As we run through the middle of the 2nd month of the year, here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids). A light week this week.
Feb 10, 1942 – Pontiac stops car production for WWII
– As you know WWII took a lot of sacrifice on many countries and their citizen and even corporations. A lot of resources were used in producing automobiles, in particular metals that could be used to produce planes and Liberty ships and ammo. That is why the U.S. government asked the car industry to halt production and assist in producing just about anything to support the war effort. Pontiac was one of the last to comply with the request. Pontiac’s main contribution? It was the 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons. Check out what they could do!!!
Feb 11, 1932 – Ford announces new V8 engine
The Model A was history and the Model 18 ruled – with Ford’s new FlatHead V8 in 1932 (also referred to as the Ford Flathead or Flathead Ford or just Flatty). It lived on in the Model 40 in 1933 and 1934. It continued on the 1950’s.
1932 Flatty
Feb 12, 1908 – Start of the New York to Paris car race.
– The race route was from NYC, Albany, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Valdez Alaska, Japan, Vladivostok, Omsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Berlin and finally Paris. It was sponsored by the New York Times and the LA MATIN (Paris news paper) and finished 169 days later.
Oczywiście, trójkołowe motocykle są świetnym rozwiązaniem dla wszystkich tych, którzy z jakiś powodów nie posiadają już pełnej swojej sprawności i nie mogą jeździć konwencjonalnym motocyklem. Skoro to stwierdzenie mamy z głowy, to co musi wydarzyć …
“The East Coast rod is a blood relation of the sports car,” the chairman said, “while the West Coast rod has the style of the dry-lakes roadster, of Bonneville and the whole Ford ‘flathead’ V8 scene, probably what most people envision when they hear …
Jay’s latest adventure takes a deep dive into hot-rodding history with this beautiful 1932 Ford Highboy roadster . But don’t pass this off as just another deuce coupe . No, this car is the deuce coupe. Jay has with him Bruce Meyer, the car’s restorer …
The H.E.M.I show is back, Saturday, March 7th, 2015. 8 AM -3 PM. Sponsored by Universal Technical Institute and Mopars Unlimited of Arizona. The biggest all Mopar car show in Arizona has a NEW LOCATION. This year the show will be at UTI, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce St, Avondale, AZ 85323.
The H.E.M.I show is back, Saturday, March 7th, 2015. 8 AM -3 PM. UTI, Universal Technical Institute, 10695 W. Pierce St, Avondale, AZ 85323
More space, more vendors, more swappers, food trucks, and over 50 professionally judged classes and all Mopar.
Vintage, Classic, Muscle, Truck, Jeep, FWD, Neon, Prowler/Viper, AMC, new Challenger, Charger, and Dart classes, survivor class, and a display only class plus many more. Stock and modified in most classes.
Personal Touch Dynamometer chassis dyno on site all day. See which Mopar will make the most power at the Dyno challenge. Special award for the highest horse power Mopar.
Come, see, and hear, the largest all Mopar show in Arizona.
Go to moparsaz.com for more info and to register show cars, swappers, and vendors, Just print and mail in the form by February 16th for reduced pre entry fee for show cars.
Entry is free to spectators. Show car $20 pre register by Feb 16th, $25 day of show, $15 Display only, Swap/Vendor space $20/$50, Dyno Challenge $30 2 pulls, enter as often as you like.
I had to sneak this one in for #ThrowBackThursday.
One of my frequent reader sent over a couple of shots of him with his 1969 Dodge Coronet 440 from back in the day (1980). ‘Wish I kept this one!” Bill says.
Thanks Bill.
Nice Car Mr. Bill!!! Yeah…we all have one we should have kept.
Green 1969 Dodge Coronet 440 Chicago, Illinois Lucky Motors. Click on our link now to view our wide selection of new, used, and preowned cars, trucks and SUV’s.
