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Hot Rods 1919 to 1923 Essex four cylinder engines

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Six Ball, Oct 28, 2014.

  1. hrspwrranch
    Joined: Oct 10, 2011
    Posts: 17

    hrspwrranch
    Member

  2. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    WOW! I'm interested. I'll be making a Texas trip in July. I may be going to Georgia sooner. I'll figure out something that is a great piece. I wonder what it would cost to ship it? Thanks for saving it. It would have been a shame to lose something that nice.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2015
  3. weps
    Joined: Aug 1, 2008
    Posts: 544

    weps
    Member
    from auburn,IN

    Plus, with that ID tag on it, it will be a breeze to get a title;)
     
    Six Ball likes this.
  4. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Here's a little Essex teaser. I got the cowl from Mark (hrspwrranch). His friend Dave brought it to within about 60 miles of my house. What service! I did a simple mock up with it and my radiator shell. They are on a '29 Chevy frame but will go on the Essex later. I just needed to see something. I think I can make it work but it is second in line beind a '26 Chevy roadster.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  5. david38rc
    Joined: Mar 24, 2010
    Posts: 71

    david38rc
    Member

    Looking good Six Ball, you'll be ready for Pikes Peak soon!!!
     
    Six Ball likes this.
  6. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Thanks David. How's your Brother's speedster coming? Did you come across any more of your Dad's stuff?
     
  7. david38rc
    Joined: Mar 24, 2010
    Posts: 71

    david38rc
    Member

    Tom, I've tried several times to connect with him, seems he's pretty busy with family and work. Hopefully we'll be able to get together so I can at least get some photos for you.
     
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  8. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    David, Thanks for your help. It is so cool to actually have in my hands copies of the hand written notes from your dad. It makes this project a lot more real. I'd love the photos. I need a hood and I'd like a stock steering column and wheel with the controls. I still need two of the rocker oilers and the top plate for the carb. I may cast one of those just to see if I can. That what's missing I don't know yet if anything is broken. :D Tom
     
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  9. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    Wow. This is a GREAT project! I love an old Ford as much as the next guy, but seeing non-Fords get built in a period style is something I'm really passionate about.

    Keep track of your pictures, Six Ball, because I'd love to write this up for the Hemmings blog when it's closer to complete.
     
    Six Ball likes this.
  10. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    That looks very familiar!
     
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  11. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    David, Did those pictures ever show up? I haven't made any progress on the Essex and very little on my '26 Chevy roadster. This summer I would like to fire up the essex engine just to see if it will run. I'm pretty sure it will.

    Bigcheese, I'll keep pictures of all they gets done. Once the parts are rounded up it will go pretty quick. I'm not looking at fancy, at least not at first.
     
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  12. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    No real progress on this but I did get a Hood. It is actually two right sides and tops and a left top. I think I can do some cutting and flipping on one of the side panels and make a left side from it. It has been on eBay for over a year and the guy accepted my offer. It is in much better shape than I expected. All of the louvers are perfect. Hardly any dents. Some pitting but nothing rusted through. I can now get some measurements for body length. It is shorter than I was thinking. The only missing body part now is a double speedster style seat frame. I can make one or there is a guy in California that makes them. I'll try to get some more pictures up soon.:)
     
    Fadi likes this.
  13. Jim Scammell
    Joined: Apr 17, 2010
    Posts: 36

    Jim Scammell
    Member

    G'day SB,
    I'm somewhat amazed that you haven't discovered the SX4 sporting activity in the UK, NZ and AUS.
    There has been a lot going on over in those countries with SX4 since 1919.

    You may know that the radiator surround you have displayed is an early SX6 unit. The scuttle is a late SX4 unit.

    Consider looking for and using an early 1920s Hudson (brass) carb, big brother to the SX4 carb. Stay away from SU carbs, as there is no point and as it'll also have you looking the same as just about every other special through the years. Hudson is good. Stick with the original period electrics, either Delco or American Bosch.

    Stick with the HET Club, as there are plenty of SX4 boys in that club, and huge supplies of SX4 stuff salted away from coast to coast. Nothing happens instantly. Stick to it.

    Great to see you hooked on SX4, they are/were almost unbeatable, dollar for dollar.

    Cheers
    Jim
    Adelaide
     
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  14. Jim Scammell
    Joined: Apr 17, 2010
    Posts: 36

    Jim Scammell
    Member

    … keep and restore that original complete fuse box. They are rare and good.
    Jim
     
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  15. Jim Scammell
    Joined: Apr 17, 2010
    Posts: 36

    Jim Scammell
    Member

    Also, search HAMB for "Essex Four" and SX4
     
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  16. Jim Scammell
    Joined: Apr 17, 2010
    Posts: 36

    Jim Scammell
    Member

    Have a look at this 'Antique Automobile Club of America' forum, especially Karl Hamson, the man in Canada. He amongst others should be able to help you with most of your SX4 problems …

    forums.aaca.org/topic/280931-1922-essex-touring-car/

    Good hunting and good luck. Cheers, Jim
     
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  17. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Wow, Jim thanks for all the information. I'l be busy checking out the things you have suggested. Just the "SX4" term is something I haven't tried. Yes I know my radiator shell is from a six but it's the best I've found the Hudson club didn't help me at all. I let my membership go. I need to get back onto this project. Saw a Chevy speedster last week that got me thinking Essex again. Thanks for the carb suggestion.
     
