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Those pesky wasps that build nests of mud, in the most inconvenient places: like the Waukesha XAH engine I am restoring.
It was running when I put it back for “later”, which turned out to be about two years later. I moved it indoors last weekend, and started to do whatever is needed to get it finished, which is mostly painting and reassembly. I had the carb off: a combination gasoline-natural gas affair, and was cleaning, in part using a wire brush and vacuum together to minimize filth in the car barn. On a whim I stuck the vac to the flange where the carb mounts and, no air flow at all. Hummm, something’s clogging the intake manifold, so I removed it. Each branch had a big mud nest completely blocking the port in the head. Dang! This would have been a mess if I had not found it. I don’t know if you northern folks have these wasps, but if you do, don’t leave anything unprotected.
When the wasps are really active, they can fill a 3/8″x1″” threaded hole in a cylinder block in less than a day.
Greg
“
We have the same problem here in The Land of Oz. There are about 20 different species. Many years ago I was reassembling a 1948 Jaguar engine that had been reconditioned. Went to lunch for a couple of beers & a steak. Came back a couple of hours later & finished assembly. Later ran the installed engine for a few test miles
Jak.
California wasps love the old cars so much that they build their hives out
of paper. This biodegradable material they use has put them in high regard
with our esteemed eco types which flourish in our climate. As for the insect,
they’re so popular that Hudson named a model after them. Preceding that, a
whole car made in Bennington, Vermont in 1920 was brought out. A four
cylinder Wisconsin motor that generated 72HP with a 136″ wheelbase cost
$5,000. Karl Martin was 32 when he started the Wasp and had cut his teeth
by designing the Roamer and Deering Magnetic and was working on the
Kenworthy. He built 14 of the 4’s and brought out a 144″ wheelbase which had
a 70HP six. Douglas Fairbanks bought a Wasp for his new bride, Mary Pickford.
Karl knew how dangerous that Wasps could bee, so he included a Saint
Christopher Medal on the engine turned dash of every car he built. Some were
offered for $10,000.
I obtained this info from Beverly Rae Kime’s monumental book on car
history. Nothing like charging the car brain cells by opening this book and
reading comprehensive history about 4,000 auto makes. She left us too soon,
and doesn’t get the credit she deserves.
Oops…how could I have forgotten the Marmon Wasp, which stung a Lozier to
win the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 averaging 74MPH. Try that in your
Pierce.
Tony: how about you try it in your Pierce? I’ll volunteer to be your riding mechanic.. 
Greg Long.
Greg,
You’re the closest thing to a mechanical “faith healer” the Society has
(not intended to diminish the reputations of other mechanical geniuses
the Society possesses). You have brought back from the dead, many of my
rotting, junkyard wannabees. They are proud once again. As for your kind
offer, this time I want to push my car over the finish line by myself(Dr’s.
orders).
PS I could use Loki(sp) the wonder dog, though.
LOKI would be glad to ride along. But I’m sure you would not have to push your car over the finish line.. There would be many pit stops for the racing entrants. So I’m sure we could keep the oil and water up to safe, working levels. and I think you could run at about 50? mph?
And for the brakes? At a top speed of 50-60mph, you would not need the brakes for the corners, since they have a slight bank, and are not sharp.
As for the ‘averaging’ 74mph.. well we COULD make the Pierce run and average a speed that high,, but it would require removing the windshield and top, buying some high speed gears.. and maybe a few other things..
I know my 1919 Dual Valve ’38’hp was capable of 65+mph even with a very tired engine, weak compression and 3.77 gears and the tall bill-board-like windshield.. So I think we could stream line your touring with a nice tight tonneau cover over the rear seating area, . i’d say also over the front passenger seat, but where would LOKI sit?
So, that’s the plan of action: what say you? LOKI wants to know too: !!
Greg Long
Merry Christmas !!
Greg,
You’re very persuasive. My ’12 was restored in 1949 and still has the
original bearings except the rear main, in it. When I purchased it in 1973
I drove it home in 7 1/2 hours, crossing the San Francisco Bay Bridge and
using the freeway. It was 106 degrees that day and I cruised at 55MPH. About
62MPH is top speed. A 1912 48 HP should make 72MPH and a 66HP should see 75-
80 MPH. When I made it home to my mile high home, I was so excited I wanted
to drive it some more. It has to be noted that at that time the freeways were
very lightly used and traffic was slower.
