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Driving A Car With a Transmission Half Made Out of Paper

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  • čas přidán 8. 08. 2024
  • Have you ever wondered what it's like to drive a car from the early 1900s with a transmission half made out of paper? Of course you have--you're human. Well Jason got a chance to drive a 1913 Metz with the long-abandoned tech of paper-friction drive in the streets of Los Angeles and lived to tell the tale.
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Komentáře • 181

  • @nsbioy
    @nsbioy Před 5 lety +200

    Does fixing it involve paperwork?

  • @abbaby555
    @abbaby555 Před 5 lety +93

    I never knew this existed, he one up'd Leno for sure

  • @Neojhun
    @Neojhun Před 5 lety +132

    Wow that clutch & transmission combo is genius

    • @justmechanicthings
      @justmechanicthings Před 5 lety +3

      except that it slips when there is too much torque, assuming it did that when it was new

    • @Akokaontawu
      @Akokaontawu Před 5 lety +8

      @@justmechanicthings They should've used rubber instead of paper

    • @samiam5557
      @samiam5557 Před 5 lety

      no its a asinine idea

    • @justmechanicthings
      @justmechanicthings Před 5 lety +7

      @@Akokaontawu well that would defo solve that problem but it wouldn't last long! and it would make a burning smell. You'd be changing the ''clutch'' more often than the tires 🤣🤣

    • @scootergeorge9576
      @scootergeorge9576 Před 5 lety +3

      Looks like it would go just as fast in reverses as forward.

  • @taylordignan8486
    @taylordignan8486 Před 5 lety +53

    my snowblower drive wheels work the same way!! friction wheel/flywheel. Cool!

  • @mysock351C
    @mysock351C Před 5 lety +28

    Your average powered snow blower also uses the same type of transmission. Fascinated that they ACTUALLY used it in a car. Never knew that.

  • @CPB1
    @CPB1 Před 5 lety +76

    Jason ..you are the only reason I subscribe to Jalopnic. Keep it up. Always learning something.
    If I may suggest, no music. Let us hear what you are experiencing. You mentioned the sound ( whine maybe) of the engine. Unfortunately all I heard was somewhat Jazzy music.
    So please help put us with you and experience what you experience drop the music. Thank you again.

    • @martinshow5146
      @martinshow5146 Před 5 lety +3

      same here

    • @CPB1
      @CPB1 Před 5 lety +3

      @@martinshow5146 ......I was worried I was the only one....thank you

    • @Andre-cj1ds
      @Andre-cj1ds Před 5 lety +2

      Completely agree, these engines should be heard in detail not dubbed over

    • @rollingtroll
      @rollingtroll Před 5 lety

      Yup, mainly here for Jason as well

  • @nico.c97
    @nico.c97 Před 5 lety +24

    Clutch? Torque Converter? Gears? No, Just a paper wheel and a Jason.

  • @chabka34
    @chabka34 Před 5 lety +6

    This guy and his dog... He just looks like the person who would own that car lol and his dog

  • @nicostenfors5690
    @nicostenfors5690 Před 5 lety +15

    No grinding in this episode of Jason Grinds!

  • @EvanMoon
    @EvanMoon Před 5 lety +16

    The transmission design was very simple but it gives you such good control. If you want to see another CVT, Look at one of the snapper mower’s like the one in Forrest Gump.

  • @Sprocketboy1956
    @Sprocketboy1956 Před 5 lety +8

    These old cars are really fascinating since everything was being tried out. Very enjoyable although Jason really needs to work on his Armstrong Starter. Dog seemed very happy with Jason too.

  • @albear972
    @albear972 Před 5 lety +38

    4:37 Owww! Sick burn there, Jason. Ouch!

    • @zabnat
      @zabnat Před 5 lety +1

      She was having it again at the end. :)

    • @CaptPanOfSteel
      @CaptPanOfSteel Před 3 lety

      god I would have just quit being a reported after that LMAO

  • @user-qe6xy8zo8y
    @user-qe6xy8zo8y Před 5 lety +19

    Amazing what paper can do!

    • @mysock351C
      @mysock351C Před 5 lety +2

      Automatic transmissions still use friction paper for most of the clutches, although it works much differently than the one pictured above.

