Projects 1948 Crosley Convertible... what have I done???

That steering wheel flat out dwarfs the cute little pixie you found to chauffeur you around in that little cabriolet limo. She's going to need a booster seat. And a proper chauffeur's cap, too.

Be careful about customizing it. If you french the headlights they'll wind up in the back seat.

 

Too Cool! it needs some pinstriping and a set of wide whites, I can just see the gorgeous lil pin up chick in your photo cruising to high school in it a few years down the track ......


.

 

hahaha! that is too cool Jim!

 

I had the drive train from one of those a few years back, we transported it a couple hundred miles inside a Scion XB. Everything was so dinky that we easily fit 2 engines, a radiator, 4 wheels, a transmission, front and rear axles, etc. etc. I'd love to have one, but have been told that the main bearings are getting really hard to find which made me a little uneasy about building one.

 

ok... i have seen these before, and i know they're a "spot mirror" but cant for the life of me remember the company who made them or what they were called... anyone?

 

The album... some of the same pics, some not:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=10100

 

I'll have to go with the Braje 2 carb manifold and little else except maybe upgrading the brakes if they are the mechanical ones and especially if they are discs.
A nice interior and top, and you've got a great family heirloom to follow the kids and grandkids through school over and over.

 

It does still have the mechanical brakes, they stop the car.... but need some adjusting and going through, heck it's been parked since 1965.

The thing runs actually like a top, but still gonna drop in a Pertronix, and of course the dual carbs!

Just got my H.AM.B. decals in the mail sooo once I get the glass cleaned I'll proudly place one in the windsheild!

 

I did about a 1 hour video interview on Nick Brajeovich. He was one of the most innovative people I've ever known. He had a twin blown Crosley engined dragster he wanted to sell me, it was well built. He also put together two Chev. v-6 engines to make a v-12 to put into a carbon fiber P-51. He was a childhood buddy with Frank Kurtis and had some well know drivers for his track roadsters. Ne had done about everything you could do with a Crosley. He also had a Crosley Hotshot That he run in H production.
Gary

 

Damn the horn is bigger than the engine!!!

 

Is it a Horn or some sort of Crosley Turbo Unit?
Does that come with a side or rear catch bag?

 

That thing is cuter than the proverbial spotted pup, I'd say do the carb and ignition thing and pretty well just restore the body and interior back to close to stock. It looks like a fun rig to take the kids on an ice cream or burger run in on special occasions.

40 something years ago a guy out a few miles from me had a whole back yard full of those things but I never knew what happened to them.

I'd almost bet that the little would be driver is looking at a few safety upgrades in time to drive it to school in about ten years.

 

That car needs a Ford flathead.

 

I think my grandpa stuck that horn on there, I cleaned up the relay so it works, it's loud.....

with 3 Stromberg 97's.....

Yep.....

I spoke with Nick's son this morning on the phone, he's going to make up a Braje cam cover to go with my manifold....

 

that is awesome! contratulations! My '49 convertible was my daily driver (only car) about 10 years ago- pretty reliable except for those cable brakes... and I think I just didn't understand them well enough to make them work properly at the time.

I've got one of those Koehler dual setups for the 'high performance' (i.e. 50 HP!) motor I'm working on. haven't fired it up yet, but I've heard good things about Chuck's work. He makes a nice header too.

There's a really strong parts support for these- pretty much everything is easily available and cheap except main bearings. The crosley club website has a list of vendors- Service Motors and Edwards Crosley Parts will keep you going a LONG time!

There's also an active West Coast Crosley Club (annual meet is in Buellton CA, Sept 12 this year)... PM me if you want more info on the club or meet and I can get you all the details.

Great ride- have fun!

 

Here is a Crosley engine with some Braje speed equipment. It was in a little sprint project set up for front drive, so the engine is backwards.

 

MMMMMMMMMMM Brajelicious

 

Looks like a trick setup!

I had a 47 sedan for a little while before selling it off.
Always wanted to keep it and drop a flathead in it.

Or even now a new ecotech 2.0 GM performance catalog has up to 2000 hp in bolt-on parts for it!

 

is this stuff cool or what?

love it!

 

Very cool!! isn't this the same crosley that made radios , amd home appliances from the 20's to the 40's? if so i have a 1923 crosley table radio in the history museum down here, wood case pear tubes complete except for the big speaker with the horn attached to it,impossible to find. HEy wait a minute !! it's under the hood!!

 

Very cool!

 

A friend of a friend has a riding lawnmower he built years ago from a Crosley drivetrain - except somehow it ended up with a Ford 9" from a golf cart.

Cool car, I had no idea they made speed parts for the Crosley engine. I thought hopping up a Crosley meant dropping in a V8/60.

-Dave

 

Yes. Actually, there are still Crosley appliances, but they aren't what they used to be. The Crosley name is also used on a series of "retro inspired" electronics at Target (radios, telephones, etc.). Powell Crosley, Jr. also owned the Cincinnati Reds and helped start night baseball. His team manager was a guy named Leland Sanford "Larry" MacPhail who once tried to kidnap Kaiser Wilhelm and give him to Woodrow Wilson as a Christmas present. I'm standing in the parlor of the house where he lived as a kid.

I'm a fountain of useless knowledge.

-Dave

 

that is a passing mirror for looking forward to see around the vehicle you are behind,

that one in the picture needs a little adjusting but you look in the main mirror and see the image of the vehicle coming in the small mirror so you don't have to try and dive out to see if anyting is coming , and of course everytime you do that there is always a truck coming

 

im in the process of putting a 48 crosleywagon body on a 98 inch w.b. slingshot. i bought the car at the crosley club of america show and swap in ohio, what a trip! jman on here turned me on to the car. the oldtimers love these little shits. there was a midget race car class for these back in the day. there was a few there with the speed equiptment on them, they were kool. i had a gocart my oldman built for me when i was a kid, out of crosley parts, i guess thats why i have a soft spot for the little shits.

 

I think it's going to be a fun project, I can't wait to get the dual carbs on it... I'd like to get one of those Braje headers, thats cool stuff. I think the cable brakes can be reliable, I just need to do some work on them and free them up... It's been driven less than a mile since 1965.

As Paul said, it'll be perfect for racing down to the paper/mail box..... we have a nice long driveway, kinda steep and she motors right up it.

Anyone know if there was ever a magneto built for these engines??? I WANT ONE!!!!!

 

It's "Officially" cool now.....

 

There are magnetos for these- because of the variety of applications for these engines (generators, refrigeration units, boats, etc) they're not as uncommon as one might think. You might check with Service Motors- i wouldn't be surprised if they had some.

 

I'll check with Butch at Service Motors... I have been ordering a few things from him already.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Hi;
I'm new to the board but have had Crosleys for many years. I am also president of the Crosley Auto Club. (www.crosleyautoclub.com). You have a very nice and desirable Crosley. We welcome all Crosley owners as members and can help you with whatever you decide to do with your car. Nice Chuck Koehler dual carb set up on it!!
Dave