MTFCA Forum

No one posting pictures of Hershey? Must not be anything to see there this year.

Nice photo Trent - is that sun-up or sun-down ?

Some pics today as the rain parted some.

Aren't those 1927 X rods & pistons, Dan ?

That coupe on the trailer has a good looking hood. Would you pay for the whole car to get the hood?
Norm

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 05, 2022 2:57 pm

Aren't those 1927 X rods & pistons, Dan ?

Yes, and these have the last design used before the T was obsoleted by Henry, the so-called ‘ tin can pistons’, with unique piston pin.

As for that red hood on the early coupe, it’s pretty bad shape!

A few more…

Dan Treace, Interesting illusion on your earlier photo of a piston and rod? I gather that it is also one of the "tin can" pistons on a T's X-rod? The photo made it look larger and a much longer rod, making me wonder if it could possibly be a piston and rod I need? I need a piston for four inch bore, and a long rod for a small crank pin. I don't offhand recall the length needed for the rod, but it is somewhat more than a foot long!

Thanks Dan T, Rob, Kathy, and others for sharing photos of what we can't go to see.

Rob, What IS that beautiful big dark red runabout you posted a picture of above???

Wayne, I think a 1903 Locomobile.

1940’s (?) Jelfmobile……

quote="Dan Hatch" post_id=247051 time=1664981119 user_id=808]
No one posting pictures of Hershey? Must not be anything to see there this year.
[/quote]

There's a guy here in the Southern California area that has a similar Snap-On Tools International Harvester Metro van similar to the one in the above photo.
The difference in the one here is that it's been completely restored and contains a complete display of period Snap-On tools inside the van. It really is something to see.

Took a lot of good shots of things that caught my eye... mostly original looking vehicles. Here are some of my favorites from this year.

A real cool former painters truck. I think from New Jersey?

Nice Buick Roadster pickup. It drove onto the showfield Friday.

Some random cars including some Steamers at Mark Herman's spot I believe.

Some other cars.. the indy cars were amazing pieces of ART... the outer two cars were What If? Cars... built in a 1930s Indy car's likeness. The middle one had some heritage and was brought back so to speak.

Some other cars, both for sale.

The Buick was in the car coral, and was super original looking and cool. Finishing with some shots from the show. The Blue dodge brother truck is owned by the Dodge collectors club, and was driven in to the show by a local friend of mine. Restoration was about 12 years old. With 7:1 rear end gearing, top speed is a out 20 mph. Making it a nice show piece, but not a very practical driver on contemporary roads.

And finally, my favorite, my own truck. I drove it Wednesday and Thursday to the show as transportation to our swap meet spaces. Was loads of fun, and was good for a conversation piece. We try to always drive an old car or two as transportation to our spaces. Makes the show more fun for everyone.

Thank you Andy! Great pictures!
W2

And Rob posts the first official Jelfie. Congratulations.

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 07, 2022 10:57 pm

Thank you Andy! Great pictures!
W2

You're welcome!

I am not crazy about speedsters but this 1911 Mercer Raceabout intrigued me.

Tourabout wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 08, 2022 7:07 am

I am not crazy about speedsters but this 1911 Mercer Raceabout intrigued me.


C8786C82-9862-4301-8026-70804E055DE7.jpeg

This car is typically at the show... It's a neat car, runs very well. Would love to know if its in as-found condition. Regardless, it's a nice car, just curiosity on my part.

Andy

the 1911 mercer is owned by Fred Houck.. He has a knack of making all of his cars appear as "barn find". It was restored about ten years ago as a perfect car, then the judges told him it was not a real car but a made up one. so the next year he brought it back to the show de-restored as you see it now, and the judges were all beside themselves seeing a barn fresh find.
Harold III

flatbroke3 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 08, 2022 11:04 am

the 1911 mercer is owned by Fred Houck.. He has a knack of making all of his cars appear as "barn find". It was restored about ten years ago as a perfect car, then the judges told him it was not a real car but a made up one. so the next year he brought it back to the show de-restored as you see it now, and the judges were all beside themselves seeing a barn fresh find.
Harold III

That's just awesome... its a beautiful car! What a funny story.

I know a similar story. A person restored a circa 1909 Stanley. Judges told him it was a made up car and not original. He did the same thing to the Stanly. Aged the body and chasis. Broight it the next year to a juding meet and took a top prize for an original car. When I replaced the box on my 1931 wide bed Modal A Ford pickup, I aged the new box to match the rest of the car. The result is an original looking A.

I would sure be curious to know the "real" story behind that Mercer? This whole "real versus fake" thing in early cars has gotten out of hand! Too many "real" cars that suffered abuse, modification, and eventual restoration, are put down as "fakes" while other cars that get recreated by replacing ninety percent of the original car in order to achieve 100 point perfection are draped with laurels at world class concourse shows (I have seen the before during and after photographs of a few of them!). Cars that should have been properly restored to eighty or ninety points using most of the original car are instead expensive copies of themselves.
A lot of cars of the horseless carriage era when restored cannot maintain mostly original material. Stanley Steamers are famous for that. Most intact original cars wound up needing all the wood, upholstery and tires replaced like almost all early cars did. The original sheet metal was thin, simply formed, and exposed to hot steam often. Resultant rust issues deemed many of these pieces beyond salvage. Boilers and burners along with most of the plumbing had to be replaced for safety and reliability reasons. The truth is, how much of that original car is left? And THAT is for what was a survivor original car. No wonder so many people got a Stanley engine and built a car around it using a lot of non-Stanley parts.
Don't get me wrong. I love them and love seeing them any chance I get! And I do not go at them looking for faults. But there is a reality there.

