Really Cool Driving History: 1926 Edition

"Court AutoTempest" (CourtAutoTempest) 08/16/2013 at 15:15 • Filed to: Car History, Oppositelock

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The other day I get an email from my boss Nathan saying:

I had like an 8 email conversation with Bill before realizing you knew him... He showed me these pictures of his cars, and when I commented on being curious what the 1926 driving experience was like, he wrote this...

Bill is my girlfriend's Dad. How he and my boss started chatting was beyond me, but since he and his daughter/my girlfriend have restored both a 1926 Chevrolet Superior V Sedan and a 1954 Canada-built GMC short-box pickup, both purely stock, (he drives both of them regularly too, including using the pickup to help me move the other week!) it sort of made sense that he would eventually cross paths with the guy who built !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

What Bill had sent to Nathan in response to Nathan's inquiry of "what the 1926 driving experience was like" was an unsolicited but incredibly appreciated essay on driving his Chevy and the historical circumstances that made it the machine that it is. Here it is, for your enjoyment and learnings.

The 1926 driving experience is slow and steady.

There were a good many roads by 1926 and cities boasted paved streets. The Lincoln Highway across the country, US 40, was completed in 1913. It was mostly unpaved, of course, and parts were still unpaved when I first traversed it in 1948 (in the backseat of a 1939 Plymouth). The first cross-country road was named for Lincoln because he was an avid believer in government-sponsored infrastructure programs. He envisioned cross-country highways and railroads and, as president, signed legislation in support of both.

Most of the annoying problems with cars had been mitigated, if not corrected by 1926. A flat tire was still very common and difficult to change. (Note the wood-spoke wheels on the 1926 Chevrolet. They stayed on the car and only the rims were changed). In 1920 80% of the new cars were open cars; but, by 1930 80% were closed sedans and coupes. This kept the weather out and was more inviting to the women. Some cars even came with heaters.

The engine starting procedure would seem complicated today; but, it was much simplified over what was required ten or 12 years earlier. The Chevrolet requires a manual spark retard and closing of the choke, then push the floor start button. The car has never failed to start for me (my mechanicals are in near-new condition, which helps). As soon as the engine starts, the spark is manually advanced. When the engine warms up, continue to manually advance the spark and push in (open) the choke.

The pedals on the floor look very familiar to a modern driver; clutch on the left, then the brake, then the accelerator. The starter button is just to the upper right of the accelerator. The gear selector is floor-mounted to the right of the driver, as one would expect. The emergency brake handle is the old-fashion level-pull style, just to the right of the gear selector, and one had better practice using it. The transmission is a standard “H” pattern, three speeds forward and one reverse (upper left in the “H” pattern). It is not a synchromesh transmission; so, one has to “double clutch” to down shift. Even still, Chevrolets were much easier to drive than Fords. Henry Ford still insisted on his strange planetary gears that one shifted with an odd combination of foot pedals. The Model “T” throttle was on the steering column; so, one sifted with the feet and accelerated with the hands. The Model “T” had another curious problem, not shared by the Chevrolet. The gearing was high and, if one encountered a very steep hill, the car had to be backed up the hill. The Chevrolet gearing is low in first gear; so, it can be easily driven up steep hills.

Instruments consist of ammeter, oil pressure and speedometer. The temperature gauge is on the radiator cap (easily seen through the windshield); but, there is no gas gauge. I carry a clean stick to check the gas-tank level before setting out. Gas mileage is about 22 miles per gallon and one becomes adept at guessing when to fill up. There is a vacuum windshield wiper and dash and interior lighting. The dash and interior look almost luxurious, when compared to the average Model “T”.

The old cars require more daily maintenance than what we are used to today; but, by 1926, most of the dirty tasks had been reduced or eliminated. Before starting out, it is still wise to check oil and water levels, turn the gas on (there is a valve at the bottom of the vacuum fuel pump, which is turned off for safety when the car is parked for any length of time). It’s also wise to periodically check a few nuts and bolts. These tend to work themselves free with the excessive engine vibrations. Once I even found a loose sparkplug. There is one curiosity with the 1926 engine. Although it is an overhead valve design, which sounds modern, the valves at the top of the engine are not lubricated with engine oil. One has to periodically squirt oil through holes in the valve cover to oil the valve train. This is left over from pre-1910 engine technology and Chevrolet didn’t rectify the problem until 1929.

The 1926 Chevrolet engine displaces 171 cubic inches and produces 21.7 horsepower (similar to the Model “T”). This is adequate for a sedate 25 miles per hour around town (I never drive it on the highway). It just as well that the power is modest because the controls are not designed for speed. The steering is heavy and anything but precise. The suspension is not too different from a buggy or wagon (although, General Motors continued to use a version of it on pickup trucks through the 1950’s). There are no shock absorbers; so, higher speeds and bumps are downright dangerous.

The worst problem is the brakes. There are brakes only on the rear wheels and these are mechanically operated constricting-shoe brakes, the very worst kind. At best, they provide only about 20% of the braking power offered by the Chrysler cars of the late 1920s. I keep a hand ready for the emergency brake, which is often required. The lighting is also minimal. Headlights are dim, although there is a high and a low “beam”, and there is only one taillight. The stock car has no brake light; but, I added one in a way that doesn’t change the stock appearance of the car. Of course, there are no turn signals. Do you remember the old hand signals? I am used to leaving the driver’s side window down, so that I can wave my signals to the driver behind.

I drive the car on errands once a week, year around. I love it. When I drive it, I feel as if I’m actually doing something, I’m actually driving!