Messages

1

Kaiser Forum / Re: Getting my 1953 Kaiser Manhattan started.

« on: October 26, 2012, 07:56:46 AM »

Years ago I had an old flathead Ford V8 in a Model A that refused to start using all the normal avenues so I had a buddy bring his pick up and a long nylon tow strap over to my farm.  We threw the strap around the front bumper of the A model and the rear bumper of the truck and took off down the road. When he hit about 35mph and with the ignition key on and the tranny in second gear I gently let off the clutch and the engine began to turn over.  I pulled the choke out and pumped the gas pedal and we went about a mile or so but the engine still refused to start, so I just kept into it.  After about another 1/2 mile or so the engine began sputtering and then it fired on all 8 and it took off.  We stopped, removed the strap and I drove it home!

Never figured out why it was so hard to start that one time but it started easily after that!

Ben

2

Kaiser Forum / Re: Engine swap?! "All Original!"

« on: September 05, 2012, 05:45:12 PM »

If you zoom in on the engine photo you can see one additional spark plug beside the distributor.  Since it can't be a five cylinder the sixth spark plug must be hidden behind the distributor.  It definately is not a Model A Ford engine.

Ben

3

Darrin Forum / Re: Darrin #353 hit the streets

« on: July 04, 2012, 07:27:14 PM »

Yes I noticed there were two that were nearly identical.  I believe yours had a front plate that said something about winning a prestigious car show if I remember correctly.  I will have to check and see if I got a shot of it also.

Benji

4

Frazer Forum / Re: Our Favorite Frazer at Sweetwater

« on: July 04, 2012, 03:10:56 PM »

Are those clouds refelcted in the paint?  wow

Yes.  There were only a few small high white clouds that day, otherwise it was sunshine all the way!

Ben

5

General Discussion / A Few Kaisers At Sweetwater

« on: July 03, 2012, 08:29:59 AM »

Just some snapshots of several of the cars at Sweetwater this year.  I posted another in the Frazer forum and yet another in the Darrin forum.

Benji

6

General Discussion / Re: Taking Pictures of Cars in Bright Sunshine

« on: July 03, 2012, 08:21:07 AM »

There are several problems with using a polarizing filter outdoors.  First of all it gobbles up about 1 1/2 stops of light thereby effectively reducing the output of the flash by 1 1/2 stops and a polarizer will work only at certain times of the day depending on the location of the light source.  The easiest way to determine if the polarizer will work is to form a "gun" with one hand.  Point your thumb at the light source and whatever the finger is pointing at will be polarized otherwise the filter simply becomes a neutral density filter. 

Another problem is what it does to the sky. If the sky is in the shot only a portion of the sky will be polarized while the rest of it will not be.

Ben Jones - S.F. Photog.  Retired after 30 years as a real professional photographer with a real main street studio and not some GWC. 

7

General Discussion / Taking Pictures of Cars in Bright Sunshine

« on: July 02, 2012, 01:39:15 PM »

Direct overhead sunshine is just about the worst kind of light to use in photography for just about everything and that includes automobiles. The areas lit by sunshine will be well lit but the parts in shadow will be quite dark.  If you add your flash to the shot it will affect only the dark areas bringing them up closer to the sun lit areas, but sometimes even adding a flash needs some further help.  In the first shot below I turned the flash on and held the camera as one would normally.  As you can see it didn't really help all that much.  In the second shot I turned the camera upside down.  This places the flash head where it does the most good and raised the exposure on the deck lid up quite nicely.

Ben

8

General Discussion / Re: National report

« on: July 02, 2012, 01:23:25 PM »

That 1953 Willys Aero convertible had some of the best chrome plating I've ever seen, and the upholstery was first class too.  The owner claimed he did the entire car in 45 days. The body work looked he spent 45 minutes on it alone!

Ben

9

Darrin Forum / Re: Darrin #353 hit the streets

« on: July 02, 2012, 01:17:29 PM »

Here is the shot I got of it in Sweetwater.

Ben

10

Frazer Forum / Re: 1950 Frazer Rear Drum Hard to Pull

« on: June 28, 2012, 04:55:59 PM »

The drums are cast iron and you risk breaking/chipping them if you hit them with a hammer, especially on the edge. 

Benji

11

Frazer Forum / Re: 1950 Frazer Rear Drum Hard to Pull

« on: June 26, 2012, 11:06:45 AM »

I have used this method several times with good results.  Take a heavy brass hammer and sharply strike the center of the puller (while the puller is of course under heavy pressure.)  It may take several blows to get the job done and you may have to tighten the puller as the drum loosens.  If you use a steel hammer you risk dubbing up the end of the puller and striking steel against steel is usually not a good idea as the softer steel of the puller can chip or splinter and injure you or anyone close by.

Benji

12

Frazer Forum / Our Favorite Frazer at Sweetwater

« on: June 24, 2012, 06:48:49 PM »

My wife absolutely loved this 1951 Frazer Manhattan so I shot several images of it and did a little Photoshop work to them.  Enjoy!

Benji

13

General Discussion / Re: KF Dealership Locations List

« on: June 17, 2012, 04:29:39 PM »

My dad bought his 1953 Kaiser from East End Motors in Barnesville, Ohio.  In the town where I live now (Bluffton, Indiana) George Lautzenheiser owned the Kaiser Frazer dealership on North Main Street but I'm not sure of what the name of it was.

Benji

14

General Discussion / Dress Code For The Banquet

« on: June 17, 2012, 04:17:24 PM »

My wife would like to know what the dress code is for the banquet on Thursday in Sweetwater.  I said it was probably business casual, but she wants to know for sure. 

Benji

15

Kaiser Forum / Re: Starter sounds

« on: June 01, 2012, 01:51:34 PM »

If your bendix looks good check the teeth on the flywheel.  When an engine is shut off, whatever cylinder is on the compression stroke will stop the engine at nearly the same spot every time.  That means when you engage the starter it will strike the flywheel at nearly the same spot every time.  On a six cylinder engine that means there will be about two spots on the flywheel that will have teeth that are more worn off than the teeth in between these spots.  An old cheapie way to fix this was simply heat the ring with a torch until it will move and rotate it until good teeth are positioned where the bad teeth were.   This is usually done with the tranny off of the car.

Benji