To submit questions to Old Cars Weekly Q&A section, E-mail ron.kowalke@fwpubs.com or mail to: Q&A, c/o Ron Kowalke, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001.

Q. Some time ago in “Q&A,” a reader asked about window price stickers for cars. I e-mailed the gentleman who does the stickers, concerning my 1958 Chevy Impala. I was told that the stickers started in ’59. A few weeks later, I read somewhere that the stickers started with the ’58 models. Which is correct?


A. You’re referring to the “Monroney sticker,” named after Almer Stillwell “Mike” Monroney (1902-’80), U.S. Representative from Oklahoma from 1939 to ’51 and Senator from 1951 to ’69. In March 1958, he sponsored a bill calling for the posting of a window sticker on each new passenger car, van or SUV that would show the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the transportation method and cost, and the price of all installed accessories. It was signed into law on July 7, 1958, and became effective on September 1. It applied to all vehicles from the 1959 model year onwards, and presumably to those ’58s that might still have been in dealers’ inventories. There has long been some confusion about the effective date, a subject that has been raised in Old Cars Weekly before.

Q. I’ve been trying to find out if there’s a free database of cars and the cities in which they were produced. I live in Brockton, Mass., and there were three cars made here. One was the Marsh, but I’ve been unable to find out the other two. Is there a database that has listings by city or town?


A. I don’t know of a free database, but the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 has a geographical index of prewar car manufacturers. For Brockton it shows no fewer than seven: Atlantic Steamer, Cameron, Leighton, Marsh, Pickard, Roader and Sterling. Once readily available at a modest price, this Standard Catalog, written by Beverly Rae Kimes with research by Henry Austin Clark, Jr., and published by Krause Publications, is now out of print and used copies have become pricey.

Q. In reference to Bill Vandever’s question (April 10 issue) about putting a 1968 Chevy truck six in his ’37 coupe, I just completed installation of a 235-cid ’62 truck engine in my ’36 Chevy five-window coupe. This engine has a short-shaft water pump. After installing the engine, there was only three-quarters of an inch clearance at the cowl and a similar amount at the radiator – with no fan blade! I installed a 16-inch electric fan in front of the radiator. It works fine but, after a call to an air-conditioning specialist, I wasn’t able to add air. He said a pusher fan alone wouldn’t keep things cool enough, and that I needed to install a puller fan. With the close clearance at the radiator, there was no way. I’ll just open the cowl vent and call it close enough.


A. That’s a good point about clearance. I hadn’t considered what should be obvious: Take some measurements before you begin your project to see if things will really fit together. I’ve learned and re-learned this simple principle myself. I don’t understand, though, how there’s a difference in pulling or pushing the air, unless the capacities of the two types of fans are different.

Q. Regarding the question concerning “water injection” for a 1936 Buick Century (March 20 issue), the ’36 Series 60, 80 and 90 had an oil temperature regulator. It controlled the temperature of the oil supplied to the valve mechanism, which maintained the valve lash at a uniform clearance. When the engine was started from cold, the regulator quickly brought up the oil to water temperature and closed valve lash to normal. When the engine was driven under conditions giving high oil temperature, the regulator cooled the oil.


A. Thanks for explaining that puzzle. You don’t say how critical this component is to the operation of the engine, but it’s safe to say that if one wants to use it one should ensure that it doesn’t leak.

Q. I own a 1983 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible. Last summer, one of my top pistons broke loose. I disconnected the top from the hydraulics and have been raising and lowering it by hand, which is fairly simple to do. Can I harm the top frame or fabric by doing this? I cannot afford to replace the pistons at this time, but love to go top-downing in summer.


A. As long as the top moves freely up and down – and if it didn’t it would be more apparent to you than to the hydraulic mechanism – I can’t see why there would be any problem. In fact, you probably operate it more carefully than the automatic system did. Sometimes simpler is just as good, if not better.

Q.  I recently purchased a 1938 Oldsmobile sport coupe with the rare factory-installed Automatic Safety Transmission. I’ve been unable to find out how many were produced. I’ve searched through all available reference guides, spoken to the 1938 Oldsmobile specialist of the National Antique Oldsmobile Club, of which I’m a member, and written to the R.E. Olds Museum historian, but no one can give me any information. I know that Oldsmobile offered this semi-automatic transmission from July 1937 until the end of the ’39 model year. It was an expensive option: $100 in 1938. Oldsmobile built 5,353 F series (six-cylinder) sport coupes, Model 38-3627, in 1938, plus 279 for export. Can you or any of your readers tell me how many ’38 six-cylinder sport coupes had this option, or how many ’38 Olds of any model had it?


A.  I can’t, at least with any certainty. The Jan.-Feb. 1974 issue of Special Interest Autos has a good article on the Automatic Safety Transmission, a semi-automatic with conventional clutch. Dennis Casteele in “The Cars of Oldsmobile” (Crestline, 1981) notes that it was introduced on eight-cylinder Oldsmobiles in June 1937, and extended to sixes for 1938. According to George Dammann’s “Seventy Years of Buick” (Crestline, 1973), it was also offered on 1938 Buick Specials. The unit was actually built by Buick although development was done by General Motors Central Staff. Lead engineer was Earl Thompson, a brilliant fellow who had invented synchromesh and went on to develop the Hydra-Matic. The SIA article estimates less than seven percent of 1937-’39 Oldsmobiles and Buicks had it. If the same proportion applies to your sport coupe model, it would be some 375 cars – in all probability not even that many, as one would expect the expensive option to be more popular on upmarket Oldsmobiles. It’s a rare survivor. If anyone has any better numbers please let us know, particularly where you got them.

Q. The gas gauge on my 1957 Chevy goes all the way to the top when I turn on the car. It stays there for some time, and when it drops to the full mark I better be looking for a gas station. I’ve changed the gauge twice and the sender three times. I’ve also grounded the sending unit. The wiring from tank to dash has been checked and is okay. What can I do? I don’t like carrying a can of gas in the trunk.


