Pleased to say the rear spring situation has had a happy ending.
For the first 30 odd years the Red Chev had reset springs that I think were commercial, very hard, very thumpy.
Late last year I changed over to another set, which initially looked great turned out to be way to soft and bouncy.
Cleaned up and fitted a set of 8 leaf springs, perfect, the ride is great, not too hard, not too soft.
Cheers
Monday, April 25, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
A second change of Rear Springs for the Red Chev
You may remember a few months back I changed the rear springs for a softer pair.
Sad to say after a few rides, they are way to soft and the thumps and bumps previously felt turned into a bouncey, bouncey.
Comfortable but not that safe, more importantly close to bottoming out.
I was going to hold off till just before the Chev 4 Tour in September, but have now fast tracked the job.
I am going to drive a young couple to a school formal next weekend, and did not want to run the risk of bottoming out or worse.
So.......................... that all leads to this.
Cleaned up a good set of springs, they came up very nice, look at the difference.
A coat of prime and full gloss black, and all being well will install them tomorrow.
PS. After a lay off from the ute restoration since January, while I went overseas to see my new grand child, and currently making a shed to store Chev parts in, it felt good to be back working on Chev parts.
Once the shed is completed, and parts sorted, I will be back into the ute restoration, full steam ahead.
Cheers
Sad to say after a few rides, they are way to soft and the thumps and bumps previously felt turned into a bouncey, bouncey.
Comfortable but not that safe, more importantly close to bottoming out.
I was going to hold off till just before the Chev 4 Tour in September, but have now fast tracked the job.
I am going to drive a young couple to a school formal next weekend, and did not want to run the risk of bottoming out or worse.
So.......................... that all leads to this.
Cleaned up a good set of springs, they came up very nice, look at the difference.
A coat of prime and full gloss black, and all being well will install them tomorrow.
PS. After a lay off from the ute restoration since January, while I went overseas to see my new grand child, and currently making a shed to store Chev parts in, it felt good to be back working on Chev parts.
Once the shed is completed, and parts sorted, I will be back into the ute restoration, full steam ahead.
Cheers
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Out Baw Baw Way In Monty the 28 Chevy
Another great posting of the adventures of Monty the 1928 Chev
http://montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au/
Today I rang a mate, Gerry lives about 12 kms away, he has a 1928 Chevy ute and I felt like a coffee and chat on this slightly overcast Saturday morning so a destination and time at one of the local cafes was decided.. Well the coffee done the trick and we solved the worlds problems as always under an hour.
To good of a day to just roll ole Monty back down the driveway, it was decided so I pulled up at our front gate, had a quick bite of lunch, grabbed my good camera and a warm beanie for the head and I headed back down the street towards Mount Baw Baw which you can generally see from Trafalgar on a sunny day, just not today.
Willow Grove is about 19kms north of Trafalgar, then I veered left once in the town and took the Hill End road, quiet good with nice views on your right of the Blue Rock Dam for a few kms then the road becomes tight and twisty in places. We went straight past the farm gate where in the late 1960s dad found ole Monty siting under a tree in the paddock, a few words were quietly spoken today and as I rounded the bend and ran up along side the row of trees beside this paddock, I'm a sentimental aging prick.
A little further along and the bitumen is occasional rough and bumpy due to amount of logging trucks that use it through the week, but hey, we are riding in a 1928 Chevy and not breaking any speed records with ground clearance a plenty.
I was soon at the turn off to Noojee, Now a right turn would take me up to the top of Mount Baw Baw to Victoria's only Ski Resort, its a drive I have wanted to do in the Chevy but not today as time and the weather is unfortunately against me this time.
A left turn was made for the 10 km leisurely run into Noojee, the road was very steep here with 2nd gear selected and 20mph showing on the speedo, we climbed awhile and then in was downhill, along the flatter twisty section and soon we were sailing past the pub and out the other side for the sign posted turnoff left and up the dirt track to the Trestle Bridge visitors parking area. Always a busy spot over the weekends and each time it looks just as impressive as the last..
