Back from a car-guy vacation...
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
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From: Park City Utah
Back from a car-guy vacation...
Tom400CFI gave the forums a reprieve from his....personality, for a few weeks by taking a pretty cool, car guy (and history filled) vacation. Here are the details:
Our family owns a couple of brass era cars; a 1910 Hupmobile and a 1910 Hudson Touring car. Every few years, or when we can afford it we go on a New England Brass and Gas tour, which is a weeks worth of touring through rural, scenic, New England country side. A few years ago, we toured parts of Vermont, based out of Stowe (see HERE). There are usually around 100 or so, brass era cars (1916 and older) and the format is to stay at a hotel, and do ~70-100 mile loops each day, the loop route including something noteworthy to stop and see; a museum, scenic vistas, etc. Typically, these tours are based out of quaint New England towns, such as Meredith NH, Woodstock VT, Mount Washington Hotel, Williamstown MA...and so on, but this years tour was based out of Boxborough MA.
Now, people are either going to DIG this stuff, or fall asleep looking at it. But I DIG it. I love the New England country...when the weather is decent. I love OLD (brass era) cars because of the craftsmanship that went into making them, the "class" that is inherent to them and the close relationship one must have with "the mechanism"...just to operate such a machine, as it needs constant attention to operate smoothly...or at all!
Furthermore, I love the combination of the two elements; the vintage machine and the "vintage" country side. They fit together well and in my mind, there is no better way to experience this country, than in this kind of car; you're going fast enough to keep it interesting....but slow enough to see it ALL. You can smell the earthly aromas, and feel the changes in humidity and temp as you drive. You can hear a stream running near the road, and also the bassy pulses of the car's exhaust when working hard up a hill. It's all so engaging for a guy like me.
I would have skipped this tour due to location, but one thing appealed to me; I grew up in easter MA and I find the rich American history there to be fascinating....and meaningful -our country STARTED, there. I wanted my son to see these sites and learn about them, first hand. So we packed out things and flew back east, to tour eastern Mass in the '10 Hudson.
First day of the tour was a long one; we drove from Boxborough, to Old Sturbridge Village. This place is a gem. For those who don't know, it is a "living" museum of a typical New England TOWN....a whole town!, Cira 1830. I don't know how they can afford all the acreage, building maintenance, then operations, but it's awesome. Many of the buildings were moved there, from area towns; several came from my home town of Bolton MA. There are employees there who are working/dressed/acting the part/era. They will break role to educate, but when you walk into the black smith's shop, for example, the black smith is working away on a piece of iron. Cool. Few pics of the place...
The next day, we toured to Natick MA
to visit the museum of WWII. No pics of that, but it was loaded w/WWII artifacts, info and stories. The most interesting thing there (to me) was the old, "mechanical" encryption machines. They had two hooked up so you could actually create a message, pass it to another person, then they could enter your coded message into their device, and it would decode it. Pretty neat. After that we drove to Concord MA and went to the Old North Bridge. Anyone know what is significant about the Old North Bridge? It was the location of the start of the Revolutionary War....the "Shot heard 'round the world", was fired at that site, almost 240 years ago. The British were marching to Concord to confiscate fire arms, ammunition etc. The Minutemen met them at the bridge; "Redcoats" on one side, Minutemen on the other. British fired first and the Minutemen returned fire, gained the upper hand and the British retreated for Boston. As they tried to get back to Boston, more Militia joined in, for a decisive "American" victory. This was the first time shots were fired at the British under orders (after the British fired first), and also interesting when viewed from the perspective that the act was treason -America wasn't yet a nation. Anyway, a few pics here; the monument is rather modest, given it's importance, but the acreage around the bridge is all protected and probably very much like it was long ago. Very beautiful and serene.
The next day was a "Mystery Tour", the goal was to follow clues (an organizer's, kid's artistic renditions of intersections, places, etc.) Like this picture:
...and following the proper route (itself a challenge), pick up clues to answer questions, write poems etc. The route and questions were created by MIT grads...we were able to stay on the proper route, since I literally grew up in the town the tour navigated that day, but I answered no questions (correctly).
In leu of mystery tour pics, here are some car pics. First is the '10 Hudson...
Next was a beautiful '10 Rambler. At one time, Rambler made big, bad, expensive cars. This is a 40 hp, 7 passenger touring car. 40hp is "big bad" for the era. Engine would be ~a 4L, 4 cylinder.
