austinsailor

I could really haul rusty gold home if I had that! My wife would have a cow.

The dual front axle trucks mentioned earlier have been common in Europe since at least the 60's. It should be a simple math problem to figure the gears to get them to make the same turn. And, strange this should come up, as I followed and later passed a big oil field truck this morning set up this way. Longer cab, dual steer axles quite similar to the pictures earlier in this thread, about a 30' flat bed with two rear drive axles. I didn't notice, but I'm guessing both front axles were also driven.

If it wasn't a thousand mile drive I'd check it out.

At the time Sweden was on the right. In September of 1967 they switched to the left. I was there about a week before. It was quite interesting, and we went when we did just for that reason. Left Frankfurt, Germany in. 57 VW bug, drove nearly to the arctic circle. At the border crossing from Denmark you just crossed to the other side after clearing customs. All the street markings had been changed - arrows for turning, all that. Signs had all been changed, but had covers over them. Just after we left, at change time, all driving was banned for, I think it was 12 hours. Then the countrywide speed limit was about 30 for a day or two, then gradually increased. The first fatality from this was the first day an old man looked the wrong way for traffic, then stepped in front of a truck. Same thing nearly happens to me when we stopped to take pictures. Yes, it's even difficult to walk when they drive on the wrong side. I'm guessing they have it figured out by now.

Right hand drive was only British and Swedish.

The more important thing is to get any containments out. Blocks seldom freeze just sitting ( in my experience) unless maybe uncovered and the get rain in them. But condensation will form in the crankcase. That condensation will settle at the bottom of the pan and that last 1/4" inch or so often doesn't drain. Also, people - used to include me - sometimes think that clean oil on the dipstick means all is well. Problem is, crap in oil settles, leaving the top looking great, bottom is trash. If you doubt it'll settle, think about this. Big ships use centrifuges to clean oil, sort of like very fast settling. They use the same oil for a long time. Taking off the pan, you get all this. Plastigauge? Almost comes for free at this point just for confidence. If someone has the inclination. I wouldn't put it high on the list. Just the appropriate time at maybe $5 cost if you're concerned.

You might pull the pan, check for trash and water - not everything drains when the plug is out. You can check most of it then, even put some plastigauge on a couple bearings. Other than that, I sure wouldn't take it apart without a specific reason.

Of the dozen or so old cars I've drug out of fields and barns that have set outside for years, not one had a cracked block. Most still had antifreeze in them.

I have several 241 hemi motors if you decide to go that route. I can tell you, though, it wouldn't be the cheapest way to go. They are real proud of hemi parts.

Only 3 or 4 cars?? I'd have withdrawal real bad! You think I've got OCD?

New headliner and he didn't knock the dents out of the roof first? Wonder what else is covered up?

The smaller kingpins you got are the harder ones to find. I went through the same thing on my '48, but mine took the smaller ones.

I just talked to a friend who attended the auction. He is a Corvette guy and hoped to buy the vette pedal car. He went to $1000, it went for $16,000. (Yes, I got the zeros correct!) A couple of interesting things you might not have known. It cost $12.50 a day, 2 day minimum, to park. They took in over $50,000 in parking. Also, every local nearby drug out any old car they could find and put it near the highways with for sale signs on them. Everybody tried to cash in. Can't blame them. I have a reputation for going for rusty junk. They said I'd have been in heaven if I'd been there! They also said there were mostly empty trailers leaving.

This shows why you need to get the numbers updated before changing the motor. If it's registered under the motor number and you change the motor your paperwork isn't going to match anything. In some states it's easy. In Missouri all I had to do was have a highway patrol inspect it, sign a form, and presto - my vin was the frame/body number, not the motor number. In Missouri it would be simple to fix this problem. In olden days the way it was supposed to work was, whoever changed the motor was supposed to sign a form verifying it. You took that form and $2 to the license office and they changed the serial number. That is still on the books, so if you buy a vehicle and the motor that furnished the serial number is long gone, it should be a simple fix.