  • @silubr1
    @silubr1 Před 5 lety +21

    A lot of companies experimented with this sort of variable friction drivetrain in the early days (this Metz seems almost a bit late to the party).
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction_drive (list very much incomplete, I can think of Maurer-Union, among others)

  • @fpvillegas9084
    @fpvillegas9084 Před 4 lety +1

    I love Jason's style of presentation. So honest and unpretentious. More videos of rare cars and technologies please 👍

  • @datsunz152
    @datsunz152 Před 5 lety +28

    Lol you blew straight through that stop sign

  • @22ron81
    @22ron81 Před 5 lety +3

    Man this is an awesome series Jason’s sense of humor is on point and he is super knowledgeable...keep up coming jalopnik!!

  • @jareknowak8712
    @jareknowak8712 Před 5 lety +7

    Transmission type: "Rolling Burnout" :)

  • @G56AG
    @G56AG Před 2 lety

    Helps to make you appreciate a modern car! A Model T is a real nightmare to drive, this one is slightly less complicated.

  • @JumpeFurby
    @JumpeFurby Před 5 lety

    you know, of all of the car channels, this might be the one i envy most... all the amazing cars you guys get to touch and see and smell

  • @jeffmullinix7916
    @jeffmullinix7916 Před 6 měsíci

    The transmission type was also used by Snapper . Snapper was a company that built push mowers , self propeled and riding mowers .

  • @kw9849
    @kw9849 Před 5 lety +3

    4:32 Jason demonstrates why you never, ever grip a hand crank with your thumb wrapped around the handle. You should also never crank in a downward motion; a kickback could break your wrist or arm. He's lucky he wasn't injured.

    • @therestorationshop
      @therestorationshop Před 2 lety

      Yep you always want to be pulling up with the fingers and thumb not involved.

  • @DavidLieffring
    @DavidLieffring Před 5 lety +4

    My grandfather had a couple of 2 cylinder Metz cars. Snapper rider lawnmowers had the same style transmission.

  • @rollingtroll
    @rollingtroll Před 5 lety

    A modern rendition of this system would be really amazing.
    Great video again!

  • @theirishaxe9405
    @theirishaxe9405 Před 5 lety +3

    I love the lanterns

  • @TalenGryphon
    @TalenGryphon Před 5 lety +2

    I had a lawn tractor like this O.o: An 8hp Polaron.
    Same style of transmission except using vulcanized rubber instead of paper. Would go just as fast in reverse as it would forward.
    But if it was raining, or the grass was even slightly damp, water would get in, and that stupid rubber wheel would just slip on the aluminum drive plate. That severely limited its usefulness. And caused it to be hastily replaced with an MTD
    I wonder if this Metz has the same problem

  • @ThegMAH
    @ThegMAH Před 5 lety +1

    That CVT is amazing in its simplicity :o

  • @fisqual
    @fisqual Před 5 lety

    The drive on my old Snapper lawnmower works just like that. I used it commercially for almost 6 years and it never had a problem.

  • @asd36f
    @asd36f Před 5 lety

    Between 1909 and 1912, the Metz was sold in kit form. Buyers completed the first group of parts before taking delivery of the second group of parts. The packages came in 14 parts and sold for $25 each. The advantage of the system was that Charles Metz could dispose of a large quantity of parts left over from the Waltham Manufacturing Co, without the capital outlay of paying a workforce to assemble them. Once Metz had obtained a reasonable sum from the sale of the kits, he started to offer complete cars as well.

  • @themadsmith857
    @themadsmith857 Před 5 lety +2

    Wow my 1968 snowblower has the same clutch and transmission set up!!

  • @tiziocaio4561
    @tiziocaio4561 Před 5 lety

    Loved the humor in this episode

  • @Stinkymens
    @Stinkymens Před 5 lety

    It’s so funny cause that transmission design is the same as our snowblower! When we took it apart to change a belt on it I was stunned at how simple and genius it is

  • @ttbalog
    @ttbalog Před 5 lety

    "...one of the co-owners. Haha hilarious. This looks like some nice adventure.

  • @geyotepilkington2892
    @geyotepilkington2892 Před 5 lety

    Wow that really helped me visualize the difference between torque and top end

  • @seed_drill7135
    @seed_drill7135 Před 5 lety

    I've seen that transmission before in an unrestored car with the wooden floorboards out of it. Don't recall if it was a Metz or a different make. Very cool.

  • @visekual6248
    @visekual6248 Před 5 lety +3

    I think this type of transmission can be rethought for modern days, I imagine it would be much cheaper than a conventional transmission and be used in very cheap cars sold in low-income countries

    • @grandinosour
      @grandinosour Před 5 lety +1

      No.... Reliability issues would overcome the savings

    • @AtheistDD
      @AtheistDD Před 5 lety

      A somewhat similar transmission was introduced for bicycles not that long ago.

