Car troubles- 1940s

Some Lonely Scorpio · Apr 8, 2018

Hi all. First of all, I should disclaim that I am NOT any kind of mechanical expert. In fact I'm probably the opposite, lol. There's a scene in my current WIP where my MC (who is a fairly talented mechanic) repairs his friend's car after it suddenly broke down and stopped working. I want it to be a fairly minor problem that's easily resolved. Except, with my lack of technical knowledge, I have no idea what that might be. For context, this takes place in 1940. I don't need there to be a high level of detail, I just need it to be authentic and need it to make sense. Thanks!

konstantineblacke · Apr 8, 2018

You can try to incorporate the old 'staples' of minor things that can go wrong with a car into the scene. Dirty spark-plug(s), broken fan belt, low oil etc, etc. A mechanically minded person would check all of those sorts of things first

Hope that helps.

Some Lonely Scorpio · Apr 8, 2018

Yes, it does! Thank you! I should mention, though, that the car is parked on the street; so my protagonist might not have the best view of some of these problems.

konstantineblacke · Apr 8, 2018

And if it is a lady who's car it is that's in trouble, and you want to make the scene a little 'interesting' perhaps, a broken fan belt can be temporarily fixed with a pair of her pantyhose/stockings

Siri Kirpal · Apr 8, 2018

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"-a Sikh greeting)

I don't think pantyhose were around then. But stockings certainly were.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

konstantineblacke · Apr 8, 2018

Siri Kirpal said:
Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"-a Sikh greeting)

I don't think pantyhose were around then. But stockings certainly were.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Stockings then

Girlsgottawrite · Apr 8, 2018

I was curious so I looked it up and found this:
http://parksidemotors.ca/replace-a-belt-with-pantyhose-fact-or-myth/
Looks like that stocking trick would actually work well for you.

konstantineblacke · Apr 8, 2018

Girlsgottawrite said:
I was curious so I looked it up and found this:
http://parksidemotors.ca/replace-a-belt-with-pantyhose-fact-or-myth/
Looks like that stocking trick would actually work well for you.

My father used to make me carry a pair of stockings/pantyhose/tights (pick whichever you want) in my first car as part of my 'survival kit' there was also Vaseline and a few other bits and bobs in there

blacbird · Apr 11, 2018

Swearing at it worked as well in the 1940s as it does today.

caw

Bufty · Apr 12, 2018

Overheated engine? Forgot to top up the water in the radiator? Easily solved with a few jugs of water. If it was steaming it looked worse than it was.

There was a very steep hairpin hill over here called the Devil's Elbow, where there were signs at the bottom - together with a tap - warning drivers to top up their radiator water before attempting to drive up the hill.

Al X. · Apr 12, 2018

A cursory Internet search suggests that while it may have been possible to use stockings (or any long string of fabric) on an older deep groove V pulley of the era, at best it would last only a few blocks.

WeaselFire · Apr 14, 2018

Some Lonely Scorpio said:
I don't need there to be a high level of detail, I just need it to be authentic and need it to make sense. Thanks!

Clogged fuel filter.

Jeff

Car troubles- 1940s

Some Lonely Scorpio

konstantineblacke

Some Lonely Scorpio

konstantineblacke

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

konstantineblacke

Girlsgottawrite

I write at work...

konstantineblacke

blacbird

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Al X.

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member