A. The gauge works on a variable resistance principle, so the first suspect is one of the resistance elements, either in sender or gauge, but you’ve changed those several times. Most cars also have some sort of voltage regulator for the instruments. If yours is faulty you could be getting too much voltage, causing the gauge to register off scale. Does your temperature gauge read properly? The two usually run off the same regulator.

Q.  I have a 1963 Ford Thunderbird. I can’t get the gas gauge to work. I installed a new gas tank, new sending unit (tried two of them, made in Taiwan), and a new constant-voltage regulator. The needle moves about one-quarter inch, so I know there’s power getting to it. The temperature gauge works, and both gauges work off the same voltage regulator. Any suggestions?


A. This must be the erratic gas gauge season. Did the gauge work properly before you replaced the gas tank? If so, I’d suspect you don’t have a good ground from the sending unit to the body. The other possibility, other than a bad batch of imported senders, is a bum gauge in the dashboard.

Q.  I sold my 1972 Buick Riviera in Florida in 1998, and now I’d like to find it again. I know the buyer’s name and where he used to work. I tried contacting the Florida Department of Transportation, but that was no use due to privacy issues. I’ve tried car shows by showing pictures, etc. CarFax only handles cars with 17-digit VINs – the Riviera has 13 digits. Is there a company or resource that can help me locate it?


A. Even if you had a 17-digit VIN, CarFax would not give you an owner’s name or address, only a general location based on registration or inspection reports. Your best bet may be to exercise some of the internet search resources to locate the man who bought the Riviera from you. However, since 10 years have elapsed since you sold it, the car may have changed hands several times. You might try the Buick Club of America (www.buickclub.org) or the Riviera Owners Association (www.rivowners.org).


Q. My latest project is a 1953 military-style Jeep that I’m converting to a wood body. It has an overhead-valve four-cylinder engine and operates with a 24-volt electrical system. I desperately need a 12-volt starter and distributor. Could you please point me in the right direction?



A.Your Jeep must have what we call an “F-head” engine, with overhead intake valves and exhaust valves in the block. Willys Motors began offering Jeeps with 12-volt electrics in 1958, though 6-volt systems continued to be available. You merely need to find the electrical components from one of these later Jeeps. My interchange manuals suggest MDM-6005, MCH-6215 and MDU-7004 as possible Auto-Lite part numbers for a starter, GJC-7002S, GJP-7202S and GJP-7402S as generators. Generators for some 1956 and later Chrysler products and Studebakers may also fit. For distributors, look for Auto-Lite IAY-4401 or IAT-4405.


Q. Regarding Larry Day’s question about his 1964 Thunderbird convertible top (March 6 issue), I suggest he join a T-bird club. There are several chapters in the greater Detroit area (do a Google search) and they often offer technical advice. I assume that this is a fully disappearing top such as those on Lincolns of the same vintage. If so, a good resource is John Cashman (www.convertiblelincolns.com). He travels the United States in his motorhome and comes to you to fix your 1960s Lincoln convertible top. The Lincoln shop in Connecticut you recalled is Baker’s Automotive in Putnam (www.bakersauto.com). They offer free telephone technical advice – call 860-928-7614 and ask for Steve.



A. Thanks for that generous helping of advice. Indeed it was Baker’s Automotive I was thinking of. Gary Husted of Bricktown, N.J., also recommended them. In addition, Sherman Smith of Winona, Minn., has had good luck with Thunder Enterprises of 7158 County Hwy. B, Pittsville, WI 54466. Call 715-884-6546 and ask for John.


Q. In the 1960s, my brother and I were Ford-Mercury dealers in this small California seacoast town. One day, I got a request for a service appointment from a couple with a summer home here. When they arrived in their 1962 or ’63 Thunderbird, my mechanic drove the car into the shop and immediately came out to say, ‘This car has a stick shift transmission!’ None of us had ever seen or heard of a Thunderbird of that era with anything but an automatic. When the couple returned for the car I asked about this, and this is what I was told: ‘We lived in Detroit for years and I worked for Ford and was acquainted with many important people in the company. My wife wanted a Thunderbird, but was skeptical whether she could handle the automatic transmission. I pulled some strings and got this car made to special order for her.’  I haven’t really researched this, so maybe someone can set me straight.


A. With the right resources and connections, anything is possible. The easiest installation might have been a four-speed with console-mounted shifter, but maybe the column linkage from a full-size Ford could have worked. Do any readers have ideas or experience?


Q. I’m restoring a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 four-door hardtop, with 292-cid V-8, automatic transmission and power steering. I’ve gotten the wrong parts on occasion. Some parts houses list it as a four-door hardtop with post, others list it as a four-door sedan. The ID plate has been replaced with gibberish that tells me nothing. Can you tell me the difference between the two? One parts place said the sedan has more trim than the hardtop with post, but where and how much is unknown.


A. The basic difference between a “hardtop sedan” and a “four-door sedan” (often called “post sedan”) is that the post between the doors on the latter goes all the way to the roof. The hardtop’s roof has no support between the front and rear doors. That post has exterior trim, while the hardtop has chrome-edged windows that meet on some sort of gasket. Ford literature called the hardtop “Town Victoria,” body style 57B. The “post” sedan was the Town Sedan, body style 58A. As for the speedometer gear, it must be selected to match the rear axle ratio. The ratio is often shown on a tag secured to one of the differential cover bolts, but they are frequently lost. Ford V-8s with automatic transmission usually had a 3.10 to 1 ratio. A ratio that is higher numerically, as from a stick shift or overdrive car, would cause your speedometer to appear “fast.”


Q. Many years ago, I owned a number of Borgward automobiles. Borgward went out of business and slowly my cars were sold off. Some time later, I heard that all of the Borgward dies and manufacturing tools were sold to someone in Mexico. It was also my understanding that the cars would be produced again in Mexico. Can you provide more information about this? Obviously, if the materials were shipped to Mexico, the cars were never produced again.

