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Hypothetical Questions - from a real conversation

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JPSmit

JPSmit

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So, a week or so ago SWMBO & I are talking about the Rolls Royce Prom Story (for those who didn't catch it a friend from my club drove my nephew & his girlfriend to Prom in his Roller) Anyways, SWMBO hates my Vauxhall (mostly the Dukes of Hazzard Orange) so, suggested I sell it and buy a Rolls so that I can drive the nieces & nephews to Prom as they come of age. Now there are certain logistical & financial realities to exchanging a "in pieces" Vauxhall with no selling feature other than rarity for a serviceable limo, but, setting that aside, I did what any smart guy would do after his beloved suggests he buy another car - and hit ebay & auto trader.

Here is what I found - Rollers are expensive! (who knew? ;) ) Bentleys less so - Jags, expensive and the list goes on. What is less expensive is "off brand cars" Lanchester, Daimler, Armstrong Siddeley, even some Triumphs (Mayflower for sure) and Riley etc. etc.

So, here are my questions. If I found myself in the position of looking for this type of car (would need to be a round fender car) and, assuming this would really want to be a time I bought a driver rather than restoring one,

1. How does maintenance costs & parts availability compare for an "off brand" compared to a "on brand" car (remember, assuming I was starting with a complete & restored car.)

2. If you were looking for such a car, what would you choose? say under 10k (to start) Doesn't have to be British - There is a lovely 1941 Buick (actual Limo) for sale locally.

Here are two cars to get the conversation started - but don't limit it to conversation on just these - remember, this is hypothetical (for now :D )

Buick https://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-ve...41-Buick-Limousine-Seats-8-W0QQAdIdZ494849744

Daimler https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/daimler/conquest/1578750.html

cheers all!
 
A wedding and prom car? Why, what else but a 1950 Armstrong Siddeley Typhoon!

std_armstrong-siddeley_typhoon_convertible_1950_f3q.jpg


https://www.siddeley.org/

(That was the car my parents almost bought me when I graduated from high school. Settled on a 1955 Mk VII Jaguar instead.)
 
stunning! (but how much?)
 
You're looking for complete and fully restored. Probably $75-100K.

What's your budget?

Tom
 
And of course, the late 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300 ("Adenauer")

2006-6-12_Greenwich2006Sun-019Web-Large.jpg


Or the (slightly) less expensive, and more common, early 1960s M-B 220S:

seun-bj-apatira-(steez)_444_Mercedes-Benz-220SE-Cabriolet-1960.jpg
 
For American cars, I'd go for the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air:

57Chevy.jpg


(I'll crawl back into my cave now ...)
 
My choice JP. Not sure why, but I always thought they were something only royalty would have. 10 to 15 Gs will get a decent driver. PJ

Austin Princess!

 
Actually, the 70s and 80s Rolls Royces and Bentley aren't that pricey.

$20,000 USD buys a decent one and half that will get you a serviceable one.

EXAMPLE

I know the old tale that there's no such thing as a cheap Roller but I know several owners that say they aren't too bad to keep going...including a neighbour who uses his for normal transport.

If you want an oldie with round fenders, the best choice is probably a Ford Model A. I've been to lots of weddings where a Model A is the wedding car. Cheap, easy to fix and still pretty "different".

Here's One (but get a 4 door)
 
JPSmit said:
1. How does maintenance costs & parts availability compare for an "off brand"
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but I think we are poised to see a dramatic increase in availability (and drop in prices) for parts for rare cars in the near future; including the less popular ones. 3D printing really does promise to be a game-changer.

If you missed it before; check out the story on how Jay Leno picked up this 1914 Premier for "practically nothing", after it had sat for "20-25 years" because the former owner couldn't find a water pump housing. They just printed a replacement.
https://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/1914-premier/1286288/
BTW, that video is a few years old; I understand Leno has already sold the old 3D printer and presumably bought new ones with better capabilities.

An article last year (sorry, don't have the link handy) said that Chrysler had ordered a 3D printer to print engines (yes, the entire engine) for prototyping and "limited production runs". Exotic, impossible to machine materials (sintered titanium anyone?) are coming as well.
https://road.cc/content/feature/633...icycle-parts…-heres-how-eads-and-charge-do-it
 
Agree with the notion that short production runs of new parts is enhanced with 3D printing. I have a Makerbot and it's amazing.

There are 3D printers that print in zinc (and I'm sure better stuff will come)......not sure about higher temp metals right now, but you can still do a lot with ABS or zinc.

check out Thingiverse

https://www.thingiverse.com/
 
JP, buy a Rolls and the collection plate will run dry. :wink:

You may have your alloted cart and horse though. :highly_amused:
 
kellysguy said:
JP, buy a Rolls and the collection plate will run dry. :wink:
Click to expand...

That is a *very* interesting aspect to all this. Maybe a rusted out 1983 Plymouth Reliant would be a better choice ...
 
I really like that '41 Buick for what you want to do, and the price is right. It's got the right look, the right color and the right size. Parts availability should be good also.
 
aeronca65t said:
....There are 3D printers that print in zinc (and I'm sure better stuff will come)......not sure about higher temp metals right now.....
Click to expand...

Probably the coolest hunk of metal I've fondled, er, handled in recent years was a bit of landing gear, 3D printed in titanium by laser sintering.


pc
 
Does the tech exist yet where all you have to do is scan a 3D object and it'll print it?
 
Don't think I'd use the phrasing "all you have to do," but all the steps in the progression from scanning the original through printing the physical model are widely available (and reasonably straightforward for those who make a habit of it).
 
PC said:
Don't think I'd use the phrasing "all you have to do," but all the steps in the progression from scanning the original through printing the physical model are widely available (and reasonably straightforward for those who make a habit of it).
Click to expand...
I agree. There is still considerable hand work for most real objects, especially if they are hollow, it's not what you'd call a fully automated process yet. But there are definitely 3D scanners that will give you a surface to start with, and lots of software tools to help get from there to a final design to be "printed".

Airbus has said that they expect to print an entire plane by 2050 (which at the rate things are going, will very likely turn out to be pessimistic). There are new articles every week on 3D printing.
https://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=264556
 
All of my artwork is one of a kind and I need a way to duplicate it easily. It's too complex to have to program in.
 
We scan solid objects with our NextEngine scanner and retrieve drawings from the data.
Then print on our Makerbot.

The drawings usually need to be edited and sometimes, knitted together, depending on the shape. Massaging a drawing that comes from a 3D scanner is the tough part.

As the other guys have said above, it's possible (and I've done it), but it takes a good deal of time to get decent at it.
 
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