Driving golden era cars in the modern era

[StraightEight]

while I am without a doubt more of the hot rod school of thought, I'm SOOO glad to hear you have no plans to dump a 350 into your beautiful ride! It hurts my heart a little bit to see an awesome car that someone has crammed a lame ol' crate into...boring

The hot rodder's blow torch has already claimed too many cars and made too many into Kandy Kolored cloned cliches. Enjoying outmoded automotive technology is my thing (though a 350 is almost equally anachronistic). Anybody who has throttle-jockeyed a straight eight will know why.

You need to put some some "year of model" plates on your car instead of those brand new 6-series plates.

The car was bought new in Indiana and lived most of its life as a Hoosier. It's a California newcomer, like me, so I'm just not inclined to dump $500 into same-year plates to restore a look that never was. The old car is now a registrant of the future!

I own a 1938 Packard which is in the SF Bay Area Stored in the East Bay near Oakland. Like the Buick, I can not drive over 50 MPH. Highway one looks lovely, but is a bit far for us Northern Cal types. Any suggestions on scenic drives? Where do you drive your vintage cars?

Ask the man (or lady) who owns one! Actually, the best parts of Hwy 1 are closer to you than to us Angelinos, and your daytime temps are usually lower so it's easier on the old hot-iron. It only gets more spectacular from the Golden Gate going north. A perfectly wonderful weekend could be made by crossing the San Rafael bridge and cutting through the Lucas Valley and the Nicasio Valley and then heading for Bodega Bay up Hwy 1. And there's Napa Valley at your doorstep for a wine weekend in swing era style. Just make sure your cooling system is up to sustained 50 mph runs in ambient temps up to 80F.

 

[Plus-Four]

My car

My 1928 Buick Opera Coupe.

Not for daily use, but for the 'Vintage ride'.
I drive not faster then 30 / 35 Miles/hour. But it drives very fine.

Most of the car is still original, it became years ago a new paint, but as you can see, the interior is 80 years old.


Plus Four

 

[David Conwill]

1928 Buick

Sharp car there, Plus 4. There's a '28 Buick chassis, hood, engine, and radiator in a junkyard near me. There might be a cowl as well. I've often fantasized about buying it and building a speedster.

-Dave

 

[Flivver]

1928 Buick

What a great car.

I have a real weakness for any 1924 - 1928 Buick.

These were great cars...stylish, durable and reliable with a large overhead-valve inline six.

During this time period (1926), Buick was third in sales behind only Ford and Chevrolet.

For good reason!

 

[Plus-Four]

buick

Yes, it has the large 6 cil. (Master 6)
It is the style i love, beautifully made, High Quality.

Here two other photographs:

Regards.

Taco.

 

[LocktownDog]

Oh my dear lord ... that's a beauty.

 

[Flivver]

1920s Buicks

Back in the 1920s, cars were differentiated mainly by their radiator and hood shapes. By the mid-1920s, Packard had become the most coveted car on the market...and Packard had a *very* distinctive radiator and hood design that they had evolved since 1904.

Buick introduced all new models for 1924. Beside having an all new valve-in-head six and the new-fangled four-wheel brakes, all 1924 Buicks sported a *very* Packard-like radiator and hood design. Packard immediately sued, and even started an advertising campaign stating "Only Packard can build a Packard".

GM apparently lost the suit, and agreed to modify their radiator design. Slight changes were made each year, but even by 1928, the Packard shape was still quite evident in Buick's radiator shape.

The public loved this and soon propelled Buick to third place in sales by 1926.

The Packard radiator design didn't disappear from Buicks until the Silver Anniversary Buicks for 1929 were introduced. These were the first Buicks designed by Harley Earl and they were truly all-new. But their styling proved controversial and Buick sales plummeted in 1929 (in what was a record sales year for most other manufacturers).