On the other hand, the Marmon Wasp, the first racer to use a rear view mirror
, was 477 cubic inches, had factory upgrades though it used the same blocks
as My Marmon in my garage.It had to hit mid to high’90’s to accomplish a74MPH
average with pit stop. Ray Harroun, an Arab engineer for Marmon, drove a pre-
planned race against faster cars. Light weight and the positioning of that
weight required only one pit stop. Only one tire didn’t finish 500 miles of
punishment.
When I was blinded by youth, my Pierce would pass 48HP cars on grades during
tours. I got by a Winton, Locomobiles, a 60HP Kissel, a sorry 48HP Pierce, a
’14 Velie, and a Model AA Stevens Duryea. I got disgraced by a 1909 Packard
30 Runabout driven by a priest who’s family owned most of Kern County oil
property. A K-670 Thomas Flyer did a good impression of a rocket ship until
his tire came off. That didn’t count because we were on flat ground.
I’m retired from doing mindless behaviors with my artifacts so I’ll have
to decline your racing assistance. LOKI is usually low key, so is always
welcome in my car.
Tony,
Interesting about the performance of these cars.When I moved to the base of the mountains north of town,I drove my C-3 Pierce Arrow 5 pass.Touring,1929 Pierce Arrow Roadster and 1930 Packard 745 Phaeton all in the same afternoon on the same road which included Tramway Road which is a good climb and is where alot of cyclists train.The C-3 held her own with the 1929 and 1930 but of course I was not trying to go that fast and on the interstate probably cruising at 45-50.Tramway Road will slow down a Mercedes-Benz 240D big time.I had a friend following me because we had to bring them up one car at a time.I have always wondered about performance differences between the three sizes of RHD Pierce Arrows.Alot depends on gearing.One person with whom I spoke drove his C-3 at 70 mph at one time.I believe my C-3 has the 3.53 rear axle ratio as she was used in Pasadena.A very good performer is a well sorted out brass Model T Ford.I had a 1914 model I drove to about a mile below the summit of Pikes Peak before turning around because of feeling a bit funny from the altitude and a road with no barriers so if one passes out,there could be a 1000 or more foot fall over the edge.The car did fine.
William,
Pierce-Arrow must have had a savant chained to a room engineering gear
ratios, for I have never met an early P-A trans or rear end that could be
improved on. My 36HP weighs only 3800 and has a 4 speed. A competing
Packard had a 3 speed trans axle and must have weighed 4500. Mine has a
396 six versus Packard’s 432 four.
I attended the 75th Anniversary Horseless Carriage Club Tour in Colorado.
Three Days before, a forest fire had wiped out hundreds of dwellings and
the Pioneer Village where we were to have a lunch stop. Suddenly attendance
went down from 300 cars to 100 and we felt badly that we were taking housing
away from people who had lost their homes. In the parking lot a 1906
Locomobile was running so badly that I was afraid that it wouldn’t make it
to its trailer. That car made it to the top of Pikes Peak. Fresh paving and
guard rails did not lessen my fears in the modern car I was in. The new
railings had multiple scrape marks already.
On early car gatherings people always want to know which cars are the
fastest. I tell them that the Model T Fords are the fastest and the slowest
cars here today. My mentor, Roland Zillmer, had an exceptional’15 T Touring.
He had no trailer and would drive it to tours. He had a lead foot and a
machine shop. On one tour he raced a 1914 Isotta Fraschini, a huge 4 cylinder
overhead cam engined car. Mrs. Zillmer was beating him with her purse to
slow him down as he lead the Isotta.
Mr. Zillmer had several Pierces and sold me my ’12. He owned Tyrone Power’s
and one purchase, he had to secure the seller a dual valve White (’17?)
before he would receive the Pierce.
The time I took the 14 Ford up Pikes Peak was the 1964 Glidden Tour,my brand new wife and were the children on that tour that had some 200 cars or so ranging from 1899 to about 1931-1932 and all who started the drive made it to the summit.There was no guard rail and the road was gravel.She was getting a bit frightened too so we turned around.Another day we drove to Cripple Creek and we ended up driving back to Colorado Springs that night by the gas lights and kerosene lamps because I had to check out all the sights of Cripple Creek and Victor because of my love of ghost towns.Dr.Bennie the former owner of my C-3 made it all the way to the top including the 1899 Locomobile Steamer and the 1902 Toledo Steamer both from Wichita.I believe people try to cycle Pikes Peak and having cycled from Tijeras to Taos on what was known as the second most grueling ride in the country,Pikes Peak would have to be the ultimate challenge.
