FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

What did a new car cost back then $2000?

donnyman

Don;t quote me because I really don't know but I believe a new edsel sold for approx $5000 in the 1957-8 time frame ...... one could buy a good used car for $15 a week!... I almost did!

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

According to the title of my 1959 Triumph TR-3A I think it was only $2600 to $2800 and the imports were more expensive.

donnyman

thinking back , in1963 I bought a new Mercury Comet for $2500 (cheap car) so you probably are More correct than I.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Memory is a funny thing. If it had been any other car but the TR-3A I wouldn't have had a clue!

buzzard bait

RCU rule: Any thread that lasts too long winds up being about motorcycles or cars.

GallopingGhostler

According to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Bel_Air 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door was $2,025. My father had a Studebaker President. After looking at photos on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_President it must have been the 1956 model.



Could be wrong, but I vaguely remember it as yellow with black trim. He replaced it with a 1960 Dodge Lancer, red with white trim. I vaguely remember some time ago while pricing it that it was around $1,700 to $1,800 back then. Wiki says first made 1961, but I remember distinctly 1960. Then I found http://storm.oldcarmanualproject.com...lancer1960.htm which helped to let me know my memory wasn't in error. 1962 model shown (different trim than 1960).



1971, I made $1.25 an hour working on a poultry farm.

GallopingGhostler

Oh, I think that some of the discussions about cars fits in nicely with the memories of the 50's and 60's here. Those are some things related to the things we remember as kids and young adults, a part of our roots. I still remember gasket shellac and an auto or motorcycle marking its spot when parked. Only with modern adhesives and sealants do we now see less and less of this.

Perhaps it has come to a close? I don't know, it's too premature to judge, IMO.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Well working on old cars is a lot like building RC airplanes. You're always trying to figure out how to do something with a material not necessarily designed for your application because the OEM part isn't available. A case in point my old TR-2A had a sold brass fuel shutoff that leaked like a sieve! I disassembled it and discovered a common ordinary cork cut down to the correct length and sanded to the correct diameter made the perfect packing. Leak stopped! I polished it up and chased the the threads for good measure while I was at it. Can any builder here say he hasn't done something similar at least once in this hobby?

Flypaper 2

When I worked at the airport I drove a bicycle back and forth 10 mi. to work. My uncle took pity on me and bought me a used 41 chev. for a 100 bucks. I once again had the world by the other cheek Paid him back a bit at a time. I had to drive it a 150 miles to a different airport job but the front wheels shimmied so bad I couldn't get over 45 mph with it. Took me 4 hrs to get there. With this new job I was a happy camper again but I think I ran out of cheeks

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I had an old 64 Comet with the same problem plus a bad case of piston slap to boot. You could move it around the parking lot just bouncing the front end. I paid $100 for it in 81 and knew what I was getting but didn't care, beat walking! The previous owner was short $100 buying a better car. I would mix rear end grease and used motor oil and put it in the motor it went thru oil so fast, 2 to 3 quarts every week. I worked in a filling station at the time so I didn't pay for the used oil. My commute was only about 5 miles one way but mass transit wasn't available and I had to pick up the baby after work. I drove it for almost a year until it got to where once the engine heated up the engine would seize. I traded it in on a 78 Honda Civic Wagon with 50K miles on it and a manual transmission. The local VW dealer (locally owned too) had it on the lot for over 5 months and were ready to deal when I mentioned they could take my offer or keep it another 5 months. They gave me a $100 trade in for the Comet and I gave them $800 below their asking price. The wife really wanted a Honda at the time and it only took her 20 minutes to learn to drive a stick. I was happy I thought I was going to have to pay someone to haul the Comet off!

GallopingGhostler

I found that modern RTV, such as Permatex RTV Ultra Gray (used for transmission cases, etc.) worked on my OS Max .10R/C. Old backplate gasket was shot and unusable, new gaskets aren't available. I'd have to make my own instead. RTV worked like a charm, she fired right up and was whole again. Now, I have an alternative to paper gaskets for my engines.

