History Auto racing 1894-1942

When did Buick convert to left hand drive? Fuel and oil tanks look a lot older than the rest of the cars features.

 

My thoughts exactly.....It looks like an early car updated and the radiator looks simular to mid teens Buicks......

 

A few more pages from Dykes


I love the Racing Car exhaust

 

The last year for right hand drive and right hand control for Buicks was 1913 although the right hand drive export cars could be had with right hand gear shift at least as late as 1919. This car - if it is a Buick - is more likely from 1913ish because it does not have the cantilever rear springs seen on the six cylinder cars from 1915 on. The radiator shell on the car in this pic looks more like 1919-1920.

 

Refried,

Thanks for the articles,some good stuff.

I agree about Long Island. I was born(Oceanside) and lived there(Rockville Centre,Baldwin) until I was a teenager,and I never heard anything about the Vanderbilt Cup or the Motor Parkway at all in school or elsewhere
while I lived there...

 

Photo of Peter DePalo, Ralph DePalmas nephew with his son.....

 

http://autodrome.over-blog.com/article-leon-duray-le-diable-noir-45240436-comments.html

Duray/Stewart - Packard cable special (?)

 

If you ever get a chance read ''WALL SMACKERS'' by Peter DePalo

He constantly refers to his ''Uncle''

Just a charming glimpse into the this time of racing!

 

http://www.philreillycompany.com/Cars/KlineKarSpecial.html

Kline Kar Special - Jimmy Jr

 

You are right I have a copy and all of you should find one. Peter tells all about Uncle Ralph (DePalma), becomes his riding mechanic and then goes onto his own racing career.

 

Thanks for scanning some great info.

Don't forget to checkout www.vanderbiltcupraces.com This site has excellent historical info regarding Long Island Parkway and Nassau County.

 

A short film of Old 16 Locomobile narrated by the late Paul Newman.

 

_______________

 

Drawing of the first version of the Peugeot masterpiece with the open vertical shaft which is thought to be from 1912.......

 

Another Master......

 

I know this was some time ago but I am probably that person up in Maine. I know of only one other Wisconsin of this type that being restored so its a 50/50 chance.

Anyway, a bit about this engine if your interested:

Wisconsin of course was famous for providing engines to a variety of manufactures - Stutz being one of them. They also marketed a line of marine engines under the Wisconsin Consistent banner, some of which were used in various industrial applications- air compressors, generators, pumping stations etc.

The engine I have is a Wisconsin Model PT. It came out of a Lombard Model N Log hauler manufactured in Waterville, ME. by the Lombard Auto-tractor truck Corp. circa 1926. These were big half-track beasts that tipped the scales at 10 tons. It last ran in 1933. Unfortunatly I don't have the Lombard to go with the engine!!

Here are the specs:

6 Cylinder (cast in pairs)

Cast iron pistons (4 ring)

5-3/4" bore x 7" stroke

1091 CID. (17.9 Liters)

4 Main bearings (2-5/8") Rear main is 5-3/4" long, remainder are 3-1/2" long.

4 bolt rods with 3-1/2" long bearings

All bearings bronze shell backed babbit

100% Full pressure lubrication (the oil pump is actually two seperate pumps in one. There are 6 little bronze gears in two seperated chambers for service & scavange. A full length baffle-plate seperates the crankshaft from the oil pan). Oil pickup is via copper pipes extending to the rear and front of the crankcase.

The crankcase is indeed a 500 lb manganese bronze casting as well as the timing gear cover and angle drive for the governor. (Pharo Governor)
Oil pan is cast aluminum. Why bronze? In these big T-head engines there is not a lot of rigidity as with a modern V-8 or a en-block engine such as an L-head or flat head. Manganese bronze provided superior torsional strength over cast iron or aluminum.

Valves (2-5/8" dia., 1/2"dia stems) are chrome-nickel steel on the intake side and chrome silicon steel on the exhaust. running in cast iron guides. Valves are actuated by hefty roller lifters running in phosphor bronze guides.

Fuel is provided by a Stromberg M4 updraft through a built-up bronze manifold. Exhaust is via a cast iron manifold and a cone-like blast pipe/and sheet metal shroud type arangement - much like the blast pipe and stack arangement of a steam locomotive. However, because the manifold cracked frequently (the one I have has been welded at least half-a-dozen times) Lombard offered individual stacks per each pair of cylinders - yes its loud!

It does have electric start via a huge Leece-Neville starter. Current is via a Leece-Neville generator run off the aux. drive in tandem with the water pump. Spark is via a American-Bosch magneto.

All this for 104 HP @ 1000 RPM. Working full throttle against the governor expect to go through 8 gallons per hour.

As you can see from the photo my particular engine was stripped pretty clean years ago when someone salvaged the bright metal. All but 2 of the valves were bent so they could remove the lifter guides. All the bronze water fittings were stripped as well.

Luckly a stash of parts - lifters, lifter guides etc came with the engine to replace items missing or broken.

Currently new valves are on hand and are awaiting machining (they were for a G.E. locomotive) New valve guides are ready to install and a host of other items have been reconditioned.

My project this winter is fabricating patterns and coreboxes for the intake manifold and water fittings. Yeah its a long term project. When finished it should look sharp with all the bright work and finished in Grey enamel.

Chain drive special perhaps?

Best regards,

Terry

As found. Ain't it a gem?



Oil pump drive pattern & corebox



A working Wisconsin Model PT


Lombard Model N

 

Bob wasn't there a snow plow on AACA with this setup?

 

These photos are priceless....Some how I don't think George made it to Indy down the road.......

 

Postcard photo of a 4-60 Thomas-Flyer racer....Can anyone place the setting ??

 

don't know Where it is, but I am assuming that it is an early state of the car. The photos I have of it, from Alec Ulmann, all have the hoods covered in leather straps and have the two glass & brass oilers on top.

 

Nice detail Joe, the big sign writing suggests later too. Here's where my guess came from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015359/ , has anyone seen it?

 

looks like it was the latter...

 

WASHINGTON TIMES. SATURDAY.MAY 26 1917
The car, which is called the Iona speedster.

It looks like Dekowski based the car on a Stoddard Dayton.....

 

Hugh Harding in the #15 Stoddard Dayton pitting at the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup.

 

Welcome to the H.A.M.B., Terry.

Yes, this was the engine i originally referred to in an earlier post. I'm impressed you have it in a running state and i'm equally impressed by the specs of such a huge donk. Everything about it is huge.
I think a chain drive special would be fantastic although i would prefer that Lombard log hauler for a different wow factor, if one can be found.

Regards, Ivan.

 

Checkout this 19 second video from the 1920 Indy 500.

www.firstsuperspeedway.com/blog/indy-500-circa-1920

and go to the front page to view a great color video of the 1941 race.

 

Welcome to the HAMB Terry! That sure is is a neat piece, is it up and running? Logging sure has a lot of interest with all the TV shows that have popped up in recent years, but the old stuff is far more impressive to me.