I just had to post this up. Send to me from Joe Hart (Florida Joe).
This is a service post card send to Ford owners back in 1928.
This is a great little piece of auto history. Thanks Joe.
Post Card to Current Ford Model T owners right after the Model A came out.
Oh..get a load of those labor cost!!!!
Model T
Thanks for reading
Tim
This is the first of Average Guy’s “Feature Car” blog entries so a little preamble is required. My daily driver is my 07 C6 Corvette and I love that car, but you won’t see new or newish exotic cars in this feature. Nope, it will be mainly comprised off beat, older cars including some muscle cars, pickups, utility vehicles and what not.
So I’m starting off with a pickup, most folks haven’t heard much about. It’s the Powell pickup.
These are a bit odd-looking pickups. See for yourself:
1956 Powell
These trucks were a collection of parts from other American car manufacturers. They were produced 1954 – 1957 with about 1000 units created and I do mean created!!
They were built on early 1940’s Plymouth and Dodge chassis, with part of the bodies being producted of steel, front ends made from fiberglass and tailgate and bumpers made of wood at one point. In most cases the engine was straight 6, Mopar‘s 201, but they did use a few other power plants in the same family, even some industrial engines.
One interesting notes is that the chrome used in the grille was from 1950 Ford rear door. But the most unique feature was the cylinder shaped compartment that slide out of the rear of the trucks for fishing pole storage.
Unkept Powell Pickup with Fishing Pole storage
They also produced a wagon (station wagon-like) with the same storage as an option.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Something about this Chevy pickup I like.
You know you would own one!!
Yeah. It’s a 4 Door 500 with a 289!!!
Love this 1939 Ford pickup
Well a lot of things.
Look for nearly live updates for the Goodguys Car Show from Scottsdale, AZ on March 11, 2011. Pics and more.
More Factoids both auto history and engines, weekly car features (brands, local cars and oddities), concept car features and more Engines Series.
There’s more on the Mustang mods and more racing videos from event with my Corvette.
Wrenchin’ Tips, a couple of product and tool reviews.
I have DVD’s to give away and tools.
Toss your suggestion my way as well.
Thanks for reading
Tim
Here are a couple of auto factoids:
3/1/1988 Pontiac announces the end of the Fiero automobile – Was anyone sad about that?
Pontiac Fiero
3/1/1937 In New Jersey one of the largest dealerships of the era was opened. The Miro Brothers opened a state-of-the-art facility with “one of the largest and most modern showrooms in the country,” measuring 38′ x 40′ . The dealership was service station and dealt for Buick, Packard, Oldsmoble, and REO trucks. The east side of the building served as a Mobil gas station and service garage during the World War II.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
As I get ready to start the new round of mods for my 1970 Mustang Coupe, I’m reminded of a couple of issues that came up when I was assisting a fellow Mustang owner doing a trans – transplant.
The first tip is partially dependent on what stage you are in of your restoration.
He has already finished most of the interior when the a transmission he wanted to add became affordable, it was a good deal…saving some $$$$.
He had decided to do the swap and add a short shifter. This of course requires the removal the bezel and the current 3 speed shift lever, which is easily done from inside the car.
Bezel and Boot
In the course of removing those two parts, he found that the opening cut in the new carpet was not going to allow the access necessary. An attempt to ‘widen’ it was successful but left a bit of a jagged slit. Additionally, while removing one of the screws it snagged the carpet and pulled a few loops out. Can you guess what the tip is? Yeah…remove the carpet and if possible make the swap before you put new carpet in.
One other quick tip is to apply a little silicone spray to the shifter to help slide the boot off..oh…yeah…removing the shift knob before the boot is a good idea…..DON”T ASK!!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
I love History, always have and I love engines. I find learning about an engine’s history, its development and how and where it was used over time a great past time. (In case you are unsure of my sincerity – check out my to engine series on Mopar’s 318 http://wp.me/pKHNM-gW and Chevy’s 283
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nu
http://wp.me/pKHNM-nB
http://wp.me/pKHNM
I also find fascinating, the involvement of U.S. car companies with the development of cars for overseas companies.
Ok..this is a larger introduction for a one of my “factoid” entries, but here they are:
– In the 1950’s and 1960’s the main player of Lotus was a guy named Colin Chapman (aka Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman – tossed that in there because in several of my reading variations of his name was used). Mr. Chapman was responsible for such cars as the Lotus 6, Lotus 23 and Elan. Having developed his own engines and now desiring to improve on their racing performance and btw he was also known to be a bit tight fisted with the cash. This all led him to use technology, as it was back then, that was already developed elsewhere. Give that propensity he used Ford engines for his cars and greatly (at least overseas) enhanced Ford’s racing repetition. The engines he used were Ford’s 105e and 109E engines the Cleveland and Windsor respectively.
Fords 105E used by Lotus.
– These two engines were sometimes referred to as the “Kent” engines.
– They were fitted with twin cams designed by Harry Mundy. These heads were aluminum with hemi combustion chambers sporting .375 lift, 264 degree duration shafts, 1.53/1.325 valve with 9.5:1 compression. All topped off with a Weber twin sided-draught carb.
– They were a starting point for Lotus and Ford racing development and were uses for experimental purpose as well as racing.
– Heavy duty use showed some flaws in the engines due to the 3 bearing mains, resulting in broken cam shafts.
– Was the impetus for Ford to developing the 116E engine with 5 bearing bottom ends, which was basis for the Lotus 1600 Twin Cam.
Ford’s 116E soon to be Lotus 1600 with Mundy’s Twin Cams
Lotus 1600..Looks it’s TWINS!! with weber carbs.
Thanks for reading
Tim