It was 1969, and the B-bodies from the Dodge Boys were making some big waves. Dodge Charger 500s were tearing up NASCAR’s short tracks. Bewinged Charger Daytonas had broken 200 mph on […]
I love engines!!! Not just the big block, but some of the off beat, lower production/limited use, power plants. Of course that’s one of the great things about our hobby – there is a wide variety to choose from.
I haven’t writing a post in this series in some time, but just the other day, while on my hunt for a new project car, I ran across a Mercury project that had a 410 as the engine. I bet even if you are a die-hard Ford guy, you might not have run into this engine. This prompted me to do a little research which further prompted me to write what I found.
The 410 from a 1966 Mercury.
Most engines are derived from an engineered design that came before it. The 410 came in two different series. Produced from 1958 to 1968 it was part of the MEL series. MEL was Ford’s designation for Mercury, Edsel and Lincoln. From 1968 through 1976 it was in the FE series. The early MEL series 410 was used exclusively in the 1958 Edsel Corsair and Citation. It was also called the E-475 for it’s 475 foot-pounds of torque. It sported a 4.20 bore and a 3.70 stroke and a compression ratio of 10.5:1. Top that with 4 barrel Holly and it would produce, finish it off with dual exhaust you’ve got enough power to pull around those big Edsels.
The FE Series 410 was essentially Ford’s 390 (as was the 406) only given a bump in the stroke length (0.20″) to 3.98″ from the 390’s 3.78″. It used the same heads as the 390 (2.04 intake and 1.57 exhaust valves). Topped with a cast iron intake manifold and a Ford carb, it produced 330 horse power.
The MEL Series 410 was, as stated above, only installed in Edsel’s Cosair and Citation and that was only for 1958. That would make it an extremely limited use engine. It was a 4v Carb, produced about 345 horse power and 475 ft-lbs of torque with a compression ratio of 10.5:1.
The FE Series was also used in just two years, 1966 & 1967 and in just one sub-brand, Mercury. For those years the 410 carried a 4v carb produced 330 horse power and put done 444 ft-lbs of torque using 10.5:1 compression.
Production number for the 1958 Corsair was 9,987 units. For the Citation 9,299 units were produced. Together those tells you that there were about 20,286 for the 410 engines produced in the MEL version. I wasn’t able to find true production numbers for the FE series.
I haven’t check into the availability of parts for either 410 Series, but the MEL would seem unique and difficult source, however the FE shared most of the FE 390 engine. I do know that the MEL series engines had unique cylinder heads. The heads and block were milled at a 10 degree angle, giving them a wedge-shaped combustion chamber.
I did, in fact, pass on the project that prompted this post.
Thanks for reading. And if you have any additional information or want to share your project. Post here or on twitter (@AGCarRestore) or Facebook Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing.
I dont really want to pull the engine out of the car because i got an estimate on machine work, and the numbers are to high for my salary, Is there anything i can do to flush out the coolant ports(im not sure what the technical …
With the introduction of the FE and MEL engines in 1958, lessons had been learned in regards to exhaust valve placement and the new engines remedied this issue by either placing intake valves next to each other at the …
Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the first week in Feb. 2015!!!
I think we can call this Kaiser Week as 3 of our factoid are related to the Kaiser auto manufacturing. In fact the month starts right off with Kaiser factoid.
Feb 1, 1947 – Graham-Paige sold out to Kaiser.
Beautiful Supercharged car. 1937 Graham Custom Series 120
Feb. 2, 1899 – Renault Freres incorporates.
1899 Renault Type B Coupe
1900 Renault Type C
Feb 4, 1913 – Mr. Perlman patents a demountable auto tire-carrying wheel rim.
Feb 5th was a busy day in automotive history with:
Leaded gas available in 1923 (Ethyl)
Ethyl gas. Huge collectible these days.
AMC purchases Kaiser-Jeep Corp 1970.
This wouldn’t be the last move for Jeep, soon it would become part of Chrysler and then, as it is now, part of Fiat.
