VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Got my Grandson all excited

Headed off to a cruise-in last Saturday with two of my grandsons - one 14 and the other 10. The older one was in the front seat with me. We hopped on the interstate for about 15 miles. I was talking to the younger kid sitting in the back, as I ran the 48 up to her "happy" speed. The older one then yelled "Hey, Grandpa, you're doing 75 MPH in this thing!!! The car seemed perfectly happy too. I backed her down to 65 when he yelled, but, now, I'm wondering if someone's changed the axle ratio in her. This was the first good interstate run I've taken her on since I got rid of her double little plastic fuel filters, and, installed a big Fram metal can filter in front of the carb.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Glad to hear the young'uns were excited. ;-)

I suggest that you drive by one of those electronic speed signs that tell you how fast you are going and see if your speedo is in the ball park of being correct.

Happy cruising!

Dean

I'll bet good money you were not going 75 MPH. Speedo is just not accurate at that end of the scale.

To get a good test, bring your GPS on your next trip and get an accurate MPH. You could spend some time doing math and get a conversion for your speedo.

I just hit the Interstate, count seconds for two mile posts at an indicated 55 MPH. Of course out Interstate here has less traffic that most so it is possible to maintain a speed for a couple of miles. Doing it this way indicates a possible 62 MPH and is fine by me.

Mine seems to be happy around 55-60 I won't push it harder than that, These cars weren't designed to go that fast and the roads back then weren't that great either.. However I have seen old car crashes on youtube and you kind of wonder how fast some of them were going considering some of the damage..
Glad your grandsons enjoyed themselves too...

Oh - I know the car wasn't actually going 75. I checked the speedo last Summer with my Garmin in the car. My speedo is optimistic by 5 MPH, so I was actually going about 70. Normally, when I'm running on the interstate, I hold her at 60 - 65 indicated. It just surprised me that she still felt "comfortable" at that speed - fastest I ever went in her. The kids had fun at the cruise-in as well - they like old cars and talked to quite a few owners about their rides.

Regards:
Oldengineer

You're passing the torch to another generation. Good thing !

Dear Oldengineer,

I guess you had a lucky day. The best news was that you and your wonderful grand kids survived a ride at a very questionable speed for these old cars. I guess it was comforting to know that the air bags were not going to be a problem. There are a lot of "what ifs" in life. I try to minimize the more questionable ones. If a 14 or 10 year old thinks it is okay to drive an old car at that speed, what speed would they think it is okay to drive a modern car?

Just blame part of my point of view on hitting a black cat on my way to a rural salvage yard yesterday. Kind of unnerving!

Good luck, Mike

OldE,

Are you running a 216?

Were the kids excited or frightened? There's a difference.

Were you being pushed by a simi?

Why did you back 'er down? Why not let the kids see what the thing would do? Pass a Corvette or something. (Note: My comment is just kidding. I wouldn't want anyone to deliberately put themselves or anyone else in danger.)

Glad the kids had a good time. Maybe one or both of them get the itch for an old car. Yours, for instance.

I wish the sweet spot on my 41 coupe was more than 40 mph. But that's about it.

Best,

Charlie

Mike:

Now that I've wrenched on this car for 3 years, corrected some issues she had, and had her inspected by both a professional mechanic and a NHRA safety inspector, I have a fair amount of confidence that she's mechanically sound, or, I wouldn't even try to run her 60 MPH. I used to drive a 1937 Dodge coupe to high school that had a bigger flat head stuffed in it back in the early 60's and it would run 70 with no sweat. I also drove cars from the 50's (Grandparents) at lot. Yeah, the 48 doesn't have any safety stuff, but, that's the way cars were for years after I started driving. These two grandsons know I have a SUV in the garage that'll do 160 MPH, but, realize I'm not going to try it - being both stupid and illegal. I doubt that I'll ever run her that fast again - unless I'm trying to get out of the way of some idiot on a cell phone that's about to hit me in the rear because I'm running well under the speed limit. The first Summer I had the car, I had to whip it off on the interstate berm to avoid a woman in a Toyota van, on a cell phone, from hitting me in the rear.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Charlie:

