A trickle of rain in a drought

Posted on June 3, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

The past few weeks have been fairly dry when it comes to Bantam parts on ebay. However, today there is a significant group of listing to suit your Bantam needs. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been trying to spend less time in front of my computer so I can get more done on my project. I’ve been documenting my project on the HAMB, but now that it is far enough along, I think I’ll share it here first. For Bantam enthusiasts: BRC 60 Dashboard press photo: This photo makes me wonder, if they used so many readily available bantam parts, how did the instrument cluster with the temperature gauge come to be. Would Bantam really have developed a new gauge just for this project? It would seem that there wasn’t free time that they could have easily devoted that attention elsewhere. Click here to see the listing: BRC press photo Sold for:89.88

Bantam and BRC steering wheel (in rough shape) Click here to see the listing: Bantam BRC steering wheel Sold for:100.00

BRC-40 “long scalloped axle” Click here to see the listing: Ford GP prototype / bantam BRC / Willys MA / WWII jeep long scalloped axle BRC Front Axle gaskets Click here to see the listing: BANTAM BRC AXLE STEERING GASKETS NOS Bantam felt seals for the axles: Sold for: 9.95

1930 American Austin Block and parts

Posted on May 13, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

A seller clearing out a large group of parts has come upon some Austin pieces. He may have some other parts, but he hasn’t located anything specifically Austin or Bantam as of yet. So, you may want to keep your eyes on his auctions. Up for auction is a block and some miscellaneous parts which may be what you are looking for.

Click here to see the crankcase: 0 31 32 33 34 American Austin Bantam car engine crankcase oil pan block Sold for: 50.00

After a week absence, Joe Gingerich is back with more goodies.

Posted on March 15, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

Bantam M10 B Carb:
Click here for the eBay listing: Bantam M10 B Carb Sold for: 190.50

American Austin Hubcaps:

Click here for the eBay listing: American Austin Hubcaps 45.44

American Austin / Bantam Starter

Click here for the eBay listing: American Austin / Bantam Starter Sold for: 111.00

American Bantam Reproduction Grille Badge

Note, this is a reproduction, but it does not look like not a WM Spear unit. It is missing the “Made in U.S.A. mark which was placed on the original units and the reproduction notice on the rear.

Click here for the eBay listing: American Bantam Reproduction Grille Badge Sold for: 30.00

Late Austin / Bantam Generator and Fan Mount

Click here for the eBay listing: Late Austin / Bantam Generator and Fan Mount

These parts below, I’m not sure about, they are listed as being American Austin, but I don’t believe they are. If I am wrong, please send me a message to let me know.

Ampere Meter

Click here for the eBay listing:

Window Regulator

Click here for the eBay listing: Window Regulator Sold for: 77.00

Rear View Mirror

Click here for the eBay listing: Rear View Mirror Sold for: 22.50

A nifty vintage photo:

Posted on March 12, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

The little American Austins and Bantams seem to have been very photogenic cars. A remarkable number of photos exist in consideration of the relative few cars that were actually built. Today, a vintage photo came onto ebay featuring an American Austin coupe and a Chris Craft boat. The seller makes it look as though it may be the beginning of a romance, however, who knows the true story. Besides the potential story that may surround the photo, I’m curious about whether other cars were allowed on the docks at the time, or if the Austin was a special exception.

Here are a couple photos:

To have a chance to make this photo your own, click here: 931 Chris Craft 1930 Austin American Guy in Boat Trying His 1930's Pick Up Line

Not all parts interchange: 1932-1933 Auburn Dash

Posted on March 1, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

When I bought my 1931 American Austin roadster, it was a barn find survivor that was driven into the barn. From what I understood, although it moved under its own power, it was getting a little tired. The last time the car was actually on the road and registered was in 1956. It had been patched and adulterated so that new owners could keep it on the road. The last time it was driven on the street, the owner bought it thinking it would be a sprightly little roadster but found it to be a dud. Interest lost, he traded the car for a guitar and they parted ways.

