MTFCA Forum

Well, I went and did it - I bought the Flanders 20 that was advertised in the HCCA classifieds, see the attached pics. The Flanders 20 was built by EMF as a direct competitor to the Model T Ford, but Ford just lowered his prices to maintain his market dominance. The original cars came with a terribly fragile two-speed transaxle, but were recalled by the factory and fitted with a stronger three-speed unit. Late in 1912, Studebaker absorbed EMF and all subsequent EMF and Flanders cars were re-badged as Studebakers. This car has a New Jersey title saying it is a 1911, but it is likely a 1912 model.

Wow, that's is fantastic. I hope you enjoy it and tell us more when fun things happen.
Rich

More pics of the Flanders 20.

Hi Mark.
Love your Flanders 20. My first job would be to turn the cooling fan around. I feel it is on backwards and you could end up with a sizable gouge in your 109 year old radiator.....What do they want for the High wheel buggy in the museum photo?? ... N.

Thanks for the tip, I will check it when the car arrives. The car runs, but I plan to go over it thoroughly before I start it the first time.

Here is a link to their website. I don't see the high wheeler listed in their current offerings, maybe they're just storing it for the owner. You could contact them directly about it.

https://dragoneclassic.com/

Last batch of pics.

Great looking car Mark ! I gotta love a car with my name on it.

Wow! What a car! I like all the stuff in the background as well.

I knew I recognized a car in the background. See that Fiat with the big number 20-B on the grill? Now look at the pictures that I posted of the AACA event in PA. That's a cool collection of cars.

That's cool! Thank you for showing us and I'm with Rich, show us more when you can play around with it!

I starred at that ad for a long time. That was a great deal. If I did not already have an EMF as well as my Model T torpedo, I would have bought it. It looks like a good, honest car. Congratulations on your purchase. You did well.

Here is another Flanders that recently sold. There are some good photos for reference. Looks like the fan is in the same position as yours, so it is probably correct. I remember this particular car when I was really young. It was owned by a neighbor in San Pedro, California named Ralph Cherry who was a HCCA national president back in the sixties or seventies. It was one of the first old cars I was ever given a ride in.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25839/ ... egory=list

Thanks for the kind words. I wired the money to Dragone Motors on Friday, I'm assuming that they'll let me know next week when the car will ship.

I've been studying up on the dual ignition system for the car. It should have a Splitdorf low tension magneto with points and a separate, tubular coil. The secondary current from the coil then gets sent to a distributor for distribution to the spark plugs.

I'll post more pictures when the car arrives.

I think I may have figured out why the fan looks like it is on backwards. Looking at the EMF 30 website specifications page, it says that the EMF 30's magneto and water pump are gear driven off the crankshaft and that the fan is belt driven off the water pump. If the Flanders 20 is the same, then the magneto and water pump spin opposite the direction of the crankshaft. Since the fan is belt driven off the water pump, then it would spin opposite the direction of the crankshaft as well.

The large cylindrical item on the dash is the Splitdorf combination battery/magneto switch and coil. Apparently the coil part of it isn't currently working, because the car has a modern coil mounted low on the engine. There are several exchange services advertised on Ebay that take your coil in exchange for a rewound one.

MARK.
I realise that the fan is rotating in the opposite direction than on a normal car (MODEL "T") by the fact that the fan is driven by a pulley mounted above the centreline of the crankshaft, that is gear driven camshaft .... but if the camshaft is driven by chain then the fan would be the same as a Model T.
That being said, my concern is that the fan (COULD) be on backwards which could allow the fan blade tip and/or the pointy end to dig into your 109years old radiator.....N.

I found one of those fans on one of my rust hunting forays. Were these
used on other cars of the day ?

Turning the fan around does not change the direction it pushes the air. It may or may not alter the effectiveness of pushing the air depending upon blade design. Many fans have defining leading and trailing edges, or differing blade angles for the leading edge relative to the trailing edge. Your Flanders fan looks pretty symmetrical. Not much difference in the blades front to back. As long as there is adequate clearance to the radiator core, it is probably okay.
Beautiful car!

