Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Hemmings Classic Car

“I have an eclectic taste in history, and my varied preference in old things applies in equal force to vintage vehicles. Prior musings in this page space should suffice as ample evidence.” WHEN I WAS an impressionable age, my parents took me to a friend’s home brimming with the coolest old stuff I ever saw. To give you a small sense, it began with a foot-actuated player piano in the living room that I became infatuated with, along with a Victrola record player. In his bar room sat a prewar barber chair and a turn-of-the-century cash register. A second player piano was in the same space, along with a 1940s General Electric refrigerator—that still functioned!—and showcases full of car-related memorabilia and other sorted trinkets. Over the bar was a framed…

THE ARTICLE ABOUT RICK Irgens’ restoration of his 1966 Tempest in the July issue brought back memories and made me envious. His efforts have been on my wish list that will never be fulfilled. My first car was a 1966 Tempest with an OHC 6 and a Powerglide. To my knowledge I was at least the third owner as I bought it from an upperclassman my sophomore year in high school. During my ownership, the car was not referred to by others as my car but rather “Tim’s old Tempest.” It evidently did not become ‘my’ old car until after I sold it. It was wrecked soon after. Tim altered the Tempest by installing shortened El Camino springs with air shocks at all four corners as well as a black…

“One overseas assembler I’ve managed to nearly overlook was a little company in Israel called Kaiser-Frazer of Israel, Ltd., later changed to Kaiser Ilin Industries Ltd.” ONE ASPECT of automotive antiquity I find fascinating is the overseas assembly and sale of automobiles of American independent brands. I’ve spent more than 35 years collecting brochures and press photos of Belgian-built Rambler Renaults; Mexican VAM AMC and Jeep vehicles; Argentinean Kaisers, Ramblers, and Jeeps; and Brazilian Aero Willys cars. Also, European and other worldwide production and sales of Willys, Studebaker, Hudson, Nash, Rambler, and AMC vehicles. I’ve accumulated such a collection that I may write a book about them. One overseas assembler I’ve managed to nearly overlook was a little company in Israel called Kaiser-Frazer of Israel, Ltd., later changed to Kaiser…

1974 IMPERIAL LEBARON ASKING PRICE: N/A HIGH BID: $16,000 (NOT SOLD) FOUND AT: 2024 SPRING CARLISLE AUCTION 1978 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL MARK V ASKING PRICE: N/A  HIGH BID: $20,000 (NOT SOLD) FOUND AT: 2024 SPRING CARLISLE AUCTION ASIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE of vintage vehicle collectors and enthusiasts alike have had eyes on the luxury car market for generations. Collectors because of elegant styling and contemporary value; enthusiasts because of fine accoutrements and smooth driving characteristics—though it’s probably fair to say both groups enjoy all attributes that vintage luxury cars provide. Preference determines the era of origin and the make, whether it be a V-12 Packard from the ’30s; a late-’50s Cadillac Biarritz; or perhaps something between those two decades. Others might set their sights on something older—such as a Locomobile—or newer, like a land yacht from the ’70s.…

“It sold well, but during an 1899 outing, the brothers hit a pothole, which not only caused the steering tiller to swing across and smash William in the knee, but also flip the car on its side.” I PULLED INTO A gas station the other day to refuel my 1940 Packard 110 business coupe when a young man walked up and asked what kind car I was driving. “Packard,” I said, to which he replied, “Who made that?” “Packard,” I said, and as the lad walked away, he said he’d never heard of it. That was an understandable reply since the last real Packard was built in 1956. The prestigious company may be gone, but it’s not been forgotten by us old-car devotees. This year marks the 125th anniversary of…

ON JUNE 27, 2024, my father Eli and I (at Traditional Speed & Custom) got a call from Ron Quebec of the New England Auto Auction and Owls Head Transportation Museum, and curator James Kalian. They said the museum’s 1935 Ford phaeton was having mechanical issues while partaking in the 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race (Owensboro, Kentucky, to Gardiner, Maine). The car was retrieved from Rhode Island and delivered to our shop in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, arriving just shy of 11 a.m. Immediately after the car was unloaded, we pushed it into the garage and sprang into action. We knew from the call that the problem was somewhere in the driveline. Ron and James believed it to be an issue with the universal joint, so that’s where we started.…

