Beautiful Cars & Trucks

[Eric]

[janice6]

Just now, Eric said:

Mmmmmmm.…….. Ackerman?

[Eric]

49 minutes ago, janice6 said:

Mmmmmmm.…….. Ackerman?

Cord L-29. One of the first viable front-wheel drive production cars. It was set up in an interesting fashion. The engine was mounted longitudinally, but backwards. The transmission was in the front. That circular bulge below the grille covered the differential. The car had inboard drum brakes in the front.

The shifter linkage was a steel tube that ran across the top of the engine, through the firewall and dash. There was a right angle on the end, with a shift knob. You turned the shaft side to side and pulled it in and out, to shift. Due to the engine arrangement, the car had a very low stance. They were amazing rides. 

The car was made by the auburn, Cord, Duesenberg company, of Auburn, Indiana. The Cord was the creation of E.L. Cord. The Duesenberg brothers, Fred & Augie were very successful race car builders and drivers, who put their know-how into the Duesenberg. It was what we would now consider a super car. The Auburn was named after its city of origin. The ACD company produced some of the most iconic of America's Prewar cars. 

[janice6]

18 minutes ago, Eric said:

Cord L-29. One of the first viable front-wheel drive production cars. It was set up in an interesting fashion. The engine was mounted longitudinally, but backwards. The transmission was in the front. That circular bulge below the grille covered the differential. The car had inboard drum brakes in the front.

The shifter linkage was a steel tube that ran across the top of the engine, through the firewall and dash. There was a right angle on the end, with a shift knob. You turned the shaft side to side and pulled it in and out, to shift. Due to the engine arrangement, the car had a very low stance. They were amazing rides. 

The car was made by the auburn, Cord, Duesenberg company, of Auburn, Indiana. The Cord was the creation of Elliot Cord. The Duesenberg brothers, Fred & Augie were very successful race car builders and drivers, who put their know-how into the Duesenberg. It was what we would now consider a super car. The Auburn was named after its city of origin. The ACD company produced some of the most iconic of America's Prewar cars. 

I'm sorry my post was confusing.,  I was questioning the Ackerman Angle on the picture where one wheel was pointed straight ahead, and the other was pointed outward, A LOT!

[Eric]

1 minute ago, janice6 said:

I'm sorry my post was confusing.,  I was questioning the Ackerman Angle on the picture where one wheel was pointed straight ahead, and the other was pointed outward, A LOT!

Oh. Sorry about that. Maybe the pic is catching the front end at a weird angle. The Cord suspension was well set up and they handled well, for the time. The low center of gravity certainly helped. We used to have a 1929 Cord L-29 at the museum my parents managed, when I was a kid. Actually, there were several, but one of them was yellow with black striping and accents. It was a beautiful car. The dash panel inserts were gold plated, along with other pieces in the interior. You might think that would look gaudy, but it really worked on. It was an elegant car. I miss spending time with those old cars. 

[Eric]

3 minutes ago, Eric said:

Oh. Sorry about that. Maybe the pic is catching the front end at a weird angle. The Cord suspension was well set up and they handled well, for the time. The low center of gravity certainly helped. We used to have a 1929 Cord L-29 at the museum my parents managed, when I was a kid. Actually, there were several, but one of them was yellow with black striping and accents. It was a beautiful car. The dash panel inserts were gold plated, along with other pieces in the interior. You might think that would look gaudy, but it really worked on. It was an elegant car. I miss spending time with those old cars. 

The car below, or one just like it, used to be in the collection. That thing was gorgeous. There was also another standard L-29 and several Cord 810s.

 

[janice6]

2 minutes ago, Eric said:

Oh. Sorry about that. Maybe the pic is catching the front end at a weird angle. The Cord suspension was well set up and they handled well, for the time. The low center of gravity certainly helped. We used to have a 1929 Cord L-29 at the museum my parents managed, when I was a kid. Actually, there were several, but one of them was yellow with black striping and accents. It was a beautiful car. The dash panel inserts were gold plated, along with other pieces in the interior. You might think that would look gaudy, but it really worked on. It was an elegant car. I miss spending time with those old cars. 

I do agree that the Cord was HIGHLY regarded.  You see it frequently with movie stars of the era.

[Eric]

1 minute ago, janice6 said:

I do agree that the Cord was HIGHLY regarded.  You see it frequently with movie stars of the era.

There were few cars in that era that had that low-slung stance. It was a sexy car, as were the later 810s, which were my favorite Cords and one of my favorite prewar cars of any type. 

[Eric]

One of the sexiest cars ever built.

 

[Eric]

This is an experimental 1936 Cord LeBaron, which was owned personally by E.L. Cord. If I remember correctly, it was powered by a Duesenberg Lycoming engine.

 

[Eric]

I used to have a Datsun B-210 like this. That was a fun little car and I sold it for exactly what I paid for it. 

[Eric]

[Eric]

[Eric]

This boattail Auburn looks beautiful in basic black.

 

[janice6]

8 minutes ago, Eric said:

Nostalgia for me.  I owned one for a family car for a while.

[janice6]

7 minutes ago, Eric said:

This boattail Auburn looks beautiful in basic black.

 

I would have a hard time between Red and Black.  they both are great.

[janice6]

10 minutes ago, Eric said:

HUH!  another of my family cars.

[Eric]

Just now, janice6 said:

Nostalgia for me.  I owned one for a family car for a while.

My first car was a 1963 Impala 4-door. It had factory power door locks, power windows and AC. It was a 327cid/Powerglide car. It was a tank, but that 327 moved it along pretty well. The car still had that thick plastic cover on the rear seat, when I got it in 1985. The original owner had never removed it. I loved that old boat. I wish I still had it. 

