1928 Schumacher Special (early hot rod)

Here is a close up of the shifting mechanism. It works amazingly well. Here are a few technical points:

1. You can't tell from the picture but the shift rod can travel through the firewall. This allows you the forward throw.

2. The mount connected to the dash is a br*** insert with a oiler on it that the shaft rides in.

3. I believe the reason the shift rod travels up is to increase the throw at the transmission and decreasing it at the shift lever in the ****pit.

 

Thanks for the close up.
Still not sure how it moves side to side (Or even if it does), but you helped me solidify my idea for the shifter in my design.

I can see the joint on the main shift lever. Is there a shaft within the shaft that goes from dash to firewall?

 

Hopefully this diagram will help. The shift lever moves in 3 dimensions, in & out, as well as side to side. Side to side rotates the shaft which swings the rod connected to the shifter left and right also.

 

That is kind of like i figured.
Thank you for posting those pictures.

 

I was recently given this picture of another Schumacher Special. This car was built around the same time as the Stutz powered special in this thread. The construction techniques are very similar, note the rear mounted cooling tank, all aluminum body construction, etc. This is a picture prior to the cars completion as I know that in it's final version the temporary flexible exhaust was replaced with polished stainless steel similar to my car.

Can anyone identify the wheels, taillights or steering wheel?

 

They look like 32 Ford tailights and stands to me.

 

I finally have a restoration update. The ch***is has been painted and we are starting re***embly. The paint is a non-metallic silver which is what it was originally. The sides of the ch***is mate with the polished aluminum to make it all kinda look like one. It took 4 guys to slide the worm-gear rear end in place. It was ridiculously heavy. Hoping to have it on it's wheels next week some time.

My dad also finished restoring the E&J headlights. This ended up being a lot of work.

 

Thanks for the progress report and photos! That ch***is looks a lot like one I gave a friend for a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang clone. Should hold a GMC V12 I think.

 

Keep the updates coming! This thing is just so cool, can't wait to see it finished.

 

But the joint to the gear shift (called Universal joint in the diagram) would need a slip/sliding joint on, as the lever would shorten and lengthen as it moved side to side, and fore and aft in a radius.

 

This is exactly what I thought but the system works for some reason. When we re***emble it I will take some pictures of the lever in each gear position.

 

wow great post...
so glad I found this.
please keep the picture updates coming in.
your doing a great thing!!!!

 

Great stuff Fantastic to see it starting to come together. Do you have any pictures showing the frame directly from the back and from the front, please? It looks to have quite a taper to it.

 

Excellant................

 

Ahh I get to add another bookmarked story to keep on !

 

Which taper are you looking for, height or width? The ch***is is a standard 145 inch Stutz. The one big modification is the engine set back.

 

Looks a great finish! Your finished car is going to look very special.

I was wondering how tapered/parallel the frame was from front to back as I was comparing it with a c1928 Packard frame I have which I am looking to use as the basis for a Schumacher-style project.

 

That looks like an aftermarket Martin Air Wheel. There's got to be some add'l info on those here in the HAMB.

 

Steve,

The frame is 46 inches wide just above the rear axle, it's widest point. It tapers to 28 inches at the front.

Highlander, I searched for "Martin Air Wheel" here on the hamb and couldn't find anything. Was this something available around 1931/32 ish? That's when I believe this car was finished.

 

Those taillamps are for sure 32 Ford as well as the stands.
The steering wheel is 32 Ford as well, I think. Has a definite 32 style horn ****on litght switch rod.

 

Yes they were around. I'll dig around some. I think I have a shot of a 32 Ford "Radio Car" that's got em on it (1932 pic), also a pic of a wheel and tire in a dealer accessory display. I could be a bit off on what they were called but they were an aftermarket oversized wheel and tire by Martin.

 

Here are a few more pictures. I had hoped to have it sitting on it's wheels this week but we had to order new tube liners as the ones we had were too small. All the finishes duplicate the way the car was done originally. The chrome on the suspension, the polished br*** and polished aluminum. The wheels were rebuilt by Dayton Wire Wheel with new stainless spokes. The rim's have 4 spots for weight washers that are enclosed by a chrome cap. The snap ring is chrome too.

 

Alsancle,

I really love this thread. I am even happier to see the interest from fellow HAMBers on some of these early customs.

Very cool indeed.

Ivan Saxton, a regular on the AACA website, has had the most informative posts on many things including Buffalo and Rudge-Whitworth wheels. Do a search for his posts on wheels. You may see something that references your wheel type. Here is one of the active threads on wheels, various ones may be covered.

http://forums.aaca.org/f170/buffalo-wire-wheels-270037.html

If that does not pan out. Post some of your close up pics of the wheel, hub, and spindle ***embly on the AACA site.

Vintageride

 

I can't wait to see some pictures of the rolling ch***is together with that great radiator shell !

 

Steve, you need to start a thread on your project.

I fumbled the ball a bit with the radiator shell. The original radiator was custom honeycomb job (although maybe it came along with the shell?). This radiator was replaced some time in the late 1930s. You can see in the 1939 pictures how the radiator shell goes up hill just a bit. That's the replacement radiator. I failed to make all the measurements or build a mockup when the engine was in the ch***is. I've got to wait for the engine to go back in and then having one made is both expensive and long. Last time I checked they were talking 6 to 8 months.

I might have some ***embled wheel pictures by the end of the day. . When we first got the wheels back we weren't sure how to ***emble a painted rim with a chrome snap ring and not mess up the paint. We built a spreader that works off a small porta-power.

A.J.

 

A.J., You are doing a great job in the restoration of this old race car. Will it be making laps some time soon or be a museum piece ?

41 Dave

 

Dave, experience would say we are still a couple of years away from any test runs. Originally the car was intended to go straight, like on Daytona Beach - making a lap or two might be challenging. I do have a picture of the car sitting in the pits at a race track with a bunch of guys hanging all over it. I would love to post it but it's not mine. I got an phone call a few years ago from a guy that told me he has a picture of it on the Topsfield Fair grounds track circa 1940. He was going to send me a copy but I never heard from him again.

The tires are now mounted on the restored rims. They have to be balanced so the chrome weight covers are not on yet. There are 6 and I think they are going to look cool up against the black. Won't be putting the wheels on for a bit cause we forgot about the drums. They were pitted and show through the spokes so some work is in order first.

 

So the wheels have now been balanced and the chrome weight covers are on - which I really like. The drums have all been bodyworked and painted. We are having trouble getting the drums to slide over the shoes on two of the wheels. All the brake ***emblies were stamped prior to diss***embly so they should have gone back together again correctly. We've killed a ton of time screwing around with them. I'm hoping to have it on it's wheels later this week.

 

On four wheels finally.

 

Way to cool. AND this thread started in 2005! BTT big time. Thanks. Slim