Spare tire portable gas tank? Or the tool set ... found in a restored VW bug

Might be a gas tank... If it's the little tool kit, it's the first I've ever seen closed...

Anyone recognize what this car was... no headlights in the normal place, just the two huge lights on the cowl

Found in a "Our Gang / Little Rascals" feature

Fred thinks it's a 1930 Austin America... I agree. Fred, you do indeed win!

Charlie would like to know more about this Morris J he bought in Victoria BC, email him if you recognize it please

his email is mailto:charles.grahn@gmail.com and the website he has about fixing it up is http://victoriajvan.blogspot.com/

This had me wondering if a Morris J is part of the MG company,... MG is pretty well known for the great little sports cars. The letters MG are representative of Morris Garages, and I looked them up to see about the Morris J.

The Morris J was launched by the Morris Commercial subsidiary of Morris Motors in 1949 and produced until 1961. In 1952 the Commercial name was dropped and the van was marketed as the Morris J-type. As well as complete vehicles, the J-type was also supplied in chassis form to external body makers and it appeared, amongst other uses, as a pick-up, tipper truck, ice cream van and milk float. Many were bought by the British Post Office and these differed from standard in having rubber front and rear wings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Commercial_J-type and there is even a Morris J registry and info source http://www.jtypevan.com/ which has links to Morris J van owners websites.. (really cool ones too)
Here's what Wikipedia has about Morris Garages:
The MG Car Company got its name from Morris Garages, a dealer of Morris cars in Oxford which began producing its own customised versions to the designs of Cecil Kimber, who had joined the company as its sales manager in 1921. He was promoted to general manager in 1922, a position he held until 1941 when he fell out with Lord Nuffield over procuring wartime work. Kimber died in 1945 in a freak railway accident.

The first cars which were rebodied Morris models used coachwork from Carbodies of Coventry and were built in premises in Alfred Lane, Oxford. Demand soon caused a move to larger premises in Bainton Road in September 1925, sharing space with the Morris radiator works. Continuing expansion meant another move in 1927 to a separate factory in Edmund Road, Cowley, Oxford, near the main Morris factory and for the first time it was possible to include a production line. In 1928 the company had become large enough to warrant an identity separate from the original Morris Garages and the M.G. Car Company Limited was established in March of that year and in October for the first time a stand was taken at the London Motor Show. Space again soon ran out and a search for a permanent home led to the lease of part an old leather factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire in 1929, gradually taking over more space until production ended there in 1980. The MG Car Club was founded in 1930 for owners and enthusiasts of MG cars.

Originally owned personally by William Morris, the company was sold to Morris Motors (itself part of the Nuffield Organisation) in 1935, MG was absorbed into the British Motor Company, created in 1952 as a merger of the Nuffield Organisation and the Austin Motor Company. BMC merged with Jag in '66 to become renamed as British Motor Holdings, which didn't last 2 years before mreging with Leyland to form British Leyland, which couldn't make it and in 75 was renamed British Leyland, but in 1980 was killed off due to politics.

After BL became the Rover Group in 1986, ownership of the MG marque passed to British Aerospace in 1988 and then in 1994 to BMW.

BMW sold the business in 2000 and the MG marque passed to the MG Rover Group, the Group went into receivership in April 2005, in July the Nanjing Automobile Group purchased the rights to the MG brand and the assets of the MG Rover Group   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_(car)

A family photo on Vintage Bike.co.uk .... he'd like to know what bike it is his grandparents were riding in the 1920's London

If you can help him out, drop a comment on his post at http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/pictures/what-is-this-bike-3/  found on http://thenewcaferacersociety.blogspot.com/

I found a new website that solves car identification mysteries, Autopuzzles.com

this was the mystery car, and I knew it was in 1910, and in Paris

So after registering (this is such bullshit... you have to confirm about 4 ways that you aren't a spam computer) you can quick and easy put up a photo and ask for help. It was less than 12 hours before they took my simple creampuff problem car, and told me where the photo was taken, posted 2 more photos of the car show it was a part of, and told me the make, model, and coachbuilder that made this crazy windshield design. Gotta appreciate people that know their business. http://www.autopuzzles.com/

