MTFCA Forum

Reno Speedster

Thanks guys!

Reno Speedster

What is the diameter of the light bar that runs between the fenders on the 1926-1927 cars?

Reno Speedster

According to the history he had more than one, so I wouldn’t be surprised. Also, since Anchorage was not founded until 1915, the reported 1913 date might be spurious.

Reno Speedster

He opened the Lake Spenard resort in 1916. From the pictures you can see it was rustic but popular. Spenard died in 1934. Evidently, Spenard started painting the cars and trucks (REOs) for the City Express yellow, which led to this bit of advertising doggerel. "Of all the cars both big and small, Th...

Reno Speedster

I came across this photograph of the “auto park at Lake Spenard” and thought I would share. This location is now part of Anchorage and about a quarter mile from my house. The lake was developed by Joe Spenard as a recreation area for Anchorage. This gave the name to the Spenard neighborhood. Among h...

Reno Speedster

Thanks for the information. I happen to have two full sets of old narrow cotton bands and a single wide brake band all in good shape (wards maybe?). On the 26, I am using a Muncie aux with a reverse, so I have removed the reverse pedal (no reverse band). I think I will try the cotton in it. I have b...

Reno Speedster

Ok, here comes the can of worms…. I am going to put new linings on the bands for my 26 speedster and it sounds like I will be getting into the bands on my 22 as well. I have full sets of Kevlar and good cotton bands for both. I like the longevity of the Kevlar, but I also like the lowered risk of tr...

Reno Speedster

I got this car some years back, so I have no idea how the bands were installed or what kind of shape the transmission is in. I will pull the cover and see what I can see. I discovered the issue as I was putting this car into Mothballs for the winter so I might not get it sorted for a while. I am in ...

Reno Speedster

1. Pedal goes to the floor before reverse engages. 2. Pedal has "normal height", (i.e. not going to the floor or very low), transmission is "screaming", but car won't back up. 3. Same as #2, but no screaming trans noises. What are you seeing? Don't just tighten up the band if your issue is like #2 ...

Reno Speedster

Honestly, I don’t use reverse much other than backing out of the garage or parking space. So, it could need some adjustment. I will pull the cover and see how it looks.

Reno Speedster

I did a major reorganization of the shop today that involved moving the 22 to a different bay of the garage. I was able to back it out of the garage but when I tried to back it up the very low slope of my driveway reverse was slipping. It has Kevlar bands in it so I am not sure what is going on. Rev...

Reno Speedster

They tubes are very clean now but I am planning on finishing up with some soap and hot water to get the last of the metal flakes out. I would do it outside with a hose from the tap, but it’s about 10 degrees f at the moment. Since they are not greasy, maybe I could take them to the car wash and spra...

Reno Speedster

I am getting to the point (at incredibly long last) where I am actually going to be assembling the rolling chassis for my 26 speedster. A while back I fitted all the parts for the rear axle, but there were some things still to do to the drop brackets that had to be completed before I could assemble ...

Reno Speedster

I think we are hampered by the image size, which makes it hard to see clearly. I don’t see any indication that two bands have been stitched together in the flesh.

Reno Speedster

Here are a couple more detail shots of the band lining material. It is very tightly woven and about 3/16 thick. I have at least 7 of them. I might have more in the parts pile.

Reno Speedster

They looked pretty good and came from a long time T man, now sadly gone. If there were some 26-27 sized brake bands in the bunch I would be tempted to use them. I don’t need to get the Kevlar identified. They came from Snyder’s and have all the instructions and parts.

Reno Speedster

\ Some Ford steel bands HAVE raised bumps for the rivets - just so you know ! The “bumps” were not regular (different sizes and not on all holes) and were on the inside, where they would cause the band to rub on the drum. They appeared to be the result of hammering the rivets in during the last ban...

Reno Speedster

I am getting ready to line the bands for my 26 speedster. I have a number of bands to choose from and am cleaning them up to select the best. I have two of the wider brake bands, both with removable ends. Both look ok to me. I have done a little work with a brass hammer to get rid of some high spots...