I backed her down because I knew the ribbing you'd give me if I blew her splash lube engine running this fast. I did pass 3 Corvettes, but, they were parked. I did manage to pass an ancient S-10 pickup with a bunch of lawnmowers in the back. Yes, it's a 216 - completely stock, except I'm running a Rochester carb with single exhaust equipped with a low restriction muffler. As far as I know, the rear end is stock as well. The kids were excited, not scared at all. They wanted to know why I didn't try it again on the way home. I don't understand why your car's happy speed is 40 - isn't the drive train pretty much the same as mine? I know you don't have a Fulton on it - all that wind drag you know. Finally - the Semis weren't pushing me - they were passing me doing about 80. I'd come to Fayetteville and tune your car like mine is - but - my daughter and her family transferred to Parkersburg, WV. Now I get to see the two granddaughters a lot more - and - can spoil them good.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Yeah...The thing I worry about is seat belts for the kids, if it's not just around the block...If it did say 75, you have a different rear end...I don't take the kids out anymore because I'm just to worried...Cars are just cars...Kids are irreplaceable...Bet they had fun, though...!

Cars of this vintage will NOT hold up to the standards of newer cars by any means...Something like a newer Toyota is MUCH safer...Even a land yacht like a '59 -'60 Impala is a death trap, in a crash...I only drive alone, anymore...

Sorry, Charlie... Tell us more why your "sweet spot" is only 40...? Exclude your wife...If she's still around, God bless...

Wellsir,

I run a stock drive train.

It seems to me that driving it along at around 40 MPH it runs without any labor (effortlessly), extra engine noise or lack of power owing to stinking ten percent ethanol. Iffen I could just pull the trigger on the cost of filling it with straight gasoline then the sweet spot may increase to a blazing 44 MPH. Wow. Imagine that.

As to the missus, she's still around but won't ride in the 41 coupe or anything else older than the 03 GMC Denali. She's not very adventurous and she doesn't like me much anyway. Especially to be seen with me in an old car. She has her standards.

The dogs won't even ride with me. One gets sick and the other tries to jump out. I used to have to keep the window rolled up. I finally got the point and stopped dragging him for a ride. Now, If I want him to disappear all I have to do is say, "Jack, wanna go for a ride." Zip and he's hiding somewhere. Now if that would only worked on the missus. I owe all this negativism to ethanol. Do too!

Charlie

Charlie Your a "hoot"...! I have similar problems with my dog and the missus...But, I suspect that the gas is not your true problem...I'd first try advancing the timing...Forget the light...Just turn the dist. a bit and see if it doesn't improve...Check your points again as they may be way off, that effects your timing as well...I use a dwell meter for my point setting...Never have any luck with gauges...Might as well be using a match book cover...

Kevin:

I agree with you. I normally restrict the kids to trips through the neighborhood as well. Probably an error in judgment on my part, but, it was the last cruise-in of the season, and I really wanted the kids to go with me - the week before I received a diagnosis of colon cancer from my doctor. We had a good time and it really helped me perk up. Anyway - still not convinced about the rear end. Did you ever read Floyd Clymer's road test of the new 49 Chevy with the 216 and 4:11 rear end. In that test, he wrote that he got the car close to 100 MPH for an extended period of time. No-I'm not about to try it with mine.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Charlie:

My low compression 216 runs just fine on the ethanol stuff. I running the dwell by the specs using a dwell meter; Timing is set at 5 degrees advanced; valves are set loose - at the top of specs. I've run her as far as 100 miles on the interstate at 60 - 65 indicated and she's happy. Your car should do the same - if your engine is up to snuff. My wife will ride in the 48, but, she ain't happy about it. I have a dog who knows what a swap meet and a cruise in are, and, she'll climb aboard in a heartbeat. She loves to go with me.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Sorry to hear of your colon cancer diagnosis...I lost a dear friend to that...Hope you fair better...He was only 38 years old...But, it ran in the family...

As far as near a 100 MPH with a 4:11...I think it might have been off a cliff...lol And this was with a 3 speed transmission...? With no overdrive...? Must have some well balanced tires...I can run 70 to 75 for a while in the '47 and I'm running a 3:74...Don't want to "throw a rod" And my timing is at about 12 to 15 degrees...Any less and it's to slow...Points may be off..

I'm a defensive driver, which I'm sure you are too...Helps out a lot...Watch for the idiots with cell phones to their ear...

60 to 65 MPH and she's happy, too.

Ken:

Thanks - Docs tell me I'm looking at 5 weeks of chemo and radiation, then 8 weeks for my immune system to recover, then a colostomy operation. I asked the doc if he could fix me up with a new shiny chrome tailpipe, but, sadly, no. Anyway - you can access the Clymer Road test on the old car manual site. Read it and see what you think.

Regards:
Oldengineer