A quick pic or two was taken then for the Neerim South I headed, actually it was the Neerim South Pub smack bang in the middle of town to say gidday to my cousin who owns the place and pours the beers. Nope he's not there today, so my cold beer was downed fast and tasted very nice to help wash the bugs down then a quick visit to the rest room .
I'm back in the seat and turning left onto Bloomfields Road then over Old Sale Road to take me down onto the Princes Hwy and the 25 minute run home back to Trafalgar.
Approx 72miles (115kms) in 2 hours
Ole Monty did not miss a beat, today made me smile!!..
Cheers
Grant Fowler
Oh, one last thing, Monty rolled past 14,000 miles today..
http://montythe1928chevrolet.blogspot.com.au/
Today I rang a mate, Gerry lives about 12 kms away, he has a 1928 Chevy ute and I felt like a coffee and chat on this slightly overcast Saturday morning so a destination and time at one of the local cafes was decided.. Well the coffee done the trick and we solved the worlds problems as always under an hour.
To good of a day to just roll ole Monty back down the driveway, it was decided so I pulled up at our front gate, had a quick bite of lunch, grabbed my good camera and a warm beanie for the head and I headed back down the street towards Mount Baw Baw which you can generally see from Trafalgar on a sunny day, just not today.
Willow Grove is about 19kms north of Trafalgar, then I veered left once in the town and took the Hill End road, quiet good with nice views on your right of the Blue Rock Dam for a few kms then the road becomes tight and twisty in places. We went straight past the farm gate where in the late 1960s dad found ole Monty siting under a tree in the paddock, a few words were quietly spoken today and as I rounded the bend and ran up along side the row of trees beside this paddock, I'm a sentimental aging prick.
A little further along and the bitumen is occasional rough and bumpy due to amount of logging trucks that use it through the week, but hey, we are riding in a 1928 Chevy and not breaking any speed records with ground clearance a plenty.
I was soon at the turn off to Noojee, Now a right turn would take me up to the top of Mount Baw Baw to Victoria's only Ski Resort, its a drive I have wanted to do in the Chevy but not today as time and the weather is unfortunately against me this time.
A left turn was made for the 10 km leisurely run into Noojee, the road was very steep here with 2nd gear selected and 20mph showing on the speedo, we climbed awhile and then in was downhill, along the flatter twisty section and soon we were sailing past the pub and out the other side for the sign posted turnoff left and up the dirt track to the Trestle Bridge visitors parking area. Always a busy spot over the weekends and each time it looks just as impressive as the last..
A quick pic or two was taken then for the Neerim South I headed, actually it was the Neerim South Pub smack bang in the middle of town to say gidday to my cousin who owns the place and pours the beers. Nope he's not there today, so my cold beer was downed fast and tasted very nice to help wash the bugs down then a quick visit to the rest room .
I'm back in the seat and turning left onto Bloomfields Road then over Old Sale Road to take me down onto the Princes Hwy and the 25 minute run home back to Trafalgar.
Approx 72miles (115kms) in 2 hours
Ole Monty did not miss a beat, today made me smile!!..
Cheers
Grant Fowler
Oh, one last thing, Monty rolled past 14,000 miles today..
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Friday, April 15, 2016
Monday, April 11, 2016
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Studebaker House Car – 1929
337 cid L-head inline eight-cylinder engine, Stromberg two-barrel carburetor, 114 BHP at 3,200 rpm, Fuller four-speed manual transmission, solid front axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and Gruss Air Spring auxiliary dampers, semi-floating rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, dual rear wheels, four-wheel mechanical brakes; wheelbase: 184”
During 1925, Studebaker entered the commercial vehicle market with a stretched Big Six chassis and a choice of 158- and 184-inch wheelbase lengths. Bodies were provided by a number of outside suppliers and could be ordered through Studebaker or directly from the coachbuilders. Studebaker enjoyed immediate success, selling 2,225 units in the first year.