Here is a beautiful '10ish Packard....
A '12ish Cadillac CTS-V
Thursday's tour took us out to Templton MA, which is north/central, to a place called Lang's T-Ford Parts, where a company resides in an old brick factory and sells....Model T Ford parts! Not too many pics for that day but here are a few....
A cool old factory and it's dam'ed river for power...
On the way, we stopped at this old brick colonial, which is now home to a clock museum that features all types of old clocks, some of which were for sale for up to $55k (!) In the foreground is an '11 REO. REO was the second attempt at car-making for Ransom E Olds...as in Oldsmobile.
A VERY bumpy country road....when your on 4 leaf springs w/no shocks!
And here, we've arrived at Lang's T-Ford Parts. Various pics...
Note the Rolls Royce at the right here:
Inside, at Lang's I spotted this T Ford trans. It's a planetary transmission, in which you manually operate the clutches and bands w/pedals and levers....basically a manually operated, automatic transmission. You can see the bands in this pic...
The final day of the tour, we drove to Sudbury MA and had lunch at "The Wayside Inn", officially known as Longfellow's Wayside Inn, since he wrote about it making somewhat famous. It is the oldest operating inn in the country, opening as Howe's Tavern in 1716 -300 years old! Across the street is a water-wheel powered Grist Mill. A few pics of that here...
Finally, we drove from Sudbury to Stow, and visiting the Collings Museum, which was a cool collection of old war planes, tanks, vintage racing cars and antique cars ranging from 1900 - late 30's, including Duesenbergs, Cords, Auburns, etc. Amazing machinery! Here is a '32 Duesenberg SJ, with a supercharged, DOHC, straight 8 that made 320 hp!
Now for some "Engine ****"! The best part of the thread! Starting off with a 1906 Ford Model K. Before the minimalist Model T came along, Ford made this big, bad car w/a big, 40hp 6 cylinder. Note the bronze bevelled drive gear for the distributor...fully exposed to the elements (dirt roads at the time)!
In those days, there were three "premium" brands that are referred to as the "3P's"; Peerless, Pierce Arrow, and Packard. They provided more than enough luxury and more than enough power. Here is a 6 cylinder Pierce Arrow engine. State of the art!:
Here is another of the "3P's" premium engine, this one is a Packard 4 cylinder. Packard's slogan was "Ask the man who owns one". I love it. To give some perspective, that exhaust manifold is ~3". Huge. alternator and distributor are not stock.
Packard Oiling system, and once side's cam, lifters valves and springs.
Here is a '12 Cadillac engine. 4 cylinder, 50 hp, probably around 5 liters. Let's take a moment and drool over those copper coolant jackets on the cylinders! The silver thing to the right (rear of the engine) down low is a combination 6 volt generator/starter. Cadillac was the first automaker to offer electric self starting in '12. The device forward of the starter/generator with a gear on it is an air compressor...for road side flat fixes. Also note the oiling can on the firewall and the leather fan belt:
Here is a Buick Engine...note the completely exposed valve train!
Here is another Pierce Arrow engine, this one earlier than the one above....just look at the solid brass intake manifold!
Last Engine shot, here is the engine from the Rolls Royce. Sorry for the Cell pic on this one, but didn't have my real camera when they opened the hood. Check out the CARB! Solid brass. 3 air inlets. The thing is more complex than a typical small engine, and it's just the carb! The RR logo (bottom left) is cast into the steering box.
Not related to the tour, but while in MA, we also went to see the USS Constitution, which is in dry dock getting restored again. Anyone know what's special about the USS Constitution? Went to the Boston Museum of Science, went boating on the Charles River/Boston Harbor, and went mountain biking twice, in Leominster State Forest -epic single track riding there. It was an action-packed, cool get-away!
Now to make this Corvette related, I have a good friend in MA that has a Vette. We were supposed to take it to New England Dragway to make some passes w/it, but he pussed out. So that was a bust.
.
