Hello,

I just bought Bobby Carter 1923 A22 out of Ohio. Lots of questions! Continental I4 Runs great, starts right up, no smoke, shifts fine, stops decent. Recent paint, new top and interior, chrome is amazing for 95 years old!

What type of oil 30 Non detergent?
How much does it hold. Looks like the fill is also the dip stick.

Is unleaded ok or should I get some fake lead additive?

Grease point diagram?

I'll have plenty more.

I tried to add a pic under Photographs but didn't figure that one out yet.

John Langan New Member

Where Are You From? Denver

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1923 A22

John .. we have this car NE4320 in the Registry but are missing the engine serial and casting dates. You can email me the info, if you would be so kind.

Only Rick can add photo's to the Photo Section of DMAC but you can add photo's to your posting using the How to add photo's at top of Forum.

This is from eBay April this year and is a copy of a copy so fuzzy. However the car is in Photo's under Durant 1923 A22. Rick just needs to change the info to say you are the owner now.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

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

John,
I've updated the Photograph section as you for the new owner.

Rick

Where Are You From? Fremont, CA

Do You own a car built by Durant? Two of them

I have a much better pic of the ebay shot
The Title says E4320 from the 2nd owner and to me indicating Elizabeth, NJ. I will find the block number and relay.

Nobody responded to my easy questions, believe me I have more!

John Langan

Where Are You From? Denver

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1923 A22

Elizabeth plant was the last on to come on board Dec 23 1922. From what I see in the Registry we have NE on Durant cars up into the 8000's on vin plates. The club historian has vin plate NE8105 in his collection. Perhaps Eliz was using up the New York plants vin plates, added the E until they got their own. There are a number of odd vin plates on the initial cars in his collection.

Lansing did their own funny thing with the vin number itself initially. MTxxxx and MSxxxx. We think we have solved that finally, thanks to known cars in the Registry, Model Touring and Model Sedan. All the T's are tourings and S's are sedans. It had been thought for some time the S meant Special order.

Welcome to the world of Billy Durant with more questions than answers. Models made at one plant and not another. Different parts used on same model. Every now and then something comes out of the woodwork unknown which alters our thinking. Even books of the time have incorrect info. Very small example is the 1933 Ace that vin books have model as 81 (and Hayes body plate also with the 81). Thanks to a surviving Frontenac Ace, Canadian cars are model 91 and Hayes plate with the 91. Another myth is the 1931 619 Durant out of Lansing was made and sold only in the US. I have a copy of an ad from a newspaper in Ottawa Aug 1931 were Leaside is offering the new 619 for sale. My take on that is Lansing closed Aug 1931 and unsold 619's got shipped to Leaside to get rid of them. We didn't make them nor are they in the Leaside after markets, but we sold them.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

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

Hi John,

Welcome to the club!

There are several Instruction manuals as well as an illistrated parts book for your A-22 on Ebay that would be most helpful with in answering most basic questions....However, products and procedures Have came a long way since 1923.

As far as the type of oil to use seems to be a matter of preference...Durant recommended a Hi-grade mineral oil; medium-heavy for summer and light for winter..(I personally use a 20/50 multi-viscosity, its more like an all-season oil, also the A-22 does not have an oil pressure regulator and the 20-50 seems to help with pressure regulation)(you only have 5 lbs of pressure if you are lucky)...Not sure of the actual oil capacity, but I find that by keeping the oil level to just below the full mark on the dip stick helps control leakage as the A-22 does not have crankshaft seals.

These old cars are fun but their are a few tricks to learn.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2 Durants / 2 Flints

Forgot to mention, there is a 3 page fold-out lubrication chart in the back of the 1923 Instruction Manual...As for gasoline I use regular unleaded gas and "Try" to find Non-Ethenal if I can... Ethinal can deteriate/swell rubber and soft parts in the fuel system). However, there are fuel products on the market today that are resiliant to ethinal, hoses, electric pumps, pressure regulators and ect...As far as lead additives, I didn't think they start using tetrithal lead in gas until the higher compression engines came around? Someone else would probably have a better answer...

Anyway, Nice looking A-22, congrats....Hope to see you at some events in the future.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2 Durants / 2 Flints

Now Bob has refreshed my memory and our talks ages ago, with photo's of early A22 plates with the NE on them. The plates themselves show Manufactured by Durant Motors of New Jersey and have the painted N with a stamped E, then rest of the vin number. The thinking is someone ordering plates, screwed up having the N shown instead of an E. To use these plates up the E was stamped after the N to signify Eliz plant. This would have been double vins otherwise with N .. NY and Eliz.

Bob says .. They made the same mistake with the Star tags. They then stamped the 'E' for Elizabeth on the plate (sometimes even on top of the printed 'N'





Still looking for the engine serial and casting date .. I know Don has sent you info on the A22.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

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

Abut 4.5 quart. Oil.

Where Are You From? Norton Shores

Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes

More on Ethanol. If your car has an electric fuel pump made before or just after ethanol began to be added, replace it with a new pump. There are rubber parts in the older pumps that will turn in to a tar-like substance that will gum up your entire fuel system. After experiencing this disaster, I went back to the original vacuum tank. No problems since.

Where Are You From? Greenbrae, CA

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 Star

About 4.5 quartz capacity on your a22 engine. That is what my 1923 a22 takes.

Also I have a used fly wheel for sale from my a22.
Ken Brink

Where Are You From? Norton Shores

Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes