Starting Procedures

[BenL]

Old Car:

1. Adjust valves for fuel system and operate pump handle to pressurize fuel tank.
2. "Tickle" the Solex carburetors until fuel begins to leak out.
3. Move timing lever for the magneto to the start position (all the way up).
4. Have one person put their hands over both carb intakes to manual choke the engine.
5. Other person turns over the engine with crank handle.
6. Once the engine catches, quickly remove your hands from the carbs.
7. Move lever for the magneto timing down a couple of notches.
8. Lower bonnet and fasten straps to secure it.
9. Passenger should keep eye on fuel pressure gauge and operate pump handle as needed.


Modern Car:

1. Insert and Turn key

For daily driving, starting a modern car is much simpler, but there's no charm in it.

 

[John]

but what they dont say No 5 1/2, warning, do not put thumb around crank handle.

 

[Randy V]

Very good!

but what they dont say No 5 1/2, warning, do not put thumb around crank handle.

OUCH!!!!

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Used to be called a Ford fracture, back in the Model T days.

 

[John]

i had a feeling some would remember.

cheers John

 

[Frank Catt]

Reminds me of a couple or three years ago when we ran the Howmet turbine car at Goodwood Festival of Speed. Went like this ;- Out of the crew, elect two ( crew chief and the bravest bloke around with no thought of self preservation ) Push car to starting area, strap driver firmly into car, plug in a multiple set of batteries to the side of the car As the engine had no clutch or waste gate systems, this thing was evil.!
Brave guy stands behind car and lifts back wheels off ground on a single hydraulic jack, crew chief signals driver to spin up the turbine on starter to 50K+ rpm, when stable rpm turn on fuel, then ignition. All this time the rear wheels are spinning off the ground to maximum revs with ( brave ) guy holding it all up on the jack. Once engine fired up and under drivers control, we had no more than 30 seconds to stall the back wheels on the footbrake applied by the driver, and to drop the car onto the road and go. The stationary driving turbine in the engine, directly coupled to the wheels, only has a few seconds before destruction by overheating, so as soon as the wheels hit the ground the driver must release the brake and immediately go, any marshall or spectator in the way would have a very short life expectancy. This process had to be done each time the car was started, and became quite a crowd gatherer.