Our family owns a couple of brass era cars; a 1910 Hupmobile and a 1910 Hudson Touring car. Every few years, or when we can afford it we go on a New England Brass and Gas tour, which is a weeks worth of touring through rural, scenic, New England country side. A few years ago, we toured parts of Vermont, based out of Stowe (see HERE). There are usually around 100 or so, brass era cars (1916 and older) and the format is to stay at a hotel, and do ~70-100 mile loops each day, the loop route including something noteworthy to stop and see; a museum, scenic vistas, etc. Typically, these tours are based out of quaint New England towns, such as Meredith NH, Woodstock VT, Mount Washington Hotel, Williamstown MA...and so on, but this years tour was based out of Boxborough MA.
Now, people are either going to DIG this stuff, or fall asleep looking at it. But I DIG it. I love the New England country...when the weather is decent. I love OLD (brass era) cars because of the craftsmanship that went into making them, the "class" that is inherent to them and the close relationship one must have with "the mechanism"...just to operate such a machine, as it needs constant attention to operate smoothly...or at all!
Furthermore, I love the combination of the two elements; the vintage machine and the "vintage" country side. They fit together well and in my mind, there is no better way to experience this country, than in this kind of car; you're going fast enough to keep it interesting....but slow enough to see it ALL. You can smell the earthly aromas, and feel the changes in humidity and temp as you drive. You can hear a stream running near the road, and also the bassy pulses of the car's exhaust when working hard up a hill. It's all so engaging for a guy like me.
I would have skipped this tour due to location, but one thing appealed to me; I grew up in easter MA and I find the rich American history there to be fascinating....and meaningful -our country STARTED, there. I wanted my son to see these sites and learn about them, first hand. So we packed out things and flew back east, to tour eastern Mass in the '10 Hudson.
First day of the tour was a long one; we drove from Boxborough, to Old Sturbridge Village. This place is a gem. For those who don't know, it is a "living" museum of a typical New England TOWN....a whole town!, Cira 1830. I don't know how they can afford all the acreage, building maintenance, then operations, but it's awesome. Many of the buildings were moved there, from area towns; several came from my home town of Bolton MA. There are employees there who are working/dressed/acting the part/era. They will break role to educate, but when you walk into the black smith's shop, for example, the black smith is working away on a piece of iron. Cool. Few pics of the place...
The next day, we toured to Natick MA
to visit the museum of WWII. No pics of that, but it was loaded w/WWII artifacts, info and stories. The most interesting thing there (to me) was the old, "mechanical" encryption machines. They had two hooked up so you could actually create a message, pass it to another person, then they could enter your coded message into their device, and it would decode it. Pretty neat. After that we drove to Concord MA and went to the Old North Bridge. Anyone know what is significant about the Old North Bridge? It was the location of the start of the Revolutionary War....the "Shot heard 'round the world", was fired at that site, almost 240 years ago. The British were marching to Concord to confiscate fire arms, ammunition etc. The Minutemen met them at the bridge; "Redcoats" on one side, Minutemen on the other. British fired first and the Minutemen returned fire, gained the upper hand and the British retreated for Boston. As they tried to get back to Boston, more Militia joined in, for a decisive "American" victory. This was the first time shots were fired at the British under orders (after the British fired first), and also interesting when viewed from the perspective that the act was treason -America wasn't yet a nation. Anyway, a few pics here; the monument is rather modest, given it's importance, but the acreage around the bridge is all protected and probably very much like it was long ago. Very beautiful and serene. 
The next day was a "Mystery Tour", the goal was to follow clues (an organizer's, kid's artistic renditions of intersections, places, etc.) Like this picture:
...and following the proper route (itself a challenge), pick up clues to answer questions, write poems etc. The route and questions were created by MIT grads...we were able to stay on the proper route, since I literally grew up in the town the tour navigated that day, but I answered no questions (correctly).
In leu of mystery tour pics, here are some car pics. First is the '10 Hudson...
Next was a beautiful '10 Rambler. At one time, Rambler made big, bad, expensive cars. This is a 40 hp, 7 passenger touring car. 40hp is "big bad" for the era. Engine would be ~a 4L, 4 cylinder.
Here is a beautiful '10ish Packard....
A '12ish Cadillac CTS-V
Thursday's tour took us out to Templton MA, which is north/central, to a place called Lang's T-Ford Parts, where a company resides in an old brick factory and sells....Model T Ford parts! Not too many pics for that day but here are a few....
A cool old factory and it's dam'ed river for power...
On the way, we stopped at this old brick colonial, which is now home to a clock museum that features all types of old clocks, some of which were for sale for up to $55k (!) In the foreground is an '11 REO. REO was the second attempt at car-making for Ransom E Olds...as in Oldsmobile.