I think their registration is nonsense bullshit, but they got the info and are happy to help. Gotta respect that

The info on this auto is that it was at the 1910 Salon de l'automobile, and it's a 80CV Pipe with a body by Kellner. Kellner is most famous for the Bugatti Royale coachwork http://www.coachbuild.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=10157

Pipre (or maybe Pieper) was a belgian carmaker from the early 20th century,

In 1907, over 300 cars of the types 28, 50 and 80 CV were sold. Because of this, Pipe became one of the largest Belgian car manufacturers, they were not only sold in Belgium they were exported to many different countries.

During the first world war, the factory was partly destroyed.

Can anyone identify, or have a suggestion of where William can ask for identification of this Italian 1905-1909 Diatto and Clement engine?

Diatto and Clement were only in partnership between 1905 and 1909.

If anyone can help out bill, please email him at bill@minehane.com 

Motoring Magazine and Motor Life, 1913, and available online to read at your leisure

 

 I enjoy reflecting on the cars of 100 years ago, it's amazing that they were all simple enough for a gearhead like me to work on, repair, or improve on.

 What do you make of the above tire covers? A primitive retread? And that company name, Leather Tire Goods... what leather tire goods did they make?

I think I've pointed out several times that roads were so bad that tires were lucky to last a couple thousand miles, just last week I found a photo of a the "3000 mile club" tires that were amazing enough to get that kind of recognition.

the above is a Winton

look through the 6 issues on http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Automobiles%20--%20Periodicals%22

Streamlined COE fuel tanker of unknown make built for Gilmore, 1935, either by

Good looking rolling advertisement, some think it was a White designed by Count de Sakhnovsky, and others think it was designed by Wellington Everett Miller

the above 2 photos are from Steve, and he looked up this tanker, and these photos were taken during the Yosemite Economy runs, 1936-38

a variety cool and unusual vehicles from steampunkvehicles.tumblr.com

Above, kids home made flivver. Think any kids try making their own cars anymore? Doubt it.


Above, a MGM movie publicising sound train I haven't come across before http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Sound%20Train Aero streamline tow truck... looks like a Count De Sakhnoffsky design, middle of the following post http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/09/extraordinary-designer-of-automotive.html
Custom worked Pierce Arrow?
Above, stream line your Model T at home!
Above, 1914 Alfa Romeo streamliner
Above 1905 Bordeaux Cali Limousine.
Above 1917...don't have a maker
Above 1920 in California
Above Queensland


Tank on rails, WW 1? Clever that the rail rims are mounted to the ordinary tires and rims
Gravity fed fuel system, quite the jalopy

http://steampunkvehicles.tumblr.com/ a source for many cool and unusual cars, highly recommended

Unknown early BMW race motorcycle

found on http://bittenco.blogspot.com/2011/04/bmw-desconhecida.html

what are these doing on the hood of a late 80's Z28? What are they from?

Paul Garrett didn't build this car, he bought it. Truth in advertising, if Garrett and Sons aren't honest about that, are you going to buy from them?

This is Frankentein built by Ricky Bobbys Rod Shop, you'll see it as the 11th hot rod in this list of hot rods that Ricky Bobbys Rod Shop built http://rickybobbysrodshop.com/rods

What is it called when a guy buys a car, puts his business name across the sides, and brings it to shows?

I talked to Ricky at he GNRS show when I was incredibly impressed with "One Night Stand" http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/01/ricky-bobbys-rod-shop.html and just emailed him to verify because Rory was cool and pointed out that Garrett didn't build it. http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/garrett-and-sons-rod-shop-rat-rod-i-dig.html

From Ricky's email to me today:.... I just what to be low key and have fun.....and hope one day that my car is that barn find that some young guy will find and be very proud of and aways wonder who in the hell built it.... and wish that the car could talk..... thats it no more ... your friend Ricky Brown