I'd be curious how they measured the 185 hp.

Here's one for sale in Tucson, $2000 http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4068356813.html And a plain 55 hemi at $9000 http://annapolis.craigslist.org/cto/3975602537.html Lots of them out there it seems.

A year ago someone wanted my rusty 48 B1B. He offered $3000, about what I have in it. I was considering it - I could get another - but my wife said she liked that truck and nothing under $7000 was going to buy it. For $7000 it would be gone in a heart beat, but that offer hasn't come. But don't feel bad, I bought more anyway and my wife hasn't complained.

No website, he's probably late 70's and doesn't use computers.He's right on Interstate 70 at Sweet Springs, Missouri. Lance Auto Investment. 660-335-2255. Pretty interesting guy to talk to in person. Once he figures out your an old car guy he's got lots of time to talk and will pull out the pictures of his car lots from years past. Probably since the 60's. always dealt in old cars, hot rods and desirable ones. You'd drool over his stock no matter what picture you pulled out. He had a '48 Windser 4 door that I'd planned to post here, but I didn't see it last time I passed. He'd sold the car several times over the years, the guy he sold it to last time passed away, the widow wanted him to sell it for her. He told me she wanted way too much. $2250 for a running, driving stopping straight steering car with little rust and a recently rebuilt motor. He was kind of surprised that I thought the price wasn't bad. It may be gone to it's new home. If anyone has an interest I can forward pictures and you can call and see if he still has it. I was pretty tempted.

I got them at my local Ace hardware.

What a cool car. And I see no signs of rust. You've got a great start there. I'm envious.

You are correct. The problem is draining will not remove that stuff, but getting hot with oil circulating will get some of it loose, pumping it into the motor. Even if the motor was in fine shape before, it's not going to help it. If these had a full flow filter it wouldn't be quite the concern, but with ours most will go right to the bearings. And, if you use a modern detergent oil it'll loosen up even more of that stuff in the pan. I would say that if you chose to not clean out the pan you should use non detergent for this first testing. It's certainly your choice, but you did ask.

The absolute minimum is to put a battery to it and start cranking. Why even change the oil?

A couple people I have great respect for on this board have posted some things I don't agree with this time. I really don't think what oil was in the motor 30 years ago when it was last run is of any relevance at all, even if you could figure it out. Would you go try to find some old stock somewhere? If it had Pennzoil 30 weight in it in 1980, do you think the can - oops - plastic jug - you find in Walmart today would remotely be the same? I have brought back several old ones that sat for years with good success. I've pulled the pans, cleaned out massive amounts of sludge, put them back on and filled with modern detergent oil. They smoked for an hour or two, cleaned up and after a couple hours running, quit smoking and did fine. (I used Rotella 15 w 40) Point #1: there is usually great amounts of sludge in the bottom of the pan, you don't want to pump it into the motor. While it may be true it accumulated over time while it was used, it's not fresh and may now have moisture mixed in. A pan gasket cost less than the oil you're putting in, it's just not sensible to bypass this. Point #2: I believe that the new high detergent oil loosens the varnish and other things that keep the rings from sealing well. I have no proof of this, but my experience is compatible with this theory. It's true it'll put this crud in your oil, but at least you can get it out of your motor by just removing the plug. If you feel non detergent is the way to go, after it's had time to get this stuff loosened and in the oil, go back to non detergent. If you want to clean it more, put a can of ATF in instead of one quart of oil. That really increases the detergent.

There is a 2 door hardtop being re- furbished (I wouldn't go so far as saying restored, although it looks nice) near me. Hemi, powerflite, not sure what else. He's a dealer in old cars, his asking price is going to be $20,000. Motor is off for rebuild now, front clip is off. Things that should be re- chromed are not. Paint and metalwork look good. Not Mecum good, but better than a driver.

mine is P14, 22038955, so it looks like Evansville pre-blackout. It has no chrome, the headlight rims, taillights and bumpers were not chromed.