A. This is all partially true, but Mexican production didn’t amount to much. German manufacturer Carl F.W. Borgward had his share of ups and downs in the automobile business. Starting with small three-wheeled delivery vehicles, he developed a good business in cars and trucks. During World War II, he built military vehicles. He didn’t restart car production until 1949, but in 1954, he introduced the Isabella, named for his wife. It was a unibody car with four-wheel independent suspension, just in time to catch the gathering wave of imports to the United States. Annual production was about 20,000 cars, some 40 percent of which went to the United States. Your cars, I’m certain, were Isabellas. Borgward, however, had neglected his accounting, and the company was declared insolvent in 1961. Not long after he retired. Some claim that the downfall was politically engineered. Car production ceased, and the machinery and tooling were sold to Mexican investors. There are references to Mexican-built Isabellas in the 1962-’66 period, but as far as I can tell, nothing happened there until 1967, when production of a larger P-100 model began. Slightly more than 2,000 were built through 1970. Interestingly, recent European news reports say that Carl Borgward’s grandson is trying to start a German company to build an Audi-Mercedes-BMW rival.

Q. I’m building a 1937 Chevrolet coupe and installing a 250-cid six-cylinder engine from a 1968 Chevy pickup. Will the original radiator handle the 250? I plan on adding air conditioning as well.

A. You’ll want additional cooling, particularly with a condenser dumping heat ahead of the radiator. You’ll want to have the existing radiator refurbished, and that’s the time to add a thicker core. Street rodders do this sort of thing all the time, with engines larger than your 250. Can anyone offer wisdom from experience?

Q. In regard to the question in the Dec. 6, 2007, issue about the 1953 Studebaker automatic transmission, it was by Borg-Warner, the DG-200 introduced in 1950. The transmission featured a “hill holder” completely separate from the brake system. According to Philip G. Gott’s book “Changing Gears – The Development of the Automobile Transmission” (Society of Automotive Engineers, 1991), “The reaction of the reverse and forward free-wheeling clutches acted on the sun gear of the rear planetary gear set. The drive torque of the idling engine, combined with the tendency of the car to roll backward on a hill, lock up both one-way clutches and prevent reverse rotation of the transmission’s main shaft. An increase in engine torque by pressing on the accelerator pedal would ‘unlock’ the transmission and allow forward motion.” The transmission also incorporated an “anti-creep” feature. Those both seemed to be advanced features that were not available on other automatic transmissions.


A. I remember the anti-creep device. My 1953 Studebaker had one. It worked on the rear brakes, holding pressure after the brake pedal had been released, but before any throttle pressure had been applied. Pushing the accelerator pedal or turning off the ignition would release the pressure. The device mounted to the rear of the master cylinder, not the transmission. I converted my car to an overdrive transmission, so I removed the anti-creep unit and installed a Wagner “NoRol” hill holder, which was activated by the clutch linkage. It had an internal valve that disabled it when the car was headed downhill. I liked it very much.

Q. With the recent Midwestern cold snap, including below-zero weather, I’ve been wondering about the issues involved with driving a steam car in extremely cold winter weather. In particular, what are the precautions necessary to avoid freezing when not in use, freeze-ups of water tank when driving, etc. What other cold-weather peculiarities do steam cars have?


A. Having written a book on the Stanley Steamer, I can give you some answers. The Stanley twins, always reluctant to admit that steam had any drawbacks, advised that their customers only needed to put their cars in a barn or carriage house overnight, and keep the pilot light going. The warmth from the pilot kept the boiler from freezing. But that was in Boston, where winters are not as severe as in the northern plains states. And, as you point out, it’s not just the boiler that’s at risk. There is a water tank, water pumps and plenty of tubing that’s nowhere near the pilot and will freeze first. The simple answer for cold climates is to thoroughly drain the car when freezing weather sets in and keep it that way until spring. Many people ask about antifreeze. Steam boilers and engines are designed to work with pure water. Old-fashioned alcohol lowers the boiling point of water while modern ethylene glycol raises it. Either one will render the steam powerplant inefficient, if it works at all. Interestingly, despite the severe winters, Iowa was one of Stanley’s best markets outside of New England, perhaps because farmers were familiar with steam threshing equipment.

Q. Here in the Twin Cities, we have a newspaper columnist who writes a column similar to yours, answering readers’ questions, only about more recent vehicles. He calls himself “Dr. Gizmo.” I enclose a snip from one of his columns a few weeks ago, which stumped him. If anyone could answer this question it would have to be the experts at Old Cars Weekly, so here you go: Do you know what it was that was referred to as “Boc Hevies”?


A. The clipping sent by Mr. Raasch led off with a question from “E.J.J.” of Carlisle, Pa., who had a 1939 ad for “tires, oil and Boc Hevies.” Dr. Gizmo gave up after an “exhaustive search of the vast Dr. Gizmo automotive library, the staff and … the Internet.” Despite the good doctor’s lack of internet success, I consulted Google, my frequent strategy for confounding puzzles. Google’s listing wasn’t helpful, but the search engine had a suggestion: “Did you mean ‘boc heavies’?” The possibility of misspelling had occurred to me, too. Further search taught me that “heavies” is industrial gas industry lingo for heavy hydrocarbons. That rang another bell: Boc gases, or rather BOC gases. Indeed, wikipedia, the online encyclopedia tells us that Brin’s Oxygen Co., Ltd., was formed in 1886 by Arthur and Leon Brin. It became British Oxygen Co. in 1906. In 2006, it was taken over by the German industrial group Linde, also a gas manufacturer and distributor. “Heavy hydrocarbons” seem to be, in industrial terms, crude oil and bitumens, which don’t seem like consumer products such as tires and oil. I think the 1939 ad refers to propane, acetylene and similar gases, which are heavier than air. Had it read “Boc Heavies,” or, even better, “BOC Heavies,” we might have figured it out more easily.

Q. I’ve heard a lot about “numbers matching” cars. I have a 1958 Plymouth Belvedere with a 318-cid V-8 and dual Carter four-barrels. The engine casting number is 1737828, and the number stamped on the driver’s side of the block below the head is LP8-185428. The VIN is LP2L**8529. I’ve heard several opinions about whether this is the original engine or not. I’d appreciate any help.


