how about PAINT

 

OK, my second guess would be a car's logo, or emblem.

 

battery cable

 

Paint? Prior to 1924, what vehicles were painted? None.

DuPont invented Duco enamel, the first car to use it was the 1924 Oldsmobile.

Prior years, all vehicles were varnished.

It cannot be a battery since early cars didn't have any. Automakers switched from 6 volt to 12 volt batteries in 1955/56.

Early bodies...even the frames were wood, so that rules out sheetmetal.

If the part can be taken from one vehicle of any year, then installed on another of a different make of any year, it cannot be anything specific.

 

What about a piston or pistons???

 

This is torture! Any more clues?

 

We have a weiner! Actually, I am referring to the inner valve core, the Shrader Valve, the little valve used in the valve stem of tubed and tubeless tires, among numberous other air applications.



I would assume there are some vehicles out there like the HUMMER, with the automatic inflation system, that don't use this valve but the vast majority of the new cars and trucks still use it. It was invented in 1891.

56panelford, I don't have any cookies for a prize, but just knowing that you had the answer should be reward enough!

 

OK, that was disappointing... I was expecting something to do with the drive train. What confuses me is why would a parts man even bother to ask what it was to go on if they are all the same??? You must be talking about those kids they hire now that always ask if it has air conditioning when you just want to buy tail light bulb.

Later Man...

 

Yeah, Dave, those are the ones I was referring to. I needed a accelerator spring for my F-2. I went to my local Advance Auto to get one. When I asked the guy behind the counter if he had one he had to go through five windows on his computer to tell me he didn't have any and there wasn't a listing for one in the computer. I told him it was just a "generic accelerator spring, the type the runs from the carb to a bracket on the engine", just got a empty stare. I decided to walk around the store and found it hiding behind a rack of miscellaneous hardware. If it's not in the computer most times they won't know, or care, if they have it.

The last time I went in to the Advance store I asked for a condenser for a '49 Ford truck. The guy punched the info into his computer and told me they didn't list a condenser for a '49 Ford truck. When I looked at the screen he had the window for the air conditioner system. I informed him I was looking for an ignition condenser, blank stare. Another person had to come over and punch a few more buttons and finally got the part number. Then they had to figure out where in the store they were. It was sort of like watching the Three Stooges.

For a laugh go into one of these chain stores and ask for a Shrader valve for front left wheel for a '56 DeSoto.

 

I almost bet they will ask you, "What's a DeSota?"

When it comes to the chain outfits like AutoZone you are better off to go to their website, find what you want and then print it out and take it to the store. Then all they have to do is get it typed in right. However, I have actually seen them screw that up too. Ain't minimum wage wonderful???

Later Man...

 

Unbelievable. And this was a question that was broadcasted out to the general masses on a radio show? In other words, the poor zombies out there who barely know how to pump gas heard this? And don't get me started about the poor kids behind those computers at parts stores. I agree with Dave. I look up the part number myself and then pray they can pull the same number off the shelf.

 

56panelford, I don't have any cookies for a prize, but just knowing that you had the answer should be reward enough!


Actually if there is a reward of any kind it will have to go to my wife as that was the first thing that popped into her mind, I thought it over and figured it had to be the answer, she makes me proud.

 

I just knew the so called answer would be wrong.

The Schrader valves used on inner tubes of early vehicles were huge, since the tires were huge.

So there's no way...none that a Shrader valve from say a 1908 Oldsmobile Limited w/44" tires will fit a 1909 Oldsmobile or anything newer.

I've seen auto related trivia questions like this before...usually the people asking them get the answers from Wiki Wiki.

Wiki Wiki is notorious for having false info. Their "automobile firsts" listings have more wrong info than right.

 

Well, I did qualified my initial question by saying I heard this on a radio show. I think the question could still be legitimate by saying that one of the first designs of the valve could still be used in a modern vehicle. There might be exceptions, maybe there were ten different sizes, I don't know, when they were first being used out of the ten maybe the one that worked the best was finally standardized and is still used today. I suppose my clue that it could be used from one car to the next might have been a little misleading but, like the HUMMER example, I am sure there are some early model cars that used a completely different system. Because of the wide range of usage of this part I am sure any truck or car that most everyone on this board has ever owned has used the same valve.

I just thought it was an interesting bit of trivia.

 

Bob you did good! There's always somebody who wants to take the fun out of things. I didn't have any idea so I didn't answer.

Chuck