favorite cars of the golden era

[JimInSoCalif]

18 months is certainly a short loan compared to today's 5 year loans, but back then cars did not last as long as they do today. Back in the day, a ring and valve job was probably due in about 60K miles and if you go back far enough, that might be more like 20k miles. Today, cars don't need a tuneup until about 100k miles.

Other than new plugs, I wonder what they do at 100K miles. Other than new plugs, I don't know, but I expect it is costly. Oh, on some cars it would include replacing the timing belt. I don't know what else.

I drive a 14 year old Infinity, but it only has 31K miles. All the dealer's service department can tell me is that the timing belt should be replaced at 105K miles, but they assume the car will be driven about 15K miles a year, so I have no idea when to replace the one on my car and it is one of those engines where the valves and pistons collide when the belt breaks - ouch. Their newer cars all use chains instead of belts, just like back in the good old days.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[Flivver]

Jim...you might want to consider replacing that timing belt. Rubber ages over time, particularly in a hot environment like the engine compartment.

Your belt might last 20 years, but given that your engine is not free-floating, a new belt now might prove to be a good investment.

 

[Big Man]

Very neat. Thanks for posting it! Interesting how they put the total interest of the loan on the sales contract. 18 months--a rather short maturity by today's standard of 60-month contracts. I love how it says the payment is due on the 10th of every month in the Ashville Office. Wonder if he was ever late.

My grandfather died in 1932, so the '36 Plymouth was my grandmother's car. I can guarantee you she was never late. My grandmother despised to owe money for anything and avoided loans as much as possible. She would rather have died than to be late on a loan payment.

 

[Big Man]

... but back then cars did not last as long as they do today ...

You are probabally right, but sometimes the old cars had to last longer. In my family the first car was a 1922 Dodge. It was replaced by a 1927 Olds, which was replaced by a 1936 Plymouth. The Plymouth was replaced by a 1947 Chevy, which was replaced by a 1961 Chevy. The '61 Chevy is still in the family and still in service.

 

[JimInSoCalif]

Jim...you might want to consider replacing that timing belt. Rubber ages over time, particularly in a hot environment like the engine compartment.

Your belt might last 20 years, but given that your engine is not free-floating, a new belt now might prove to be a good investment.

Thanks Flivver. The service manager at my dealers is checking with his tech support people to see what they suggest in terms of years instead of miles, but after reading your message I started thinking that I am most likely going to keep the car for a lot longer and that I am going to have to replace it sometime and as you suggest, it will be good insurance.

It does not make sense to inspect it because you would have to disassemble so much that you might as well replace the belt at that stage. There is no economy in waiting either as I expect labour rates to keep climbing along with the price of everything else, so I think I will do that after the holidays.

Thanks again, Jim.

 

[JimInSoCalif]

You are probabally right, but sometimes the old cars had to last longer. In my family the first car was a 1922 Dodge. It was replaced by a 1927 Olds, which was replaced by a 1936 Plymouth. The Plymouth was replaced by a 1947 Chevy, which was replaced by a 1961 Chevy. The '61 Chevy is still in the family and still in service.

I guess it would be more accurate to say the newer cars require less routine maintenance. Not too many tune ups anymore.

That is quite a history of cars you have there. I usually keep my cars for a fairly long time, but you have me beat. New cars are nice, but costly. I have only had two new cars in my life. The '94 that I have now, I bought used with only 11K miles for about half the price of a new one.

 

[suitedcboy]

I work in technical services (training, fix cars over the phone) for one of the car makers. Timing belt lifespan has marched upwards a lot over the years. Age life of belts has gone up as well. BUT, 12 years is the most I have seen any manufacturer go for a timing belt life when it is a manufacturer that has it listed by age and milage.
If they have a 105K service that would be at minimum a 7500 mile(this is below what most use as an equivalence to a year in service) per year equivalent which makes it 14 years. Please spend the money on a timing belt for that fine car instead of spending MUCH more money to at least remove cylinder head to repalce the bent valves. If the belt breaks while engine is at speed much above idle the valve head may break off and imbed in cylinder head surface and leave a dent in piston top that may require piston replacement.
The actual failure of aged belts with low miles is usually not an outright break in belt but rather the teeth strip off belt from dried aged rubber failing at bonding the formed "teeth" to fiber belt body.
There are loads of things that are terific in vintage but timing belts ARE NOT one of those things.

 

[John in Covina]

The type of engine design where if the Timing Belt breaks the valves hit the pistons is refered to as an "Interference Engine." There are or were some engines designed so the valves won't hit. Replacing the timing belt is often a big job and for many engines gets done when the water pump needs replacing or vice a versa.

(My 2.4L Nissan pickup was designed with a timing chain and if you change the oil regularly, it may last forever.)

 

[JimInSoCalif]

@ suitedcboy - Thank you very much for your advice. You and Flivver have me convinced - a new belt it is. I didn't think that was a vintage car when I bought it. Of course, that was 11 years ago.