A. The term “numbers matching” is relevant to cars whose manufacturers identified engines and chassis with a single number (or at least the serial part thereof). These include Ford products and many General Motors cars. Chrysler Corp. followed a different drummer. In the late 1950s, Plymouth and other Mopar cars had engine numbers that resembled Vehicle Identification Numbers (as chassis or serial numbers are now called), but did not exactly “match.” Your VIN decodes as a 1958 Plymouth V-8 built in Los Angeles. The final digits of the VIN are a serial identification, corresponding roughly to its place in the quantity of all cars built in that plant in that model year. All 1958 Plymouth V-8 engine numbers had a prefix of LP8. Your engine’s number may designate its place among all Plymouth V-8s of 1958, so yes, it could be the original engine, but we can’t tell from the number alone.

Q. I have been watching the “Green Hornet” TV show lately on the American Life Network. On the show, they have many fine early-to-mid-1960s Chryslers, Dodges and Plymouths. Brett Reed drives what looks like a 1966 Chrysler Newport convertible. But the car that interests me most is the “Green Hornet” car he drives. To me, it looks like a customized 1966 Chrysler Imperial. Is there anybody who can confirm this, and is the car still around?

A. According to the Imperial Club Web site, the “Green Hornet” car is “Black Beauty,” a 1966 Crown Imperial customized by Dean Jeffries. Actually, there were two cars. Apparently, George Barris built another four unauthorized clones for publicity purposes. For more information, check out www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1966/BlackBeauty/. “Black Beauty,” of course, made its first appearance on the 1936-’52 “Green Hornet” radio show, for which no real car was necessary. I’m just old enough to have heard the show, but my father never allowed us to listen to serial programs. Can anyone recall descriptive information on that imaginary car?

Q. I have owned a 1941 Dodge D-19 Luxury Liner for 26 years, acquiring it from the original owner, my grandfather. The car’s original colors are burgundy on the lower body with light gray on the top. I have not seen another one these colors. Is there a way to determine how many were made with this color scheme?

A. The short answer is “probably not.” Production statistics by color or by optional equipment are quite rare, especially for cars of this era. De Soto offered a two-tone Sportsman model in 1940, a variation of the four-door sedan, but this sub-model wasn’t even broken out in production reports.

Q. Regarding Les Warner’s letter about 8-volt conversions in the Jan. 24, 2008, issue, there is a down side to converting a 6-volt car to 8 volts. Most 6-volt cars have electrical components that are designed to operate in a range of 6-8 volts or so. The voltage of a discharged 6-volt battery is about 6.0 volts, and the output from a regulated 6-volt generator or alternator is about 7.25 volts, when the engine is up to speed. That is well within the voltage rating of the various electrical components. An 8-volt battery in a discharge state has a voltage of about 8.0 volts; a generator or alternator set up to charge an 8-volt battery is regulated at about 9.3 volts, outside the rated range of the electrical components. This means they can overheat and will have shorter service lives. Expect light bulbs and radio tube filaments to burn out relatively quickly.
    A well-maintained 6-volt system will work fine. However, if you decide to change the system voltage, change it to 12 volts. Generally, there are 12-volt equivalents to 6-volt bulbs, and there are ballast resistors and voltage converter boxes on the market so that your 6-volt components can operate at their rated voltage. Also, you can then safely jump start with a 12-volt battery. It is unsafe to jump either a 6- or 8-volt battery with a 12-volt battery (I know, it’s done all the time — it’s still unsafe). If you change polarity, as well as voltage, make sure that your instruments and accessories (e.g. radio) are able to handle the changed polarity.


A. We’ve had several other comments on 8-volt conversions. Ken Taplin of Blue Hill, ME.; Buddy Cavin of Stanley, N.C.; and Bob Huffman of Jonestown, PA., report good results from simply setting the voltage regulator for greater voltage output. W.R McBee, on the other hand, relates that his father did an 8-volt conversion on an old Lincoln during the early 1960s, and had to change light bulbs weekly, bearing out one of Noel DeLessio’s cautions. Several of you described techniques for jumping an 8-volt system from a 12-volt battery, which I’ll not repeat. Again, to echo Mr. DeLessio: don’t!
I think it’s worth quoting veteran car dealer and former Classic Car Club of America president Jon Lee, writing in the January issue of that club’s Bulletin. He says he’s spent a greater part of his life coaxing old cars home, and he’s quite emphatic that “8-volt batteries and 12/6 step-down batteries or other magical combinations are treating a symptom rather than fixing the cause of the problem.” He goes on to recommend a through examination and refurbishment of your wiring, particularly terminals and connections. The effort and expense of that upgrade might be more satisfactory in the long run than your own attempts at re-engineering.

Q. In the Jan. 24, 2008, issue, Mr. Mawhirter of Derby, Kan., provided some Ford Crestliner information. What he doesn’t mention is why Ford quit making the Crestliner in the middle of the 1951 production year. It was indeed a stopgap. The Crestliner was a response to the introduction of the Chevrolet Bel Air two-door hardtop at the beginning of the 1950 model year. Ford didn’t have a true hardtop body style ready to go, and didn’t tool one up, because Fords were due for an all-new body shell for the 1952 models. The Bel Air was a runaway success, so Ford started work on a true hardtop to be put into production ASAP. When the Victoria hardtop was in production in mid 1951, the plug was pulled on the Crestliner.

But before its demise, the Crestliner was a classy car. Interiors and exteriors were very colorful, as Mawhirter described. It was the first Ford to have carpeted front floors and truly colorful interiors coordinated with the exterior color. The name “Crestline” was attached to Ford’s top-line models starting in 1952, but it was not until 1954 that there was a Crestline sedan.

 
A. Indeed. The Crestline series in 1952 and 1953 consisted of the Victoria hardtop, Sunliner convertible and Country Squire wagon. In 1954, they were joined by the glass-top Skyliner and an upscale four-door sedan. Thanks for filling out the Crestliner story.


