WWII scrap drive

[jmc]

Victory gardens, rationing, scrap drives, diseases we couldn't treat, postwar shortages even- went on for years. Would they have gotten whiny if asked to wear a mask during a national crisis?

 

[stuckmotor]

snip
Tires were impossible to get during the war. My Dad was working on a defense project, and blew the two rear tires out of his car carrying equipment. He said he contacted the base commander and told him if he wanted his project done, he needed some tires. Somehow he ended up with two new tires! He bought two implement tires from the local IH dealer and put on the front of the car. Snip

It must have been in Google Books that I saw a war era mechanics magazine telling how a man had made a wooden wheel to substitute for his rubber car tire. I don't think the article told how many miles the wheel lasted.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

It must have been in Google Books that I saw a war era mechanics magazine telling how a man had made a wooden wheel to substitute for his rubber car tire. I don't think the article told how many miles the wheel lasted.

Tires in those days contained tubes; they could be patched, but not replaced. They put boots in the old tires where they had big holes; not easy to balance, so you drove slow. We used to take the old rubber tubes that were beyond repair, and make rubber guns and "sling" shots. It got where they were gradually replaced with synthetic rubber, and they were worthless because although they would stretch sufficiently to work in an inner tube, they snapped back very slowly. Anyone ever make a rubber gun?

This one is pretty fancy.

How to Make a Wooden Rubber Band Gun | Art of Manliness

P.S. I recall my Dad telling me some of the early tires actually contained wooden blocks instead of inner tubes.

 

[ovrszd]

Lots and lots of neat things got recycled that shouldn't have. Welcome to the world of war.

And it happened again a few years ago when scrap was over $200 per ton. Greed fueled it this time.

 

[ovrszd]

I was pretty small, but I do remember much of it. You couldn't buy a new car after the war started, unless you were maybe a physician or had a very pressing need; consequently, a lot of the old cars in the wrecking yards were resurrected and put back the road again. My Dad had a '36 Plymouth that had seen its better days, he told me he saw the war coming and ordered a load of parts for it, and overhauled it just prior to Pearl Harbor. There were a lot of aluminum, brass, copper and steel pots, pans and utensils that were recycled too. My Mom saved her grease from the kitchen; it was used to make explosives. Tin cans were saved and recycled. Old, used tires were recycled also. They were made from pretty much pure natural rubber, so they could be remelted I'm told. I know I've seen my Dad stop and pick up old tires out of the ditch and recycle them.

Tires were impossible to get during the war. My Dad was working on a defense project, and blew the two rear tires out of his car carrying equipment. He said he contacted the base commander and told him if he wanted his project done, he needed some tires. Somehow he ended up with two new tires! He bought two implement tires from the local IH dealer and put on the front of the car.

I remember shoes being made from cardboard; butter, meat and other things being rationed. It was quite a time, but the country was united like never before.

Dad bought himself a new 1940 Ford Coupe Deluxe. Two options, passenger windshield wiper and heater. Paid $625.

When he joined the Army in 1942 he sold it to a school teacher. Can't remember exactly what he got for it, seems like $400 or so.

When he returned from the Army in 1946 he tried to buy it back. She was firm at $650. He couldn't make himself pay more for it than new price. She eventually got $650 for it. Then immediately realized she sold it too cheap.

Strange times.

 

[ultrarunner]

My Model A pickup has the "A" gas ration sticker on the windshield and ration book...

The sticker says "Is this trip necessary" and "Save Tires drive under 35"

Maybe why my 45 year old tires are still on the car?

Tires were very precious when none were available...

 

[ArlyA]

gunk driving and more war stores.

I buddy of mine who is of course, now long gone grew up in those prewar years and told me a funny story about that time. He said they couldn't buy gasoline without stamps and being young fellows who really need to be going places, found that the engine parts cleaner "gunk" could be used instead of gas and was readily available. It would run on it but not start, so they used a squirt can to start the cars on gas, then drive to places on gunk. He laughed telling me that story and said those engines were quite clean! I got a Missouri BB-63 brass ornament from him which I can not locate a photo of now....

 

[jmc]

We used to take the old rubber tubes that were beyond repair, and make rubber guns and "sling" shots. It got where they were gradually replaced with synthetic rubber, and they were worthless because although they would stretch sufficiently to work in an inner tube, they snapped back very slowly.

That must be why today's rubber bungees are nothing like the ones I got decades ago. Tried some out in the store recently and went home empty handed.

We sold a lot of tires in our Western Auto store, back before radials. Dad said tires were only good for about 12,000 miles.

 

[ultrarunner]

I miss Western Auto... the only one I knew was in Tahoe but they had things a kid couldn't get elsewhere.

As for lead in toothpaste tubes there is a theory linking to rise of dementia...

Grandparents as as sharp as they come and baking soda was their toothpaste.

 

[KennyG]

When I was a kid in the 1950's and 1960's scrap drives were still a popular way for kids organizations to raise money. I guess you couldn't do that today because kids don't want to work that hard and people would be concerned it was too dangerous.