@ John - Thanks for the definition. The collision of those parts would be a major interference. I have not had an engine failure since 1962 when a rod came out the side of the block on a Coventry Climax sports racing car I was driving. It came out on the same side as the exhaust manifold. The oil on the exhaust made a great deal of smoke. There was a picture in Road & Track with the captain 'I told you not to leave the hand brake on Jim'.

 

[David Conwill]

A bit of eye candy for today...

Not strictly golden era (it reached its current state in 1953), but utilizing all golden-era pieces:

A '27 Ford touring car with the running gear from a 60hp '40 Ford pickup. Built in Culver City, CA, the car now resides in Norway thanks to the HAMB classifieds. I like mildly hopped up Model T tourings because they remind me of the rah-rah college movies of the '30s and '40s. This one has a bit too much rubber rake for me, but otherwise I really like it.

-Dave

 

[JimInSoCalif]

That is my idea of what a hot rod should look like, although I think I would prefer a tad more power. Oh, and I agree with you about the rake.

I have seen some early Fords with mostly stock bodies and then they ruin the whole look with cast wheels and huge tires.

 

[David Conwill]

I think I would prefer a tad more power.

I'm not sure how much more power a stock Model T frame will take, that's triple the original engine, and Ford frames from the era are notoriously flexible to act as a part of the suspension. If you're a real power junkie, the Model A frame has all of the correct holes to mount a '26-'27 Model T body, purportedly because there was some uncertainty whether the Model A body would be ready in time.

-Dave

 

[Gary D.]

What? No 40's cars you like Vlad?

You have fine taste in cars friend! The Packard's of the 30's are very beautiful!

=WR=

I believe the grill and front end of the 1939 LaSalle was a work of art. The LaSalle was so popular that it infringed on Cadillac's sales; probably the reason the LaSalle's last year was 1940.

That being said, do you happen to know where I can download a picture of a 1929 or 1930 black Packard town car limousine? I have written a book centered on the 1930s/early 1940s and decided to 'populate' it with pictures. When I sent a young woman (under thirty) an earlier draft, she was full of questions about the historic characters, ships, cars.

Gary

 

[THe Conductor]

I'll take a 1930s Wolseley. If you've ever watched Foyle's War you know the car.

And if I can't have that I'll take a cream and crackers mid 30's Buick.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Round Door Rolls Royce

i have posted this elsewhere, though im begining to wonder if its a Hoax!!!
how come we havn't been aware of this car before?

If a new Picasso painting suddenly appeared would there not be questions so
"Where have you been all my life?"

http://www.supercars.net/cars/4054.html

 

[John in Covina]

It was not uncommon for the wealthy to have a maker put together the chassis, engine and driveline BUT have a Coachworks company create a body for the car.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

i have posted this elsewhere, though im begining to wonder if its a Hoax!!!
how come we havn't been aware of this car before?

If a new Picasso painting suddenly appeared would there not be questions so
"Where have you been all my life?"

http://www.supercars.net/cars/4054.html

It's not a hoax. To bolster John's statement, I clipped this from the Ultimate Car Page website:

The featured Phantom I started out life as a 'regular' Hooper convertible, but early in the 1930s that body was scrapped and the rolling chassis sent to Jonckheere in Belgium for something a little more exotic. A few years later a fire destroyed all of the company's records, so it is uncertain who commissioned and who designed the new coupe coachwork. What remains however is the end-result; one of the most extravagant designs ever put on four wheels. From the huge front fenders on to the oval doors and finishing off with a tall fin on the back, the Jonckheere Coupe is six meters of exuberance.

Shortly after it was finished in 1934, it won its first Concours d'Elegance; the Prix de Cannes. Not much later, it was acquired by an American and on its way to the United States, where the lavish coupe would fit in slightly better. During the 1950s it was painted gold and used in an automotive freak show together with a number of other striking 1930s designs, which people could look at after paying $1. Fast forward to 1991, the peak of the classic car craze, when the gold painted behemoth was auctioned to a Japanese collector for a staggering $1.5 million.

Lee

 

[Story]

A classic Bugatti car, which gathered dust in a Tyneside garage for almost 50 years, may fetch up to £3m ($4.35m) when it goes under the hammer.

Relatives of reclusive Newcastle doctor Harold Carr found the 1937 Type 57S Atalante in a garage after he died.

Now the classic car, thought to be one of just 17 built, is to be sold by Bonhams in Paris next month.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/7807210.stm

 

[JimInSoCalif]

It was not uncommon for the wealthy to have a maker put together the chassis, engine and driveline BUT have a Coachworks company create a body for the car.

I believe that in the 30s that there were a few cars that came from the factory with a grill and a cowl, but no factory bodywork aft of the cowl (A pillar). I may be wrong and they only came that way as an option.

Whichever way it was there were a number of custom coachwork firms in England, on the Continent, and in the US. One such firm was in Pasadena, but I can't think of the name of it. I believe that the Silver Cloud Rolls from the early 50's was the first RR with a standard body.

I expect that Flivver will chime in here and supply more complete and accurate information - he usually kindly does when I get in over my head on auto related topics.

 

[dolly]

ALFAS my dad restores them as a hobby. Such nice cars. We have a couple from the 20s & a 67 maserati too.