consequently slower production timing had settled most of the wanting points - if to the level of engineering and weather protection then known and commercially used .

Fit a blower to a standard 4bbl 318 - well , if the engine stood that it bespeaks solid American engine construction - *g* !   ( you should expect him to have lowered compression rate significantly - I tend to think he did to some degree or with the pushed pressure that V8 would have had to suffer headaches with pinging on the gasoline then availabe )

Mentioning the 57 Plymouth Fury - did you see that movie 'Christine' ?    Sorry , I never did ( I'm sure there are bits and pieces of it on youtube and it's available for sure in video shops) .   I don't think it's inspiring for car lovers neither - it's pretty rough and basic for what could really have provided a theme of mystery and imagination - never mind , just my personal thought ...

Plymouth advertised modern self supporting unit body construction starting , I believe , in 1960 - only the car looked awful , like a mocking exaggeration of the original 1957 wings theme while everyone else had moved on to stiffly 'ironed' straight lines .   It seems , nothing less than demounting Virgil Exner complete with his office chair got Chrysler off the fins growing into absurdity .   

It's like with so many ideas :  you have to keep the balance - within the styling theme and with all engineering aspects combining to form a sound character in a car .

Regards

Juniatha

 

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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 7:43 PM

.....On the compression ratio =J= , on the Fury....I really don't remember if we ever got into the details of what modifications he did to make it "live" with the blower.

I believe we did have the three brands of Esso then and If I'm remembering correctly, the "Golden Extra" was about 105 octane.

And he didn't "baby" it when he pulled out from the station.  Sure was a sweet sound of rev's....I know {at least back then}, engines liked lower com. ratio when equipped with a blower

As I'm sure you know...some vehicles now use unleaded regular with com. ratio up as high as 11 and even near 12 : 1.  But....With complete control of engine functions now via computer it seems possible.  {And I'm referring to engines without a turbo or blower}.

Mine is not one of them....92 / 93 octane....and with the prices shooting back up again....Bummer.

Quentin

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Posted by Juniatha on Thursday, February 23, 2012 1:00 PM

Hi Quentin

 

I read in a book they had a 440 engine with a 1:14.5 compression ratio in a special Monaco about 1965 or 66 if I remember it right .. wonder what it ran on and if it was for regular street driving or pro car or the like .. ?

= J =


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Posted by Modelcar on Thursday, February 23, 2012 3:15 PM

Good question = J = and it's one I can't answer.  I'd say, trying to remember back....that was an engine Chrysler was providing for "special" use...so to speak.  i'm sure it required the highest octane available at that time to get away with that condition.

I might comment back in that era, we had a '62 Super Sport and it's engine featured a 10.5-1 C. R. and of course no computer controls then, and I aways used premium fuel in it. 

Gasoline expense wasn't much of an issue then.  Have a photo here on the computer, taken by a friend who was following us as we went east thru Ohio, on our way back to the home area of Pennsylvania back in the same time frame, and our Super Sport is in the photo, and I note a sign at a gas station sign off to our left, is indicating reg. gas 30.9 cents / gal.

Quentin

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Posted by Juniatha on Friday, February 24, 2012 6:16 AM

Hi Quentin

 

Would you - or someone else - know what were the prices for premium or super back in 1968 , in the State of NY , actually ?   I'd like to know for one of my short stories .

= J =


 

from a Chrysler magazine ad , advertising push bottom auto trans

- I thought 'ooops why , I don't believe it !' .. not the push buttons

 

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