Burger, Maxwell and REO used fans like that for a time. I'm sure there were others. This one is Maxwell. This one is REO

Fellows,
Please take notice what Wayne has said up to the statement that "Your Flanders fan looks pretty symmetrical" to the end-"It is probably ok".....Probably OK ???????---- Come on Wayne.
Lets hope that the trailing edge of that fan does not get the chance to dig into that 109 year old radiator.
I have had both fans get the chance to plough forward at speed on two different $90,000 1913 Crossley's. On one, the mounting shaft fatigue cracked and the fan assembly went for a walk, the other car had a fan blade fatigue crack and when it went into orbit it bent another blade into the core but luckily pinged the drive belt off because I never run tight belts. I was very lucky with little radiator damage to both my 107year old rads........N..

Cool car! I am sure you have but just in case you have not; In Henry's Wonderful Model T, by Floyd Clymer, is the story about his brother and him attempted trip from Denver to Spokane in a Flanders 20. I think the transmission gave out several times. The factory pulled the plug so had to cut the trip short. Too much bad press with the broken parts.

You can put a fan on backwards and the blades will still be pitched the same direction. Wayne is correct.

Ha..ha.,
Someone else is thinking before they post, It's good to see this happening....
Just read my concern re the fan blade COULD be on backwards thus allowing the rear pointy end to really tear into that 109year old RADIATOR if it decides to go walkabout.
Around the other way the blades may just skid over the fins and a little solder is required for a repair and avoid an expensive new non era radiator core rebuild.....
Wayne's post explained the air flow well, but I didn't agree with His ..the pointy end of the blade leading the direction being OK....IT will dig in....N.

SOME fans, have a leading or cutting edge that would be flatter and do less damage to the radiator if the bracket were to break. And, SOME fans from the brass era with the steel circle/rim are cut in such a way that if the bracket were to break, the circle/rim would skid almost harmlessly on the fins of the radiator. However, THIS fan has the rim/circle roughly centered on the blades, which cut back almost as much as they do forward. No matter which way the fan is mounted, it will have sharp corners pointing forward toward the radiator. Some fans have hubs, bushings, or brackets that dictate which way the fan will have to be installed. I am not familiar enough with the Flanders to know what to expect there. I do know that they can be fun little cars and do well on HCCA tours if they are well enough sorted and things are working properly.
I had seen the for sale listing for this car and thought what a nice car it would be to have!

Tempering the entire fan assembly in a vanadium vapor chamber will
remove all concern for breakage, and subsequent damage to the radiator.

Well, the car showed up today, hooray! See attached pics. I won't be starting the car anytime soon and I'll be sure to check the fan to see if turning it around would provide more clearance to the radiator before I attempt to run the engine.

Initial activity will center around taking hundreds of pictures and doing research to figure out exactly what I have that is original and what isn't. The Splitdorf Model D magneto must not be working because the car is configured to run on a 6V group 1 battery under the seat, with a modern 6V coil bolted to the side of the engine. The car would have originally run on the magneto with 6V dry cells for starting and emergency get-home capability. The large combination coil/switch on the dash is probably incorrect too, the car should have a Splitdorf wooden coil box with a single, high tension coil/condenser and no points (the points are in the magneto).

I managed to obtain modern reprints of the user manual and parts catalog for the car. Diabolically, the spark and hand throttle controls are reverse from a Model T, so it will be very confusing. The shifter for the three speed transaxle uses a standard H pattern. There is a foot throttle button between the clutch and brake pedals.

I can only imagine how thrilling it must be to have it home.
Thanks for letting us enjoy it with you.
Rich

Quite the puddle under there ! I see the Flanders leaks cardboard !

** Nice! **

Yes, there's a puddle! It's engine oil. The oil pan has two drain valves at its bottom and one of them is leaking slowly. Just one of hundreds of things that need to be fixed. The oiling system is very odd, it is splash like the Model T, but there is a large oil reservoir with a sight glass cast into the side of the engine block that supplies extra oil to the pan via some kind of vacuum system as needed.

Well, there might be oil. I was referring to the square puddle of cardboard that
has neatly formed under the car ! My truck isn't nearly so neat and tidy.

LOL, sorry it passed right over me the first time. The cardboard is a reflex action, I put it under all my cars. Looks like that one fitting is the only leak so far. I checked the gas tank and it is empty. I saw a couple drops of coolant hanging from the underside of the car, but it hasn't dripped onto the cardboard yet.

Well it is nice your new car came equipped with some future projects. How do you really get to know a car without some adjustments. The clean cardboard as well as the colorful carpet at it's former home reflect that the leaks are not massive.
Assessing the condition of card board and juggling from under car to car is a familiar sport that I enjoy. My cars haven't provided their own yet.
Rich

That’s a really neat car Mark. Please keep us updated on your progress getting it sorted out.

