Well, very interesting thread. I think I will digest all of this information while driving my 2002 7.3l Diesel Excursion CLASSIC, while listening to some "Classic Rock"!

Anyone have a "Definition" of classic rock...maybe a classic rock club of america has defined this for us already. heaven forbid we decide what classic rock means for ourselves...

ps. I know i am a little late to this party, but it sure looked like a lively thread

 

QUOTE].............. I've been involved in the antique car hobby for over three decades including Chairing three Glidden Tours and two years as National President of another antique car club.............. The point of my previous post was to send the message to the young folks ............. We visited with a fellow who was tending to a '37 Rolls PIII with a Merlin V12 who would become a treasured, lifelong friend. His warm attitude made us get interested
Are our Excursions a classic? Nope, certainly not by the standards of the CCCA. However, there are many folks who love and appreciate this truly unique vehicle that has now moved into its place in automotive history.

BJ Lexington, KY[/quote]

Excellant post to prove the point(s I was TRYING to make in my earlier "posts". PLEASE guys - try to THINK beyond your noses. Of COURSE we all know how we WANT to remember things, and how we want others to like our choices.

Take the above guy, for example. Running around telling people that the Rolls Phantom Three had a MERLIN engine ? Those of you who are familiar with the Rolls Royce Phantom Three automotive V-12 motors, and the Rolls Royce "Merlin" power-plants, (these were the huge 1,200 cubic in. motors used in aircraft - probably could put one into a Rolls Royce auto. if you cut the body off ! ) know how silly that statement is.

Is it any sillier than the advertising literature on a pair of KIWI shoe-laces I just bought at the supermarket ? (for those of you who have tried to buy a pair of shoe-laces recently of the KIWI brand, you know there are no longer shoe-laces - unless you are looking at old inventory...they are all now CLASSIC Kiwi shoe-laces).

Again, let's be honest. This is a free country. Of COURSE we should be free to call anything we want, anything we want.

But freedom is a two-way street. If you want to be free from being made fun of...free from criticism, be honest enough to recognize America isnt the best place for your kind of personality.

If you want to be free from criticism, there are a number of countries overseas, where, once you get into a position of power, you are free to say any goofy thing you want, and if someone makes fun of you for being silly, you can have them punished. BUT THAT IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY.

I love my Excursion. Damn handy vehicle. That's why I bought it. Incidentally, ONE of the things I do with it is to haul my twelve cylinder Packard around (you know, one of those big over-powered super luxury cars of the 1930's, that I USED to call a "classic").

As a side note, when I go to car shows, I now have a little sign in the back window of the V-12 Packard "please dont call my car a "classic" Please call it a "nice old car", because that is what it is...it is NOT a shoe lace, a chicken sandwich, or a used Chevrolet pick up truck.....!

 

6686L

Why in the world are you bringing up all this old nonsense again? Haven't you had enough already? Yes, in my profound ignorance I referred to it as a Merlin ONLY because this is what the owner, by the way a CCCA member, referred to it as. Why bring it up again after all this time?

I just can't understand a person who seems to genuinely enjoy being so condescending and insulting to nice people like the folks on this board. I lost a friend of mine last summer (Marmon owner) who also seemed to get his jollies by being verbally hurtful and constantly stirring people up. He forced his point of view on others whether they wanted to hear it or not and seemed to always get in the last word. I guess that he, and like you appear to be, was too frustrated putting up with the lesser ignorant folks like us that couldn't appreciate one's superior intellect, knowledge, wealth and standing in society. He died with so few friends and had alienated so many of his family that they didn't even bother to have a funeral.

If our ignorance bothers you so much, then why torment yourself by visiting this board?

I've removed the email notification for this thread. Life's too short. Again, let's give this a rest . . . . . . .

 

Boy...my brain gets full reading more than 2 pages of post on any subject.

But the post started out talking about diesel versions of the Ex going classic. I'm beyond far in claiming to know anything about "classic" trucks (roundy fenders right?) but it strikes me that my falible memory doesn't recall anything with a diesel in it being any more classic than the gas version.