A VERY bumpy country road....when your on 4 leaf springs w/no shocks!
And here, we've arrived at Lang's T-Ford Parts. Various pics...
Note the Rolls Royce at the right here:
Inside, at Lang's I spotted this T Ford trans. It's a planetary transmission, in which you manually operate the clutches and bands w/pedals and levers....basically a manually operated, automatic transmission. You can see the bands in this pic...
The final day of the tour, we drove to Sudbury MA and had lunch at "The Wayside Inn", officially known as Longfellow's Wayside Inn, since he wrote about it making somewhat famous. It is the oldest operating inn in the country, opening as Howe's Tavern in 1716 -300 years old! Across the street is a water-wheel powered Grist Mill. A few pics of that here...
Finally, we drove from Sudbury to Stow, and visiting the Collings Museum, which was a cool collection of old war planes, tanks, vintage racing cars and antique cars ranging from 1900 - late 30's, including Duesenbergs, Cords, Auburns, etc. Amazing machinery! Here is a '32 Duesenberg SJ, with a supercharged, DOHC, straight 8 that made 320 hp!
Now for some "Engine ****"! The best part of the thread! Starting off with a 1906 Ford Model K. Before the minimalist Model T came along, Ford made this big, bad car w/a big, 40hp 6 cylinder. Note the bronze bevelled drive gear for the distributor...fully exposed to the elements (dirt roads at the time)!
In those days, there were three "premium" brands that are referred to as the "3P's"; Peerless, Pierce Arrow, and Packard. They provided more than enough luxury and more than enough power. Here is a 6 cylinder Pierce Arrow engine. State of the art!:
Here is another of the "3P's" premium engine, this one is a Packard 4 cylinder. Packard's slogan was "Ask the man who owns one". I love it. To give some perspective, that exhaust manifold is ~3". Huge. alternator and distributor are not stock.
Packard Oiling system, and once side's cam, lifters valves and springs.
Here is a '12 Cadillac engine. 4 cylinder, 50 hp, probably around 5 liters. Let's take a moment and drool over those copper coolant jackets on the cylinders! The silver thing to the right (rear of the engine) down low is a combination 6 volt generator/starter. Cadillac was the first automaker to offer electric self starting in '12. The device forward of the starter/generator with a gear on it is an air compressor...for road side flat fixes. Also note the oiling can on the firewall and the leather fan belt:
Here is a Buick Engine...note the completely exposed valve train!
Here is another Pierce Arrow engine, this one earlier than the one above....just look at the solid brass intake manifold!
Last Engine shot, here is the engine from the Rolls Royce. Sorry for the Cell pic on this one, but didn't have my real camera when they opened the hood. Check out the CARB! Solid brass. 3 air inlets. The thing is more complex than a typical small engine, and it's just the carb! The RR logo (bottom left) is cast into the steering box.
Not related to the tour, but while in MA, we also went to see the USS Constitution, which is in dry dock getting restored again. Anyone know what's special about the USS Constitution? Went to the Boston Museum of Science, went boating on the Charles River/Boston Harbor, and went mountain biking twice, in Leominster State Forest -epic single track riding there. It was an action-packed, cool get-away!
Now to make this Corvette related, I have a good friend in MA that has a Vette. We were supposed to take it to New England Dragway to make some passes w/it, but he pussed out. So that was a bust.
.
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Jul 9, 2015 at 01:58 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 120
From: AZ
Very cool bucket item! Nice to see an early Nash, as we have a newer rambler, a 1955 2dr with 5.0L and AOD, plus A/C, Nav, etc.; not Ur grandpa's rambler, but it's fun and garners plenty of attention.
Henry ford usually gets credit for it, so few know that Olds was the first to bring assembly lines to automobile making. Ford did it on a larger scale.
I was a big Olds fan until I discovered Corvettes, ummmm, back then.
Thanks for the gorgeous photos.
Henry ford usually gets credit for it, so few know that Olds was the first to bring assembly lines to automobile making. Ford did it on a larger scale.
I was a big Olds fan until I discovered Corvettes, ummmm, back then.
Thanks for the gorgeous photos.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,058
Likes: 2,159
From: Schaller Iowa
Great thread! Thanks for sharing this. The very first real car I was exposed to since I was able to walk was my grandpa's 1916 Model T. That car gave me the appreciation I have to this day for cars in general but especially the true classics.
astepup said that
astepup said that
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Glad you guys aer liking the pics!