Like the colors! The cream color under the fenders, while sure it will show the dirt on the underside, it will also reflect light so you can see to work under there.

Beautiful car. Keep posting updates please.

Here are a few more pics of the car as I go over it more carefully. It's definitely a "20 footer", it has suffered 100 years of patching up and making do. It has its original Splitdorf Model D low tension magneto with a separate switch/coil/condenser unit, but they must not work because the car was rigged up to run off of a 6 volt group 1 battery under the seat. I pulled up (actually unscrewed) the floor boards and they are a mix of original wood and multiple later patches and fabrications. The wood firewall has had several extraneous holes cut in it over the years. It is missing its original brass serial/body number plate. There are at least two fuel lines that run forward from the area of the gas tank, then end in mid-air, so they will be removed and a proper fuel line run.

On the advice of another member, I put some MMO into the cylinders using the priming cups, left the cups open to relieve the compression, then turned the engine over multiple times with the crank, it turns well and sounds like it will have good compression when the cups are closed. It will be a while before I try to start it, I want to get the original ignition system working properly first.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the car. I'm going to leave the body and paint work intact, just clean it up. The original leather and horsehair upholstery won't hold up long with use, so I'll probably remove it at some point so that it can be used as patterns for making new replacements from "distressed looking" leather. The top is fine, just needs a good cleaning.

Is the red/cream paint scheme original ?

Probably not, but I haven't rubbed through an inconspicuous spot yet to reveal the sequence of colors.

Your restraint is great! I would have had that sucker running the day I got it or at least the next! No way in He-double hockey sticks I could wait.

Looking at the photos, Mark, it appears that your Flanders is more heavily built than a T. Does the car's weight confirm this ? It just looks more robust to me.

Dick

Flanders used 27% more robust than comparable Fords.

Yes, the Flanders drivetrain certainly looks more beefy than a Model T. I'll have to measure the frame rails to see if the chassis itself is beefier. The brakes are certainly bigger! I'll look through my manuals and online to see if I can find a manufacturer's quoted shipping weight.

One piece of bad news - I saw another Splitdorf Model D low tension magneto on Ebay, so I bought it for a spare. It arrived today with the main casting broken in shipping. Such a shame, it survived over 100 years only to be broken in 2020. I will pursue compensation from the seller or Ebay.

Burger in Spokane wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:33 pm

Flanders used 27% more robust than comparable Fords.

How much does a percent of robust weigh ? I never was good at metric.

Dick

Two words: Argentina !

Sure disgusting that that magneto got broken that way. Proper packing should have protected it, anything short of run over or thrown from the moving truck. It looks like it may have some really nice pieces though. Maybe at least some of the pieces can be used to fix up the car's magneto?
I really do like that car!

I sent the seller a message and pics of the damage, we'll see what he/she says. As you said, if nothing else it can be a source of parts.

It's a Splitdorf Model D low tension magneto, in case someone here has one they'd be willing to sell.

Good news, the seller has asked me to return the damaged magneto for a full refund, so I'm processing the return through Ebay.

The spare switch/coil/condenser unit showed up today in good condition, I'll do some electrical tests on it to see if it's any good. If not, there are several services that offer rewound coils for these units. If the condenser is bad, the available "orange drop" units will work. From my research, a value of 0.15 to 0.22 microfarads is a good number. This is somewhat lower than the 0.47 microfarad units used on Model T coils.

Here are some more pics. The weird unit on the dash to the right side of the magneto coil isn't connected to anything, but from the pipe fittings on it it must have been part of the fuel system at one time. I have removed it for now.

My arms and hands are sore from cleaning and scrubbing the drivetrain and undercarriage of the car, everything is caked with dirty, heavy grease.

I did take time off from cleaning to pull a spark plug, boy did I get a surprise! The plugs are 1/2 inch pipe thread with a short reach, but four ground electrodes surrounding the center electrode. From the color, it looks like the plug is firing well. It will certainly be a challenge finding more of these!

Every collector car acquisition has its share of "horrors" that need to be corrected. Well, I found the first "horror" on the Flanders 20 today, involving the engine. I saw this hardware store U-bolt and bracket when I first got the car, but thought it was just a cobble job somebody did to install a long-gone accessory. No problem, when I get some time I'll remove it.