  • @04dram04
    @04dram04 Před 4 lety

    How does your videos not have over a million views?

  • @spdwebdotnet
    @spdwebdotnet Před 2 lety

    I had an old Snapper lawn tractor which had the same setup to get power to the rear wheels.. used two discs.. (not made of paper) but the same exact concept.

  • @Backroad_Junkie
    @Backroad_Junkie Před 5 lety +12

    Is that Sam Elliot's long lost brother?

    • @Doctor_Robert
      @Doctor_Robert Před 5 lety +1

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that!

    • @styldsteel1
      @styldsteel1 Před 5 lety +1

      Backroad Junkie I’m sorry to say but I’d rather the owner not be in this video. Jason is a professional by himself

  • @ChrisXif1
    @ChrisXif1 Před 5 lety

    Great car, great dog, kind of douchey owner (
    4:37). Loved the complete lack of any stopping through the 4-way stop intersections!

    • @Munkenba
      @Munkenba Před 5 lety +3

      he did a petrolicious vid on his tatra once, I thought he was pretty cool

  • @shawncurtis3686
    @shawncurtis3686 Před 5 lety

    A locomotive with a similar transmission use to be on display at Caboose Hobbies in Denver. Pretty cool car .

  • @kevinwilkinson1510
    @kevinwilkinson1510 Před rokem

    I used to have a Gilson Brothers 8 HP snow blower with the same type of transmission. The drive selector handle could be set at 7 different positions for 5 forward speeds and two reverse. In Fifth you would have to jog to keep up with it.

  • @Ichigo_Keba
    @Ichigo_Keba Před 5 lety +1

    You need to drive a Ford model a, it’s a different experience from the model T... more modern, but with a twist.

  • @mikezeke7041
    @mikezeke7041 Před 5 lety

    This is why I watch! 👍👍

  • @silverpairaducks
    @silverpairaducks Před 5 lety

    That tension spring on the hood strap is amazing

  • @dylanlaughlin6715
    @dylanlaughlin6715 Před 5 lety

    This is one of the most clever things I have ever seen.

  • @Francois_L_7933
    @Francois_L_7933 Před 5 lety

    Funny thing is, those transmissions are still being used in snowblowers!
    The only difference is that they have a rubber surface on one of the transmission wheels (a bit like a belt) that needs to be replaced once in a while.

  • @y.s8915
    @y.s8915 Před 5 lety

    amazing

  • @nohopeforthekids
    @nohopeforthekids Před 5 lety

    I knew I had seen the owner of this vehicle before and after a couple searches found him in the Tatra T87 Petrolicious video. What a cool dude, wonder what other obscure cars he has.

  • @mohammadnoor8429
    @mohammadnoor8429 Před 5 lety

    cool, reminds me of old track mantenance trains

  • @jamesdeen8158
    @jamesdeen8158 Před 5 lety

    Some lawnmowers and other yard equipment also use the friction wheel design.

  • @ChrisDragotta
    @ChrisDragotta Před 3 lety

    Nice proportions.

  • @Meton12765
    @Meton12765 Před 5 lety

    You guys should make "Jason Drives" a weekly deal. I'd pay good money for that.

  • @chadcountiss5290
    @chadcountiss5290 Před 5 lety +6

    My great grandmother broke her wrist once crank-starting a car because my great grandfather couldn't be bothered to start it himself.

  • @paulnadratowski3942
    @paulnadratowski3942 Před 5 lety +8

    You’re supposed to crank with your left hand to prevent kickback

  • @Bout_TreeFiddy
    @Bout_TreeFiddy Před 3 lety

    the 1950s Bogen record player uses the same "CVT" design for infinitely variable speed

  • @CardboardSliver
    @CardboardSliver Před 5 lety +1

    Ok we get it! Same transmission as a snowblower or Snapper
    98% of the comments are the same damn thing. We get it. Jeeze

  • @pvccannon1966
    @pvccannon1966 Před 5 lety

    It works like a snow blower. with a movable disc that moves from the inner to outer surface of a disc

  • @etmccaus
    @etmccaus Před 5 lety

    GM tried a much larger version of this - dubbed a "Toric transmission" - in several of its gas turbine-powered experimental buses in the '60s, notably the spage-age RTX.

  • @eberbacher007
    @eberbacher007 Před 5 lety +7

    amazing, what happens if you drive it in the rain?

