Here this one is going to be a tough one.
Jump in the ‘way back’ machine and guess this early turn of the 20th Century car.
Name That Car
Good luck.
Remember you need 5 correct answers to win. If you are reading this on Facebook you need to chase the link and post on the blog.
Thanks for playing.
Tim
1966 Studebaker Cruiser
Not a real great looker was it?
1966 Studebaker Cruiser
Here another Auto Factoid.
Maybe one of the most famous carburetors was the Carter. Famous, you ask? Read on.
Will Carter was born in 1884 in Union City, Tennessee. He opened his first shop when he was only 17 years old where he repaired bikes, guns and anything mechanical. In 1902 he moved his business to St. Louis, Missouri where it expanded it to include the few cars that were in the “big” city.
It was there that he became familiar with the current issues with regulating fuel (not great quality) for the power plants in those early cars. Finding them wanting he began as all inventors, experimenting.
His improvements eventually lead to a reputation for providing the best fuel air mixture carburetors available and my 1909 with financial backing from a friend he opened Carter Carburetor Company. One year later he was granted a patent for his Model C carb, an updraft carb with an air valve. It featured, automatic-multiple jets, with adjustments of low, intermediate and high speeds.
By 1911, just 2 years from opening he had designed the first downdraft carb, using vacuum from the manifold to pump fuel from the gas tank and filling a small bowl above the carb.
In 1915 Will moved this manufacturing into a new building. Financially the company wasn’t doing well under Will’s management and in 1916 filled for reorganization and Will was no longer involved in the management of the company. In 1922 the company was purchased by American Car and Foundry Company (now called AFC Industries). The company continued on producing replacement carbs for the next three years.
In 1925 they received their first order for producing original equipment for Chevrolets. Three years after that Chrysler came calling for original parts and eventually the likes of Ford, Nash and Willys followed.
The next major milestone for the Carter company was in 1952 with the development and marketing of the first of its kind – the four barrel carb. It’s first use was on the Buick straight eight engine. The new-found horse power and the ability to add more than one carb to the manifold, ‘fuel’ the development of all the super-cars to come.
Carters 1952 4 Barrel Carb
So where’s the famous part? (As if creating the first every four barrel carb wasn’t enough!!!!) Ok you may have heard of the Beach Boys, yes? Yeah that’s right the “409”….my four speed, dual quad Positraction 409..409..409…” Two Carter four barrels were what was on top of that 409 and it was called the “dual quad” still is today.
The company continued on to a developed the Thermo Quad in the 1970’s (first carb to use a plastic main body) and followed that up with an electronic choke model. The company still produced “old school” carbs for the restoration market and new cars.
The company continued on to a developed the Thermo Quad in the 1970’s (first carb to use a plastic main body) and followed that up with an electronic choke model. The company still produced “old school” carbs for the restoration market and new cars.
Carters 850 cfm Thermoquad
Some of the common uses back then:
– Chrysler used them on their Hemis and they helped power the “Street Hemi” which sported the quad set up.
– Pontiac use them on their GTO
– Oldsmobile used them
Thanks for reading.
Comments:
Good history on Carter, Tim, but you left out the one Carter product that gave me numerous nightmares and other issues on my old 440 Dodge Coronet. That is the famous AFB.
According to Carter, AFB meant ‘aluminum four barrel’, but as I experienced, in reality it was “an f&%ing b&%ch” (joke told to me by an ol’timer mechanic). It seems the air horn of the aluminum machined surface would oh so slightly warp over various heat cycles and the car would never twice idle the same. Full throttle would cause all kinds of intermittent operation (it bwould either flood, or run lean and the engine would ping to death). To this day I shudder when I hear ‘Carter AFB’.
I learned later that (believe it, or not) Holley has a rebuilding center in Bowling Green, KY, that acutally re-planes the air horns on AFBs and has a ‘propriety’ re-assembly procedure that alleviates the issues. It has something to do with the order and torque of the air horn on re-assembly.
Chrysler loved to use the ol’Carter “BBD” 2 barrels on every 318 and ‘super’ slant 6 made. They were a simple, reliable carb that was plagued with funcky choke pull offs and bi-metal springs. I finally mastered this carb after spending hundreds of hours tinkering with these.
Carter today is owned by conglomerate Federal Mogul. They make Champion spark plugs, ANCO wipers, FelPro gaskets, etc, etc. I believe the AFB is still in production in Mexico, although I can’t understand why anyone would buy one of these when a Holley is such a better product?
Thanks for the trip down (a bad) memory lane. Take care, Bill
Great info..Thanks Bill.
1965 – 1966 Chevy’s mainstay V8 the 283 was used in several Studebaker models build in Canada.
1966 Studebaker Cruiser
1966 Studebaker with Chevy’s 283
Chris-Craft boat manufacturer used the 283 in their water boats.
Marine 283 for Chris Craft Cavalier Cruiser
Chris-Craft Used Chevy’s 283
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Happy New Year.
Unfortunately I have to start the year out with a legal notice. It seems that my writings are so inspiring(…ok…stop laughing!!!) that a few sites have decided that they would use them on their sites in total, placing ads in the middle for their profit and not requesting permission.