As for Mercer? A bit of a different backstory. Mercer, like its famous adversary Stutz, built a lot of cars other than Bearcats and Raceabouts! Sadly, way too many early hobbyists wanted the Bearcats and Raceabouts. They got the standard roadsters and touring cars, threw the original bodies away, and faked what they wanted. The worst part about that is that great original cars were destroyed instead of preserved. The marque experts today mostly all know the real ones from the fake ones.
Provenance, how well known and how much original versus how much replaced should affect a vehicle's desirability and in turn its value. A car that is somewhat real and well done can represent its history, whether it is 50 percent real, 80 percent real, or only 20 percent real.
While I feel a "crime was committed against history" by trashing a touring car to fake a Raceabout (if that was the case?). And of course in many cases bare chassis were found that had lost their original bodies to the winds of time decades before. The car did not commit that crime. And while I think the best thing would be to somehow if possible replace the original body and return the car to what it really was? Realistically, that isn't going to happen very often. So, better to drive and enjoy the car as it is, and let other people see and experience what the car now represents.
But that is me.

And I have seen pictures of that Mercer before, but still do not know its history?

Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! for all the great photos. Some are wonderful and some go beyond that. I don't know if I will ever get to Hershey but I'm so happy you bring it to me.
What inspiration.
It's fun to read about the Mercer fray and the ongoing search for truth and originality. Being isolated in Idaho keeps me away from most of it. We took the Speedster to a show and then drove the '14 out for some photos. That's good enough for me.
Enjoying the simple life.
Rich

First of 3 Hershey videos

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOPEg_6clA&t=35s

Wow! That was great. Thanks.

Still have the Allen hcct for sale, that's pictured. sold the kr Wilson pictured. donsolcars@comcast.net

Don, I’ve got a guy asking about the coil tester over on my YouTube. What are you asking for the remaining one?

Was Priced at $850 or best offer.


The Allen at $975 or best offer.

Thanks, I'll let him know and see if he's interested

It's now in central illinois. Brought it back home . Still open to offers. Thanks Don donsolcars@comcast.net

Here's a few I snapped. The bike is a very rare Ariel Square Four. We had an identical one (possibly the same one) and sold it for $6000 20 years ago. I thought that was good money then and it probably was. The asking price at Hershey was $20K.

What was price on snowmobile?

$19,900 as pictured I believe.

Apis Mellifera wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 10, 2022 2:58 pm

$19,900 as pictured I believe.

Snowmobiles are so hot right now... even HYMAN LTD had one at their tent for sale.

A chewing rat murdered my wi-fi and I am using a GoConnect hot spot that is ssslllowwwww, but I'll see how far I can get posting pictures.

1931 Buick Series 60 Business Coupe

Left: Jerry Kramer's improved pick-em-up;
Right: George Akin's 1914 runabout/pick-up.

1915 fire wagon from Canada.

The cheap cans were priced at $650. The more expensive ones were $700.

1911 Buick Model 21.

Locomobile.

Chris Paulsen with a 1910 Auburn.


1912 Ford, 1910 Auburn.

1910 Auburn engine.

Rare 1914 wide snout pan.

Very nice 1926 TT. But I don't think any TT is 25 grand nice.

They always have cars for sale at Lang's.

Pierce rumble seat roadster.

MTFCA prez George Akin with Original Smith.

Stu Tomlinson consults the directory for a location.

Jeron Takacs, Dan Treace, Joe Bell.

1903 Locomobile steamer...

...and a couple of Stanleys.

Milford electric.

That's a lot of lead.

Rolls Royce.

Ford Model N.

1911?

How many of these have you seen? 1911 Cutting.

A few racers.

Immaculate 1962 Stude.

1915 Overland Model 82.

Nothing wrong with this one. A beautifully done 1919 Ford Touring.

CDO

And another CDO.

1915 International high wheeler.

I got to meet Jadon Rivard in person. Jadon is an expert on early 19th century daily life, making his own period shoes and clothes, constructing buildings, etc..

Caddy V-16. 1930, I believe.

Kaiser Manhattan, Nash Custom.

Cord.


That's it for now. More later.

Thank You Mr. Jelf for taking the time to include a caption for all your excellent pictures!

Here we go with Thursday's pictures.
Half as many cylinders as yesterday's similar Cadillac.

It seems to me there were more Cadillacs than usual this time.
I think this one is about 1910.

1932 Packard V-12 engine. If I remember correctly the price tag said $19,500.

1931 DeSoto SA roadster, $49,000 OBO.

Ford truck.

Another Caddy. 1910 Model 30.

1903 Cadillac #827.

Model T Times editor Natalie Weaver visits with MTFCA prez George Akin.

1953 Schwinn Black Phantom. The boys' version is scarce, but this girls' bike is even more so.

1910 Maxwell Model Q.

That distinctive dropped-center front axle says Locomobile. This one is 1910.

These start faster than full-size Stanleys.

1915 Chalmers.

1914 Ford with 1921 starter engine.


Some Fords and others.

That's it for Thursday. Tomorrow we'll see a little of the car show.

The Ford listed as an "S" is an Model N. The Model T listed as a possible 1912 is probably an 1911.

Nice work, Steve!

The Green Cadillac is a 1911 model 30 touring car.