  18. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    I haven't made any progress on this. Lots of other stuff to do. I want to send this back to the top to see if anyone else has run across early Essex parts and if David has been able to find more of his father's Essex treasures.
    I got a new camera today so I'll get some pictures of the hood pieces posted and see if anyone has ideas about making a right side panel into left side panel. I have a couple of friends who are interested in helping with this and may even take over much of the construction/assembly and I'll do the mechanics. I need some big wire wheels or a good set of wooden spokes. I should make a list and add it to my posts.
     
  19. 392
    Joined: Feb 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,206

    392
    Member

    Nice to see this back up. Can't help with Essex parts but i do have a 32 sedan on the block.
     
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  20. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    That thing is cool! I hope you find a good home for it.
     
  21. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    I've made no progress on this project and very little on my '26 Chevy roadster. Just too much other stuff I HAVE to do. I did however find a complete carburetor . I didn't know mine was missing so much. I have no idea how or if it works. I can tell that it is very different from any carb I've ever worked on. It looks like now I'll need the vacuum unit that mounts on the firewall. s-l1600-5.jpg s-l1600-8.jpg s-l1600-11.jpg 1922 Essex red m.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2023
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  22. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Well we'll lose the purest here. :rolleyes: Yesterday a friend told me that a friend of his got a 1919 Oakland that was in the reassembly stage of a restoration. He is going to make a "hot rod" out of it and has no use for the entire running gear much of which I am told has been restored. I made a deal for just about everything except the body and frame. There are at least 3 wood spoke wheels with new tires, a couple have already gone away, front axle, steering box, springs, engine & trans, drive shaft, differential, steering wheel.........There are extra parts too. I'm not sure what all is there. It is almost everything I'll need to put together with the Essex stuff to make a convincing 20s era road racer together. The problem is that I'll end up with another cool 1919 engine and transmission with no home. I'll post pictures as soon as I get some.
    I think it's too bad he is scattering a complete antique car that was mostly restored but that's where parts come from I guess.:(:confused:
     
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  23. Once you get all that, you need to move to Georgia... I know someone who's a sucker for early engines :D
     
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  24. oj
    Joined: Jul 27, 2008
    Posts: 6,454

    oj
    Member

    Lots of the carbs back then had SAE spec parts and a fair amount of interchangability, I have a good inventory of Marvel-Shebler, Stromberg and others from that period. Here is the Stromberg M2 I did a couple weeks ago for a 1918 Buda 'H' engine. The machining of one of them is stunning. 002.JPG
     
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  25. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    I'm looking forward to getting into that big brass carb. The early Delco ignition will be fun too.
    A quick search turned up a 1919 Oakland touring in a display about 5 miles away in Virginia City. The engine might interest the Georgia guy. :D
    images-1.jpeg 14022220424003072263007.JPG
     
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  26. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Here's the sort of look I'm shooting for. The wire spoke wheels are way out of my price range. Neither of these are from my 3 major donor brands.

    Broadmoor Special in 1926.jpg race1.jpg
     
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  27. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 3,715

    carbking
    Member

    Six Ball - your Essex carburetor was manufactured for Essex by the Detroit Lubricator Company. It was the DL version of an S.U. Shares a few parts with the Detroit Lubricator/Stewart model 25 carb used by Dodge Brothers.

    OJ - The Stromberg M series was one of the best of the early carburetors. Evidently others shared this opinion, as the model M had a run from about 1914 to 1938 in a time when automotive technology was changing daily.

    Jon.
     
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  28. Essex4Kid
    Joined: Sep 10, 2019
    Posts: 1

    Essex4Kid


    These are awesome pictures you have of my father. He used to have some hanging on the wall. He had taken me on a ride in his Essex a few times around the neighbor hood when I was younger. My older sibling whom I didnt know too well gave it to someone she knew in the family, a cousin I think? I was curious to how it was? I really wish I had gotten a say in it because I would love to have it. If anyone sees it around I would love to know how it is.
     
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  29. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    I didn't know your dad but through searching Essex stuff I learned some about him. Enough to know I would have liked to meet him. I wish you had the car too so I could come see it and learn a lot more. Find that cousin!
     
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  30. Six Ball
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 5,776

    Six Ball
    Member
    from Nevada

    Has anyone come across another one of these engines or better yet building something Essex four powered? Are there any at the TROG meets or any hill climbs?
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2023
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