Includes original early style 3 bow top irons

Somewhere between 1931 and 1956, the car had a new dashboard grafted into it. In order to graft it in, the dashboard panel had to be cut out. Due to the size of the car, the new panel had to be cut to fit. I noticed the panel when I first went to look at the car, and it took me a little bit to realize what it was. The panel wedged into my car was out of a 1932-1933 Auburn. This coveted instrument panel had been stripped of all of its gauges, the bottom switch panel, and painted orange (followed by pink). A set of ford gauges took the place of the sleek early 30’s Aurburn gauges.

As you can see, the Auburn panel doesn’t fit all that well.

Readying the American Austin for restoration meant that this panel needed to be removed. Carefully removing the assembly I began learning more about it and had to make my mind up as to what I would do with it. Always keeping the thought of a ’27 T roadster hot rod in the back of my mind made me think I’d keep it with my DeSoto hemi, in the ‘someday’ parts pile. However, the way this panel is cut, it’s perfect for most hotrods especially the 1932 Ford.

Patches and holes in floor more visible. Dashboard has been cut out, but a spare coupe dash may be included to be patched in.

If you want to install one of these panels into a 32 Ford, you either have to cut down the panel or lengthen the dashboard. The lengthened dashboards aren’t very slick and it hurts to cut the switch panel off of an instrument panel you just paid $5,000 for.

Here is your best option, an Auburn panel that was customized back in the late 40’s or 50’s. If you’re looking for period correct, here it is.

Slick custom Auburn panel

Click here for the eBay auction: 1932 1933 Auburn Instrument Panel

More parts have shown up on eBay: joegingerichjr strikes again

Posted on February 24, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

Joegingerichjr has posted some more items. Although I haven’t had too many things to bid on, I may have to cast a bid in on the NOS window regulator. I’m not sure how mine are, but it would be great to have one guaranteed to operate properly (and to give me an idea of what is wrong with all of my parts). The last set of parts that sold are all things we have seen before on ebay, so the prices were fairly predictable. Now, we have a wholly different group of items, and my guess as to what they will go for is as good as yours.

Pistons 1:

If anyone knows more about the pistons, please let me know. They look completely different from any of the Bantam pistons I have seen, and have much thicker walls than I am used to. The only piston I have seen that bears a resemblance to these is a late 50’s replacement I saw with a 3 main engine that blew up, but was never rebuilt. Please note the correct bore sizes for your application.

Click here to see the eBay listing: 8 American Austin Bantam Pistons No Sale

American Austin/ Bantam Generator support

This mount should work for 1934-1940 Applications, with some 1933’s thrown in for good luck.

Click here to see the eBay listing: Bantam (American Austin) Front Engine Piece Sold for: 42.99

American Austin / Bantam Cooling Fan and Pulley

Somehow, these fans and pulleys always seem to get lost. This unit looks as though it will fit an Austin or Bantam with a V-belt and a traditional generator. However, note that there are some differences in the fan blades themselves. I believe one of the variations of the fan blade looked as though it had a doubly thick mounting section.

Click here to see the eBay listing: American Austin Engine Fan & Pully Sold for: 20.00

Austin / Bantam Piston 2

Same thing as the pistons above, they don’t look like the pistons I’ve seen come out of engines. Maybe they are old replacements?

Click here to see the eBay listing: 2nd set of pistons Sold for: ??

Bantam Outside Door Handles:

This is a nice matched set of original Bantam outside door handles. If you must have a door handle with a lock, you may want to bid as only non-locking handles are available NOS at this time. Another thought is, since there is no key, unless you have a lock smith who can reverse engineer a key the lock will only be for decoration as there is no key. Also, don’t forget, the lock goes on the passenger side. Looking at the photos again, I realize that there may be missing parts from the locking door handle. I have one, which is basically missing the same parts. Does anyone have a photo of a complete unit that I can post for comparison?