I enjoy writing my blog and I do it to share experiences and social interaction.
If you like it, great!!
If you’d like to share links, I’m all for it
If you want to post entire articles ask permission and I’ll send you my list of requirements for accomplishing this.
If you want to use my articles and place and in the articles, we need to talk first.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
As we close out the year that was 2010, I celebrate the first year anniversary of Average Guy’s Car Restoration, Mods and Racing.
Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed jotting down my thoughts and experiences. Mostly, I’ve enjoyed hearing back from readers here on my Word Press main site and in other social media.
This past year I’ve seen the page views on this “one man” blog go from just a couple per week, to nearly 1500 a month. Not bad for a non-commercial blog, with no paid advertising. So THANK YOU. I hope to hear from and read your comments and views in 2011.
What’s coming up in 2011? Mods on the ’70 Mustang, tweaking of the LS2 on the 07 Corvette and I’ll continue with the Auto Factoids in their new format. You will see more mini engine series, kicking off the New Year one of my favorites Chevy’s 283 and there will be more racing events, test ‘n’ tunes and Mom and Pop racing teams highlighted. There will be more contests and DVDs to give away and project updates from readers. Oh…I’m coming out with the Average Guy’s 2011 Calendar look for that on-line.
It’s going to be a fun new year.
To you and yours – may 2011 bringing nothing but happiness and joy.
Happy New Year.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
O.K., I don’t do this too often on this blog but every now and then I have to point out something I think is just ridiculous.
I do a lot of reading. A disproportional amount of that reading is car magazines. (To my son: Yes I will get to the two Stephen King novels you bought me…promise!!) In fact, I get so many car magazines that it’s difficult to keep up (sounds like a New Year’s resolution is in order). They stack up and my wife’s patience goes the opposite direction with my messy side of our shared office and piles here and there of unread periodicals. (O.K. so that New Year’s resolution may turn in to a ‘CLEAN IT UP’ New Year’s directive, in which case, failure to comply would not be an option.)
In the course of all this reading I’ve become familiar with a lot of writers and their styles (some I communicate with via email or social network). You also gain a general over all tone of their respective magazines. With the exception of my favorite writers at the mega car publication company (SHOUT OUT TO) Hemmings (I refer to them as “They Who Do No Wrong”) who seem to be pretty down to earth and hug the middle line pretty well, it’s clear that some car magazines want to project a blue-collar image and others a blue blood image. Every now and then, the blue-collar want-to-be’s do grab a seat on the snob express and leave us average guys going.”..W..T..H(family blog)!?!?!?!…..REALLY!?!?!?!”
My inner lawyer cautions me to not use names of magazines and writers, of course suing me would pretty uneventful, you might end up with a 70 Mustang coupe and a 302 and that’s about it. My inner writer says “If you ever want to move your writing anywhere other than on this blog, do not insult the established press.” My inner wise-ass (still family safe, I believe) wants to poke fun by name at both (magazine and writer). Normally my inner wise-ass wins.
So I am reading the latest Car Craft, Jan 2011 (yeah, it some how ended up on top of the pile) which I considered a blue-collar magazine, lots of get dirty articles and useful techie stuff and not just shiny pages, shiny paint and expensive wheel. Well apparently I missed the fact that they were moving to a new location (probably in a back issue I haven’t gotten to yet..if I can find my Car Craft pile again”). All I can say is “WOW” and “the Auto Magazine business must be paying good”, because their new garage is to die for!!! Really, how did they ever survive without an ocean front garage in El Segundo, Ca. where, while you are on your lunch break, you can catch a bite to eat, a Pepsi and a wave ???!!!!! With a few more earthquakes my Arizona home might one day be ocean front property.
O.K., fine, so a quick Google shows the Car Craft garage address isn’t actually on the beach and really location isn’t my point. What is, is the article that Mr. Douglas Glad wrote in the “Front Man” section – “Man Cave”. Specifically a couple of items, he believes are necessary in a garage. He states “…every car guy’s garage needs the basics to be useful and a good place to get away from school, diapers,….” Hey, I get that, I was a stay at home Dad for a while and sure, you must have the tools to get the job done. I was really interested to read what he thinks we average car guys (I just tossed in the “average”) need in our garages. But at the next paragraph’s bold heading, I stopped and said “What?” I then scanned the other six paragraphs’ headings and was dismayed, but I read on hoping I could salvage something from the piece.
First critical piece of functional equipment was a….MIG welder? Nope. How about a parts cleaning machine? Nope. How about a flat screen T.V.? Yes. But according to the article, it doesn’t have to be huge. So what’s next? I’ll just list them:
1. A movie collection of guy movies – I have an AM FM radio and CD player (old), most of the stations are static interrupt by parts of a song or commercial and the player skips. I’m normally so wrapped up in what I’m doing it just becomes white noise anyway.
2. A wall collage – If there is that much space on my garage wall, I’ve got some nails and stuff to hang from them and a Hemmings’ Muscle Machine calendar.