Q. I have a 1964 Thunderbird convertible with continuing convertible-top maladies. I cannot seem to find anyone who can work on the problems — not even convertible top shops. I live in Michigan, just north of Detroit. Are you or your readers aware of any mechanics that perform this kind of work?


A. Top mechanisms for the 1958-’66 Thunderbird convertibles are unlike those of any other manufacturer’s “drop tops,” although they share some concepts, if not any parts, with the 1957-’59 Ford Skyliner and the 1961-’67 Lincoln four-door convertibles. There used to be a shop in Connecticut that specialized in the Lincolns, so I’d be surprised if there isn’t someone in Michigan who has a similar business. Can any readers help?

Q. How do you pull the rear brake drums off a 1951 Chevrolet 3/4-ton pickup? My buddy and I can’t seem to get them off, even after trying to take out all the adjustments to free up the shoes. We beat on the drums to no avail. What are we doing wrong?


A. If the truck has a full-floating rear axle, and I believe it does, you have to remove the axle shafts first. There will be eight cap screws around the edge of the hub. Remove these, and you can slide the axle out (put a can under the hub as some oil may drool out). You will then see a large, thin hex nut secured with a locking tab on one of the flats. Pry the tab down so you can turn the nut — shop manuals show a special socket wrench for this, but I’ve always been able to tap the nut free with a drift punch. Take off the locking tab ring and remove a second nut, and you can then pull the drum and hub off as a unit. I believe the bearings are retained by a snap ring inside the hub, but be careful nonetheless. Shop manuals say to tighten the inner nut to 50-60 lb.-ft. upon reassembly, then back off 1/8 turn before fitting the outer nut. I’ve been known to do this by feel with no ill effects.

Q. I was watching a television program titled “Texas Country” on RFD-TV recently. The host travels to Texas and films places of interest. He visited with an Arlington man, Stacy Brown, who sells old auto parts from stock he has acquired by buying out auto parts suppliers. The parts range from the early 1900s to 1972. Mr. Brown has nine warehouses packed with parts of all makes. This was interesting to me and probably to many others. Mr. Brown says he sells only by phone and does not have a computer or inventory lists of his merchandise. Yet, he can come up with most any part someone would need. Do you have anyone in that area that could check this out? The program did not offer a phone number, and Mr. Brown’s sign was not readable when the camera was on it. Also, the business location wasn’t disclosed.


A. This is a good idea, and we would like to hear from someone who has visited Mr. Brown in Arlington, Texas. There is another business with a large selection of vintage auto parts in Grand Rapids, Mich., called Northwestern Auto (616-241-5611).

Q. I get asked about the unusual headlights on my 1928 Ford roadster hot rod, but I have no information about them. They are an old swap meet find and the only others like them I’ve seen was on the “Moonbean” ’32 Ford roadster. Any idea what these headlights are from?

A.These headlights have sealed beam units, which appeared in 1940. By then, most cars had the headlights built into the front fenders. Notable exceptions were Packard, Crosley and Americam Bantam, none which matched yours. They may be aftermarket items.

Q. Concerning Harley Phillips’ C60 Chevy truck (discussed in the Nov. 29, 2007 issue), with single-circuit hydraulic booster, what he has is the industry standard for local delivery trucks from the mid 1960s through the mid ’80s. 

    A GVW (gross vehicle weight) just over 30,000 pounds would now require a CDL, but was subject to state regulations. What is unusual is the engine. A big-block V-8 (366/427) was standard. When gas went from 30 cents to 50 cents per gallon when you could get it, diesel was an alternative. Unfortunately, this engine was not the answer. At 212 cid (4-cyl x 53 cid) and 122 hp, maybe 150 with the turbo, and a whopping 270 pound-feet of torque, he’d be as well off with a 292 or 300 inline gas engine. What’s rare about this truck is it survived the crusher. Tim Rahdan, Port Defiance, Va.

A. We also have heard from Greg Rourke of Batavia, lll., who writes, “To Mr. Phillips: With the 1978 C60 Chevrolet and 453 Detroit… I’ve seen a number of them around, certainly less common than gas engines, but not especially rare. As far as speed goes, they should run 65-70 mph on a flat road, empty. Two things may be wrong if it’s way slower … you may have the two-speed rear in low range … the button must be up for high. It’s worthwhile to learn to split shift that thing. Also, the gear ratio for the diesel trucks will be in the low to mid fours in high range. The gas engine trucks may be in the fives or sixes, since they will run 4,000 rpm or more, while the Detroits are governed to 2,300 rpm.

 “I’ve seen cases of someone blowing a rear, and getting the wrong rear from a salvage yard … it bolts in, but it’s for the wrong engine. That results in a 40 mph top speed. Lastly, the C60 is under 26,000 GVW, so no CDL is required, unless it has air brakes. I’m not certain they were available on the C60.”

Q. I Iove my 1936 Ford coupe and talking to people about it, but I wish I had a dollar for every time I had someone ask about the center pad in my roof and how does my “sunroof” work. I’ve always said that’s just how Ford built them. Is there a reason Ford didn’t have an all-metal roof until that point? I know it came shortly after that.

A. The reason is simple: steel mills were unable to roll a wide enough sheet of metal, hence the pad in the center of the roof. The following year, steel wide enough for an all-steel top was available.


