This is a short video of the engine with the hood off. The engine was fully rebuilt in the 1960’s and was running but has not been started for decades. Everything from the radiator back to the firewall itself was repaired, restored or replaced.
The vehicle has been in the family for 3 generations but it is time to let someone else make it into something special.
At the time of posting, June 2025, the vehicle and all parts are available for sale. Looking for offers.
Please use the contact form on this site to get in touch.
As a part of cleaning up the remnants of Max Howden Crystals, I have come across this R.A.A.F Crystal Unit Holder Y110X in its original box.
RAAF Crystal Holder Y110X
The crystal unit is the holder only without an actual crystal or frequency assigned. I imagine that this was held in preparation for orders from the R.A.A.F for specific frequency crystals to be made and mounted.
This is a similar crystal holder noted at the Australian War Memorial.
As I research on Trove a lot for cars and toys I also managed to find a number of articles relating to my grand-father, Max Howden (Walter Francis Maxwell Howden), and great grand-father Thomas Montagu Howden. I have linked these here for my reference.
Chasing the provenance of a vehicle that has been in the family for many years, the body is by James Flood of City Road South Melbourne while the chassis is a 1912 Hotchkiss sedan.
While researching both the body work and the car I have noted many references to James Flood in the early 1900’s and have noted them here for later recall. As usual the body of work at Trove is of immense help.
This article also provided some additional information and a reminder that I should read at least the first James Flood Book of Early Motoring to help flesh out my timeline.
This is the earliest advertisement I could locate for the business in 1909. It was apparently established in 1908, given that the Early Motoring book was issued for the 60th anniversary of the company in 1968.
Later in 1909 this advertisement appears which claimed 10 years experience and that experience was in Essex England where James’ family were coachbuilders.
In summary, it appears the business of James Flood Motor Body Works was initially located in West Melbourne, and then moved to City Road, and then to St.Kilda Road, and later to West Footscray.
My purpose with this is not the history of the business, but just to confirm that the footplates in the body of the Hotchkiss vehicle are accurate and consistent with the time-frame of the coach building. Circa 1912 Hotchkiss chassis and circa 1912 Floods’ were in City Road South Melbourne.
An article from the Sydney Morning Herald comments on this years racing cars 1906 and notes the 6 cylinder Napier car.
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW, Australia)
19 April 1906
Page 10
THIS YEAR’S RACING MOTOR CARS.
According to the latest files to hand, this year’s
racing motor cars will present fewer novelties than
ever before. Transmission by propeller-shaft is gain-
ing in favour every day over chain drive, and all the
machines are being built with their centre of gravity
placed very low. One peculiarity which the new regu-
lations at home have engendered is that all cars will
have a large fuel capacity, provision being made for
as much as 45 gallons of petrol, and a proportionately
large oil supply, in order to cover the six rounds of
the circuit without stopping to fill tanks. Excepting
the Mercedes, and of course the six-cylinder Napier, it
is probable that all the starters will have four-cylinder
engines. The Richard Brasier cars, with four cylinders
of 165-m.m. bore, and 104 h.p., will have transmission
by cardon shaft. The Mercedes six-cylinder have 150-
m.m. bore, and 140-m.m. stroke, giving 135 h.p., four
speeds, with direct drive on the high, and ball bear-
ings throughout. Several of the French drivers have
already made acquaintance with the circuit, Hemery
visiting it on a 1905 racer immediately before his
triumphal return from Florida.
