Antique Cars

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

There is a guy not to far away that collects and races pre- 1910 cars.  He has some amazing stuff including a recording made by Thomas Edison explaining how to drive a car. Three or four times a year he will invite 15 to 20 people over for a tour. This is the winner of the original London to Brighton race.

 

 

 

He goes all around the world to race and several of his cars have been used in movies.

[Subdeacon Joe]

That's great!

 

That's something I really like about The Saloon- we have such a wide ranging group of people with such obscure, diverse, and eclectic interests that you can all but guarantee someone will be able to chime in with additional relevant content. 

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

The saddest thing is (almost) all of these brass cars, even up to pre WWII cars are losing value like a stone (yes, there are exceptions - '32 Fords are still desirable).  But the generations interested in these cars are dying off. 

Even a lot of 50's era cars are on that same slope (again, not all - '57 Chevrolet Fuelies are doing fine) - but without a racing pedigree or some interesting provenance; these older cars are not interesting to a lot of folks.

 

I am personally aware of a number of automotive museums that are selling off their lesser (non significant makes, models or unimportant) examples from pre war collections; because (in the museum curators words), "the visitors only care about the cars they dreamed about in junior high school". 

There are very few still around that were in junior high school in the 40's and 50's.

 

I was raised a gear head and while I appreciate a nice Tri Five Chevrolet or '57 Thunderbird (and a 1961 Corvette is still the prettiest car ever made); I was in Junior High 1978 to '81, High School '82 to '84 - I never lusted after 40's, 50's or even most 60's cars (and even knowing their significance - I likely wouldn't buy one if I had to keep it).

 

I grew up wanting early 70's Mopar (1971 Plymouth Satellite GTX if you please), a 455 Bandit Trans Am (with Screaming Chicken and honeycomb wheels) or a Porsche 930 Turbo in black with whale tail  (my dream car - poster on my bedroom wall).

 

A lot of reminiscing to say, enjoy these works of art when you can - I don't know how much longer anyone will care enough to preserve and present them.

Edited December 3 by Creeker, SASS #43022

[watab kid]

ive always been fond of the wood frame roadsters from the UK particularly the AC , 

 

 

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

36 minutes ago, watab kid said:

ive always been fond of the wood frame roadsters from the UK particularly the AC , 

 

 

I'm sure you know; but someone will be thinking the "frame" i.e. chassis (the thing the suspension components connect to) was wood - the AC had a tubular steel frame.  

 

The AC and most cars from that era were "body on frame" designs - meaning the body was a separate component that simply bolted onto the rolling chassis.

These body units often consisted of a wooden support "buck" attached to the steel frame chassis and then body panels were hung from that structure.

 

The British were experts in the field of using wood for vehicular purposes - huge  presses and the use of proper grain orientation created very strong platforms/ yet with lighter weight than steel for these body bucks.  

 

And in proper placements with understanding of subjecting forces - wood can be an excellent substitute for steel or heavy alternatives.

 

The floorboards of the Corvette were still being made from Balsa wood until the end of the C6 generation in 2013.

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

It SHOULD be noted that those balsa floors were sandwiched between layers of fiberglass on the Corvette…

[Chantry]

Stop, I can't afford any more hobbies!

 

 

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

In the early ‘90s I was doing a Heartcycle bike tour in Colorado. Gunnison , South Fork, Durango, Tellride, Cortez, Naturita, Grand Junction, Gunnison.

 

Coming into Telluride, several antique cars passed us. It was a group of old duffers driving 1903 or older cars. Next day they passed us going south. Not a poor man’s hobby, the previous year they drove Russia east to west.