Durant Motors Internet Forum

Our Purpose

  Preserve the automobiles manufactured by the Durant Motor Company, provide enjoyment for each member with meets, tours & technical assistance.


This forum is provided by the Durant Motors Automobile Club located at durantmotors.org

How to Add Pictures             Rocky

General Discussion Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Radiator Cap

I have a Rugby 1928 and am looking for a photograph or original design of the radiator cap.
Anyone have this information.
Thanks

Where Are You From? Argentina

Do You own a car built by Durant? Rugby 1928

Re: Radiator Cap

The Star radiator cap consists of a brass threaded insert imbedded in a molded plastic cap. This is the same size for the 4 and 6 cylinder models.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Where Are You From? Texarkana, Tex

Re: Radiator Cap

Dear Shilling.
Thank you very much ... but I have a doubt. In 1928 he produced injection plastic parts for Durant?

Where Are You From? Argentina

Do You own a car built by Durant? Radiator Cap

Re: Radiator Cap

Well, apparently they did as the brass insert was definitely imbedded in the plastic or bakelite material and the cap pictured is indeed an original Star radiator cap.
Bakelite is an early synthetic plastic developed in 1907-09 era.

Where Are You From? Texarkana, Tex

Re: Radiator Cap

Dear Shilling,
Thank you very much for the information

Where Are You From? Argentina

Do You own a car built by Durant? Rugby 1928

Re: Radiator Cap

Hi All....

Don is correct on the rad caps being Bakelite. Some of the gas caps where also done this way. Check out the gas cap list on the Tech page for some illustrations.

Do the Butter's make a repo of these caps?

See y'all in Kalamazoo and then BC.....

Frank ---

Where Are You From? Hookstown Pennsylvania

Do You own a car built by Durant? a few

Re: Radiator Cap

Just curious .. is this a Star or Durant we are talking about, badged as a Rugby outside N.A. ? The 28 / 29 Durant rad caps are one piece inside thread metal as you can see in the photos section. The gas caps however I think have the D and in bakelite, same as the 60 here has. The 35 parts catalogue shows the metal cap for S4, 40, 60 and 401, that has the finned top you can use to twist it on or off.

Not positive but I think the Butters make the gas caps or someone did in a former forum discussion.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

Re: Radiator Cap

Hi Norm
Hope you wife is progressing a bit better every day! Butters does make the gas cap, and I bought one recently from them. Will get a picture on here as soon as I can. Great job, comes in black but Mike Butters said it should be painted brown or at least that is what their original was. I don't know about the Star, but the 28/29 Durant's had the cap with the wing I call it on it. My car came with a black Bakelight screw on cap. It has an insert of threaded metal. I'll use this one until I can find the other type, which I understand Butters has the mold for that also.

Where Are You From? Oviedo (near Orlando) Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 dr

Re: Radiator Cap

JUST 2 CENTS FROM A KID BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT BAKELITE WAS ONLY AND ALWAYS BROWN IN COLOR

Where Are You From? PENNA.

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1931 DURANT 6-14 COACH ; 1925 STAR F ROADSTER

Re: Radiator Cap

Nope unc Gary .. it comes in all colours. You should watch Antique Road Show when they talk about jewelry made in bakelite, from the teens and twentys.

The 32's window winder bakelite knobs are white, now yellowing. The 32 D's window winders came with metal or bakelite knobs. I have a full set of bakelite ones and two metal knob ones as spare.

Here's the pic from the 35 catalogue of tbe 28 / 29 Durant rad cap.

Photobucket

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

Re: Radiator Cap

Nah Gary
Bakelite has been around since pre-War Between The States days. I've seen doctor syringes and other medical instruments, such as scapels etc that have bakelite handles. Those are almost always black.

Where Are You From? Oviedo (near Orlando) Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 dr

Re: Radiator Cap

Bakelite was the first plastic. It's natural color is brown since it is a mixture of wood powder and chemicals I can neither spell nor pronounce. Kind of like the ingredients list on a can of soda pop.

Dyes were then added to change its color, especially for jewelry. When new it would polish to a high shine, but it can be rather brittle. Since it does not conduct electricity, it was widely used in radio and automotive industries.

Re: Radiator Cap

all the radiator caps i have are made out of a gunmetal materal with a brass
inseart ,it has the fine on top and a surated edge for grip .
tis is whats on my 1928 rugby , my 1927 has a brass cap.