Click here to see the eBay listing: American Bantam Outside Door Handles Sold for: 20.00

Period Correct Horn:

Here’s one that I’m not very sure of. The horn is a Bosch. From my recollection Bantams and Austins did not use a Bosch horn. I believe they are listed as using E.A. Labs, Schwarze, and Motovox horns. You may want to make sure this is right for your car before bidding. However, finding a horn for a Bantam is like finding a needle in a haystack; so if you like this period horn, why not enlist its services to let everyone know you’re coming through.

Click here to see the eBay listing: Bosch Horn Sold for: 107.50

NOS window regulator:

I’m not sure if there are any differences between the window regulators used in Bantams and Austins. Either way, this is a nicely preserved example, which at the very least will give me some photos to help rebuild mine.

Click here to see the eBay listing: American Bantam WIndow Regulator Sold for: 153.15

1939-1940 Bantam Hood Sides

These hood sides appear to have no holes punched for either two vertical stripes of trim or Bantam emblems. It is most likely that these are for a commercial truck or a passenger car with lower trim designation. They look nice and straight and can be a bear to find in any condition.

Click here to see the eBay listing:American Bantam Hood Sides Sold for: 100.00

Attention viewers! Do you have any spare parts you’d like to sell?

Posted on February 20, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

Besides linking you to the most current eBay auctions, trustinrust.com is about much more. The concept embodied by this website is a lot broader than I can let on at this point, as developing it one stage at a time is the only way to do it properly. Revealing the complete plans would leave you wondering why I am so slow at getting this thing together. So, besides providing you with a frequent blog of items for sale and a listing of vehicles for sale, I am now listing parts both for sale and wanted.

Please take a few moments to check out the new used parts for sale sections and the NOS / reproduction parts for sale sections. The purpose of these pages is to make your restoration just a little bit easier. Remember, eBay auctions only last several days and craigslist ads have mysterious lifespans that no one fully understands, however a listing here runs until sold. The idea behind this system is to keep leads alive as long as possible, this way parts and cars don’t slip back into the woodwork to be forgotten about until the next time an owner is motivated to put the effort into selling. I want people who are looking for parts to be able to get exactly what they need so their project isn’t put on hold at the whim of some rare piece. I want you to have options available, so not only are you getting a part you need, but the best one for you.

Right now, there are only a few listings; but browse a bit and show your support. If you have anything you’re looking for, contact me to place an ad. If you have somethings you wouldn’t mind selling to clear some space in your garage, there is plenty of room here. If you manufacture reproduction parts or perform some essential service for our hobby, your listing is wanted.

Working together, we can create something amazing; and I would love for you to be part of it.

Piston2: Bantam parts from NY (but not from me)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

Thankfully New York has a decent population of Bantam enthusiasts. Unfortunately, I have only met two Bantam owners in my own state so far. However, I have to say, our cars attract truly great people and our clubs are populated by these same folks. If you are reading this, and have any interest in Austins or Bantams and have not yet joined the clubs; you really should. A lot of clubs are just groups of people with a similar car, with the Bantam clubs, you get that and so much more. The level of camaraderie and helpfulness is unlike anything you may encounter elsewhere.

Anyway, before I get carried away with how great this hobby is, I would like to present you with some new items listed this week by seller piston2 in New York. Over my short tenure in the clubs, I have seen a few items popup from this seller occasionally such as a three main zenith and an nos Hupmobile gauge cluster. With the large offering this time, it is possible there will be more listings, so I’ll keep my eyes open for you.