Mistake! That U-bolt and bracket are helping to hold the hand crank snout in place on the front of the engine block. It seems the stock bottom two housing bolts are broken off in the block, allowing the snout to lift up when you pull on the hand crank. :O

So, I re-installed the bracket for now, it's plenty strong. At some time when the engine comes out I'll remove the bracket and fix the hand crank snout correctly.

Considering the hardware store bracing on the front of the crank snout, and how hard it is to crank the engine (makes me wonder what its compression ratio is), I've started thinking about rigging up a Cub Cadet or other lawn tractor starter/generator to drive the flywheel via a belt. Does anyone here have experience with such a setup? How did it work out?

Update - Santa was very good to me in 2020, I managed to find a correct set of E&J side lamps, E&J tail lamp and reproduction Neverout license bracket, E&J acetylene generator, and Splitdorf transformer box for the Flanders 20. The red button on the coil box switch makes and breaks the primary current to the coil to facilitate "free starts" on battery. Once the car starts on battery, the switch is moved to "MAG" for running on the magneto.


The car looks much better with its "bling" added back on!

I have a reproduction of the correct generator water tank cap on the way from Lang's. I ordered one of their acetylene fitting and hose kits, but it is currently on back order. R.V. Anderson tapped one of his friends to get me an original key for the coil box (thanks, R.V.!)

Nice-looking bling! RV found me a nice reproduction Splitdorf plate like the one on your coil box lid if you get to that point. I'd never heard of the "red Button" before. That is brilliant! I always like E&J. Worked over a few so it's nice to see those.
Lots of fun to see!
Thanks
Rich

Beautiful! Be careful...Lizzie gets jealous. Jim Patrick

I removed the top, then tore the upholstery out of it today and boxed it up to send to Elizabeth at Class-it-Up for use as patterns. Now gluing round toothpicks in all of the holes left by the tacks. The body wood and brackets are in amazing shape. I'm on my tablet right now, but I'll edit this post tomorrow with pictures.

Are you going to to name your car "Ned" by any chance?

Yes, I already did!

With the top removed as a unit and the upholstery out, I decided to work on the floor boards. The original boards were split in several places, chopped full of holes, and had patches on top of patches, so I decided to make new boards out of premium 5/8 plywood for better strength in all directions. I also found the correct mount for my Jones speedometer and mounted it to the dash.

Too much fun! What a great way to spend time.
Thanks for the update.
Rich

I took the lower windshield of the Flanders to the local glass shop yesterday to have the laminated glass replaced, it had cracks in both lower corners. I also took my spare E&J side lamp door to a jewelry repair shop, it needs to have its closing clasp fittings moved so that it will fit on the opposite side of the car. Luckily, the hinge side of the door is identical from side to side. I also gave him my original door (with its cracked glass) to use as a guide for making the modifications to the spare door with good glass.

With the floor boards done and the interior out at Classtique, I decided to tackle the cobbled-up fuel system on the Flanders today. The mangled fuel line came out easily enough, but I had to remove the Rayfield carburetor and intake manifold as a unit, and to get them out, I had to also remove the exhaust manifold. Luckily, everything came apart without breaking any bolts. The ports are huge compared to my Model T’s, it’s hard to believe that this thing was rated at the same 20 horsepower.

With the manifolds and carburetor off, I at least have easy access to the Splitdorf Model D low tension magneto and spark plug wires, so I’m going to start looking them over to make sure I have all the parts and things are hooked up correctly (I have a reprint of the original owner’s manual and parts manual showing how everything is supposed to be wired up).

I really hadn't planned to tear things down this far at this time, but it kind of snowballed.

Well it's no wonder why you're having issues with this car someone stuffed the engine full of rags!

Making good progress on the Flanders:

Another Flanders owner has offered to sell me his spare original carburetor (see pic), so I won't have to run the massive Rayfield with a manifold adapter and its clunky hot air intake shroud and tube.

I found a new 2 inch aluminized steel exhaust pipe with a section that matches the bend in my existing headpipe. Not only will it look better, it will allow me to get rid of the bulky add-on cutout.