3. An art school grad’s, air brushed wall art – Same As Above
4. Electrical – 220 – Now I can get behind that. Right on!
5. Trosley Car Portrait – First WHAT!?!? Then…Same as 2 and 3.
So I’m taken back. My image of a greased smeared blue uniform shirt wearing, lay a wrench on it, magazine, has been crushed. Has Car Craft gone soft? Do they out source the work and just drive the finished project in for photo ops?
Am I shocked and dismayed or just jealous? The latter!!!!
I dedicate this to a follow car guy who I purchases some used parts from a while back. Bill is restoring his dream car in a 3 sided building in the mid west, where in the winter, he normally has to shovel snow out of the way to work on it. You rock.. Bill!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
While I’m currently working on the project plan for all the modifications, I still get the urge to spend a beautiful winter’s day doing some wrenching. Oh…here in southern Arizona you wait for winter days like today, Sunny and near 70 degrees…oh yes..perfect day for being outside and working on your projects. ( Don’t hate me ’cause I’m warm!!!)
Modifications pending, there are still little things that can be done. A few weeks ago I noticed a loose fender bolt. Now normally these bolts are screwed in to clip/slide on nuts (some times called “short nuts” but I just couldn’t put that in the title) that are slid over the edge of one of pieces you need to hold together.
Slip-on or Short Nut
So if a bolt becomes loose it is often the cause of vibration, and if left unattended you can actually loose the slip-on nut. Unless…..it doesn’t have one and a traditional nut has been used.
A while back I ordered a couple of bags of bolts and short nuts for my Mustang and today I decided to spend a few minute and replace the loose one and check the others.
What I found was a bit odd. Three of the bolts on right fender (do I have to say right “front” fender? I hear that all the time, but I grew up knowing that fenders were in the front and quarter-panels were in the rear.) did not have the short nuts, but rather the tradition bolts. I checked the left “front” (just in case) fender and found them to all have slip-on nuts.
I can understand that some where in the 41 year life span (Oh…incidentally..I’m technically the 3rd owner, with the to previous owners beginning a mother, daughter combo) of my ’70 coupe that someone took it a part, lost the slip-on nuts and yes it was just a driver car so that’s possible. However, on closer inspection I noticed that the normal slots that would allow the assembler to slide the short nut on were not there for the three bolt holes at the front of the fender (or at the front of the front fender….ok sorry, enough of that).
Square Slot that allows for the installation (Left of the bolt)
Bolt Holes without the slot.
So I wondering how much after-market parts are actually on the my Mustang. When I had the car repainted, we did discover that the right door was replaced (paint underneath was blue) so why not the fender? The options I have are to, remove the entire fender and if the holes are not blocked by aftermarket fender then I’ll have to consider using the traditional bolt and nut or I’d have to cut the slots.
Now that’s not the only aftermarket issues I discovered. Those two bags of bolts and short nuts…..yeah..they aren’t the right size. Although the are sold as “fitting 1968-1970 Mustangs” the original are 1/2 ” nuts and these are 7/16″. Well yeah..they’ll fit…heck there are all kinds down the street at ACE Hardware that will fit too!!!
I’ll follow-up on this later on.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Well Christmas is but a couple of days away and the 2011 is knocking on the door.
Here is the last of the Auto Factoids for 2010.
Enjoy. Merry Christmas or what every holiday you celebrate and a very prosperous new year.
12/18/1970 – Lee Iacocca becomes President of Ford.
25 years before that on 12/21/1945 – Henry Ford II was named President of Ford
12/20/1868 Mr. Firestone was born in Ohio (Tires)
12/22/1900 The first Mercedes is built by Daimler
Perhaps my Favorite – on Christmas in 1878 Louis Chevrolet was born.
One of my least favorite Ford products showed up the day after Christmas in 1985. Ford debuted the Taurus and Sable (a Mercury)
Oh..nothing says “buy me” like the Taurus and Sable…look!!!!
1985 Sable or Taurus?
1985 Taurus or Sable..can you tell them apart?? Do you care?
And to finish off the year Charlie Goodyear was born in Connecticut 12/29/1800 (yeah..people blimp guy!!! and some of the best racing tires available)
Thank you for ready and drop me a note with what’s up with your 2011 car resolutions!!!
Tim
Today is the anniversary of the assembly line created by Henry Ford, did he?
Like saying night is day or Pink Floyd isn’t the greatest rock band of all time, saying Henry Ford didn’t invent the assembly line goes contrary to conventional auto wisdom. But he didn’t. It was actually Ransom E. Olds.
I love engines and the options for a 1970 Mustang – like mine, were many.
My Mustang's Enhanced 302
The sixes consisted of the 200 (120 hp) and the 250 (155hp) – mine started out as a 250
The eights consisted of 2 302 (2V and the 4V Boss), 2 351 (250 and 30o hp), 2- 428 (Cobra – 335 hp and Cobra Jet Ram-Air – 335 hp and the 429 Boss – 375 hp.
The transmission offered were – 3 speed manual Fully synchronized (currently the trans in my car), 4 speed manual sports-type w/Hurst Shifter and in the automatic the Select Shift Cruise-o-Matic Drive (more on that in another Auto Factoid.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