Reno Speedster

There is a hole in the rear axle housing where the bushing for the brake cam goes. It looks like it is for oiling the bushing. Was there an oiler for this? It seems like oiling this would allow oil into the inside of the brake drum, but who knows.

Reno Speedster

I am preparing to install my original RAJO BB head. I had planned to use a copper head gasket and I ordered one from a supplier. But what came was a copper composite gasket rather than a sold copper one. My questions are: 1) are solid copper Rajo head gaskets available and from whom? 2) if they are,...

Reno Speedster

I looked at the wheels. One has what appears to be a poorly stamped “11” another has a poorly stamped “12” within a diamond (see pictures). I have also thrown in a shot of one of the wheels and the inside of a wheel hub.

Reno Speedster

The article shows the Dayton, Buffalo, and Pasco hub caps, but not the Houk. I have checked the wheel and hub angles and they are the same.

Reno Speedster

I have a full set of wire wheels that I have always believed to be Daytons, since that is what is on the hub caps. Last night, I was reading an article about wire wheels on the northwest vintage speedsters web site that said that Dayton wheels had an upset ring on the outside of the pin holes, which...

Reno Speedster

Still on a quest to find someone to fix it. This is going on a mahogany skiff body speedster with a Rajo BB head and a bunch of other period speed stuff. “Need” is not really the right word for this car. “Cool” is more the name of the game.

Reno Speedster

Thanks for the leads. I have reached out to some other shops and I will reach out to these.

Reno Speedster

A while back I posted about how I was going to make a new set of rear hubs for my 48 spoke pin drive Daytons. I included some pictures but I thought I would show the finished articles along with the rebuilt front hubs. I made the hubs out of 4130 and the pins out of hardened 416 stainless. Instead o...

Reno Speedster

Sorry fellas, it is an original Boyce MotoMeter brand water temp gauge that goes on the dashboard or steering column. It has a tube that runs from the sensor to the gauge. Here is a picture.

Williamson’s is not in California, so I don’t think that is the issue.

Reno Speedster

Williamson’s instruments inc. just sent me the original MotoMeter water temp gauge I sent them a few months back because they can no longer get the gas needed to fix it. It is a lovely gauge but does not work. If Williamson’s can’t do it I am not sure who can.

Reno Speedster

Kevlar is a brand name for the material the bands are made from. As you say, different companies weave the bands, which means the are likely variations in the final product. I am just wondering if there is a meaningful difference between the available bands. I have Kevlar bands in my 22 but I don’t ...

Reno Speedster

I need to buy some Kevlar bands. Are they all the same or are some better than others?

Reno Speedster

I have one (for which I made a new brass Venturi) but I have not put it in a car. I was planning on putting it on the speedster I am working on along with a Z head. But, I found a Rajo BB for that car. I thought of putting it and the Z head on my 22, but it runs great now and I am loathe to mix thin...

Reno Speedster

I took the car to a show today and it ran fine with the new needle. As the oldest car there they asked me to park it next to the fire department’s restored 1923 fire engine.

Reno Speedster

Update: I finally had the chance to pull the carburetor and I found it was a simple fix. For some reason the float needle seat had come loose and threaded out. This messed up the float adjustment and jammed the float. The carb is a clean rebuild and everything else was fine. I installed a new full f...

Reno Speedster

I am working on the last things before I can assemble the rolling chassis. The car is lowered, I am building new fenders, and I have a Muncie auxiliary transmission. All of these things complicate the running board brackets. I have a set of 26-27 brackets, but they would place the running board too ...

Reno Speedster

Wow, thank you very much. I will do some study on this, but I warn you, I Al likely to have questions…

Reno Speedster

The short wheelbase world make it a handful to say the least. It looks like a doodle bug or something modern.

Reno Speedster

No, it’s not worn. The shape is uniform and the whole bolt is covered in a black oxide finish. It is also 3/8 fine rather than course. The hole in the frame is still square. I suspect it is an aftermarket replacement done when a broken leaf was replaced. The original style bolts are not available at...