The beveled glass in the door of one of my E&J side lights was cracked. I found another door with good glass, but it turned out to be for the other side of the car. The hinge side of the doors are the same from side to side, but the clasp sides are mirror images. So, I took it and the original door to a jewelry repair shop to see if he could cut off and re-braze the clasp fittings to match my original door. He did a great job, after a little filing and polishing the door fit perfectly and looks like it was always there.

Strange carburetor Mark.
I 'm glad to see the progress. That's what I should be doing.
Rich

This car must have originally come with a linked fan belt - I couldn't find a belt long enough to slip over the fan that was also short enough to tighten up once installed. Luckily, a seller on Ebay offered up three linked belts in the correct 3/4 inch width, so I snagged them. I had to shorten them by removing the links on one side, cutting the belt shorter, then re-attaching the links, but I ended up with three belts that can be slipped around the pulleys, then linked up.

The Flanders uses a low tension magneto and a coil box for the ignition, but the owner had the option of hooking up four phone batteries in series to provide 6V to the coil box for starting. I found an original battery box on Ebay, and a seller that makes replicas of the old-time phone batteries. Each replica takes two "D" size modern batteries in parallel that fit inside the replica case. Several brand labels are available. I bought four of the replica batteries as shown to fit in the original battery box.

Update - Only three of the reproduction batteries fit in the box, the box isn't quite wide enough for four. If I end up using this setup, I'm going to have to trim the cases of the two outer batteries so that all four will fit. It's unfortunate, but it won't impact the function, as the D-cells fit in a holder that slips inside the outer battery case.

CudaMan wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 28, 2020 3:55 pm

Update - Santa was very good to me in 2020, I managed to find a correct set of E&J side lamps, E&J tail lamp and reproduction Neverout license bracket, E&J acetylene generator, and Splitdorf transformer box for the Flanders 20. The red button on the coil box switch makes and breaks the primary current to the coil to facilitate "free starts" on battery. Once the car starts on battery, the switch is moved to "MAG" for running on the magneto.


The car looks much better with its "bling" added back on!

I have a reproduction of the correct generator water tank cap on the way from Lang's. I ordered one of their acetylene fitting and hose kits, but it is currently on back order. R.V. Anderson tapped one of his friends to get me an original key for the coil box (thanks, R.V.!)

The red button is not exactly for free starts, but sort of... The button, in conjunction with the odd looking valve on the dash, to the right of the ignition coil, is part of a Prest-O-Start system. The idea is that when you open the valve on the dash, it lets acetylene gas into the cylinders, (from the Prest-o-lite tank). Pushing the button fires a plug, igniting the acetylene, and you're off and running.... or you've blown the cylinder jugs clean off the crankcase. In other words, don't use it as it was intended.

As for the magneto, Overlands used a Splitdorf Model O. Almost none of them work anymore due to pot metal issues. I believe someone has made new castings for the Model O. Hopefully, the Model D does not have these issues! If you can't get your Model D to work, consider the tried & true Bosch DU4D, which was made to run as a mag, or along with an ignition coil, just like the Splitdorf unit. (The "D" suffix in DU4D stands for "Dual")

Good to know Jerry, thanks! I wondered about that odd valve, I don't plan to re-install it.

Update - I did re-install it just to plug up the holes in the dash. I don't plan to plumb it or use it. One of my cylinder jugs has a weld repair at the base, maybe the acetylene starter system was to blame some time in the past! :O

Work continues on the Flanders. The windshield glass had been replaced with laminated glass some time in the past, but the lower section was cracked, so I sent it off to the local glass shop to have it replaced with new laminated glass.

I rebuilt the OEM carburetor that I got from Daryl Kemerer and re-installed the manifolds with a new 2" pipe to the muffler so that I could eliminate the cutout.

I have also replaced all of the wiring per the diagram in the owner's manual. The car would have originally had a bank of four telephone batteries in series for starting, then be switched over to the low tension magneto and transformer box for running.

I found a telephone battery case on Ebay and a vendor that sells reproduction batteries. The repro batteries are designed to each hold two "D" cells wired in parallel. Wiring four such batteries in series gives 6 volts for starting. Unfortunately, the repro batteries are a little too big for all four to fit inside the original box, so I'll have to trim two of the battery cases to allow them all to fit. You won't be able to tell once they're in the box.

It certainly is BUSY on that side of the engine!

There's an oil cup where the rear spring "shackle" would be on some cars. Is there also an oiled trunnion/rotating joint at the front of the trans-axle to allow movement as the springs flex?
I also wonder if that's Flanders own cooling fan or if it's an Oakes fan from Indianapolis built for Flanders.
Very interesting thread! Thank you!