Earl had added a roll to the bodyside just under the beltline. It looks quite benign to today's eyes but it caused a furor in 1929. Soon Earl's new design was dubbed "the Pregnant Buick". The controversial bodyside roll was removed for 1930, but not before another Buick joke surfaced.

At the time the new, slimmer 1930 Buicks were introduced, Buick also introduced a smaller, companion car called Marquette. So the wags of the day suggested that the pregnant Buick had given birth to the baby Marquette.

 

[MEDIUMMYND]

My dad had a 1953 Jaguar XK 120 fhc and to drive it on today roads could be hairy performance was not an issue 3.4 straight six in a fairly small car but the brakes non servo drums all round were not up to modern use on crowded roads in the UK as was the ultra heavy and vague non assisted steering.Add into the mix poor lights.heating.visibility etc and the fun starts to wane but the biggest problem is the drivers of modern cars who do not understand the way older cars drive.When you can find a quiet road they can be fun but thats not easy in the UK

 

[Story]

Bentleys mob Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10260791-48.html

The four Birkin Blowers slated for Pebble Beach are the race cars built by Birkin.

Even more historic than the Blowers, three original Bentley Speed Sixes will show at Pebble Beach. These cars set records in the first Le Mans races starting in 1923.

The Concours d'Elegance will feature four classes of Bentleys this year, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the marque. Two classes will show Bentleys built from 1921 to 1931, broken up into 6.5-liter and 8-liter cars. Another class will show Bentleys built in the 1930s when Rolls-Royce owned the marque.

 

[DodgeDeluxe]

1939 Dodge Deluxe Luxury Liner. 64,000 miles, flathead six, three speed on the column. Bias ply Firestones from Universal Tire, 6 volt positive ground, everything is original or NOS.

Dan

 

[scottyrocks]

Thats a beauty. I could see myself in that.

 

[habberdasher]

The newer the car, the easier (and safer) it is to drive on modern roads. Late 1960s cars with V8s and front disc brakes can be safely driven most anywhere. But, older cars require more planning.

I like cars from the 1920s. These have relatively low horsepower engines, narrow tires, non-syncromesh transmissions (that must be double-clutched and shifted slowly), low top speeds and in some cases, two-wheel brakes. These cars simply can't respond as fast as a modern car to changing driving conditions...and many of the other drivers on the road around you don't realize this. This can lead to some potentially dangerous situations. With cars like this, it's best to stick to country side-roads and avoid congested areas or interstates.

What about cars from the 30s-63?

 

[habberdasher]

1939 Dodge Deluxe Luxury Liner. 64,000 miles, flathead six, three speed on the column. Bias ply Firestones from Universal Tire, 6 volt positive ground, everything is original or NOS.

Dan

My friend's got one of those Dodge Deluxe's! I think it's early-mid 40s, though.

 

[habberdasher]

Most of the car is still original, it became years ago a new paint, but as you can see, the interior is 80 years old.


Plus Four[/QUOTE]
How did people drive with no armrests or restraints? No headrests, seatbelts, so you could easily slide off your seat!

 

[Big Man]

How did people drive with no armrests or restraints? No headrests, seatbelts, so you could easily slide off your seat!

I started out driving a big '61 Plymouth (this would have been in 1971). It had a big bench front seat, that I had covered in roll-and-tuck vinyl. Prior to going out riding with a girl, the thing to do was to slick up the seat. Taking a tight curve had its advantages.

 

[Sapphire]

Our oldest cars are a 1947 1 1/2 litre Riley RM and a 1956 Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire (3.4 litre 6-cylindre). The Riley was a barn find that had been restored by the previous owner in the mid 80s, the Sapphire is still more or less original. We take them on several trips during the dry months of the year, sometimes even on longer tours such as Scotland (2008 with the Riley) or to the Goodwood Revival (planned in September 2009 with the Sapphire). Even though I am normally a purist, I put the Riley on radial tyres (Michelin X tyres, which were already available in the late 1940s) and am seriously considering to change the ageing cross-ply tyres of the Sapphire against radials (Avon Turbosteel) as well, as the difference in road holding capability is quite significant.