Q. With respect to your reply regarding my comments on overdrive units in the Dec. 27, 2007, column, I didn’t make myself clear. When I said there are no buttons to push to engage/disengage the overdrive, I was speaking of the Borg Warner unit, which is like the one on my Studebaker. Of course, with the Laycock units, one does have to flip a toggle switch, or, as in the case of my Volvo, push a toggle lever, which is located on the steering column. The advantage of the Laycock over the B/W unit is that it does not free-wheel, and coupled to a four-speed transmission, it’s just as effective as a five-speed manual transmission. You always have engine braking regardless of whether you are in or out of overdrive. Not so with the Borg Warner. Unless you lock it out of overdrive, you do not have engine braking below about 26 mph. That said, I disagree with you completely when you say free wheeling makes good sense. Granted, it makes for clutchless gear changing, but its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages. Somewhere in the early to mid 1930s, a few cars featured free-wheeling (sans overdrive). To illustrate a point, how would you like to descend, say Pikes Peak, coasting all the way down with no engine braking, and depending entirely on the minimal drum brakes of that period to slow the car? Downright suicidal! Admittedly, that’s an extreme case, but it still would be treacherous in any sort of mountain driving. No wonder it didn’t stay on the market long. That sort of thing, if done today, would be cause for massive recalls. Also, thank you for the info on the Borg Warner overdrive booklet. But I’m 70 years old, and have had extensive experience with both Borg Warner overdrive units and Laycock, on many different cars, both foreign and domestic, and I don’t require a “booklet” to tell me how mine works.


A. People driving cars with free-wheeling overdrive transmissions should be aware of the possibility of over-running their brakes while descending a hill. In fact, the owners manual reminds of this danger. However, as I’m sure you’ve experienced, the free-wheeling feature is a great boon in normal driving. It makes a manual transmission nearly as smooth as today’s automatics. There is no abruptness, even in a clumsy shift, and a fairly skilled person can make shifts without using the clutch. One of the features that I especially enjoy when driving Borg Warner overdrive-equipped cars and light trucks, is gear splitting. A person can go from second directly to second overdrive and have intermediate gears, which are helpful in those fairly crude three-speed transmissions. But your caution must be observed. Overdrive can, and should, be locked out barring the free-wheeling feature for driving in hilly country.

Q. Growing up in North Bergen, N.J., in the 1930s and ’40s, one of the fellows had a seven-passenger 1930 Packard with a four-speed and dual sidemounts. Two things I remember are the taillight, which had a green lens, yellow lens and red lens. If I remember correctly, the green illuminated while accelerating, yellow while coasting or holding back, and red while braking. I also remember when the owner’s dad took the car for a drive, the engine raced, and other times it would drive away normally. We later realized that his dad would pull the gear shift into low-low, past what was considered first gear, as going into low-low the lever was spring loaded. They sold the car for $100 in 1949. I think it was aluminum bodied.


A. The transmission must have been a four-speed with a “stump puller” low gear, with second used as the usual low. Our Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 reports that Seventh Series (1930) Custom Eight Packards had a four-speed transmission and 4.69:1 differential, which would have made for a very low first-gear ratio. Dual sidemounts were standard.


A. The usual procedure for lubricating a speedometer cable is to remove the cable from its housing and soak it with graphite. You can purchase graphite lubricant for this purpose. A word of caution, though. The graphite is viscous and can stain clothing easily. You can also squirt liquid graphite into the speedometer cable housing. As to the dome light bulb for a ’52 DeSoto, I would assume the dome light to be visible, and the cover to be removable, but we will ask our readers if a source for this light bulb exists.

Q. This is in answer to Mr. Georghegan’s letter in the Nov. 8, 2007, issue. He was looking for retainers for the molding around his wood grain along the side panels of his 1964 Ford Falcon Squire station wagon. If they are the same size as the ’64 Ford Country Squire, and I believe they are, I have four retainers (washers), the three bright metal caps that I picked up off the line where they were installed at the Dallas assembly plant in 1964. I put them in my toolbox at that time, thinking that if I found a use for them I’d get all I needed later. Well, that was 43 years ago, and until now, I could not find any use for them. If Mr. Georghegan would send me his address I’ll mail these to him. He could use them to show someone what he’s looking for. Some hardware stores carry these type of caps as well as plastic ones. If he can’t find any there, he’ll only need to locate 82 more to complete this part of his restoration.
 

A.These may be a rare item. Normally, we don’t print phone numbers to protect readers’ privacy, but Mr. Lunday offers his, inviting Mr. Georghegan to contact him. That number is 903-473-8063.

Q. In reference to the Dec. 13, 2007, column concerning steam-powered airplanes, here is more information to assist in answering that question. The Besler airplane in the photo was made in the 1930s and flown for publicity purposes by Bill Besler. The engine was sold to the Japanese just before World War II. Besler was not a German company, as stated. He was the son of a railroad person from out east. In the early 1930s, he bought into the Abner Doble Co. in Emeryville, Calif., and ended up purchasing the whole company and evicting Abner Doble. The answer to the question was quite good coming from a non-steam person and except for the German company reference, was accurate. As a follow-up, there is a Besler steam engine in the Smithsonian. It’s the same engine that was photographed in the trunk of a car. This engine was designed and built for a different steam airplane project, and the report was written in 1958. The engine was tested, but never installed in an airplane. It was run in a naval launch for a while and then taken out. This report is available from the storeroom of our club, the Steam Automobile Club of America, Inc. (www.steamautomobile.com), which is always looking for more members. Steam car ownership is not necessary to join.
 

A. Paul Albert, of Oswego, Ill., also mentions the steam-powered airplane. “I read about the airplane that had the Doble engine installed. It astonished spectators because it sailed through the air and made no noise. The other part of that story was that once the plane was on the ground, a lever was moved and the engine reversed, stopping the plane dead. This was long before reversible props and jet engines. Abner Doble made an automobile powered by steam somewhat after the Stanley Brothers had perfected their car. Abner was a perfectionist and the end products of his efforts were notable. During the 1920s (1923-’30), he built some 40 cars. They were expensive and guaranteed for 100,000 miles. There is a record of one that ran 600,000 miles and another that covered 200,000 miles, in both cases with only minor maintenance. The Stanley car carried 15 to 20 gallons of water that had to be brought to a boil every time the car was to be used. This required 15-30 minutes. The Doble boiler held two quarts. Rather than a burner heating water, Doble used what came to be known as the ‘flash’ boiler. Kerosene was vaporized and the mixture forced into the boiler under pressure and then fired by an electronic spark plug creating a blow-torch effect and virtually instant steam. The start up time for the Doble was 30 to 60 seconds. Originally, the Stanley did not use a recovery system to reuse the water. Abner Doble, eventually, through the use of a honeycomb radiator and other modifications, could manage 1,000 to 1,500 miles on a tank of water.” Thanks to both Mr. Kimmel and Mr. Albert for providing more information about the steam-powered airplane. The literature that accompanied the Besler photo implied that the airplane was of German manufacture.


