favorite cars of the golden era

[John in Covina]

When it come to old Jags the body dimensions are hard to get right because they were literally hand made and can be very different from car to car. This is what give todays replicar makers fits because there are no true specs to go by.

 

[Smithy]

When it come to old Jags the body dimensions are hard to get right because they were literally hand made and can be very different from car to car. This is what give todays replicar makers fits because there are no true specs to go by.

Although I think I know where you are coming from John, truth be told the dimensions of production Jags were not really different from car to car. In most cases wooden bucks were used for shaping the body work and because cars were being built from the same bucks the shape dimensions are the same.

 

[John in Covina]

I remember reading the story about restoration projects in one of the car magazines. They checked the dimensions on a number of originals that they were able to locate and that the replicar builders were trying to establish the true dimensions and how difficult it was to get the look right.

The opposite side fenders were off from each other bt 1/8 to 1/4 inches easily. By todays Computer Numeric Control standards these were hand fitted body parts. Pounding out a fender on a shaped wood block doesn't make for precision. Heck, I have seen the VW bug replacement body parts that came from Brazil in the 1980's which were hydraulically stamped using steel moulds and presses and they varied quite a bit. (Especially after being shipped here.)

 

[Smithy]

Sure the absolute accuracy is not of today's standards but if you put half a dozen E-Types or XKs beside one another, you are not going to see differences in the overall proportions of the cars.

I've had a few classic British cars and been around them all my life through family and friends having them, and never seen huge shape differences between two of the same model.

One of the reasons why a lot of replicas look "off" is because they have been built from plans. The reason why Tempero's Jag replicas or Pedersen's Bentley replicas look so accurate is because their bucks are based on moulds cast from the original bucks, or made from the original cars themselves.

 

[David Conwill]

If I may chime in, I'll agree that the Jag replicar doesn't look right. I think part of the problem is the modern radial tires. A lot of vintage bias-ply tires spec out to being something like 80- or 90-series. Modern tires are usually 75-series or less (with the exception of some light-truck tires). So the cars don't end up with enough wheel and tire to fill the wheel wells properly.

I looked into '53 Corvette replicas from Lone Star Classics. The bodies look good, but the trim and interiors are really far off. I think if you took the time to properly re-do that stuff, you could buy a decent original '54 for the same money.

I have, however, toyed with the idea of mocking up a pre-production prototype kind of car using bits from a '52 passenger car and a GMC 302" truck engine.

-Dave

 

[PADDY]

..

Love it!!

 

[dhermann1]

Holden

Was the Holden at least partly built from Buick parts? Was there a connection between the two marques? I believe Holden was building Buicks under license in the 30's, and pioneered steel construction when Buick was still using wood. They also came out with the "torpedo" shape body before Buick did, on their own version of the Buick. My recollection is that GM made them stop. Have I got a true story garbled (as usual)?

 

[Flivver]

Holden was and still is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors (they currently produce the wonderful Pontiac G8 as a version of the Holden Commodore).

The original Holden 48-215 was influenced by contemporary GM styling, but it is totally unique from anything GM was building in the U.S. at that time. And the Holden is quite a bit more compact than a 1948 Chevrolet. As I understand it, this was Australia's first indigeonous mass-produced car.

I've always liked the original Holden and wish someone would make a 1:18 scale model of it.

 

[59Lark]

my favourite automobile from the past.

I guess you will consider me bias, or misguided or someone disenfranchised with other brands but thats not true. I have driven oldsmobiles for years and now drive a old buick and a gmc van, i wont buy foreign. Studebakers hold a special place in my heart, i was seven years old and standing at robinsons highway market and saw a gold studebaker commander sedan and still remember the black commander sedan with the blue interior the drycleaner in milverton kept until his death. I own a 59 lark v8 sedan and its not a alltime classic, but its a arizona low mileage original car and its v8 auto transmission and different looks appealed to my and i traded a 63 with a corvette motor for this ugly duckling and twenty years later its my baby. Most folks want a hawk or a 53 coupe, but actually i decided a 41 commander with a straight eight and overdrive would be lovely, that love of art deco, the golden age in more way than one. Have any of you folks been to the cord Dusenburg museum in Auburn ind, i have and i was left in awe, E L CORD office is recreated in 1930 elegance, and the showroom is recreated as it was with the cords and the auburn even a auburn hearse. Pre war just at the end 1941 that is the classic era. my opinion thank 59Lark

 

[JimInSoCalif]

If you could do it in the James Bond sense it would be much better. I could use the oil slick and machine guns at all four corners.