Ha ha ha...this is about as close as I can get; on paper, it's pretty similar, right? I mean, it has:
*rack and pinion steering,
*two seat roadster,
*transverse rear leaf spring with trailing arms and a torque beam.
*front engine, rear drive,
*manual trans
*Spark plugs
...yeah, I'd say this is a '10 'Vette!
Ha ha ha...this is about as close as I can get; on paper, it's pretty similar, right? I mean, it has:
*rack and pinion steering,
*two seat roadster,
*transverse rear leaf spring with trailing arms and a torque beam.
*front engine, rear drive,
*manual trans
*Spark plugs
...yeah, I'd say this is a '10 'Vette!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 16,096
Likes: 820
From: Dallas Texas
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Very cool, and thanks for sharing. While I was in Miami, my dad and I rented a c7 vert, and got to see where the Rossion is made. free tour
Saw a bunch of cars I've never seen in person to.
Saw a bunch of cars I've never seen in person to.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,314
Likes: 508
From: South-central Missouri
And some people whine about the prospect of finding parts for an LT5!!
Beautiful photography! I too am ever so impressed with this thread, but especially the quaity pix! So, I'll ask a question out of the ordinary...what camera did you use??
W/ regard to the exposed valve train, IIRC several WWI aircraft engines had exposed pushrod valve trains (on some radial cylinder motors, in particular). And, to this day, aircraft sport dual spark plugs too.
Beautiful tour! Might just have to put that one on the bucket list!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Beautiful photography! I too am ever so impressed with this thread, but especially the quaity pix! So, I'll ask a question out of the ordinary...what camera did you use??
W/ regard to the exposed valve train, IIRC several WWI aircraft engines had exposed pushrod valve trains (on some radial cylinder motors, in particular). And, to this day, aircraft sport dual spark plugs too.
Beautiful tour! Might just have to put that one on the bucket list!!
Thanks for sharing!!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,597
Likes: 237
From: Bartlett Illinois
The Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. I saw it back in 1998..
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Yes! That is right. Other noteworthy points; I don't believe that it ever lost a battle, The wood planking was so tough that enemy cannon ***** bounced off it (giving it the name "Old Ironsides"), and it helped establish the US Navy as a legitimate world power.
Thanks for the props. I am NO "photographer"....literally, I see a "country scene" while driving down the road, point and shoot. Some of them come out nice, some don't. Maybe my appreciation for the New England countryside helps....having spend ~20 years in a relatively dry "out west" environment? IDK. Camera is a FujiFilm T410WM. It is a point and shoot and was a gift. It does work well...the pics actually look even better, before being uploaded to Photobucket.
You're right about the exposed valve train on old planes. At the Collings Museum, there was an old plane that had an upside down, air cooled V8 engine w/exposed pushrods and rockers. At first, you wonder how any lube can work/last, but the RPM on these engines, and the spring pressure is so low.
Sharp eye on the dual ignitions. Most cars had that feature, and it's pretty neat. The Magnito is the primary running system. It produces greater spark energy and is incredibly reliable. Premium Magnitos of the time were made by Bosch.
The battery system has a "vibrator" coil for each cylinder (typically). The distributor only completes the circuit to power the coil. There is a piece of stainless steel on the top of the coil (like a feeler gauge) that vibrates when power is applied, and each vibration of that piece of metal is the "on off" for the coil -like super fast moving points. What this does is it makes the coil fire repeatedly, so fast, that it is virtually throwing a continuous spark at the plug as long as it has power. Literally, the first (and true) "MSD".
There is a switch on the dash labelled "Batt - Off - Mag" that you can switch at any time. Now here is the cool part that this system offers: When you shut off the engine, it draws an air/fuel charge through the carb until it stops rotating. Frequently, one of the pistons is just past TDC, under compression, with a nice charge of fuel in there. You get in the car, flip the switch to "Batt" and you can manipulate the timing w/a lever on the steering wheel to activate a vibrator coil that corresponds to which ever piston is in the firing position. The vibrator coil starts throwing a virtual continuous spark into that cylinder....the mixture fires off and the engine starts w/no cranking...no starter. It's weird...virtually no noise -a little "bzzz" and the engine fires up! Cylinder sealing is the key...we used to have a '13 Rambler that would "start on compression", hours after being shut off.