Q. Recent interest in substitute materials prompts me to recall an experience our family had early in World War II. We lived on a small farm in the Illinois Ozarks. One day, I parked our pickup in the hog lot to unload feed. Brenda, our precocious 300-pound brood sow, promptly explored every inch of the 1940 Plymouth half-ton, adorning the bright surfaces with full-moon nostril prints. She paused briefly at the front bumper. Too late! She ripped the license plate from its bracket and scurried across the lot where she wolfed down the shiny entree. Sensing Brenda was eyeing the rear plate for dessert, I quickly moved the truck out of her territory and slammed the gate. So much for soybean license plates!


A. Thank you for sharing your story about soybean license plates. They were definitely a problem to farming families as you described – tasty to farm animals.

Q. I can’t help but respond to Mr. Fisher’s inquiry regarding Ford Crestliners. I also was only 10 when I first saw one of these beauties in a showroom. I owned one for about 12 years, and it’s an important car in Ford’s history. It was only built from mid-year 1950 until mid-year ’51. Production for 1950 was around 18,000 and approximately 8,703 were built in ’51 before the Crestliner was taken out of production around July of that year. For ’50, they only came in three colors, the most popular, Sportsmen green (Chartreuse) and black, Coronation red (a fire-engine red, later changed to a more maroon hue) and black and, at the end of the year, the rare Hawaiian Bronze and Chocolate brown. I remember people admiring my car and being amazed with the vinyl weave top; many thought I had customized it. The ’51s received minor trim changes, but were still distinctive as Crestliners. Ford developed it as a stop gap. In late ’51, the Crestliner became history. By the way, the Crestliner should not be confused with the later Crestline series introduced in ’52, and ran for several years into the later 1950s. I always thought this car has been overlooked by serious Ford collectors and has evaluated well in the last few years.


A. You’ve given Mr. Fisher, and all of us a thorough history of the Crestliner. These details are appreciated, and we thank you.

Q. I’ve read many letters in this column concerning 6-volt positive ground vehicles vs. 12-volt negative ground, and mixing, matching and jumping in various forms. I want to tell you about something I did to my 1951 Ford, which solves all the problems at once. I’ve never seen anything discussed in this column about anyone installing an 8-volt system. I removed the 6-volt positive ground battery and the generator and installed an 8-volt negative ground battery and an 8-volt alternator. All the 6-volt gauges, bulbs and accessories will operate directly on the 8-volt system with no alterations necessary. (Reverse the leads on the ammeter.) The 8-volt battery will jump from 12-volt with no damage, if necessary. The voltage regulator is, of course, no longer used, but was left in place for show and possible conversion back to original in the future, if necessary. These parts are readily available, as is the adapter bracket for the alternator. The new combination supplies more than enough power and I never have trouble with starting or low battery. The whole conversion job was done in one day by Bear Hill Auto Electric in Bethany, Conn., for a reasonable sum. The company also supplied an 8-volt trickle charger, which keeps the battery up all winter.


A. Readers continually tell us that a well-maintained 6-volt system works just fine, and that there’s no reason to increase the voltage. However, yours is a good solution because the 6-volt equipment continues to work, and, as you say, the system can be jumped from a 12-volt battery. Your final comment is an important one. However, to leave the trickle charger on the battery unsupervised can cause the battery to reach full charge and boil off the electrolyte. Better is a charger that senses when the battery reaches full charge and shuts down.

Q. Where are all the Oakland cars? I don’t see any of them mentioned in Old Cars Weekly or the auction reports. My Dad had one, about a 1926-’28 model. He traded it for a straight-eight 1932 Pontiac that did not like to start in winter.

A. Have you attended any Pontiac/Oakland club events, or any large AACA meets? You are more likely to see an Oakland car shown at one of these specialty club events, but a former teaching colleague has a 1929 Oakland that he displays in local club events.


Q. I’m writing to share my experience with radial tires on stock rims. I had a 1955 Chevy on which I installed radial tires. The front rim cracked about two inches on its edge. I also had problems with my hubcaps spinning around on the rims. This caused flat tires because of the valve stem being pulled. As a caveat, I’m never one to buy the most expensive tires on the market; maybe these tires were cheap.


A. You don’t say whether you fixed the problem by installing wheels designed for radial tires or reverting to bias-ply tires. The “walking” hubcap problem is common with radials installed on bias-ply rims, readers report. The two-inch crack on the edge of the rim should be warning enough.

Q. In regards to the answer to the question in the Nov. 29 issue about headlight buckets that bolted on top of the fenders, the only years Chevrolet cars had them on top of the fenders were 1939 and ’40. The ’41 model’s headlights were an integral part of the fender, not bolted on.


A. Mr. Cummings sent photos of his headlight buckets (unfortunately, there wasn’t sufficient space to publish them) that, assuming they are car items, didn’t have parking lights integral with the “speed streak” as on 1941-’46 first-series Chevrolet trucks, and they definitely are designed for sealed beams, so they must be 1940; ’41 does look similar, though.

Q. Having lived through the development of both fluid couplings and torque converters, I can clarify the difference for Jim Degenhart of Buffalo, N.Y. The fluid coupling came first, and did nothing more than allow an engine to idle without releasing the clutch or putting the transmission in neutral. No more torque came out the back of the coupling than was put in the front. This was seen in the Chrysler Fluid Drive and the early Hydra-Matic. The torque converter, on the other hand, multiplied the twisting effort of the engine – called torque multiplication. Through the use of turbines and stators, the oil was spun in such a direction as to multiply the twisting effort out the back of the transmission. These torque converters were used in the Hellcat tanks built by Buick during World War II. Because no gears would ever shift, Buick found the torque converter (think Dynaflow) the answer to a smooth flow of power without the jerking of a shift such as in the Hydra-Matic. In 1948, Buick introduced Dynaflow on its senior models, Roadmaster, and made it optional on the Super series. In 1950, all three series of Buick had the Dynaflow, and Chevrolet offered PowerGlide, its version of the Dynaflow. The sensation of driving an early torque-converter car was smooth application of power without a jerking shift. The engine would rev to 3500 rpm and stay right there; the car would then accelerate to the speed the engine was turning and remain at that speed until the position of the gas pedal was changed.