1971 FORD F-100 A last-minute bid forced a time extension on this desirably spec’d 1971 Ford F-100, which was restored to factorycorrect—with added A/C, power steering and power brakes—roughly eight years ago by its original owner, prior to this seller’s purchase. No serious rust was noted on the body or frame (minor surface corrosion was divulged on the undercarriage), and the Wimbledon White finish was very good with the exception of one fender scratch and related dent. The black vinyl interior looked inviting, and a floor shifter for the four-speed manual was present; this 4x4 also featured a rebuilt 215-hp, 360-cu.in. V-8 and dual-range transfer case. Both parties should appreciate this result. Reserve: $25,000 Selling Price: $28,875  Recent Market Range: $21,000-$34,000 1931 STUDEBAKER COMMANDER Studebaker built some very upmarket cars…

SPONSORED BY GULLWING MOTOR CARS The Duryea name is one that should be well recognized by any student steeped in American automotive antiquity. I read a lot of books 30 years ago as a kid obsessed with the subject and, without fail, the Duryea brothers were key characters in many. For the benefit of those new to the vintage-vehicle community, in 1896, J. Frank and Charles Duryea were the first in the United States to establish an automobile factory in Chicopee, Massachusetts, to make a series run of what were then often called horseless carriages. A total of 13 identical, self-propelled vehicles were built, of which only one is known to exist today. That car is in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan. Yet, growing up…

1. CORE REQUIREMENTS STEELE RUBBER PRODUCTS 800-447-0849 Help protect the radiator in your 1966-’67 Oldsmobile Toronado with these new support fillers. The two-piece set has been designed to replicate the look, fit, and function of the factory-original radiator core supports. They are made of 3⁄32-inch-thick masticated rubber sheet with milled cotton cord reinforcement. Each has all the factory-style holes needed for proper installation. They attach to the left-hand and right-hand sides of the core support to help funnel air into the radiator. Ask about p/n 70-4918-31 for more information. $54.99/SET steelerubber.com 2. FORD POWER MOVES BORGESON UNIVERSAL 860-482-8283 Power steering conversion boxes for Ford passenger cars are now available to give your arms a break from wrestling with a worn-out manual steering box. The conversion will give your 1952-’64 full-size Ford…

AS A YOUNG TEENAGER growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut, I had to navigate the daily commute to high school, which presented the challenge of a two-mile walk from home. Having already taught myself how to drive by the age of 14, I found myself yearning for a convenient mode of transportation as I eagerly anticipated my 16th birthday. I knew my mother had a special gift in store for me, and it would turn out to be my first and only car: a 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint convertible. Painted in a soft vanilla hue with a striking red interior and white convertible top, it boasted a manual transmission and what I felt was a powerful 260-cu.in. V-8 engine. Owning the Falcon was a dream come true. It not only provided…

CHARGER TORSION BARS Q: I am thinking of improving the handling on my 1973 Dodge Charger with an upgrade of the torsion bars. The engine is a 383-cu.in. V-8. I see several different diameters of torsion bars online from various manufacturers and I’m not sure what size my originals are. Do you have any idea how much bigger in diameter I should go? ROBERTO MARTINEZ VIA HEMMINGS.COM A: Our reference book indicates the OE torsion bar diameters were 41 inches long and 0.88-inch OD (outside diameter) for six-cylinder cars, 0.90-inch OD for the 318 and 383 V-8s, and 0.92-inch OD for Charger Rallye. Without making the suspension too stiff, you can safely increase the diameter to 1-inch or 1-1/8-inch to add stability. Classic Industries can supply you with 1.03-inch Hotchkis torsion…

There are instances in which few words are needed to describe a vehicle to prospective clientele. One is “European styling,” a trait in car design that Americans were still in love with when the calendar flipped to 1980. “Turbo” is another, as domestic consumers began to discover that economy and performance could live in harmony. Mercury put it all together on the relatively new Fox chassis and called it Capri.…