I'm not a fan of diesel at all. I think in 2018 or2030 or whenever, someone stomping the go pedal on a classic diesel Ex will have the future folks understanding why they breath bottled air.

 

Actually, I know of at least two true classics that have diesel engines and I've seen both cars. One is a 1934 Auburn and the other is a 1938 Cadillac Convertible Sedan. The Auburn was purchased from the factory without a drive train by Mr. Cummins who installed an experimental 6 cyl. aluminum block sleeved diesel and mated drive train in the car. The '38 Cadillac started life as a 12 cylinder gas engined car that was delivered new to Cummins who retrofitted it with a 6 cyl diesel and a larger fuel tank. The car was then picked up by its owner, a physician from Florida, who drove it home from Columbus, IN with only one stop for fuel. This car was later acquired by Cummins and both cars are still owned by the company.

 

Makes a great story. Yes - Cummins was involved in some conversions to diesel. There are some advantages of compression ignition (diesel) over spark-ignition (gasoline) which have been well-discussed elsewhere.

The only problem I have with this story (again, much of which is true), is the conversion of this 12 cylinder 1938 Cadillac. The reason I quibble about this, is because there was never any such thing as a 1938 12 cylinder Cadlllac.

Cadillac did produce a 12 cylinder car from 1932 to 1937. It was effectively their V-16 with four cyls cut off. They did make a 16 cyl engine from 1938 to 1940, but it was a much more modern desigh ( MUCH shorter stroke).

Now...about mini-dresses...

 

Pete,

I may have gotten the year wrong or it very well could have been a 1938 and the Cummins employee was mistaken as to what the car had as an original engine, but that's what I was told by the Cummins folks and I've personally seen both cars and have toured with them.

The Auburn starts with a compression release and sounds like every rod is coming out of it when it first starts and it emits fuel smoke like a bonfire. After about 45 seconds, it settles down and just sounds like a big ol' tractor. It's painted white while the Cadillac is black. Both are interesting vehicles.

 

= = = = = =

Relax - this is all in fun; hopefully we can all learn something.

Sad fact is that more than once the big-engined "super-luxury" cars of the 1920's and 1930's (that we USED to call "classics" before the word was adopted by used car salesmen to sell all manner of old cars...) suffered abuse sufficient to ruin their engines. And once ruined, these sophisticated motors in the hands of back-yard mechanics, they could not be repaired. So "transplants" were not THAT un-heard of.

Funny - your "post" triggered a distant memory - you might be right, it might have been a '38 Cadillac that someone butchered by installing a diesel engine in it.

Yes, I think I heard about that particular car. So what if the guys got the number of cylinders wrong. If we are talking about the same car - it was originally a V-16.

The approx. 440 cu. in. "short stroke" Cadillac V-16, introduced in 1938 and continued thru the 1940 model year was quite an advanced piece of machinery. True, it was a "flat-head", but was smooth as an electric motor. Much smoother and somewhat more powerful than the earlier (1930-1937 production) "over-head valve" V-16.

No, it couldn't out-drag or out-speed the only competition it had - the much larger displacement and "hotter" Packard V-12, but it was quieter and smoother ( I know - I have owned both).

But no question about it, a diesel (compresion-ignition) engine would have given substantially better fuel mileage, and, if it was large enough, at least as much torque - more than likely, MUCH more torque.

The extra expense of a diesel engined EX could not be justified in our own case - and anyway, I really dont like the noise. However, even tho I am a "gas guy", no question that diesels have a number of advantages over "spark-ignition" motors.

 

Actually, the diesel conversion to the Cadillac was performed on a factory fresh car. It was delivered directly from the factory to Columbus, IN where the new engine was removed and the diesel engine and larger fuel tank were installed.

Regardless of whether it was an 8 or a 16, I wonder what happened to that new engine???

The Auburn was delivered new to Cummins sans engine and drivetrain.

 

Maybe it's time to revisit the "classic" status. I'm thinking of selling my 7.3 Ultra Unlimited Excursion and holy smokes! I'm blown away by the prices on them these days!!