Mazda is currently playing with this same principal for their start/stop fuel saving feature. With DI, they give a cylinder a shot of fuel, throw some spark in there, and the engine is running. These cars were doing it 100+ years ago.
A few years ago, I had to rebuild the rear axle in the Hupmobile. Ring and pinion were shot, axles were shot, thing leaked oil out all over the rear brake shoes (and it only HAS...rear brakes!). Everything was a custom operation. Gears were cut from scratch, axle shafts were welded up, then turned back down on a lathe. Hubs were welded in, then reamed, all bearings were new and had to be custom fitted to the housings. Another project was rebuilding the engine in our '10 Hudson....we had to cast pistons from scratch, then do the finish machining! I was a kid at the time, but it was then, that I learned that pistons aren't round; they're oval to accommodate the different expansion rates of the different dimensions. These were huge and expensive projects, but I learned SO much, and it's rewarding. Yes, in comparison, finding parts for the LT5 is cake walk. 
.
So, I'll ask a question out of the ordinary...what camera did you use??
W/ regard to the exposed valve train, IIRC several WWI aircraft engines had exposed pushrod valve trains (on some radial cylinder motors, in particular). And, to this day, aircraft sport dual spark plugs too.
Beautiful tour! Might just have to put that one on the bucket list!!
W/ regard to the exposed valve train, IIRC several WWI aircraft engines had exposed pushrod valve trains (on some radial cylinder motors, in particular). And, to this day, aircraft sport dual spark plugs too.
Beautiful tour! Might just have to put that one on the bucket list!!
You're right about the exposed valve train on old planes. At the Collings Museum, there was an old plane that had an upside down, air cooled V8 engine w/exposed pushrods and rockers. At first, you wonder how any lube can work/last, but the RPM on these engines, and the spring pressure is so low.
Sharp eye on the dual ignitions. Most cars had that feature, and it's pretty neat. The Magnito is the primary running system. It produces greater spark energy and is incredibly reliable. Premium Magnitos of the time were made by Bosch.
The battery system has a "vibrator" coil for each cylinder (typically). The distributor only completes the circuit to power the coil. There is a piece of stainless steel on the top of the coil (like a feeler gauge) that vibrates when power is applied, and each vibration of that piece of metal is the "on off" for the coil -like super fast moving points. What this does is it makes the coil fire repeatedly, so fast, that it is virtually throwing a continuous spark at the plug as long as it has power. Literally, the first (and true) "MSD".
There is a switch on the dash labelled "Batt - Off - Mag" that you can switch at any time. Now here is the cool part that this system offers: When you shut off the engine, it draws an air/fuel charge through the carb until it stops rotating. Frequently, one of the pistons is just past TDC, under compression, with a nice charge of fuel in there. You get in the car, flip the switch to "Batt" and you can manipulate the timing w/a lever on the steering wheel to activate a vibrator coil that corresponds to which ever piston is in the firing position. The vibrator coil starts throwing a virtual continuous spark into that cylinder....the mixture fires off and the engine starts w/no cranking...no starter. It's weird...virtually no noise -a little "bzzz" and the engine fires up! Cylinder sealing is the key...we used to have a '13 Rambler that would "start on compression", hours after being shut off.
Mazda is currently playing with this same principal for their start/stop fuel saving feature. With DI, they give a cylinder a shot of fuel, throw some spark in there, and the engine is running. These cars were doing it 100+ years ago.
A few years ago, I had to rebuild the rear axle in the Hupmobile. Ring and pinion were shot, axles were shot, thing leaked oil out all over the rear brake shoes (and it only HAS...rear brakes!). Everything was a custom operation. Gears were cut from scratch, axle shafts were welded up, then turned back down on a lathe. Hubs were welded in, then reamed, all bearings were new and had to be custom fitted to the housings. Another project was rebuilding the engine in our '10 Hudson....we had to cast pistons from scratch, then do the finish machining! I was a kid at the time, but it was then, that I learned that pistons aren't round; they're oval to accommodate the different expansion rates of the different dimensions. These were huge and expensive projects, but I learned SO much, and it's rewarding. Yes, in comparison, finding parts for the LT5 is cake walk. .
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Jul 9, 2015 at 02:17 PM.