Last weekend was full of old vehicle stuff!

Denis · July 13, 2011, 08:42:40 AM

Last weekend I took my 1940 Indian motor up to West Virginia where a buddy rebuilt it for me. Supposedly it had been rebuilt long ago and never started but it had some issues. The transmission gears and mainshaft were trashed so were replaced. The flywheels, cylinders, valves, valve springs and guides, primary chain, clutch were all excellent and needed nothing. Part of the project was to replace the left side engine case (with serial number) with the correct one and install the correct primary cover. My bike is an ex-Canadian Army Model 640 45ci. The cases and primaries were were a Model 741 30.50 ci military Scout. All this stuff is interchangeable. The benefits of changing to the correct stuff is that it's easier to title, plus is worth a lot more.
Here are two pics.

My buddy is quite the collector so when were done with the motor Friday we fooled around with some of his other vehicles.
I got to drive his 1935 John Deere Model D for a while. You start it by opening the compression releases on both cylinders, then spinning a 100-pound flywheel on the left side of the engine. It's a MAN'S tractor for sure. It has so much torque it doesn't know what a hill is.

After messing with the tractor I got to drive his 1929 Model A roadster from his shop to his house: about 14 miles over nice, twisty 2 lane roads. While certainly no speed demon, it was a blast!

dadagoboi · July 13, 2011, 12:13:12 PM

SWEET!

TBird1958 · July 13, 2011, 12:46:36 PM

Denis, is that you driving ?

Your avatar suggests much shorter hair

Denis · July 13, 2011, 01:06:11 PM

Quote from: TBird1958 on July 13, 2011, 12:46:36 PM

Denis, is that you driving ?

Your avatar suggests much shorter hair

Yep, that's me! Hey, being slack about haircuts saves a lot of money!

TBird1958 · July 13, 2011, 01:32:46 PM

I'll bet it's in a ponytail today due to your excessive heat! ( BTW cool pics too! )

Basvarken · July 13, 2011, 02:58:30 PM

Wow! The John Deere is awesome

Aussie Mark · July 13, 2011, 05:15:21 PM

Digging the Ford!

Denis · July 14, 2011, 09:07:34 AM

Given a choice between the John Deere and the Model A I'm not sure which one I'd pick, to be honest, even though I have no earthly reason to own a tractor!

SKATE RAT · July 15, 2011, 05:50:16 AM

that Model A is a beautiful machine!

TBird1958 · July 15, 2011, 09:36:09 AM

This is a 1941 GMC 6x6 that belongs to my band's singer, it just turned 70 a week ago.

Denis · July 15, 2011, 12:45:06 PM

That is badass! Believe it or not, I have a book about those trucks.

Highlander · July 16, 2011, 02:18:06 AM

You'ld never believe a dainty little lady like that would be driving round in a truck this big...

(iirc the Nasties used this for a photoshoot...?)

rahock · July 23, 2011, 07:58:31 AM

I used to have a Korean War vintage Dodge 4x4 M-37 truck, primarily an ammo carrier. 586 gears front and rear,ran on 68 octane gas and with the fording kit, it could drive through 6-7 feet of water. The manual had a whole chapter on how to destroy it so it would not fall in to enemy hands. It was the most impractical vehicle you can imagine but it sure was cool. I wish I still had it.
Rick

Denis · July 24, 2011, 06:05:37 AM

Quote from: rahock on July 23, 2011, 07:58:31 AM
I used to have a Korean War vintage Dodge 4x4 M-37 truck, primarily an ammo carrier. 586 gears front and rear,ran on 68 octane gas and with the fording kit, it could drive through 6-7 feet of water. The manual had a whole chapter on how to destroy it so it would not fall in to enemy hands. It was the most impractical vehicle you can imagine but it sure was cool. I wish I still had it.
Rick

Some years ago a rural fire department wanted to get rid of the two M37s they had. A buddy and I tried to get them but the fire department just wouldn't pull the trigger. I'd love to have one! Dodge built those things until 1968.

rahock · July 24, 2011, 08:28:24 AM

Quote from: Denis on July 24, 2011, 06:05:37 AM
Some years ago a rural fire department wanted to get rid of the two M37s they had. A buddy and I tried to get them but the fire department just wouldn't pull the trigger. I'd love to have one! Dodge built those things until 1968.

I forget what it weighed ,somewhere between 8 and 9 thousand lbs IIRC. My front fender was bent when I bought it. To straighten it out I heated the crease red hot with a torch, put a 48" pipe wrench on it, added about 10' of pipe to the wrench for leverage and me and a buddy put every ounce of muscle we had on it to bend it back in place. It also had a tear it the hood where a tree had fallen on it. I banged the meteal back minto place with the biggest hammer I could find and arc welded the gap. I'm a lousey welder, so I just gobbed it on and then used a big ass surface grinder to smooth it out. I ground the hell out that hood and used only a finger full of bondo to make it perfect. Believe me, body work on one of those things is a whole different technique. Lot of muscle and no finesse

.
With the 586 gear and a 6 cyl flat head it was good for about 65mph absolutely flat out and at that speed you were in danger of shaking the fillings out of your teeth. Practicality was not a priority, but if you wanted to go out cruising in 3 feet of mud or yank a building off its foundation , this was the baby to get er done

Rick