By December 1928, an eight-cylinder President-derived chassis replaced the Big Six and a stretched chassis featuring a 220-inch wheelbase joined Studebaker’s commercial lineup. While financially healthy at the onset of the Great Depression, Studebaker’s ill-fated merger with Pierce-Arrow forced the removal of buses entirely from Studebaker’s regular catalog, although they were still available by special order until 1940.
This unrestored 1929 Studebaker House Car is a wonderful example based on Studebaker’s versatile commercial chassis, and quite possibly the sole vehicle of its kind produced. Built for an obviously wealthy but unknown family from the exclusive Los Angeles community of San Marino, it was lovingly named “Dulce Domum,” Latin for “Sweet Home.”
The body itself, quite reminiscent in overall appearance and interior layout and appointments to a luxurious private rail car, was built by Advance Auto Body Works in Los Angeles, California. Established by Italian-born Medardo Morgagno in 1919 and active to 1951, Advance Auto Body Works produced a diverse range of innovative and visually striking bodies, often the physical expression of noted Los Angeles industrial designer William Everett Miller. Sleek petroleum tankers were an Advance specialty, primarily for West Coast oil company and high-profile racing sponsor Gilmore Oil.
Featuring a myriad of appointments, this lovely House Car includes right-side doors for access to the central passenger compartment and the rear suite. Among the many highlights are overhead lights and a screened pop-up ceiling vent, two Pullman-style fold-out bunk beds, a wash basin with mirror, storage compartments and drawers, a pull-out writing desk, a chamber pot, and even a small bath neatly concealed beneath a folding hatch in the floor.
Other great features of this veritable luxury home on wheels include a front-rear intercom, hidden storage sink for kitchen refuse, towel racks, a water heater, and a 12-volt electrical system with multiple receptacles. The Consignor acquired the House Car in 2006 after 12 years of trying from long-term prior owner Remy Baker, a prolific classic-car collector and enthusiast from South Carolina, who purchased it circa 1961 in the San Bernardino, California, area and first registered the vehicle there in 1963. Interestingly,
Mr. Baker had several residences and drove the House Car after purchasing it to Syracuse, New York, visiting Florida en route and acquiring a permanent Florida “Horseless Carriage” registration and corresponding “Antique” Florida license plate.
Perhaps best of all, the House Car is quite capable of enjoyable touring at respectable speeds, with the powerful Studebaker ‘President 8’ engine rebuilt, balanced, and equipped with new aluminum pistons and a replacement carburetor. The Fuller four-speed manual transmission, which also drives the onboard air-compressor system, was inspected and overhauled with new bearings.
The leaded-glass bay windows were restored while retaining a period feel by a stained-glass craftsman, and the windshield and side windows were replaced with modern-type safety glass. Following acquisition, the Consignor showed this Studebaker House Car for the first time on the Exhibition field of the November 2009 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, where it spurred the judges to request its movement to the show field to join the other winners at the podium to receive Best Unrestored Vehicle. Capable of continued showing and enjoyment, this 1929 Studebaker House Car is without doubt one of the most interesting Classic Era vehicles in existence today.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
2016 Picnic in the Park - Scoresby
Great event today with the Federation Scoresby Picnic
The numbers may have been down a little on last year, but all attending appeared to have a good day out, and the mix of cars catered for all motoring tastes.
From a Veteran T model Ford right up to the latest Mustang.
With the venue being the National Steam Centre there was the added bonus of viewing both static and working steam engines and vehicles from a long gone era.
Well done to the Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club http://www.dvhcc.com.au/ who ran the event.
Not forgetting the Cars, the Tractors, the Machines, and of course the people who made the event an outing not to be missed on the car enthusiast calendar.
With the theme of the event being the Changing Face of Ford in Australia, here are a few examples of some nice Blue Oval badged cars
Not to be outdone, a few nice Chevs were also on display
There was a good mix of classic and post classic cars also
Some really nice tractors
The nippers enjoyed the Baby Animal Zoo
But to me, the attraction will always be the Vintage cars
See you there next year!
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