A. Charles Farley of Greenville, N.C., also wrote about the difference between fluid coupling and torque converter as follows: “Torque converters, such as Chrysler’s Torqueflite and its earlier Fluid Drive, are actually two different technologies. The fluid-coupled clutch offers no torque manipulation while a torque converter gives real gearing. I owned both a 1951 Dodge with a fluid coupling and a ’56 Plymouth with Powerflite. With the same 230-cid flathead six, there was absolutely no comparison. The Dodge could not pull a sitting mule, while the Plymouth, when pressed to the max, would spin its tires on takeoff; a feat the Dodge could never do.” Jerry Boden, who describes himself as “just an old mechanic” adds this: “A fluid coupling and torque converter are similar in that both allow an engine to idle at a stop sign with the transmission in gear. The torque converter has the same parts as a fluid coupling, but also has an additional member: a stator. The difference is that the torque converter can actually increase engine torque. Torque is multiplied whenever the impeller spins faster than the turbine. Maximum torque multiplication occurs at stall speed. The amount of torque increase is usually about 1.8:1 to 2.6:1 in an automobile. Some slippage (5 to 10 percent) still occurs at highway speed. Newer vehicles have a lock-up torque converter. This provides a mechanical link between the engine and transmission. The result is no slippage, increased fuel economy, less heat developed and decreased engine speed. The lock-up converter is important in overdrive because of low engine rpm.” Kit Foster, from the Society of Automotive Historians, adds: “Dynaflow and Powerglide had torque converters from the get-go, which allowed them to operate without shifting in normal operation.”

A. Thanks to our readers for clarifying the difference between fluid couplings and torque converters.

Q.There has been discussion on early Oldsmobile V-8 engines making lifter noise. I was an Olds tech in the 1950s and did my share of engine work. On 1946 through ’56 engines, a lot of valve train noise was from rocker arms running dry. What I did was first make sure that oil was getting to the rocker arm shaft. If not, I had to first clear any obstruction in the oil feed line. Then, I’d take the rocker arm shaft and grind a slight groove across the rocker arm feed holes for about a third of the diameter of the shaft. Sometimes, I’d also pull the pan to clean the oil screen, and I’d shim the pressure release spring a little. On 1956 and ’57 engines, we had a lot of cam failure problems, not so much lifter problems. The 1956 and ’57 engines had stronger valve springs than earlier engines. Our dealership handled Mobil and Royal Triton oils. It was interesting to me that the users of Royal Triton usually had no cam or lifter problems.


A.Thanks for sharing your experience correcting Olds V-8 lifter noise.

Q.As to the two types of overdrives (I have one in a Studebaker and one in a Volvo, Nov. 1 Q&A), I must comment. First, the correct spelling is Laycock not Lycock. Second, the BorgWarner unit, as in my Studebaker, has freewheeling, while the Laycock de Normanville unit, as in my Volvo, does not, nor does one have to push any buttons to engage it. One simply lifts one’s foot from the accelerator at approximately 26 mph, and the unit goes into overdrive. There is a “T” handle for disengaging the unit. Aside from mechanical features, the basic difference is that the BorgWarner overdrive freewheels while the Laycock unit does not.


A. I’ve seen an overdrive toggle switch on the dashboard of Austin Healeys with Laycock units. Beyond that, BorgWarner overdrives evolved from freewheeling units, so this feature, which allows coasting and clutchless shifting, makes sense. A BorgWarner overdrive booklet is available from Fifth Avenue Antique Auto Parts in Clay Center, Kan.

Q. I have a 1941 Pontiac 257 sport coupe. I’d like to know how many were made. I’m 79 years old, and have never seen another like it.

A.Pontiac did not list serial numbers by model in 1941. We know only that 117,976 Pontiacs of all models were built in 1941. Your coupe is a deluxe six. Since coupes were a popular body style and a six was the less expensive model, it’s likely that several thousand were produced. Have you ever attended one of the Pontiac club’s national meets? That is the most likely place to see other cars such as yours. In 1941, the United States’ economy was beginning to emerge from the doldrums of the Great Depression, due, in part, to orders for war equipment being sent to Britain under Lend/Lease, but also because many people believed that the United States would be at war soon and now was the time to buy a new car. Additionally, for most makes, 1941 brought fresh styling.

Q. Just recently, while finishing the restoration of my rare Firebaugh three-wheel scooter-pickup, I dropped and broke the headlight lens into three pieces. It’s an odd diameter made before 1946, and after much searching, I decided to order a lens from my Cushman scooter parts supplier in San Jose, Calif. He sent me a new lens and a good used one. I took the used lens to a local glass shop, and the owner tried cutting it down with a glasscutter, but he eventually broke it. I tried the motorcycle shops and every other place I could think of, all with no luck. On my way home, I passed a small shop called “Glass Fire.” I went in and met a couple who made all kinds of glass novelties by blowing molten glass. I explained about my broken headlight lens and the man said, ‘No problem.’ He cut a piece of rubber sheet just bigger than my lens and said, ‘I’ll be right back.’ In about 10 minutes, he came back with my lens cut to the proper size and appearing exactly like the original, also in one piece. The edge was so smooth that I didn’t even have to grind it, like I expected. Turns out, he used a laser beam to cut my lens, which explains its perfection. I’m told that high-pressure water is used as well. Maybe this will help someone else who has a glass-cutting problem.


A. Thanks for the tip. Glass cutters have to be sharp and require a lot of skill to cut circles or curves.


Q. A number