Motorways in Germany (no speed limit!) are no fun with the Riley... on flat terrain it bravely runs at 70 mph (most comfortable at 60), but with this speed you are stuck between the trucks. The Sapphire is somewhat faster, it easily goes up to 90 mph but feels most comfortable at 70, so I can take it on the motorway for a few km and can even overtake a truck if it becomes necessary. Nevertheless we prefer smaller regional roads if there is a choice and happily cruise between 50 and 60 mph.

The Riley brakes astonishingly well, considering that it has drums on all four corners. Nevertheless it needs a solid foot on the brake and therefore always requires a good pre-planning (and hoping that others don't squeeze in 1m in front of my radiator grille to read what old car they just overtook - no, it's not a Mercedes!). The Sapphire was converted to front disk brakes early in its life. According to the literature, this was done by the Armstrong-Siddeley experimental department, using (I think) Jaguar Mk IX parts. Braking action is quite good for a car of its size and weight (measured in European standards).

I really love travelling with our classics. As someone above said, it gives a rest during the normal race we're in. Sometimes I just take one of them out after work and drive for an hour or so... such a mini-trip recharges the batteries (the cars and mine) nearly as good as a short vacation.

Tom

P.S.: Attached the photos - believe I showed them somewhere else on this forum already though:

Riley RMA 1947:

Sapphire 346 1956:

 

[habberdasher]

I started out driving a big '61 Plymouth (this would have been in 1971). It had a big bench front seat, that I had covered in roll-and-tuck vinyl. Prior to going out riding with a girl, the thing to do was to slick up the seat. Taking a tight curve had its advantages.

That's funny!

 

[davestlouis]

I had a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible for a year or so, and while it was a cool little car, and got lots of positive attention from bystanders, it rode like an ox cart, had horrible 4 wheel drum brakes, no A/C, 2 point seatbelts(lap belts only) and overheated in traffic. The carb was finicky on warm starts, and the manual choke was a pain in the neck on cold starts.

I can't imagine depending on that to get me to work every day. I strongly prefer my 80s era BMW's with fuel injection and working A/C, thank you very much.

 

[habberdasher]

I had a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible for a year or so, and while it was a cool little car, and got lots of positive attention from bystanders, it rode like an ox cart, had horrible 4 wheel drum brakes, no A/C, 2 point seatbelts(lap belts only) and overheated in traffic. The carb was finicky on warm starts, and the manual choke was a pain in the neck on cold starts.

I can't imagine depending on that to get me to work every day. I strongly prefer my 80s era BMW's with fuel injection and working A/C, thank you very much.

Yeah, vintage cars weren't the best mechanically, but they sure were beautiful! Too bad there aren't any accessible retro-styled cars available other than the PT Cruiser or HHR.

 

[vitanola]

I had a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible for a year or so, and while it was a cool little car, and got lots of positive attention from bystanders, it rode like an ox cart, had horrible 4 wheel drum brakes, no A/C, 2 point seatbelts(lap belts only) and overheated in traffic. The carb was finicky on warm starts, and the manual choke was a pain in the neck on cold starts.

I can't imagine depending on that to get me to work every day. I strongly prefer my 80s era BMW's with fuel injection and working A/C, thank you very much.

HMMPFH!

I receive your meaning, OM. Modern cars are nearly trouble free, at least as compared with the old-timers. Even so, I drive antique. Drove a T Model in daily service all through university and then on another fifteen years, at which point I upgraded to a six-cylinder Buick. I've since gone through several other machines of 1920's vintage, and it appears that I am on my way back to the Ford car again.

These early machines are not unreliable if they have first been put into TOP mechanical condition and are maintained scrupulously. A half-hour each Saturday morning is usually enough time to handle all of the little adjustments. Of course these cars don't ride or brake like modern machines, that is a given, but are indeed drivable, if one is patient.