✅ SOLVED Automobile Window Crank, what's it to?

[DeepseekerADS]

I found this several years ago up under my 200 year old pear tree. I found it again when I returned home to retire. My grandfather had a 1940 Plymouth Coup:



He had a stroke and lost both legs due to gangrene when I was 12 years old. He offered to sell me his car for $10. Another of those lost opportunities.

But I don't fully believe this window crank was to his '40 Plymouth, Granny had a 1948 Studebaker - but not that either. But just maybe someone will know

A challenge here!

 

[Joe-Dirt]

It sure looks like a window crank

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Very difficult to nail down exactly what vehicle this was originally attached to... certainly Deco Period in date.
Hopefully an automobile expert will chime in.

Dave

 

[nhbenz]

It’s seems the makers mark was trademarked in 1942... for what the that’s worth;
https://www.trademarkia.com/dura-71453270.html

 

[Rookster]

Looks like a window crank handle to me. Somewhere somebody restoring needs that handle. Great find.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

It’s seems the makers mark was trademarked in 1942... for what the that’s worth;

Thanks! That lead me to The Dura Company

I contacted that site with pictures to see what he knows. Apparently the company made chrome plated composite materials for many industries. As shown in my pictures, that is in fact a chrome plated composite material used for the crank. Since the trademark was founded in 1942, and ended in 1945, that rules out the 1940 Plymouth Coupe and the 1948 Studebaker.....

 

[Erndog]

Those old handles are readily available. Nice as a hunting memento, but worthless to a car restorer. Sorry.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Those old handles are readily available. Nice as a hunting memento, but worthless to a car restorer. Sorry.

It's not about value, it's about family history.

I found this picture of Mom at age 16 in Newport News, VA

I don't know what this car is - anyone?

 

[uglymailman]

Cute Mom Seek. The AACA web site has a "what is it" type section. Also the HAMB site. I once had 2500 hits on those 2 sites to ID a 29' Packard radiator. Guy just down the road from their Museum went there to ID it. Sold it to a guy in Australia for scrap price. They used it as a pattern to build a new one. BTW, Packard had 3 different radiators that yr. Good luck.

 

[olroy70]

DURA is still in business it is a window crank very similar to one on my 47 ford, but is has been gone a long time

 

[DCMatt]

The car is a 1939 Mercury. The image appears to be reversed as that year Merc had the gas filler on the other side.



BTW - Mom is a hottie.

 

[DCMatt]

DURA is still in business it is a window crank very similar to one on my 47 ford, but is has been gone a long time

Ford 1941 - 48

 

[DeepseekerADS]

The car is a 1939 Mercury. The image appears to be reversed as that year Merc had the gas filler on the other side. BTW - Mom is a hottie.

Now, Mom is still with me at 92

It may well be a '39 Merc, Just because the DURA trade stamp wasn't official until 1942 doesn't mean they didn't use it before. My brother & I spent over an hour yesterday looking at images of vehicles trying to pin it down - we always had doubts on each.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Ford 1941 - 48

That appears to be BINGO!

Thanks Matt!

Edit: Hmmmmm.... I used "Thread Tools" to mark this as "Solved" but it's not showing up as solved......

 

[DCMatt]

Looks like the car in the original pic has some deluxe trim on it. Pretty confident it is a '39 Merc.

 

[WaterScoop]

Here are few oldies to add to your scrapbook

 

[DCMatt]

Oops! I was WRONG on the make. It's a '39 Chrysler Royal sedan.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Oops! I was WRONG on the make. It's a '39 Chrysler Royal sedan.

TreasureNet rocks!

 

[67GTX]

Looking at the design of the window crank in question, I'd say that it comes from a lower priced vehicle. 'High End' cars, like the '39 Chrysler Royal (Royal would stand for 'top of the line') would have had a very fancy window crank. 'Fancy' is what people wanted back then, in order to show their good taste and to show they had money. Ford & Chevy just didn't rate that kind of superiority. You bought a Lincoln, a Chrysler or a Cadillac because you were somebody.

 

[Kray Gelder]

View attachment 1556066 View attachment 1556068

Looks like the car in the original pic has some deluxe trim on it. Pretty confident it is a '39 Merc.

Take a look at the trunk. On the restored car it goes all the way down, not on Deepseeker's Mom's car. Let's keep looking.