Saturday, August 7, 2010

The only (and lonely) split window Beetle in Pakistan (if you ever learn of another let me know!)





This is how and where it was discovered after being pushed out of a mechanics shop and left for 8 years on the street as it was desired by the VW Club of Pakistan but the mechanics wouldn't sell.... it had been inside their shop for 20 years before that... some people have a hard time letting go! Finally a club member just took charge of the matter and it's now being restored!
Thanks to Romano for reaching out and keeping track of the Beetles and Microbusses that have been abandoned and neglected! Thanks for lettig me know so I could post these photos! http://picasaweb.google.com/romanokarim/1950Beetle02# for more photos of it

Friday, August 6, 2010

1927 Graham Brothers Model LC produce truck









If you can't afford a woody, you do have the option of just adding some wood panels to a Fleetline for a really close look alike


Coon tail is a cool touch
this is a new hubcap to me... pretty cool for a lowrider

National City Fire Department's vintage Seagrave fire truck






Curved dash Oldsmobile... over a hundred years old (1901-1907) and still mobile under it's own power... amazing engineering



The above tag has a bit of historical perspective... the Selden company patented the automobile. He collected on every car made... 0.75%
Selden was a patent attorney. His dad was a judge, and a prominent Republican attorney most noted for defending Susan B Anthony.
Yeah, it obviously didn't stand up very long, but for a time, they had the patent on the automobile, and if you wanted to sell a car in America, you either paid a licensing fee or fought them in court.
Henry Ford fought them in court and won... he was obviously better prepared to make a success and a fortune that he'd share with the US Govt by way of taxes, so the right people were persuaded to take the patent of the automobile, and make it go away... the reason given was that the Ford and other cars were using an engine based on a different engine than Selden had patented. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2007/05/spooky-no-traction-sliding-on-ice-as.html

No doubt about it, those are non skid tires! Tire tread wasn't very advanced at the time.



Above is the tiller steering and the hand crank top start it

The never out lamp..







Olds built 425 for 1901 making them the first "mass produced" gasoline engine autos in the world. The Curved Dash went on to become the most popular car of the period and featured tiller steering and a seatside crank for starting.

1938 Hupmobile was designed with molded in, nearly teardrop headlight pods