[JMag]

My first car was a 1963 Impala 4-door. It had factory power door locks, power windows and AC. It was a 327cid/Powerglide car. It was a tank, but that 327 moved it along pretty well. The car still had that thick plastic cover on the rear seat, when I got it in 1985. The original owner had never removed it. I loved that old boat. I wish I still had it. 

Say goodbye to the Impala for next year. It’s on the chopping block with close to twenty other various models.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[janice6]

11 minutes ago, Eric said:

I used to have a Datsun B-210 like this. That was a fun little car and I sold it for exactly what I paid for it. 

Japanese cars didn't do well in MN in those days.  They were know for hard to impossible starters in -10 and down temperatures.  One of the guys in our lab bought one really cheap (Not that one of course), and when he couldn't make it in to work 'cause it wouldn't start, he went to the electronic surplus stores in town and bought a stack of Ni-Cad wet cells that were pulled out of Jet engine starters at the Minneapolis air port.   They were 1.2 Volts per cell @ 1,000 Amps.

He made up a rechargeable car starting battery and when it was very cold, he just let it crank until the engine got warm from the compression, then it would start.  He was an idol in the lab for a while!

[Eric]

15 minutes ago, janice6 said:

I would have a hard time between Red and Black.  they both are great.

It wore both colors well. The museum my parents managed had an Auburn 851 Cabriolet (like the one pictured below), that arrived with a monotone British Racing Green paintjob. I wouldn’t have thought that it would have worked for the car, but it really did. The owner of the collection had it repainted though. 

He had just hired a new painter, who came highly regarded. He told the guy that he could surprise him with the color choice. The guy really did. He painted the car a three-tone orange scheme, from a burnt umber to a bright orange. The owner immediately fired the painter and sold the car. Personally, I thought it was a bold choice and I thought the car looked great. 

[Eric]

7 minutes ago, janice6 said:

Japanese cars didn't do well in MN in those days.  They were know for hard to impossible starters in -10 and down temperatures.  One of the guys in our lab bought one really cheap (Not that one of course), and when he couldn't make it in to work 'cause it wouldn't start, he went to the electronic surplus stores in town and bought a stack of Ni-Cad wet cells that were pulled out of Jet engine starters at the Minneapolis air port.   They were 1.2 Volts per cell @ 1,000 Amps.

He made up a rechargeable car starting battery and when it was very cold, he just let it crank until the engine got warm from the compression, then it would start.  He was an idol in the lab for a while!

Hmm. I drove mine through a winter in the northern Idaho mountains, about ninety miles from Canada. That car was freaking bulletproof. It always started and it was far more surefooted on ice & snow than a rear-wheel-drive car had any right to be. It was ugly as hell, but it served me well. 

[Eric]

16 minutes ago, janice6 said:

Japanese cars didn't do well in MN in those days.  They were know for hard to impossible starters in -10 and down temperatures.  One of the guys in our lab bought one really cheap (Not that one of course), and when he couldn't make it in to work 'cause it wouldn't start, he went to the electronic surplus stores in town and bought a stack of Ni-Cad wet cells that were pulled out of Jet engine starters at the Minneapolis air port.   They were 1.2 Volts per cell @ 1,000 Amps.

He made up a rechargeable car starting battery and when it was very cold, he just let it crank until the engine got warm from the compression, then it would start.  He was an idol in the lab for a while!

I used to have a buddy with a mid-sixties 6-volt VW bus. This was when I lived in Grants, NM. That was about 17 miles from the Continental Divide and winters there were brutal. That old bus did not like to start in the cold. It just cranked too slowly. He didn’t want to change it over to 12-volt and I wasn’t sure how to help him. Then, this old farmer gave me some advice. He suggested putting a 9-volt tractor battery into the bus. 

It worked like a champ. The 6-volt generator was able to keep it charged and it wasn’t enough voltage to screw up anything electrical. Best of all, that 9-volt battery cranked that engine like it was 12-volt. 

[janice6]

18 minutes ago, Eric said:

I used to have a buddy with a mid-sixties 6-volt VW bus. This was when I lived in Grants, NM. That was about 17 miles from the Continental Divide and winters there were brutal. That old bus did not like to start in the cold. It just cranked too slowly. He didn’t want to change it over to 12-volt and I wasn’t sure how to help him. Then, this old farmer gave me some advice. He suggested putting a 9-volt tractor battery into the bus. 

It worked like a champ. The 6-volt generator was able to keep it charged and it wasn’t enough voltage to screw up anything electrical. Best of all, that 9-volt battery cranked that engine like it was 12-volt. 

It never occurred to me that they made a 9Volt tractor battery.  Our biggest problem in the 50's was the 6 Volt batteries and starters.  Later some people put 12 Volt batteries and generators instead of the 6 Volt and left the 6 Volt starters since they would really spin at 12 Volts.  When 12 Volt systems came in they were a Godsend for cold weather.  Replacing starters was good business also.

The first car for my wife was a VW.  It wasn't a great starter, but it wasn't bad either.  It just shook boobies so bad on ice caked roads in cold weather when the suspension was frozen, that my wife and her sister would have to steer with one hand, and have the other arm holding their boobs from bouncing so bad.  Traction was superb.

[tous]

12 minutes ago, janice6 said:

The first car for my wife was a VW.  It wasn't a great starter, but it wasn't bad either.  It just shook boobies so bad on ice caked roads in cold weather when the suspension was frozen, that my wife and her sister would have to steer with one hand, and have the other arm holding their boobs from bouncing so bad.  Traction was superb.

And the heater was more of a promise than reality.

I spent many a winter's day and night with one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside scraping ice off the windscreen in a 1963 Beetle.

I always recommended a Beetle for someone's first car at 16.

As manic and rebelliously as you tried to drive, you simply could not get in trouble with that car.

Edited December 27, 2018 by tous