MTFCA Forum

I thought this picture might make us think about hand cranking antique cars. Hand cranking is pretty much a Model T thing for the most part. It’s part of Model T lore. But this picture reminds me and probably others that Model T’s weren’t the only cars that sometimes had to be hand cranked. I’m pretty sure the old auto had a starter but sometimes you had to get your car going by hand cranking.

I think most cars into the 30's had hand crank provisions... just in case.

Some British cars had cranks much later… my 1961 Austin Cambridge was thus equipped.

It may have also been as an assistance to owner maintenance, something the Brits did more of than North Americans. A hand crank would be very convenient when adjusting valves.

Many vehicles even during WWII had a hand crank. The jeep springs to mind.
Some airplanes have hand cranked inertia starters too.

Ford cars had provision for hand cranking through the 1948 model year. I believe they came with an extended crank that doubled as a lug nut wrench. Ford pickups through at least 1952 had provision for hand cranking. Batteries and charging systems were not as reliable on earlier cars, and more people lived out in rural areas... and most people had at least some idea about how to crank up a car. Imagine the lawsuits that would erupt today if a manufacturer offered an emergency starting crank!

He is just turning it over to hear the coils buzz.

Since I brought this post up what kind of car is in the picture. I was thinking of a Dodge Brothers or maybe Chrysler. Somebody probably knows for sure on this forum.

I was the veteran vehicle wrangler for a TV series on WW1 nurses. One of the vehicles was a big old Albion 3 ton truck, with genuine wartime WW1 operation. It had a big old 7? litre four cylinder engine, and only had a crank start. I could spin it over with ease until it fired, and then let go of the decompression valve control!
The old girl had been sent back to the factory after the war for reconditioning. Then it was used in the logging industry for many years before being recovered and restored in its former military guise. I can'r fathom how it was used in logging. The smooth, solid rubber drive tyres were useless on anything less than a hard surface. Perhaps it had other drive wheels for off road work.

Allan from down under.

For over 20 years the only way to start my Aeronca Aircraft was to hand prop. There are right and wrong ways to do it, as evidenced by a local one-armed lawyer/ pilot. Not the same as cranking a car but that spinning disc sure got my attention.

I wouldn't necessarily say that batteries and charging systems (or starters) were less reliable.

One purpose of having a removeable crank along with the other factory issued tools under the seat or in the trunk has to do with maintenance and repairs, i.e. the ability to hand-crank the engine in order to line-up timing marks on the flywheel in order to verify and/or properly set the ignition timing. That's the reason we used the removeable hand crank on my dad's 1927 Hupmobile, during the course of maintenance, not to start it.

There is a fellow in my area who hand cranks his Model A Ford coupe at local car shows. It's kind of clunky compared to cranking a Model T or other antique car.

Paul Shinn does it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EWDRHC2dzg

For you Bug enthusiasts:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EZnA2Mhf1BQ

I'd guess that a lot of people got along without good batteries during the Depression and WWII. Batteries have improved over the years. (But I've spent about $900.00 in the last six weeks replacing batteries that were 4 to 6 years old. It's looks like I've got another one to replace soon)

Just for interest here's a UK Morris Traveller, built 1969, which I bought earlier this year. The car came complete with starting handle having been left in a barn for 26 years!