Bubble Top Show Car

1947 Pontiac & Audi Lowriders

I really have been hiding at the back of the deepest cave. I never seen or heard of those friction shockers/suspension never mind allowing them on the Aussie roads as those in charge I think live further back in the same cave as me. Love your high quality work and the line of cars you have posted, just beautiful.

Friction shocks are as old as the 1900's.

Would have been used on early MG's & motorcycles, that surly would have been seen on Aussie roads.

The telescopic shocks on the VW Beetle just would have looked too ugly!! :silly:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction_disk_shock_absorber

Pretty standard from the start of Model T to WW2.

As Colin said on the MG. mgaguru.com/mgtech/suspensn/fs125.htm

Here are more vintage ones.

This very fancy one has a pump up hydraulic bladder to adjust the friction, most of them you just did the adjusting nut up to an eye pleasing tension and that was it.




These are another common type. Inside the tube is a rod with a fat "O" ring. As the force goes on up or down the "O" ring is squashed out to bind on the walls of the tube. Others had spreading comes and still others had springs.

Colin HD wrote:

1953 & 1954 Chevy's

The Chevy's look both really fine, is the car on the left on the first photo an Holden Commodore?

Thanks Diesel,
Yeah it is, just a daily driver.

Thanks Diesel,
Yeah it is, just a daily driver.

Colin HD wrote:

Thanks Diesel,
Yeah it is, just a daily driver.

Thanks Colin

I'm aware that we are here at an commercial vehicle /truck forum, but may I ask: were american cars in the 50s - 90s popular in Australia?

I think if you could afford them they were
Most were Canadian to get around import duties

Paul