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

First flight in full scale learning to fly June 1970 from KUES had to buy into the Flying Commanders flying Club for $250 and $20/moth if U flew or not any 3 hours a month or less your initial entry was break even with the FBO on a 172. We charged $10/hour wet and $5/ hour primary instruction. That worked out to over 9 hours work as a Tool and Die maker apprentice for one hour of flight instruction I
Was standing in the local FBO this summer and it was $107 + tax and fuel sir charge for the 172 and $45 for primary instruction + tax. My point is that at $2/ hour as an Apprentice tool and die maker it was $15 +/ $2 = all most 10 hours of take home pay for 1 hour flight lesson'. Lets say U make $23/hour today then $$107 + $45 + 5% tax = $160/hour / $17.50 take home = 9.14 hours of work for 1 hour of flight instruction. Just saying things work out to pretty much even over the last 45 years.

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I know we are mainly focused on the past in this thread, but I am also interested in our future as well. No doubt, this hobby is dominated by the ARF. I remember the time before Monokote, and I hate that stuff now as I only paint my models.
It is interesting though to spy in on these ARF threads of new products entering the market. The prices are going up big time, and the quality is going down. Are we seeing a correction now on the labor to create these items? The was a time, not that long ago, when an ARF manufactured in the US, was just not affordable.
I only scratch build, or build from kits. I even design aircraft occasionally, and have at least 15 that have been in competition. So I am not effected by the ARF culture other than the fact that they are all I see at my flying field, and my fellow club members eyes glaze over when I tell them "Yah, I scratch built this from plans" !
I think this may be one of the reasons why I am attracted to this thread, as this issue is one where I think we all are in agreement. Building, is my hobby. I just decide to fly them once in a while!

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Vertical: U and a few others must be the last of a dieing breed. But if U take our sister origination the EAA now there are still a lot of Kit and scratch builders there.
Note: I don't do even do ARF's But I love RCU, Auctions and Swap meets. I BUY USED.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I resemble that comment!

donnyman

It looks like I am amongst allies of scratch builders-designers-kit builders, good because I have run into a problem I prefer paint on my models and can't seem to locate anything larger than a 3 ounce bottle of dope.

What are the rest of you using? I only use monokote on my play birds not my heavy metal warbirds so I am in a bind. the last bird I painted was with Rust-o-leum and I guess I may have to continue to do so but I want more options.

Hound dog........... I'm with you about swap meets and auctions were I get a lot of goodies.

5skyhawk172

Just turned 59 on January 1 so I guess I qualify to post in this thread. Back to 1968 first plane I ever built was a Sterling Ringmaster McCoy 29 Redhead Silkspan and dope finish. I actually learned to fly the thing! Next year 1969 first RC Carl Goldberg 1/2 a Skylane OS pet 09 RC and a Citizen Ship single channel Galloping Ghost. I mowed a lot of lawns to buy that radio! $50! Modified the Skylane so it had rudder elevator and throttle. It would take off and about 50 yards away total loss of control! To say the least, very disappointed! First good radio that worked was a Blue Max four channel. This is around 1970 with a Top Flight Headmaster and OS 20. I learned to fly RC on this. Since then have had Krafts Proline EK and RS. Those were the days!

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

I get my larger amounts of dope from Aircraft spruce. They will mail it no prob. I am always pleased with the quality I get when using dope. It really is the best paint there is. At least for sealing up your fabric.

ARUP

..

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

If I am not mistaken, all of the dope, Sig, Randolphs, and Brodak are made at the same place. Just re labeled. I have never used Brodak, but have spent most of my time with Sig's. It sure acts like the same stuff! Randolphs sells many different flavors. Nitrate, and non tutening or low tautening buterate. I actually like the stuff to continue to shrink personally.

My 1/4 scale Fokker DVII took a gallon of the stuff!

Greybeard1

Glad to see I'm not the only fossil that still likes dope and fabric. Still using the last of a bunch of a Stits cloth I bought years ago, Easier for me than the iron on mylars. But, I can remember walking out of my building room after spraying dope on a model, and for the thirty feet from there into the house, my feet never touched the ground.

But! I got a surprise call today, I had two orders in to K&B since before Christmas, heard nothing out of them. Wanted to know if they could combine the two orders into one, I said yes, asked when it would be shipped, they answered today. So, sometime next week, I should be madly converting K&B 4012's to 4011's. Picked up the boat engines cheap, the price of the conversion, about twenty bucks each. Still less than half their advertised price, not going to complain. It's my old 8011 that I have to think about, don't know if the ring is just stuck, or if I need a new piston, ring, and sleeve. Uses the same as the newer,4011, so no problem if I decide to rebuild. Maybe just running it a time or two might restore something, but the last time it ran was in the mid nineties.

