O Scale Motor Vehicle Chronicle May 22

The items I bought - Puch, Zundapp, etc., were the same price on both.  Some items were not, and I passed.  

Weird yet.  Sometimes I would find a sale item priced higher on Amazon (Ford Capri) but if I scrolled through all the Ford Capris I would find another American Excellence listing at the sale price.  I figured I could probably spend all day, find bargains and still not know quite what was going on with American Excellences listings, but buy a half dozen cars I really didn't need, so I just stopped while I was not too far behind!

I had a 1958 Impala that had the Vacuum Ashtray that Lee Willis chatted about.  It had a small chrome tray and lever and when you pushed said lever, it sucked the ashes and cigarette butt through a rubber vacuum hose and into what looked like a glass wiper solvent jar that was mounted on the firewall. You might have to unscrew the jar and dump it every 2-3 months!  It was strictly a dealer installed option  and if I remember correctly, it cost about $20.00.  My friends thought it was slicker than snot, but my dad didn't smoke and thought it was useless!

I guess you just had to be there, but it was about the coolest accessory posible on a car: entertaining each time. Phut, and its gone!

Along the same lines, there was also a vacuum assist cigarette lighter offered by Ford right around 1950.  In place of the regular detachable lighter affair was a permanently mounted in dash heating element.  The cigarette was inserted into a 3/8" receptacle that tripped the heating circuit to the element while actuating a slight vacuum to hold the smoke in place.  During the lighting process most of the cigarette still protruded out of the dashboard.  After, say 20 seconds, the lit cigarette was removed, killing both electrical current and vacuum.  I mean, it just wouldn't be right killing yourself in a distracted driving accident while lighting up a healthy Camel.

BTW.  A weekly column on weird and wonderful car accessories could go on indefinitely.

Bruce

Hi,

A question for those who recently ordered cars from American-Excellence: have any of you received an order confirmation?  I got an order number when I placed my order but so far have not received an email confirmation.  Maybe they don't send one and I don't recall creating account but figured I'd ask about others' experiences before I pick up the phone.

Thanks,

Tomlinson Run RR

I received an automatic e-mail confirmation with the list of what I had ordered. 

Thanks. I just checked my Trash folder just in case ... But nothing.  Will have to give them a call.

TRRR