Reno Speedster

I am reassembling my 26-27 rear spring pack and this is the bolt that came out of it. It’s a square head but the tall tip is coned, maybe to make it easier to get in the hole. It’s clearly a specialized bolt but different than the square ones that are advertised as “authentic.” Just wondering if it’...

Reno Speedster

Great, thanks!

Reno Speedster

Sorry, I have been in the field for a bit and not checking. I want to keep a 6 volt system on the car and would like to keep points.

Reno Speedster

I have not had a chance to take it apart yet. I got a new float, needle, seat, and gasket set but I am waiting for a full flow valve to come before I dive in. While I have it out I am going to replace the freeze plugs and maybe install a Z head I have on the speedster engine, which is getting a Rajo...

Reno Speedster

I am looking for any information on the wiring for using a Nissan twin spark distributor on a Bosch front plate setup. I have one of the distributors, the gears to reverse the rotation, and the front plate set up. It’s about time to get the thing together. Does anyone have a wiring diagram? Can I ma...

Reno Speedster

Not a huge deal since it occurred pretty close to home when I had a lot of help. The fuel system is very clean (no rust in the tank, rebuilt NH carb etc.). It has been a couple of years but not that many miles since I had the carb out. The tank is full, which may be contributing to the issue (pressu...

Reno Speedster

I went out tonight for dinner with the car club and my 22 conked out as I pulled into the parking lot. It has spark and compression so it is a fuel issue. Turns out my NH carb was pouring out gas. I tapped it and the fuel stopped. Then I could start it and it would run fine but would conk out after ...

Reno Speedster

I like the one that runs off the fan hub. That would be a simple way to do it and using a rubber drive rather than the belt would be simple. I would need to do some calculations to get the ratio right. The mounting is pretty easy as well. The only difference is I am using the 1926 water outlet/fan h...

Reno Speedster

I have a great old tachometer that reads in hundreds of RPMs that I am using on my speedster. A while back I saw a tachometer drive that ran off the fan belt in a picture of an English car, but I can’t find the picture and have never seen another. Have any of you made, used, or seen a belt driven ta...

Reno Speedster

If it is still available, I will take it.

Reno Speedster

Sent you a message

Reno Speedster

Getting ready to paint my brake drums. I would think a high temp paint would be a benefit. Does anyone have a recommendation on a good paint to use?

Reno Speedster

I have cleaned up the rear springs and need to paint them. I can’t find any graphite paint up here in Alaska and it would be expensive to ship some up as it is hazmat. What would be a good alternative choice of paint?

Reno Speedster

ModelTRanch.com Has the cast brackets that clamp around the axle housing, you have to drill mounting bolt holes and of course add your own cross bar. A length of steel rod is all that is needed. 1046-500 Truss clamping brackets not drilled (set of 2) $66.00[ /b] Put a set on my '12 project open exp...

Reno Speedster

As the title says, I am looking for a rear axle brace that will fit on a 26-27 rear end. Let me know if you have one and what you would like for it.

Reno Speedster

I am looking for a couple of loose springs for the nine spring rear axle spring pack for a 1926. I need the spring with the holes for the clips and the one above that. One is missing and the other is bent in the set I have.

Reno Speedster

I am looking to make a spare tire mount for a 48 spoke Dayton wire wheel. I would like to use a Dayton hubcap to hold the wheel on. Does anyone have a spare hubcap they are willing to part with? It does not matter if it’s left or right hand thread.

Reno Speedster

Art,
Thanks for the photos. I sent you a reply to your PM. I will take it and will let you know if I need the eccentric. I might have one and need to check.

Reno Speedster

Is there a difference in rear spring heights between years? I am putting the 26 speedster together and am sorting out ride height.

Reno Speedster

It looks like the one without the bolt hole is in the best shape. Can you send me a picture of the inside?

Reno Speedster

I am looking for a really good 26-27 water outlet/fan mount. I want to mount a fitting for a period Motometer water temp sensor in it. I have a couple of them, but they have a bit too much rust inside for what I need. If I can’t find a good original, I can use one of the brass repros.

