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Photo thread for the heck of it


ayavner

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This is known as the Jonckheere Round Door Rolls Royce. Despite being a 1925 model, the car was rebuilt with this new design body in 1932, thus reflecting the peak of Depression-era, Art Deco design.

 

It truly is a magnificent work of art to look at - but actually driving it, is likely to be a major letdown. Only 108HP, Armstrong steering, 1925-era brakes (i.e. - poor), and rear vision that is dreadfully restricted, and certainly not an enjoyable seating position for rear seat passengers.

 

https://heacockclassic.com/articles/the-round-door-rolls-1925-rolls-royce-phantom-i-jonckheere/

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Spacey - The car started off new with a Hooper Cabriolet body, identical to the car below. After passing through several owners, including an Indian Rajah, the car ended up with a new owner in Belgium, and the Belgian truck-and-bus-body builder, Jonckheere Carrossiers designed and built the new "round door" stylised body for the car.

 

Unfortunately a fire in the late 1930's destroyed all the Jonckheere Carrossiers records, and no-one today knows who commissioned the car, or designed the stylish shape.

 

https://vandp.net/sales/1959/1925-rolls-royce-phantom-1-hooper-all-weather-cabriolet/

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The 1921 Model A Duesenberg (first shown in late 1920) was the first car to have hydraulic 4 wheel brakes as standard. The hydraulic braking system of the Duesenberg was invented by one Malcolm Loughead - who started the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company with his brother Allan in 1912.

 

But the Loughead name (an old Scottish name, which came from "Loch Head" - i.e., they lived at the head of the lake), was too difficult for most Americans to pronounce, so the brothers changed their name to the simpler-to-pronounce "Lockheed"! And thus the fortunes of the company came from both brake systems, and aircraft systems.

 

Surprisingly, a number of car manufacturers tried 4 wheel brakes - and usually 4 wheel hydraulic brakes, in the period from 1902 to 1920 - but they all failed to produce reliable braking systems.

 

Chrysler soon cottoned on to the advantages of 4 wheel hydraulic brakes after seeing the Duesenberg Model A, and a 4 wheel hydraulic braking system appeared on the new 1924 Chrysler models.

Chryslers braking system was licenced to Lockheed, but substantially improved by Chrysler engineers, as the Duesenberg used a mixture of glycerine and water with leather cup seals, and their brake cylinder seals leaked regularly, thanks to overall poor design.

 

Chrysler engineering was brilliant in the 1920's, and Chrysler engineers soon found the deficiencies in the water/glycerine fluid and leather mix - so, after extensive testing and refining, they found that moulded rubber cup-type seals, and a fluid composed of glycerine, castor oil, and a small amount of alcohol - along with 4 wheel brakes - provided an excellent braking arrangement.

It wasn't until the mid-1930's that glycol-based brake fluids appeared.

 

Other manufacturers started to fit 4 wheel brakes from 1925. The new Model A Ford, released in 1927, sported 4 wheel brakes - but they were mechanical. Ford, as always, had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the hydraulic brake system, and Fords didn't get hydraulic brakes until 1939.

 

The new 6 cyl Chevrolet of 1929 sported Chevrolets first 4 wheel brakes - but like Ford, they too, were mechanical brakes. GM also poo-pooed Chryslers hydraulic brakes, and it wasn't until 1936 that the Chevs finally received hydraulic brakes.

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Wheeland master cylinders still require fairly regular attention. The fail  safe dual brake shuttle valve often seizes and many systems with ABS are difficult to bleed. The hydraulic fluid holds water except for the silicone types..  Nev

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The first car I ever owned in syndicate with 3 other mates when we were 15 was a 1930 DA Dodge 6 which cost us 20 quid. My 1/4 share was 6 weeks of my paper round money. It had 4 wheel hydraulic brakes that leaked & we could not afford brake fluid so used water instead. Worked fine & cost nothing to top up. I imagine long term everything would corrode & seize up but that didn't matter to us.

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