I was reading Rod and Custom last night as I was dozing off to dreamland. I couldn't find any front shock absorbers on that cut down Pierce Arrow or the model A's either. Am I missing something ? How does that thing ride with those big wire wheels and skinny bias ply tires ? It seems to me driving that car would be an adventure in bouncing around if in fact it has no shocks. Does any one here know how that car drives and rides?
The Pierce sedan doesn't show any shocks up front but the camera shots don't show the details of the front suspension either so... The red Model Coupe has shocks hiding just behind the headlamps and inside the radius rods, visible in the right quarter rear shot and hinted at in the front radiator shell, headlamp shot. So it's probably a goer. The gray coupickup doesn't show any front shocks and has a 34 Pickup grille NOT a 32 Commercial as the article states. BUT the camera angles don't show any front suspension at all so... Generally speaking any car needs shocks, front and rear, preferably hydraulic rather than friction. When a car doesn't have them you know it isn't the King or Queen of the Road. Some say they don't need them, some say the car should ride ride like a hotrod which it would follow must mean hard, bouncy, and out of control. Any car with a working suspension MUST have shock absorbers.
I don't think hot rods should ride bouncey and out of control. Increasing performance should include improving suspension as well as adding carbureators, but I'm not sure these cars were meant to be drivers.
The Jalopy Journal