I don't know about machine guns but almost any British motorcar should provide an oil slick. They must use elastic pan bolts. Btw, I found that kitty litter makes good floor sweep to soak up the oil on one's garage floor.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[JimInSoCalif]

I think just about every 1930's car had charm but my favorite is the 1936/1937 810 or 812 Cord. It was way far ahead of it's time in so many ways. As an aside, I believe the 50-odd Tuckers that were built used the Cord transaxle. I don't know how Tucker sourced them and as I recall from a friend who owned a Cord the gearbox was a tad weak.

Most of the 1940's cars were nice clean designs and I mostly favor the GM designs. Back then it was usually easy to tell from a distance who built a car. Now, for most, I can only tell by looking at the emblem on the car.

There are two cars from the 50's that I have a soft spot for. A black 1955 Chevy convertible which was one of the few new cars I have ever owned and I once owned a 1955 MB 300 SL Gullwing which for the past 25 years has been in Nethercut's Museum in Sylmar. By the late 50's I think American car design had gone way downhill.

Btw, if you dig cars, that museum is well worth the visit.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[RIOT]

If I was to keep it exactly as it had left the showroom, untouched, non-hot rod, non-custom work done to it.. my pick would have to be a..

'39 Ford Coupe

 

[jamespowers]

I don't know about machine guns but almost any British motorcar should provide an oil slick. They must use elastic pan bolts. Btw, I found that kitty litter makes good floor sweep to soak up the oil on one's garage floor.

Cheers, Jim.

Its not only their cars but their motorcycles. My BSAs leak like sieves no matter what you do too.
Its no wonder that when Ford bought Jaguar, they threw the plans up on the board and were shocked to find that Rube Goldberg built their cars.
The electrical system made Pan's Labyrinth look like a freeway.

 

[John in Covina]

The electrical system made Pan's Labyrinth look like a freeway.

************
Long time import parts specialists have refered to most British electrical systems for cars as awful. The usuall comment was "Lucas, Prince of Darkness!" The switch for the early wiper motors had the seams on the top of the metal box so when raining it could fill with water and short out the wipers.

As to oil leaks, they even had oil filled shocks so they could leak! The idea was supposedly the leaking oil would keep the grass from growing up thru those long gravel driveways.

For the lomgest time , the worst job in GB was to be a used car salesman.

 

[jamespowers]

************
Long time import parts specialists have refered to most British electrical systems for cars as awful. The usuall comment was "Lucas, Prince of Darkness!" The switch for the early wiper motors had the seams on the top of the metal box so when raining it could fill with water and short out the wipers.

As to oil leaks, they even had oil filled shocks so they could leak! The idea was supposedly the leaking oil would keep the grass from growing up thru those long gravel driveways.

For the longest time , the worst job in GB was to be a used car salesman.

The only thing worse than a used car salesman was a new car or motorcycle salesman in GB. Lucas was indeed horrible. My friend has an older jag, 90s before Ford, there are areas all over the car for fuses. Instead of having a centrally located fuse box they are all over the car. :eusa_doh: This is fairly recent in their history. The ultimate would be to have their battery under the dash so it can leak acid on the wool rugs. :eusa_doh:

 

[Story]

I don't know about machine guns but almost any British motorcar should provide an oil slick. They must use elastic pan bolts. .

Those wet spots are deliberate, so you know it still has oil in it. Just as Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.

How about this 1949 ZIS 110?
#1018
Ex Dictator Joseph Stalin’s parade car, 1276 km from new, EU-registered.
History documented, 2001 fully restored to its original specification with appropriate patina for its age.

http://www.mat.fi/n_index.php?nav=gallery_view&gallery=forsale1949zis110.xml&g=12

It's a knockoff of a Packard 1942 Super 8
http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6243...talins-zis-110-for-sale-in-finland/index.html

 

[Boxerken]

1934 Ford Model V8 Model 40

[I

MG]http://i286.photobucket

 

[Boxerken]

1934 Ford Model V8 Model 40

ttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll102/keb107/34_1-1.jpg[/IMG]

 

[undertaker]

Boxerken,

That is one dandy Ford! Does it belong to you?

Regards,
J.S.

 

[CaddyKid21]

The pic with the jaguar is right near my school, i pass it every morning. They really have a nice assortment of cars. One time they had a 1920's Huppmobile, which was beyond amazing.