Reno Speedster

Which Dan and about what? First I heard about the straps being in the wrong place.

Reno Speedster

I loosened the rear straps and punched another hole on the windshield straps. When it was in the right place I used a heat gun to gently warm up the back panel of the top. Sadly, we are short of sunny days up here this summer. Looks like it’s in about the right place now.

Reno Speedster

Does it look like the top is in the right place in relation to the windshield?

Reno Speedster

Hey Dan. It’s a 22 runabout. Here are a couple of shots of it. You can see the flaps on the top. Looking at it, it looks like it’s coming down enough in front. Maybe the rear straps are too tight.

Reno Speedster

There are a couple flaps at the front of my top that look like they should attach somehow to the top of the windshield, but I don’t see how. When I drive with the top up, the wind lifts the top a bit and the wind blows over windshield.

Reno Speedster

I have a set of Dayton wheels that I am going to use on my 26 speedster. The pins were really worn and there was some wear to the holes. To fix this I made new slightly larger pins and cut the holes to fit. To make sure I cut the holes in the right position, I made a jig that aligned to the center o...

Reno Speedster

I drove it to dinner tonight and it ran great. I will do a more precise check on the timing tomorrow, and I still intend to rebuild the coil box, but it’s night and day from where it was. Thanks to everyone for the tips.

Reno Speedster

I had a bit of an issue fitting the Anderson, so I fitted a cast iron one that used a roller. I need to check the timing, but it runs better than it did already.

Reno Speedster

This is what I have now.

Reno Speedster

I got into the car today. I have spark on all plugs. I pulled the plugs and they were fuzzy with soot. I cleaned the plugs and adjusted the carb. The packing nut was too loose and was allowing the needle to thread out and get richer. I pulled the timer and found it was quite worn. The roller was als...

Reno Speedster

Thanks guys. I was adjusting the bands after a previous misguided attempt to adjust them by the book. In retrospect, I should have left them alone as it was doing fine. I have been trying to get back to a good adjustment ever since. A miss sounds promising. I had it backfire, which would be consiste...

Reno Speedster

I just got my 22 out for the first time this year and I am having an odd problem. It’s running a bit rougher than normal but accelerated ok in low. But when I shift to high it lags and there seems to be a bit of a shudder. I adjusted the bands the other day to get just a touch more bight on the low ...

Reno Speedster

Not sure what it is, but it’s not a Dayton for a Model T (I just rebuilt mine).

Reno Speedster

I am looking for a good coil box lid for my 1922 . Let me know what you have and and want for it.

Reno Speedster

I got the reamer from a company called XKUT, here is there information: Phone: 717-362-4181 Web: www.xkutusa.com Email: xkutusa@outlook.com It is a 1 1/2 inch per foot taper. They make two sizes of this but one is too small in dia. for the T hub and the other (a #6925 in their catalogue) a bit too l...

Reno Speedster

I am an archaeologist be trade and was doing some testing on a 1920s homestead on Joint base Elenforf-Richardson up here in Alaska. One of my techs found the end of a steel rod poking straight up beside a buried log cabin wall. I took one look at the inch or two sticking out of the ground and said “...

Reno Speedster

I have a set of Dayton 48 spoke pin drive wheels but the tapers in the rear hubs were bad. I want to use the wheels on my 26 speedster so I decided to make some new hubs. I have a Grizzly lathe and Precision Mathiews mill and enjoy making things. I found some inexpensive 4130 bar and plate that I ha...

Reno Speedster

Good lord, no I didn’t know that! It never dawned on me that it would be anything but a water passage. A good idea wasted. No worries, I will come up with something else. Maybe make a custom top tube with a fitting for the sensor.

Reno Speedster

The screws were what I had on hand for the photos. No way they go on the car.

Reno Speedster

I got a really nice original Boyce Motometer water temp gauge to go in the dash on my speedster project. The sensor on these is different than modern water temp sensors in that they are not water tight. They had a special sensor mount that they went in. I wanted to make a mount to attach it to the i...