Mr. John Dunlop was born in Dreghorn, England in 1846. Of course he went on to start Dunlop tires. Here’s the beginning time line from History of Dunlop Tires :
– 1888 John Boyd Dunlop’s son is struggling to ride his tricycle. He is riding it because he has a heavy cold, for which a doctor has prescribed a very unusual cure: cycling. To make the child’s ride more comfortable, Boyd fits his tricycle with tires made of canvas bonded with liquid rubber. Boyd patents what turns out to be a very big idea.
– 1889 Cyclist Willie Hume is the first to adopt Boyd’s invention for racing, winning a slew of events. It’s the start of Dunlop’s legendary run of racing success.
– 1902 Dunlop wins the grueling Paris-Vienna race.
– 1922 First Dunlop tire using steel rods and canvas casing provides triple the service life of other tires used until then.
Feb 6 – One more time for Kaiser this week as they debuts their Sliver Dragon in 1951.
The Dragon was a series in 1951 and 1953 for Kaiser (There were no Dragon’s in 1951. This one has the Continental tire package.
The color was a Mariner Gray but dubbed “Silver Dragon”. The it was called the Dragon because of the padded vinyl top looked like dragon skin (at one point it was internally called the “Dinosaur”).
Feb 7 – There were a couple of happenings on Feb 7:
– Dutch introduced the first automatic transmission – the DAF 600 in 1958. DAF was a compact family car and the Variomatic was a continuously variable transmission.
– In 1942 the U.S. Government orders passenger car production stopped and converted to wartime purpose, which wasn’t immediately accepted by all car manufacturers.
The Kaiser cars were launched in 1947 and became the only new U.S. auto to achieve success after World War II. However, production stopped in 1955. After leaving Tucker, Brown had a long career in engineering, culminating with the manufacturing firm he …
From dust to dust, people and cars come and go, but sometimes the old is reborn … and out of the dust emerges something immaculate.
A 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 428 Cobra Jet is a mouthful to say but it will drop any car enthusiasts jaw. This particular garage-find was owned and perfectly preserved by a now-deceased automotive connoisseur and set for auction — hot on the heels of the submersible Lotus Esprit used by James Bond in “Never Say Never Again” and a ’63 Ferrari GTO that became the most expensive car ever sold.
Larry never washed the car for fear of scratching the paint job or cause even the slightest bit of rust. Yahoo News estimates that the only time the car was ever washed was before delivery. Accordingly, the car is in absolute showroom condition, except for a layer of dust.
GT 500 Love the hood!!
This snake features a larger, 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission, which has run only 8,500 miles in total. The spark plugs, belts, fan, and hoses are all original. The only items that are not from 1968 are the tires.
Considering that this highly collectable GT500 has sat idle since 1973, it’s an extreme rarity. The Mustang was originally purchased for just $5,245 in 1969. Now, though, it should sell at auction for over $100,000.
The car will be auctioned off by Ron Gilligan Auctioneering on April 25.
It also looks like pack-rat owner also owned a 1971 Ford Ranchero with only 53,000 miles on it, and get this … a 1974 Ford Econoline Custom 100 van with only 554 original miles. Both vehicles are for sale along with a variety of other mint, perfectly maintained vehicles from the estate.
This 1969 Shelby GT500 that will hit the auction block later this month is one of those rare Drag Pack-equipped Shelby Mustangs. Only 1,157 GT500 Sportsroofs were built, but 25 of those came with the Drag Pack and 4.30 gears. An of those, only seven …
The automotive world may have shifted its focus to the sixth-generation Ford Mustang, but the previous breed is still going strong. Shelby has just announced the Signature Edition GT500 Super Snake, a rip-roaring tribute to the Mustang’s fifth generation.
Wow it’s the end of January already. Here are your Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids) for the last week of January 2015.
Jan 26th 1920 – Lincoln Motor Company formed.
Lincoln Motor Company was actually started in 1917 and produced Liberty engines with Ford parts for World War I. After the war they began producing luxury cars. By 1920 the company had financial issues and Ford bought the company in 1922. Ford allowed the company to operate separately until 1940.