 

======================================


Sad to say, I am joining you in having to sell my beloved "classic" 2005 Excursion. I see in another "thread" in this forum, a couple of guys called me "Boris The Used Car Salesman" and referred to my EX as a "barn find".


They are wrong. Actually, I found it in a salt-swamp last week - used the "gripper" on my back-hoe to lift it out - yeah....it is all rusted out and came apart...but what the hell...plenty of bondo down at the auto parts store.


So far, I have had ONE call on my nation-wide ad - dosnt look good for getting top dollar..or for that matter..ANY dollar - the one caller wanted to trade me his 120,000 mi EXPEDITION !

 

Some funny responses in this thread.

In my opinion, an EX is a cool toy/work rig to have, and they're definitely sought after in the right circles.

 

I will say it has been a rock solid rig that hauled me around the country in style. I put 87k on her and only had a few things I had to fix. A great truck for sure. Now that my kids are bigger I'm looking to get into a daily driver 65 C10 Custom or 70 C10 step side for running around in. I'll be excited if the Excursion pays out enough to let me do it.

 

[QUOTE............, an EX is a cool toy/work rig to have, and they're definitely sought after in the right circles.[/QUOTE]


=====================================
Couldn't agree more - and seriously - if you go back to the start of this particular thread - you will find the fellows who claim I just got mine, and am a phony used car salesmen with a "barn find"........are...well.....


I know I am going to regret selling it.


By the way....can you tell me how to get in touch with the "right circles"...? No joke...no legit responses at ALL to my ad...and it has been running for almost a week now

 

=====================================
Couldn't agree more - and seriously - if you go back to the start of this particular thread - you will find the fellows who claim I just got mine, and am a phony used car salesmen with a "barn find"........are...well.....


I know I am going to regret selling it.


By the way....can you tell me how to get in touch with the "right circles"...? No joke...no legit responses at ALL to my ad...and it has been running for almost a week now[/QUOTE]





You haven't been around here for a long time and aren't getting the joke here.
Boris the used car salesman is actually a real guy that screwed over one of our members here a while back, he is/was a super shady Russian operating out of South Florida. We had a member searching for a clean rust free EX and the great membership here (best forum EVER! ) jumped in and searched, inspected and test drove EXs all over the South (out of the rust belt) form FL to SoCal. One of our guys found a very nice rig around Miami and struck a deal with Boris which evaporated quickly when Boris realized our guy wasn't going to allow any swindling to complete the deal. Ever since "Boris the used car salesman" has become somewhat of a dubious icon around here. So when you popped back up here after your long absence (longer than the membership of some of our more active members) with your mint mint mint, never rained on, always inside, non smoker, never farted in, only driven to the lake on Saturday and church on Sunday, pristine, museum quality EX basically a "barn find"( with a blown engine and body damage ), you became an easy target for some ribbing. It's up to you to take it the right way, or not...... We get it, you have a nice EX that's in pretty darn good shape that will have a freshly rebuilt motor soon, good for you, but you are asking at the upper level of premium pricing for it and it most likely won't sell for a long time but good luck with that.
I have been and am currently active on several online forums and this place is hands down the best based solely on the technical content. But even more importantly it blows every other forum away with it's truly awesome members. We have members here who will drop what they are doing and drive miles to help a brother member in need, inspect, test drive and BUY a vehicle for a member they have never met before (then give it a complete fluid change and lube before shipping it off to them with NO personal gains). I had a fuel pump failure while at a campground, I posted a few questions while troubleshooting the problem and had a guy jump in and offer to drive over an hour with his tools to help me change it out in the pouring rain, I'd never met him but he didn't hesitate to offer his help! We have guys here giving away free parts to each other on a regular basis, I'm shipping off a set of towing mirrors to a member who has taken on a very challenging restoration project and is sharing the process with us here. I have made dozens of what I consider to be very good friends here, who I will do anything in my power to help however and whenever I can and I know they will do the same, I've only ever met 2 of these folks in person. This place and it's incredible membership is like a big family, and like any good family we don't hesitate to bust each others chops when the opportunity presents itself or to call BS on someone who starts to shovel it a little too deep.