Friday’s Feature

The morning has been busy for me.  I came back from the “Office” and started to work on the transmission and torque converter.  I was always taught to learn from my mistakes and I remembered when I put my 46 convertible together that the torque converter was installed without any fluid which caused a pump failure within a few miles.  I googled the capacity and found various answers so I called the transmission shop and they told me to put in 2 quarts prior to installing the torque converter on the transmission.  The total capacity is 9 quarts for a GM TH350.  I had my gardener install the converter as he was young, handy and knows cars.  The installation on the transmission is fairly easy as I use my floor jack to raise it into position.  Maybe later on today when I am rested up or the wife is in the mood I will install the transmission to the engine.

I have been asked about what type of wheels and tires did I run in the 50’s and 60’s.  As I recall, we didn’t run 16 inch rims if we could locate some 15 inch truck rims which were wider and in vogue at the time.  I had several 40’s and ran whitewalls or blackwalls with 15 inch rims either chrome or painted white in those days.  Chrome did not hold up well in the Midwest so I only tried them one time. The tires of choice were Firestones 5:50 and 8:20 and we painted the Firestone and Gum Dipped in gold on the blackwall tires.  Lowering was done with a dropped axle or longer shackles which we made ourselves or ordered from JC Whitney.  The Forty had very little room in the rear for real fat tires (8:20) and the reversed rim was in style but the tires stuck out too far for my taste.  I pretty much always purchased used tires and rims or what I could locate at the junkyard.  Americans came on the scene in the 60’s and I had a set of magnesium 5 spokes on my Corvette and thought they were really cool.  The outside rims were polished and the centers were as cast.  I still like them today on 40’s.

I need to clarify my comments on Brick and Mortar stores from a previous post.  I was very frustrated with the local Auto Parts stores and finally at the end of the day used the Internet which I don’t use very often for my car supplies.  I have always supported the Brick and Mortar hot rod stores whenever possible.  I attend many open houses and do stories on the necessity of patronizing your local hot rod store when making purchases or having work done on your car.  We will all suffer if we don’t keep them in business.  PAW was our source here for many years and they are no longer in business in the valley which makes it tough to secure the parts you need.  My suggestion is to use the Internet to locate the nearest shop that handles the parts you are looking for and go visit them.  If you prefer to shop on-line, most all of the shops I know have a website that you can order from or at least a phone number to place a mail order.  If we don’t support our local business partners they will be long gone like PAW.  I hope that clears up any misunderstanding about the Brick and Mortar stores.

Have a great weekend and drive the roadster somewhere each day of your life.

Stay Tooned!

Lynn

Here is a perfect photo of the look in the 50’s where I grew up.  Gold rims and whitewalls without hubcaps would have been drive-in cool.  The cars were also not that low as we see them today.  These look like 16’s with big and little tires.  Used tires were really popular in my town.

The rich kids had the red rims and new tires with beauty rings and hubcaps.  We had whatever “Midnight Auto” had available.

Kids on the West side of town had new Firestones with red rims and a better stance than the poor boys by the lake.  Black was the color but never this nice.

SAR built this beauty to the retro look specifications and used chrome wheels with Mercury hubcaps.  I have a set of these for Andre.  How could you go wrong with one of these in your collection?

Another Deuce hiboy truck showed up on the HAMB.  I think the Ohio cars all use the same maroon on their hot rods.  Ford Medium Cabernet Red used on the 1978 small truck.

If you like 5 windows then I know you will like this one.  Note the kicked up front frame and lowered front grille shell.  The car has that MO look to me.

If Boyd were alive and saw this truck in his old man cave he would have approved. This completes this weeks sample of the early trucks.  Travis flathead with all the right stuff and a Columbia waiting in the corner.  Note fender wheel clearance!  You can have reversed wheels on the back of a 40 pickup.  Plenty of room for some big meats.

Mercury hubs caps and reversed rims were used at all four corners on this big sedan. If you have a late model narrow rear end you can do this.  The exhaust cutouts under the front fenders were very popular.  We used pipe with a screw on cap and welded it to the exhaust pipe with an acetylene torch.

Today’s Forty coupe…..For Sale!

Bob likes Coker whitewalls and matching color 15 inch rims on his coupes.  He hasn’t changed his style in 60 years.

Here is a nice summer driver coupe for you to consider.  Perfect driveline with 350/350, nine inch and a dropped axle with split bones.  High School car on the high end. Not perfect, but very nice.  Call Bob @ 626-791-0707 and make it yours.