1921 Lincoln Model ‘L’
Jan 27th 1974 – Not being able to drive 55 became against the law as President Nixon signed the national speed limit law in response to gas/oil issues.
Jan 28th 1950 – Preston Tucker was acquitted of mail fraud.
The history of the Tucker car is extremely interesting. The Tucker car was an innovation ahead of its time and offered an alternative (rear engine) to the typical cars being produced in that era. The car industry was a powerful and influential business entity generally were not interest in a start-up threatening their share of the industry. The car of the future (called the Tucker Torpedo – while under development) was produced in 1948 against insurmountable odds. Only 51 Tucker 48’s (Model 48) was produced in 1948, 47 still exist.
While dubbed “Tucker Torpedo” during production no ‘Torpedoes’ were produced.
Some Tucker Specs:
– Engine: H-6 (horizontally opposed), OHV, 335 ci (4.50 x 3.50 in. bore x stroke), 7.0:1 compression ratio, 166 bhp, 372 lbs/ft torque.
– Performance: 0-60 in 10 seconds, est. top speed 120 mph
Jan 29th 1886 – Benz developed the first gasoline (internal combustion) automobile.
Carl Benz’s Motorwagon.
The Motorwagon engine was actually built in 1885, 1886 was when Mr. Benz applied for the patent
Some specs on the Motorwagon’s power plant:
– Rear mounted horizontal engine with vertical crankshaft
– Belt primary drive and final transmission to the rear wheels by side chains
– Displaced 984cc and mustered up .9 horsepower
– Top speed was achieved at 8 mph
– Loud
– Smelly
It was a tubular chassis suspended in place by three large wheels.
Jan 30th 1958 – Rambler American debuts
This was the first car created by American Motors Company (AMC). The company was formed by the merger of Nash and Hudson. The American for 1958 was only built in a 2 door with one engine option, the 195.6 cu in (3.2 L) flathead, that producing 90 hp. There were a couple trim options the base or Deluxe and the Super.
The American was produced in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Australia and Iran.
Jan 31st was a big day in automotive history with the debut of Pontiac’s 2 door Custom Safari (1955)
Who doesn’t love a two door wagon?!?!?!?!
Rarer than the Chevy Nomad, the Safari was produced as the Star Chief Custom Safari with 3,760 made and as the Chieftan 860 “Colony” 2 door (two or three seats): 8,618 in 1955.
These sported the 287 V8 engine and were topped with 2 or 4 barrel carb.
Jan 31st Studebaker/Packard debuts the Clipper (1957)
Frankly this car was a mess! Actually it was just a Studebaker with Packard tail lights, bumper and instrument panel, fitted with stamped overlays for body panels. Referred to as Packardbaker, these were not well received. They did use the 289 (4.7 liter) engine from the Golden Hawk, which produced 275 hp. Also came in a wagon version.
The 1956-1957 Packard Clipper was the car that was supposed to mark out Clipper as a brand in itself, despite the fact that the manufacturer was going through a really rough spot that, one year later, would spell the end of …
I read a story at the time the Preston Tucker Movie was out that said they used a late 40s Studebaker as a “stand in” for the Tucker in the rollover stunt, modified to look like a Tucker. Dan Lyons says: February 23, 2013 at 8:03 …
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I’ve written a few articles on car collecting and a couple covered collecting model cars. I’m particularly fond of dealer promotional cars ( click here: Car Collecting Scaled Down – Promo Cars ).
As with any hobby you have to be aware that sometime what is offered for sale might not be the real thing. If you do a quick search on Ebay you’ll find hundreds of model cars for sale. Look closer and you’ll see many labeled “Dealer Promotion” models. But look even closer and you’ll see there are many that misuse that label.
Promotional models were model cars used by dealership at the time a car was new (or new for the year) and they were often staged around the showroom for customer to touch and look at. Many of the models had a list new features listed on the bottom.
