Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[tonyb]

...
Do recapped tires even exist anymore?

Heavy trucks still run 'em, as is witnessed by the "gators" littering the highways.

I recall running retreads in my early driving years. In later years I sometimes bought used tires from the shops (usually former service stations) specializing in that trade. Can't remember when I last saw a retread on a passenger car.

 

[Stearmen]

That happened to me once in the VW -- I was running recapped tires I'd gotten for $5 apiece from a junkyard, and the tread separated. When the resulting thump caused me to pull over, I saw that the inner tube was poking out of the defect like a giant black blister. I drove over twenty miles that way to get home -- very very slowly.

Do recapped tires even exist anymore?

I had a retread come apart on the highway heading to work, what a racket. When I got there, I discovered the moron who put them on had used an air impact wrench! Man was that a job to get the lug nuts off.

 

[LizzieMaine]

On Chrysler vehicles of the Era, the lug bolts on the driver side of the car tighten to the left instead of the right -- the idea is that rotation of the wheels will not therefore loosen the bolts. But when you've got some kid with an impact wrench who doesn't know the deal trying to loosen them, the result can be disastrous. I've written BOLTS LOOSEN TO THE RIGHT inside the hubcaps on that side of the car to try to head this off.

 

[GHT]

Heavy trucks still run 'em, as is witnessed by the "gators" littering the highways. I recall running retreads in my early driving years. .

Heavy trucks certainly run them over here. When I had my delivery business, a new tyre on a truck ran for a given mileage, it would then be checked for depth, width and circumference wear & damage. If all was in order, the treads were re-cut. This could be done twice, as long as there was no other incidental damage. The original tyre was manufactured with re-treading in mind. Although it was cost effective, it could also be expensive if a driver constantly scuffed the tyres against the kerb when stopping to make a delivery. A corrupt tyre wall cannot be re-cut, the tyre has to be scrapped.

 

[scottyrocks]

My Dad's '71 Beet

One day I got on the freeway & although I was keeping up with the traffic.
Faster speeding vehicles passing by would cause my ’67 to swerve from
side to side on my lane.

I now stay on the back-roads which gets me to where I’m going & I’m able
to enjoy the ride & view the beautiful country-side.

My Dad's '71 Beetle was relatively treacherous on the highway back when I drove it in the late '70s. 60mph was about the top speed that car was safe to drive, and there was nothing wrong with it, mechanically. My '71 Corolla was a heck of a lot more stable, and capable of sustaining speeds up to about 70 sans drama.

 

[EngProf]

One of my uncles had a tire store and he would give me sets of tires for free that had patches or other defects such that he couldn't sell them. He said if they went bad I could get out and change the tire and get some exercise.
Usually they would just go flat or come apart gradually, but once I was cruising down the Interstate and one of the front tires blew out a patch of sidewall about 4 x 5 inches. WHAM! Sounded like s shotgun going off... I thought for a second that I had blown the engine.
Unlike in the movies it didn't run off the road or turn over. I just let it coast down to the shoulder and stop - then got out and got some exercise just like my uncle said.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I bought a set of recapped tires in 1976 for an old pickup truck that had 16 inch wheels. Tires have gotten so cheap I doubt they make them anymore.

Except for heavy trucks. Now they use the Bandag process. This involves grinding down the tread area then gluing on a thick ring of rubber that comes with the tread moulded on. They don't vulcanize them.

The old retreads were made of a thick strip of rubber, wrapped around the tire, glued on then vulcanized in a machine that moulded the tread. Sometimes the joint would split and the tread would peel off. This became a big problem when the interstates opened and road speeds got faster.

 

[Stearmen]

On Chrysler vehicles of the Era, the lug bolts on the driver side of the car tighten to the left instead of the right -- the idea is that rotation of the wheels will not therefore loosen the bolts. But when you've got some kid with an impact wrench who doesn't know the deal trying to loosen them, the result can be disastrous. I've written BOLTS LOOSEN TO THE RIGHT inside the hubcaps on that side of the car to try to head this off.

Tell me about it! I was driving my dads Dodge Coronet, when I had a flat on the drivers side front. While I was getting the jack and spare out of the trunk, one of my friends, a really big guy decided to help me by loosening the lug nuts. You guessed it, I heard a loud snap. On the funny side, when I looked around the trunk, all I saw was him flat on his back holding the four way straight up in the air!

 

[Kiko123]

Hello guys, sorry to enter like that. I really like the 1940s and early 50s cars, however I don't know if there are any modern makes that produce retro-styled cars (except for the VW Beetle that is)? Most of them repro cars with modern safety look more like the 60s. And as I am a college student still, I would like any tips or links with ideas on how to make a modern car look as vintage as possible. Maybe put some retro upholstery? Thanks!

