Messenger
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9 June 2009
100th Anniversay of Alice Ramsey's trip across the United States in a factory supplied 1909 Maxwell DA.
Emily Anderson set off today to retrace that historic journey. Follow her travels here, http://aliceramsey.org/
April 2009
For Sale:
1917 Maxwell Touring Car. Less than 17,000 original miles. A great example of an unaltered, original car. Near Omaha, Nebraska. Asking 14,500. Please e-mail if interested. gbchevy55@aol.com
AB News:
The AB is up and running. It started on the first pull!
A couple of immediate issues. I put oil seals on the crank and transmission shafts at their main bearings, but oil was copiously coming from the center of the drive shaft out past the plug. I assume this was normal, and would flush the two bushings between the crankshaft and the drive shaft. This created one holy mess on my driveway and had paths leading to and from my house to every location visited. So, I pulled the plug, fitted a cork plug, and then used Permatex Black Silicone Seal to refit the plug and seal the split at the end of the drive shaft. Oil loss is much reduced.
In 1911, the oil just knocked down road dust. Now I will check the oil level in the transmission and front case before each trip and drain down.
The car now pulls hills easily in high gear. There is plenty of torque. It revs to an easy 1,000-1,200 RPM and drives happily at 25-30 MPH.
I have to measure out the advance, it seems a little limited, I would like at least 30 degrees.
The front end, after much work, steers lightly and well.
Next on the line is to find someone to recharge the Splitdorf so I can run on mag.
A book review:
March 2009
Up date on the Kimball AB. The engine has been reassembled and is back in the car. The front spindles have had new bearings installed. The tie rod has been made adjustable. (N.B.: The tie rod left the front end alignment with about 3/4" toe-out. I cut the rod, threaded it left and right, and installed a turnbuckle. I have adjusted to 1/4" toe-in (as on my Model T and 1917 Franklin). It has been suggested that there should be no toe-in or out, that toe-in will encourage shimmy in the front end. Any thoughts?
In the near future I'll post some photos and more information on the overhaul.
Buster Brown of Yuma, AZ has asked me to post his two Maxwell's as available for sale:
1912 Messenger (AC):
And a 1908 LC:
Buster is asking $25,000 for the Messenger and $16,500 for the LC.
Contact him at:
Phone: 928-376-6823
As always, caveat emptor; the Maxwell Messenger assumes no liablities or responsibilities for the legitimacy, veracity, or honesty of the seller or purchaser of any items on the site.
January 2009
Found on the AAAC website:
November 2008
Needed: 1917 Rear Axle Parts:
I'm trying to locate a good differential and or any usable internal parts for my 1917 Maxwell Commercial Chassis Light Delivery. I can use bearings, races, ring & pinion gears and spiders gears. I'm told these parts are the same from 1914 to 1919 internally. They were used on all Maxwell model 25 passenger cars. I've included as many pictures as I have and as you can see this is a very odd shaped rear end, Notice how narrow the two center halves are. Also notice the round stiffener rod that runs under the center and out to both sides. If you have any old chassis's or homemade trailers with unidentified axles please check to see if they match my pictures If you have friends that have a Maxwell point out this add to them. This is one of the last things I need to start my restoration and I'd like to find these before I start any disassembly.
Thanks for any help you can give, Howard Dennis (tag to email)
1917 Maxwell One Ton Truck - $12,000 / offer.
This is a complete running truck that I inherited from my father in 2007. An operator's manual comes with the truck. This truck has been in Idaho and Utah and covered, so rust is minimal. Many additional close-up pictures at a higher resolution are available. Contact Cara at caralee2be@yahoo.com or (801) 781-0374.
Pictures here.
October 2008 Update
Tom Thoburn once again has provided some scans from the reprint of the 1909 Instruction Manual.
Rick Zenger has prepared and sent pdf (they are large) files of technical books from the the Maxwell Era:
Dykes Manual (313 Mb)
Autocraft (16.9 Mb)
Automobile Engineering (53.4 Mb)
Automotive Ignition Systems (57.9 Mb)
Classroom Lecture Notes (6.9 Mb)
The Automobile Handbook (41.9 Mb)
I added:
Elements of Machine Design (15.8 Mb)
September Update
A request for help:
From Australia, help in finding a stolen radiator:
Please find attached photos of a radiator stolen from a container that was loaded in Hudson NY around May this year. With Hershey coming up I would kindly ask all your readers to email me if they spot this radiator. I believe it was stolen in The USA and will probably show up there eventually. Can you please post this email and photos in the Maxwell Messenger?
Kindest Regards,
Ken Burchill
128 Curramore Road,
Witta
Queensland 4552
Australia.
Ph. 617-54358089.
From last month:
Wanted, photos front and back of 1912 Maxwell Messenger radiator - sketches with measurements would be extremely helpful, also diameter and locations of inlet and outlets, thickness of core etc. I have the shell but will have to get radiator made. Please help! Gary Doty gddoty2@cox.net
A copy of a Model L Parts Price Book dated January 1909 is now posted, courtesy of Linda and Floyd with this story:
The Model L parts book belonged to my grandfather Rev. Leroy C. Mattoon. Unfortunately the page with his signature did not turn out very well. Grandpa bought the runabout model L when he lived in Brandon, Vermont. He was the pastor of a Wesleyan Church Near Brandon and his last child, my dad, was born there in 1912. My dad said Grandpa had this car when he was born and I assume my dad rode in it. I never saw the car but did acquire the last car my grandfather had, a 1948 Nash four door sedan. I drove this car to college in 1968-69.
The Maxwell Messenger
This website is designed as a resource for those interested in the Maxwell automobiles manfactured by the Maxwell Briscoe Motor Company and its successors.
NOTICE: The Maxwell Messenger needs your cooperation to succeed. We're looking for articles, photographs, information, anything that can help fill out this site. Especially important are hints and help in restoration, resources for parts, suggestions for repairs. Also needed are personal stories, jokes, histories, and anything else that might be of interest. Just send an email with your ideas. We can scan photos and return them. Thanks, the editors.
nota bene : The Maxwell Messenger site is not responsible for the accuracy, honesty, legitimacy, reality, truth, justice, or American wayness of any items advertised or any advertiser soliciting a sale. We cannot guarantee, backup, defend, or make good any complalint you might have. That is private business between you and the vendor.
CAVEAT EMPTOR
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