Bottom of a Ford Galaxy.
This is the bottom of a 1960s Ford Galaxy. You can see a list of features.
The models were normally one color with minimal detail and no real functionality outside the rolling wheels.
For example, take a look at this:
Plain non-functional model – chrome wheels and rubber tires that roll.
Much like the Galaxy above it is plain and non-functional.
Nondescript white box.
Stamped “1984 Corvette” – first year of the C4 body style
Now look at this:
Here is a 1950 Chevy Pickup. Supposedly a dealer promo.
It’s in a newer box with warning on it…not something printed on toys back in 1950.
If you really can’t tell this shows it was made by Ertl in 1995.
See the difference? How can these be ‘true’ promotional models if they were produced in 1995?
Clearly the Ertl model is not a true dealership promotional model but a replica.
I failed to realize that as the seller advertised it as a “promo” model. Not to say it’s not a nice model it is and depicts a 1950 Chevy pickup closely. However, it is not a dealership promotional model.
Caveat emptor!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Do you have a collection of model cars? Let us know.
… wheel swings to the side. You can notice that the tires are rubber, the wheels are plastic and they are on metal rods. Do you have a sale car collection? Let us know. Thanks for reading. Tim. dealer promo car models …
dealer promo models, Edsel, Ford, Ford Motor Company, Pacer, Paul Daniel digital marketing, promo car models, promotional model cars, savageonwheels.com, Teletouch. ← 2013 Acura ILX Premium · Diecast: CMC Ferrari …
1/25th scale model promotional cars, Buick, Buick Electra, Electra, General Motors, paul daniel creative digital marketing manager, promo car models, promotional car models, savageonwheels.com, Wheat’s Nostalgia.
Turbocruiser, world’s first gas turbine bus, introduced GM Desert Proving Ground, Mesa, Ariz., established. 1961—Buick introduced first American V-6 passenger car engine. 1962—GM produced its 75,000,000th U.S.-made vehicle. Number of General Motors’ …
Today Volvo opened a new manufacturing plant and body shop at its production facility in Torslanda, Sweden, exactly 50 years after the original Volvo Torslanda plant opened on April 24, 1964. The new body shop will build the new 2015 Volvo XC90 SUV …
Every now and then I share a book that I’ve found useful while I’m doing a restoration or managing a restoration for some who loves their car and wants is restored, but doesn’t have the knowledge or time to manage it themselves (in progress a rare 1975 VW standard – article forth coming as we are just about to marry the body back on the chassis).
A few posts back I mentioned the upholstery project I did on my 1970 Mustang (now residing in a small collection in Nebraska). Along with the upholstery I did a lot of work on the interior – dash, carpeting, headliner…the works. I was reminded of the books I used for the process and one in particular was authored by Daniel Strohl entitled “Muscle Car Interior Restoration”.
There are a few books out there but this one covered the fundamentals very well. So well, in fact that I’m going to give a copy away to one of my readers. Drop me a note at timsweet@cox.net or AGCarRestoration@cox.net or post up on my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AGCarRestoration with a pic and some info.
Muscle Car Interior Restoration by Daniel Strohl
You can catch Daniel’s writings over on Hemmings.com and the Hemmings Motor News. As you know I love the Hemmings’ publications.
Get me a pic of your project (completed or in progress – love the in progress photos) and get chance to pick up a free copy of “Muscle Car Interior Restoration”.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Post Script: Other than a happy consumer, I have no relationship with Hemmings or Dan Strohl.
Leathercloth. Naugahyde. Ambla. These are just a few of the words that car-makers have used to name vinyl upholstery. Name and euphemistically disguise a badly hidden truth in fact, because vinyl has almost always been seen as inferior to cloth trim or …
If that’s you, don’t miss the Hemmings Auto Museum (216 Main St., 802-447-2496, www.hemmings.com, open May-October, free), a small auto museum featuring vintage vehicles on display. And hiking deserves a second mention, as there are so many great …
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