 

[Stanley Doble]

Hello guys, sorry to enter like that. I really like the 1940s and early 50s cars, however I don't know if there are any modern makes that produce retro-styled cars (except for the VW Beetle that is)? Most of them repro cars with modern safety look more like the 60s. And as I am a college student still, I would like any tips or links with ideas on how to make a modern car look as vintage as possible. Maybe put some retro upholstery? Thanks!

There are a few retro style cars. New Beetle, PT Cruiser, that GM thing that looks like a small 1953 panel truck, the Mini. There were a couple of others from Japan, I forget their names.

A PT Cruiser convertible with white wall tires and old school hub caps would be about the easiest and cheapest.

 

[BobHufford]

...that GM thing that looks like a small 1953 panel truck

The Chevy HHR was supposed to be modeled after the 1949 Suburban. If it had been made the size of the current Suburban I might have considered it. I would still prefer a '49 (even if on a modern chassis with A/C added).

 

[1mach1]

The 49 burban is truly awesome. The HHR.....not so much.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'd like to see someone drive that low-riding one on the bottom on a Maine road in March. One frost heave and good-bye oil pan.

 

[Stearmen]

I'd like to see someone drive that low-riding one on the bottom on a Maine road in March. One frost heave and good-bye oil pan.

My neighbor has a early 60s Suburban like that, no problem with frost heaves or speed bumps. Of course, his has airbags, so all the way down for show, and way up for the road!

 

[Talbot]

I don't like the whole 'layin frame' thing. Just looks wrong.....

 

[Big Man]

It's been hotter than the gates of hades around here lately. After about 15 miles of driving the old '48 Plymouth, when I come to a stop and the engine is at idle the oil pressure drops to near 0. Normally, and even after miles and miles of driving, the oil pressure is in the 40 psi range. If I give it a little gas and increase from an idle, the pressure comes right back to 40 psi.

I run 30 weight oil in the car, and have been thinking about changing to something like 10W 40 or 10W 50 for the heat of Summer. Anyone else have a problem like this? Any thoughts?

 

[Stanley Doble]

Just a symptom of general wear and tear. The bearings are a little loose letting the pressure escape, and the pump isn't putting out full pressure at idle.

It's nothing to worry about. As long as oil is getting to the bearings they will be all right. You know the pump is working because it has normal pressure at speed.

There is an off chance the pressure relief valve has a bit of dirt or sludge in it and is not closing completely.

The cure is to rebuild the motor but I don't blame you if you want to put this off as long as possible.

If you baby the engine it might run a long time yet. You could do a compression test and try a known good oil pressure gauge just to be sure.

 

[Stanley Doble]

On the good side, the Plymouth flathead engine is very simple and easy to rebuild and all parts are available. Lizzie Main had hers done and I think it cost about $3000. If you can do your own work it might cost under $1000. Her car had broken pistons and had to be rebored. If your pistons are not broken and the cylinders do not need to be trued up you might get away with rings, valves, bearings, an oil pump, timing chain and gaskets.

Do a compression test. Your motor in top shape should have 100 - 110PSI, lower than a modern car because of the low compression engine. 80 - 90 is acceptable if all are within 10 pounds of each other. Try again after squirting a couple of spoonfuls of oil in with an oil can. If compression comes up, the rings are shot. If not, you have a burned valve or broken piston.

If you take the head off and all cylinders are smooth with no more than .007 taper, and pistons not broken, you can do a ring and valve job and maybe new bearings and be good for 30000 to 50000 miles.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If you get to where you can afford a rebuild, it's definitely worth doing. I've put about 10,000 miles on mine since the work was done, and I still don't burn a drop of oil.

Another advantage in a rebuild is that you don't have to worry about using non-detergent single-weight oil. All the glop will be gone, and you'll be starting fresh -- so you can use whatever kind of oil you like. I run 20W-50 Shell Rotella heavy-duty oil, and have no problems with it at all.

 

[Stanley Doble]

It is a myth that old engines need non detergent single weight oil. Multigrade detergent oil has been available since 1951 and was the default choice in every garage and dealership in the fifties and sixties. So chances are any car made after 1950 has never used anything else.

I worked in a garage in the sixties and did many oil changes. Practically all of them with 10W30. We kept 30 non detergent bulk oil for cheapskates with old oil burning klunkers but they never changed their oil. Just poured more in when the crankcase was low and bought $2 worth of gas.

Chrysler flatheads are well behaved engines and hardly ever make bad noises or show signs of distress even when badly worn. They just get slower and harder to start.

I think the mechanics were astonished when they took Lizzie's engine apart, that it even ran. I know other cases with similar engines that were rebuilt and the owners were surprised by the new found power. They didn't know how bad the engine was because it gave very little sign. I know one guy with a 41 Plymouth coupe who wanted to change the rear axle ratio or install a 4 speed until he had the engine rebuilt, the new found power took away all need to make other changes.

If your oil pressure is low and your compression is low you should think about doing something about it. But if you choose not to, it may run a long time if you baby it as I said before.