Reno Speedster

I did talk with Kevin and he was very helpful. As I recall, this is not a rim he normally makes. I got caught up some other tasks and let this slip for a while, I should talk with him again.

Reno Speedster

Sadly, there are very few nice sets of original rims for Dayton wire wheels. I have 5 original wheels and a set of hubs, but the nipples are stuck on the spokes, and some of the rims are in poor condition. I have rebuilt the front hubs and am making new rear ones. I want to put new rims and spokes o...

Reno Speedster

Man you are not kidding! What a pain.

Reno Speedster

These are new rims and spokes from Vintage Rims Australia for a set of 48 spoke Dayton wire wheels. The price is good, but I don’t know what the import Tariff issues are. There is a US-Australia import agreement but looking at the website gets confusing really fast.

Reno Speedster

I am looking at getting a set of rims from Australia. Does anyone have experience doing this? What was the import / duty process like?

Reno Speedster

I will take that. I will send you a pm.

Reno Speedster

Let me get this straight. The fitting shown goes in a hole in the top hose and provides a place for the capillary “bulb” to go, correct? How does the fitting seal? How is it held in place? I just got one of this type of Boyce Motometer gauge and am looking at how to mount the sensor. I have a Rajo B...

Reno Speedster

I started the dash a while back and it’s been a fun project for when I don’t have time or energy for working on big things. It has a Waltham 8 day car clock, a Stewart speedo, an American Bosh ignition, a vintage Victometer (Jos. W. jones) tach that reads to 3,500 RPM, an on/off ignition switch, an ...

Reno Speedster

I am using a thin birch ply for strength overlaid with thin strips of mahogany. I have a pile of old mahogany that was used for wainscoting. It’s not the lightest way to build it, but it will be strong.

Reno Speedster

I got my 22 from a friend in Nevada, but it was in storage in California. I took it to Tacoma and had it shipped to Alaska. It was not running at the time so I needed some help getting it on and off the trailers. A new battery, an oil change, and some new gas and I had it running enough to drive it ...

Reno Speedster

I have the body frame done but it’s not skinned yet. It is going to use wider strips (3-4 inches wide). I had to work out some mechanical things before finishing the body, but I am getting back to it. Here are a couple of shots of the body frame.

Reno Speedster

Thanks for posting the picture, I should have done that. It’s an old stage station on the route over San Marcos Pass. One of my ancestors worked at one of the other stations (Cold Spring Tavern) on that route during the stagecoach days.

Reno Speedster

I got caught by a guy offering to sell me a hinge I posted a WTB for on this forum. He started acting hinky and asked me to send him a picture of the check. I looked up his address and it’s an apartment building in Brooklyn. I discovered that he has been scamming people on other forums. Fortunately,...

Reno Speedster

Mattie’s tavern is still in Los Olivos. It’s part of a much fancier complex now in the California wine country. I like the way it looked back then better. I grew up in Santa Barbara and my uncle lived in Los Olivis when I was little.

Reno Speedster

Yeah, they came out ok. I am waiting for slitting saw for the mill and the black oxide solution to finish them up. This has been a really long running project (I started it back in grad school 20 years or so ago and I am looking forward to getting it done. It’s going to be a mahogany skiff body car ...

Reno Speedster

I am using model A style steering ends on my 26 speedster project, but needed to get some more clearance between the tie-rod and the radius rods. The most elegant way to do it was use an offset tie-rod end. I didn’t find what I wanted so I made them out of a bar of 4130. They use the standard model ...

Reno Speedster

I sent you an email Ken.

Reno Speedster

Thanks Mike

Reno Speedster

Thanks Ken, send me a message with the price. If I can’t find a single, buying a pair might be the way to go.

Reno Speedster

I have seen that done before.

Reno Speedster

The seats are entirely custom and I will be doing the upholstery myself using traditional methods. In part this is because I live in Alaska so finding someone to do it would be tough. But, the other part is because I want to do it myself (as I have done with the rest of the car). I think there would...

Reno Speedster

Leather would be nice, but, the T was an economy car, so the fake leather is more appropriate.

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