Looks like you are shaping that car up nicely!

Yes, most of the action on the engine is on the magneto side. The other side is pretty plain. The Flanders has an unusual oiling system. It's still splash like the Model T, but the sump has two drains with stand pipes in them. If you open the drains, the oil level in the sump drops to the level of the stand pipes. To drain all the oil, you have to remove the drain fittings. There is a remote oil reservoir cast into the side of the crankcase that holds an extra 2 quarts of oil. This oil is fed via vacuum to the sump to maintain the proper level as oil is used/lost. The reservoir has a sight glass to show the reserve level. One interesting feature (?) of the Flanders engine is that the crank runs on only two main bearings, there is no middle bearing.

The steering box is worm and sector. The drag link and tie rod are much beefier than typical Model T and they have spring loaded ball cups on the ends, like a Model A Ford.

Up to maybe 1926, the Dodges did not have a drain in the pan. You disconnected the oil pump feed line and removed the pickup screen, which was held in the side of the pan with two bolts, to drain the oil. Guess they figured, it would be a good time to check/clean the screen at the oil change to make sure it was not plugged from all that gunk dropping to the bottom of the pan when using non detergent oil! LOL
You are really making progress! Thanks for keeping us posted.

Really enjoying this thread. Always learning new things and wishing !

I finished up and installed the OEM Flanders carburetor yesterday. Now I need to find a throttle arm that will clamp securely onto the 1/4 inch throttle torque rod and of the correct length to provide full travel from Idle to wide open without binding. I have a few candidates on order from Speedway Motors, they are made for Stromberg 97 carbs but will hopefully be close enough that I can modify them to fit.

Flanders provided multiple ways to provide a richer mixture for cold starts. There is a standard manual choke in the aluminum intake pipe, a "tickler" that depresses the float to flood the carb, and priming cups on the top of each cylinder!

Heck even the 22 Dodge engine I have still had priming cups on the head.

I fabbed up the throttle linkage using an aluminum arm from Speedway Motors designed for used with multiple Stromberg 97 setups. The current setup barely has enough travel to go from Idle to full throttle. I wish I could shorten the OEM long rod that goes from one side of the firewall to the other, but it isn't adjustable. I'm going to continue to explore other options.

Great work Mark. Along with the progress and details I have been enjoying those tubular supports running parallel to the frame rails. They and their pivot posts sprouting from them and connections are such an unexpected treat to see.
Getting a glimpse of other makes of that era only enhances the Model T experience.
Thanks for your time to share and photography.
Rich

The tubular supports were an advertised feature of the Flanders 20. The entire power unit attaches to the tubes and the tubes are attached to the rest of the chassis with four bolts. The idea was that the engine and its accessories could be quickly removed as a unit and worked on outside the car.

See the section "Unit Assembly" in the attached brochure (it is a Word document):

Yesterday I installed a new 1/4 inch steel fuel line. The sediment bulb looks home made, but is serviceable. I installed a second shutoff valve close to the carb so that I can shut off the fuel without crawling under the car.

I also removed, cleaned, and installed the oil tank sight glass with new gaskets. The tank has to be air tight for the vacuum oil feed system to work properly.

Mark,

Is that a gravity flow system like the Model T or does it have a fuel pump?

Keep post about this car please.

I agree with the Kete guy.
Very interesting car to me.

Gravity feed of fuel to the carb. 12 gallon fuel tank behind the cab (torpedo style).

Splash lubrication of the engine, no oil pump. 2 quarts of oil in the sump with another 2 quarts available in the reserve tank.

Gear driven water pump.

I stumbled upon a page on the web that makes me think that my car was used as a "prop" in the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire" several years ago. Except for the color of the top bows, gas tank, and radiator shell, the color scheme matches my car. Also, my car came with two home-made cross braces to help hold the top up, just like the ones in the pictures. Like a dummy, I sent those braces back to Dragone because I was convinced that they didn't go with the car. I sent Dragone an email yesterday asking them to send them back to me if they still have them.

Update - Dragone confirmed that my car was indeed used in "Boardwalk Empire" and will be returning the cross braces. I won't be installing them myself because they aren't OEM Flanders, but they will stay with the car in case some future owner wants to use them.

https://www.imcdb.org/v613013.html

Does that mean if you pass 'GO' you collect two hundred dollars?