Thanks to FlyerinOKC, I have new needle valves for my Fox .29 and .36, neither of which has a lot of time on it. About four flights a week, summertime only, and the Basic bipe I had them in lasted about four years until I was having too much fun with it and the deafening silence as the engine quits running because it's trying to dig dirt. But everyone loves a good crash. That plane didn't owe me anything either. It was a real blast. with the .36. Maybe three flights with the .29 then I switched engines. And it also gave me a reason to build something else. We all need an excuse, don't we?

Rich.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Rich, I didn't do anything any one of these other guys in this thread wouldn't do. We love this site, we stick together and we help each other out. I'm honored I could help a fellow builder! Besides by getting your engines running we stand a better chance of watching you build something here!

Greybeard1

Just recognition where it's due, Mike. I appreciate it more than a lot of people would, I loved my Fox engines. Maybe a bit of a pain to get running right, fussy carb settings, but once set, that was it. Sometimes a touch of the high speed needle, which I blame on changing humidity here, otherwise, fuel, fire, fly. Probably not too surprising, what I have in mind for the .36 is a Basic Bipe. That thing was just too much fun not to have another, and another, ad nauseum. Don't know if there will be any pictures though, I have probably a dozen digital cameras, ranging from ridiculously cheap to outrageously expensive, and none of them work. OR I should say they might work, but getting six shots and that set of batteries is gone might be a little excessive.

Rich.

Hossfly

For all that are interested, all the dope now available, and marketed for models, is from Randolph in one path or another. About 12 years ago I built a F-51 (P-51) and used another brand of dope (from a local airport) for base using talcum powder as to make a filler. After several days of drying after the sanding, etc. Brodak Silver went on OK but it had to dry well between coats because the base was not Brodak. John Brodak has his Randolph changed a bit, but it will still work with Sig, or base Randolph. There were some bad ones reference any mixing. Aero Gloss, long gone, was everyone's preference, but it did not mix with any of the basic "dopes" on the market back way when. I have never been successful with using butyrate base dope over nitrate. Others say that is the only way to go. NA' fer me! It seems to start cracking up too soon and making the butyrate much like rotten, and cracks after a few years, especially over wing rib areas.
Brodak seems to be about the best going. Buy in quarts or pints and keep it tight, it does good enough for me. I still like the silk and dope but don't use it as much as I did some years ago.
I still have a fair amount of the old K&B "Super Poxy" which if over a proper base was the best paint ever for model airplanes. REALLY fuel proof and very tight. Spray was Sooooo easy to do and a couple light coats was all that was needed over a good fill job, outside and low humidity.

Now on another subject: For those that just maybe did not change engine parts much, I wish to point this item. All the old glow engines of almost ALL that have the pretty much standard front intake with a needle valve through it, you can get very good engine runs with a number of needle valves. I flew competition CL stunt for many years along with sport, combat, scale and some others. Don't sweat not having the needle assembly that the engine came with. The best engine runs from even the veritable Fox 19, 25, 29, 35, and 40, the Super Tigre, the Johnson, and K&B, all were very fond of a needle-valve assembly from an O.S., Enya, or any of those type needle Valve Assemblies. Ukie Stunt was the only way to go. I flew Fox 29, 35 and the later .40, plus both of the Johnson .35s, the standard and the Supreme in competition, and I tell you the Fox .40, the Johnson .35 and Stunt .35 all went to work with the O.S or Enya needle assembly.
The one big thing WAS and IS that the one-hole needle valve needs (MUST) be facing straight BACK and centered which might take a few washers to set that up (washers) OUTSIDE both sides. With the NV spray-hole turned just out of sight to the back, probably the top of the hole in sight, that is the lowest pressure point.
The fuel going there is at it's lowest pressure because it's flow is faster, total pressure is same, but the dynamic pressure is increased. Sucks that fuel in.
Now that is for non-carbs I am speaking of, that great old stunt engine will do its work.