American Bantam Reproduction Fiberglass Headlight Bucket:

In the world of Bantams, there are some parts that are difficult to find. However, the parts that top the list of difficult to find are headlights. Ideally there were over 12,000 headlights made, and they are more difficult to find on occasion than 3 main engines of which only around 500 were made. If you can explain that, please feel free to post in the comments section. The headlights used on the Bantams were Stabilite with Corcoran Brown lenses. Unlike some other parts for the Bantam which were interchangeable with other marques, the headlights were wholly original for our little cars. There have been numerous attempts to make these out of fiberglass, or even to spin them from steel, but these efforts never really caught on with the club for various reasons. If you need a headlight, this may be a decent part to hold you over if you can figure out a replacement for the stainless rim, as this bucket looks good. If you need a lens, NOS lenses are available.

Click here to see more of this headlight: American Bantam Reproduction Fiberglass Headlight Bucket Sold for: 43.51

American Bantam original Grille Badge:

These emblems are available brand new from a club member. If you’re looking for something for a driver or an original car this may be perfect for you, however if you are after that newly minted look, do not despair there is an option. In speaking with a club member (I didn’t ask if I could put his name here, so I don’t want to do so without asking), the original grille badges should have enamel applied to the rear of the thin badge. The reason for this application of additional enamel was to stabilize the emblem and prevent the material from lifting off of the face due to the tension it would create on the thin casting.

Click here to check it out: American Bantam original Grill Badge Sold for: 66.00

American Bantam – inside door handle and window crank:

Please note these handles are very similar to an early Ford. If you are after brand new handles, they are available. In fact, I’ve been meaning to order a set for my project for a few months now. To match my project, which I haven’t really mentioned here, I have contemplated employing a wooden knob to match other details of the car; but I haven’t decided yet.

Click here to check out the handles: American Bantam – inside door handle and crank Sold for: 42.51

American Austin Amp Gauge and Dash Backing:

According to the seller, the Amp gauge may work. Also, please note that if you are working on an American Austin and you can’t seem to secure your gauges properly, you probably need one of these retaining brackets.

Click here to check out the gauge: American Austin Amp Gauge and Dash Backing Sold for: 115.29

And We’re Back! More parts are on eBay with a new seller on the market.

Posted on February 18, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

The last few weeks have been something for Austin and Bantam enthusiasts. There has been at least one useful part on every day, and not just useless bulbs that spammers list as appropriate for every car built. Unfortunately, while caught in the midst of this windfall of parts, both my computer and myself were in less that prime shape. I would like to apologize for missing some of the great items listed last week, but I don’t see a similar slip up happening in the near future. We have a few sellers with great items, so I will break it down by seller:

Today I am posting the listings of joegingerichjr. More to follow.

Bantam hubcap 1:

Click here to check out: Bantam Hubcap 1 Sold for: 33.25

Bantam Hubcap 2:

Click here to check out: Bantam Hubcap 2 Sold for: 68.25

Bantam (American Austin) Starter:

Click here to check out: Bantam (American Austin) Starter Sold for: 88.88

American Austin Headlight Buckets:

Note, one of these headlights has the lower retaining ring screw hole off center which would likely make its original application a late 33-34 American Austin without a headlight bar. Thank you for the tip Drew!

Click here to check out: American Austin Headlight Buckets Sold for: 280.00

American Austin Parabeam Headlamp Lenses

Click here to check out: American Austin Parabeam Headlamp Lenses 177.50

See you tomorrow!

Buster Keaton: American Austin Afficionado

Posted on February 11, 2015 by rg171352 under Uncategorized

On eBay today, there is a period photo of Buster Keaton in his American Austin roadster. This is most likely the car which met an untimely demise as a result of a run in with a locomotive. Here the car looks quite nice, and a lot of the factory detail work on the car is visible. As an 8 x 10 photo, this is a substantial item to add to your collection. A neat thing about this photo is the car is clearly an important part of it. On the other end of the spectrum, there is something about Joan Peers’ eyes that have insured that I will not be bidding on this otherwise great photo. (I don’t like the concept of being stared down by a photograph…)

Buster Keaton and Joan Peers in a very new American Austin Roadster circa 1931

Click here to bid: Buster Keaton with an American Austin Roadster Sold for: 76.00

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