Where Are You From? new zealand

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 s4 rugby 1927 model r rugby

Re: Radiator Cap

Nestor:

I can send you bay mail if you want, some picture of my father´s Rugby shot when the car was new and you may see there the type of radiator caps the Rugby´s that came to Argentina had.

Bet regards

Ricardo

Where Are You From? Argentina

Do You own a car built by Durant? M2 Touring 1928

Re: Radiator Cap

Hi Guys,

Could you give me a little light here. I'm looking for a double-winged radiator cap as a gift for my godfather, however I haven't been able to find the double-winged on any Durant, only the single winged. After some research the closest one I found was from a Chrysler and luckily I found someone online selling it and yet the seller even added a table of the compatible cars with the cap... sadly there weren't any Durant 1928 on the list and left me thinking if maybe all these years the car has been without the original cap? I'm adding photos. Any feedback is more than welcome :)




Where Are You From? Panama

Re: Radiator Cap

When I purchased my 1928 Model 66 it came with a Star radiator cap. I have that cap, but don't think it would have been on the car originally as all the pictures I've seen the 1928 and 1929 Durants have the single wing chrome radiator cap. 1928 was the first year for chrome on outside parts as far as my literature says. The Butters have told me that they have the mold and can make the original style cap for us. They are up in Canada. I have never seen a double winged radiator cap on any Durant pictures I've seen and I presume it is an aftermarket addition someone added over the years.

Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door sedan

Re: Radiator Cap

I'm assuming that is a 1930 Durant roadster. Its not a 28 or 29. Piano hinge hood was 30 and chromed strip 31/ 32. Few things don't look right, to me. Rad shell should come down to the front skirt same as the stone guard. The skirt where crank hole is should be black to match the rad core and shorter with hole lower ? for the crank hole cover. The cover would never fit through the stone guard hole without a lot of cuss words. Perhaps the shell is bent out of shape like the skirt to fender ? Windshield should be same as the ones on the photo section for roadsters or phaetons see 614 Deluxe Roadster-Kenn Young or 614 Deluxe Roadster-Will Dyck or 614 Roadster-Jim Colbert

The cap I showed previously with single center design is only 28 / 29 and screw on cap.

Only cap used on 30 - 32 Durant's was a flat one with the same design as the spear handles on top also flat to top. These are half twist caps not screw ons. Crank hole cover the same design. The Frontenac could be flat cap or Swallow cap. Later made available to Durant's by drilling a hole in the cap to attach the bird. Finding a Durant flat cap will not be easy as they were pot metal and smashed if dropped. Took me 50 yrs to finally get one. Butters in Cobourg Ont repro's both caps. The one piece Swallow or the flat Spear cap.

Something else to remember. Virtually nothing 28 / 29 fits 30 - 32 and vice versa. You would think they were two different Co's.

Yes that's a Chrysler winged cap you show.


Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan by Dominion Motors

Re: Radiator Cap

Heres the cap

 photo Radcap2-1.jpg

 photo Radcap1-1.jpg

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan by Dominion Motors

Re: Radiator Cap

Probably of no help, but my '31 Chrysler CM has a similar 2 winged 1/2 twist radiator cap that looks much the same as the 30 Chrysler 70 cap that is pictured, but the CM center doesn't have the center rib and has a short tail that when in place matches to the chrome hood center strip.

Do You own a car built by Durant? '23 A-22 Touring / '29 Model 40 coup / '25 Flint H-40

Re: Radiator Cap

My 1924 Durant Rugby/Star, has two winged rad caps. One has high wings and screws on with thread, and the other more flatter type wings with a temperature gauge and also screws on with thread. Both came with the new car when my Father purchased it in November 1923.

Where Are You From? Armidale NSW Australia

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1924 Rugby Tourer ,my father first car !

Re: Radiator Cap

It appears the hood sides are bolted on and stone guard is a wire mesh used for plastering. One common mistake on roadsters is the owners put the handles on backwards like this one has. The handles from factory point backwards and is shown the same in factory brochures. Seems awkward to me. Perhaps it makes it look speedy or something. All the other models they point forward on front doors and backward on rear doors.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan by Dominion Motors

Re: Radiator Cap

My 29 rugby has a radiator cap exactly as the finned one in the scanned pic. Sadly the fins end is broken. I would like to find a complete one.

Where Are You From? New zealand

Do You own a car built by Durant? yes

 

The Durant Motors Automobile Club