I love that car!

I received the new upholstery kit for the Flanders yesterday from Classtique, they used my originals as patterns. They were very generous with extra material and padding so that the pleats will come out fully packed with padding. They used a mix of leather and vinyl to match the original materials. They also included extra material so that I can make new door and footwell panels to match if desired. In the pictures, the seat back is on the floor and the seat base with its extra padding and canvas is on the couch, still wrapped in plastic.

The originals looked OK for a museum static display, but would have fallen apart quickly with any use, so I decided to remove them while they were still intact and good for patterns. I did have Classtique return the originals for future reference.

As per my usual process, I'll be spending a few days spreading out and sorting through everything and coming up with a plan of attack before I dive in to the installation.

You posted a picture of your car in the HBO series. Would that be the proper color combo for the car or did they use a creative license when they painted the fuel tank and radiator shell etc. ? What would the proper colors be?

I think my car has some "artistic license" applied to it. The only color combination mentioned in the 1912 catalog is dark blue body with black fenders and splash shields with cream undercarriage. It mentions a different color scheme for the coupe, which is listed as glossy black with dark green panels.

I'll try to attach a copy of the catalog, but it is a pretty big file. Flanders takes some not-so-subtle swipes at Ford in places.

WOW! Those old catalogs are as delightful as the cars themselves.
Thanks
Rich

While I work up the courage to tackle installing the upholstery kit, I decided to fabricate the acetylene lines and hoses. The tee I bought for the brass lines was too big, it was sized for 1/4" pipe instead of 1/4" tube. I have the correct tee on order and will re-solder the lines when it arrives. I got the brass tube, tee, and red hose from McMaster Carr.

Mark, I have to say this post is one of the few reasons I come to this section, to see how work is progressing. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Thank you to all who continue to express interest!

I have started installing the seat back upholstery kit from Classtique. I was worried about the stability of the three wimpy backrest springs, so I tacked a piece of canvas to the top and bottom of the backrest frame and sewed the tops of the springs to the canvas so that they wouldn't fold over or move around while I was manipulating the upholstery.

I got the seat back centered and tacked it along the bottom, then pulled it forward and up to tighten it and lay it properly against the springs. Next, I will need to tack the center portion of the foundation material to the upper rail, then stuff the upper diamonds and tack the center portion of the outer material to the rail. Classtique supplied plenty of extra cotton stuffing.

There seems to be a lot of extra material on the sides, which probably means I need to pull the cover further back in the corners. I'll continue to pick away at it over the next week or so.

I too keep checking in on your progress! Looking good! I was doing that a bit over a year ago on my 1915 Ford runabout. Fun isn't it. Stretch, pull, move shift, tack, pull, remove tack, shift, tack again. After a couple days? It didn't look too bad.
And I made my upholstery myself using scraps leftover from previous projects.

I worked on the seat back upholstery most of the day today, I got the center part of the back stuffed and tacked, I also finished the sides. I still need to do the hardest part, the corners. Luckily, I still have the original upholstery for reference.

I haven't started on the seat bottom yet, the attached picture shows it in its original upholstery. It is pretty tall, when installed it will cover up the bottom half of the side panels.

My goodness Mark, that upholstery work looks beautiful.

Perhaps you should quit your day job and hang up a new shingle. Bravo!

Thanks! I finished the seat back yesterday, then fetched the top back up from the basement and installed it. I really like how the top's rear curtain has fittings that slide into tabs on the aluminum brackets on the seat rail. Next I need to start on the seat cushion.

Wow, that looks great Mark !!

Time, patience and persistence pays off. Are you going to run out of thing to do?
Great to see.
Rich

Mark,

That car is beautiful and I hope you post a video of it running and you driving it down the street.

After taking a few days off, I started working on installing the Classtique seat cushion kit today. The springs have a 1/8" plywood bottom and two layers of cotton sandwiched between layers of canvas to make a good base for the upholstery. Next I need to make a spring compressor out of some plywood, a board, and a couple pieces of all-thread. This will hold the springs compressed while I attach the sides of the cover to the bottom of the springs.

Here are some more pics of the seat cushion kit installation. All that remains to do now is to trim and hand-sew the bottom cover all the way around (it came sewn in the front).

Now doesn't that look plump! Very nice.

Yeah, that is looking really nice!