Mystery Engine

[RJO]

Can anyone identify this engine that was at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2007 please?

[williamp]

I think that's a Silver Ghost engine.

[guru_1071]

i guess you might be right, my first thought was rr becase of the crankcase and the car, the polished ht leads puuzzled me as i couldnt work out if they where some sort of injection pipes.

the other puzzler is the dynamo? thats bolted to where the coils would go on a 20/25 or phantom engine.

also, i think ghosts (which i now little about) are a side valve and look vey diferent.

its a good puzzler!!

[Balmoral Green]

williamp said:

I think that's a Silver Ghost engine.

The coachwork is much later than the Ghost though, although it could have been re bodied in the thirties.

I've been perusing the 2007 entry list for a green thirties RHD car with that scuttle lamp on the o's, but struggling.

[guru_1071]

i wonder if its one of the springfield built ones as they had a lot of local parts?

[RJO]

Unfortunately the head is a little under exposed, but i am starting to think that the copper pipes aren't high tension leads.
Could this be a sleeve valve engine with oilers that are controlled by the rod running across them?
Minerva, Knight, Voisin and others used them.

[_TC]

I cant help with the engine although my first thought is RR too.
I just wanted to say that boy, arent those old engines a thing of beauty. Such great engineering and so detailed.

[gib6933]

guru_1071 said:

i guess you might be right, my first thought was rr becase of the crankcase and the car, the polished ht leads puuzzled me as i couldnt work out if they where some sort of injection pipes.

the other puzzler is the dynamo? thats bolted to where the coils would go on a 20/25 or phantom engine.

also, i think ghosts (which i now little about) are a side valve and look vey diferent.

its a good puzzler!!

Not a 20 or a 20-25 it is older than that sorry, the silver rod in the foreground is to hold the windscreen in place.

Try asking on my forum some one will know on there as its for veteran and Edwardian cars

---

Or if you like RJO I could ask for you?

Edited by gib6933 on Sunday 4th January 21:57

[RJO]

Thanks for that offer Jeremy, but the person that took the photo has come back to me with the answer.
Seems it is the 1913 Chalmers model 18 that won best in class at Pebble Beach 2007.



More info about Chalmers at the Registry.

http://www.chalmersregistry.com/

I'm still looking for more details about the engine as it looks interesting.

[austin]

RJO said:

Thanks for that offer Jeremy, but the person that took the photo has come back to me with the answer.
Seems it is the 1913 Chalmers model 18 that won best in class at Pebble Beach 2007.



More info about Chalmers at the Registry.

http://www.chalmersregistry.com/

I'm still looking for more details about the engine as it looks interesting.

Are you, (or someone you know) a member of the VSCC? They will know more.

[Balmoral Green]

Blimey! I was miles out, from the 1st pic I would have said that it was green and the wing line much broader and sweeping, like on a thirties car, Derby RR/Bentley type coachwork.

Good puzzle.

[gib6933]

If you want to know more a very good friend of mine has one.
I cant believe I did not recognise it!

Its more of a VCC car btw

[RJO]

Thanks for the offer Jeremy. I would very much like to know more about the Chalmers, particularly the engine. I haven't found very much at all on the 'net.

Balmmoral - I would have been surprised to see a car in the '30s with an engine of that design. Casting the cylinders in seperate blocks of pairs or triples with a large gap between them really dates this design.
The US cars were relatively sophisticated in the early years. Within a year or so of this car, Cadillac had released their V8 and Packard were building V12s.

[Balmoral Green]

RJO said:

Casting the cylinders in seperate blocks of pairs or triples with a large gap between them really dates this design.

Doh! my eyesight is going, I didn't even notice that, now I look again, it's obvious