Saturday, February 18, 2023

1925 Maxim speedster made from a truck, was on Ebay, but the bidding didn't get to the reserve, of course


This Maxim fire truck was found in Vermont in bad shape. But the pointed fenders, the huge Wisconsin engine that made the reputation of the Stutz racing team in early teens, the magneto, the bucket seats and the hood that retains the unusual shape of the rad made it clear it was a great candidate for a speedster conversion


The engine was pushed back and lowered. The steering wheel angled and pushed back 36". 
The hood was extended and a custom monocle windshield added

Engine is a Wisconsin RBU 5x6 side valves. 471 cu. in. 
 4 cylinders cast in pairs.
Bosch magneto, Zenith Carb
Wheel base : 146"
Wheels : 24"
Tires (6) : 38x7 Bridgestone
Trans : 4 speed
 


If you are the type to plan your days to the minute, my car is NOT for you. Unless you have a museum!

But if you are the kind to never leave without your toolbox, you may qualify 

This Maxim is all but reliable. It will be 100 years old and everything that can leak does, 
Rad, oil pan, differential joints, carb etc...everything drips. 
And gas mileage is calculated by the drum, not gallons, It does not even register on the fuel efficiency spectrum. 

 Other clarification : it would be more exact to speak of "decelarators" when referring to what other cars have what is called "brakes"





2 comments:

  1. That last pic..the Art of the wheelwright!! Boody amazing. Where have all those type of skills gone to? And the build result;just fabulous!

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    Replies
    1. disappeared when the car makers swtiched to steel wheels, just like car mechanics are disappearing now that hybrid and electric cars are more common, and simple mechanical engines are getting rarer. There are no VCR repairmen, radio repairmen, and probably no more tv repairmen either. Stuff is either too tech, to easily replaced instead of repaired (cell phones) as the cost of labor vs the cost of a new one get about equal, or the desire for a new updated version far exceeds that of paying for repairs to the old one. Frankly, I won't repair a cell phone screen, or a flat screen tv (even if the single pixel annoys me, and if it could be fixed) because a repair costs about 1/4 to a 1/3 of a new one, and the new ones are so much better than what I currently have. I expect there might have been some of that thinking with wood rims when people needed new ones, and bought steel or wire rims instead, way back in the 30s

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