Reminds me of the ’34 Pierce basket case I pulled out of a field here in Virginia.
Two friends, a father and son, good ole country boys, went with me to pick it up.
As we approached the car, the son looked at the father and asked, hear that? I was clueless. He had heard a low hum, which turned out to be a large wasp nest running down the frame.
Had he not heard it, there could have been some serious damage to yours truly.
Tony: most of Rodney’s cars have new rear gears. Al Pbrahamsen’s Series 31 had 3.3:1 rear gears instead of 3.77:1 gears.
Your ’12 would run 70+ if it had the windshield removed and the rear covered with a tonneau cover.
Marlin Hansen put 3.0:1 or maybe ? 2.5:1 gears in his 1917 66. and it pulled 85+, I’ve been in it when we were over 80mph. And it had a windshield up and ‘streamlined’ like a brick wall !!
I’ll tell LOKI his has an ‘uncle’ out in California.
Greg
Tony,
What is the rear axle ratio in your 1912? It would be most scary to go 70+ in these cars.I believe the axle ratio is stamped on the housing.I believe several ratios were available in the RHD era.I know with my C-3 Dr.Bennie would drive some
200 or so miles to do an HCCA or VMCCA tour.The brakes and skinny tires make you want to be careful.I know about the serious accident an HCCA member had a few years back with I was told a windshield post going into an eye plus injured quite seriously.
William,
The only scary part of going 70+ in an early Pierce is the stopping
ability. A well sorted one is capable of steering out of trouble and
doing some remarkable cornering thanks to stock friction shocks. My
mentor, Roland Zillmer modified his 1911 Hudson and drove it from
New York to San Francisco at 65MPH. His only problems were losing a wheel
lock ring at speed and grinding a valve beside the road. An overdrive and
’55 Chev. juice brakes helped performance. I have ridden at 70+ in a 1909
48HP. It was a lot less scary than a ride I took around Watkins Glen in
a 1936 P.A. V12 with a driver that was foaming at the mouth. At any rate,
I can make you wet your pants at 30MPH in my 1904 Olds, while 70MPH in a
big early P.A. is a “walk in the park”.
I was in attendance on the tour that had the bad accident. The person injured
was used to driving a 2 cylinder REO. He wrecked in a 1914 Pope-Hartford that
was loaned to him. A Dr. friend of mine was right behind and treated the
injured immediately. Some were life flighted out.
I don’t recommend driving your old car in an unsafe manner. I relate these
observations to clear up misconceptions about early cars being slow and
boring. After all, in 1907 Apperson advertised that their Speed car would
be guaranteed to do 75MPH. A race between Sacramento and LA in 1910,
averaged over 50MPH on dirt roads and some of the race occurred at night.
Always keep too much stopping space ahead of you, be considerate of modern
drivers, drive like you have no brakes, and leave all the alcohol in the
gas you buy at the pump. You’ll have a great day in a P.A.
Hi all, I miss the fun National meets, but living on my catamaran sailboat in FL now. Greg, Gene Becker was at the 2002 Kalamazoo meet and knew about my custom 2.36 to 1 gears turning 40 inch Pierce army truck wheels. He & Pauline rode with us and Gene asked if I would open it up. We quickly went past the end of the speedo and were passing cars on the interstate. I usually only drove 60 which was 1200 rpms. I feel these seven inch stroke engines should not be run over 1200 rpm very often. BTW:Pierce book says operating range: 200 to 1800 rpm. 1800 rpm would have put me at 90 mph, might have torn the top off at that speed. Even with this tall ratio, I came back from Modoc Tour in CA in 2009 and stormed to the top of Powderhorn pass in 4th gear. Have photo beside sign: 9,690 feet elevation. Anthony’s observation of driving old cars fast is correct! Better slow if any traffic. If anyone is interested, I have a new set of 2.25 to 1 spiral bevel gears for series 4 model 66. I think they will also fit series 3 model 66 cars. Marlin [email protected]