    • @Munkenba
      @Munkenba Před 5 lety +12

      You don't, you take a visit to the local library to use the town phone, you get through to the operator and you make pleasant small talk, then you ask to be put through to whichever of your unreasonably wealthy friends you were going to visit and you tell them why you can't make it for afternoon tea. They give you heck for ever investing in a motorcar and you miss an evening's aristocratic bantering.
      Sell the car, get a horse, stop trying to be the cool cat on the block.

    • @lazertag720
      @lazertag720 Před 5 lety +1

      @@Munkenba horses dont have roofs

    • @TalenGryphon
      @TalenGryphon Před 5 lety +2

      Your transmission turns into mush

    • @styldsteel1
      @styldsteel1 Před 5 lety +2

      eberbacher007 it gets wet.

    • @jtp336
      @jtp336 Před 5 lety +3

      @@lazertag720 , but the carriages they pull do.

  • @paulverstraete9157
    @paulverstraete9157 Před 5 lety

    the old snapper mower my parents had when I was a kid worked this way...

  • @bigusdickus8503
    @bigusdickus8503 Před 5 lety

    A lot of snapper lawn mowers also have those transmissions

  • @ajaychoudhary9817
    @ajaychoudhary9817 Před 5 lety

    flying a fuckin fighter jets has lesser steps
    but i would pay top dollar for this
    its just so fuckin awesome

  • @JasonDoege
    @JasonDoege Před 5 lety

    LOL @6:44 blows through a stop sign...

  • @drewsey5733
    @drewsey5733 Před 5 lety

    ive seen self propeled lawnmowers with transmissions using the same concept

  • @shahinsha108
    @shahinsha108 Před 5 lety +1

    .he has a bunch of tatras . awesome person

  • @KipppopotamusJR
    @KipppopotamusJR Před 5 lety

    Nice

  • @MrZcotty
    @MrZcotty Před 5 lety +6

    it was awfully nice of dude to let you learn exactly how to NOT, start a hand crank engine.

    • @samiam5557
      @samiam5557 Před 5 lety +3

      yeah it could end in a broken wrist or arm if done wrong

  • @gtb81.
    @gtb81. Před 5 lety

    old snapper lawnmowers had a similar system

  • @dave1135
    @dave1135 Před 5 lety

    Very similar to a transmission in a older snapper rear engine riding mower

  • @thecommenter578
    @thecommenter578 Před 5 lety

    Way better than my Fiesta transmission

  • @aseheavyindustries798
    @aseheavyindustries798 Před 5 lety

    that looks like one of the more pleasant turn of the century cars

  • @trainchugger53
    @trainchugger53 Před 5 lety

    Holy crap, this is in Highland Park?

  • @knightsofnee8626
    @knightsofnee8626 Před 5 lety

    Its like old Snapper mowers but without gears!

  • @04dram04
    @04dram04 Před 4 lety

    How the hell does he get drivetrain parts for this? Like the paper wheel?

  • @vwsaiphone
    @vwsaiphone Před 5 lety +5

    My car ate my homework Na my car changed gears with my homework lmao

  • @theneil007
    @theneil007 Před 5 lety

    Are you going to drive Paul's Tatra, too???

  • @BikerTrashWolf
    @BikerTrashWolf Před 5 lety

    It's like the transmission on a snapper rear engine riding lawnmower.

  • @valterslacis614
    @valterslacis614 Před 5 lety +1

    Funny enough the same transmission system today is used on snow blowers. They are probably also more powerfull.

    • @Nad_0618
      @Nad_0618 Před 5 lety +1

      Sounds like a Engine swap opportunity to me.

  • @snjert8406
    @snjert8406 Před 5 lety

    I have this as a toy car! It's from my great aunt

  • @ironwill8596
    @ironwill8596 Před měsícem

    Oh it's a friction drive transmission the same one they put on old snow blowers cvd in cars

  • @fishandchimps170
    @fishandchimps170 Před 5 lety

    And while repeating the same sentence with slight variations minutes apart may not make alot of sense in modern times if you think about it in the context of ad revenue it becomes really really clever.

  • @travishagan8951
    @travishagan8951 Před 5 lety

    Nice California stop

  • @critterIMHO
    @critterIMHO Před 3 lety

    I had a lawnmower with a transmission just like this.

  • @John-Laird
    @John-Laird Před 5 lety

    Some lawnmowers use similar transmissions.

  • @joro8604
    @joro8604 Před 5 lety

    This guy is way cool to let you just go off and drive it.

  • @drdremd
    @drdremd Před 5 lety

    Just like a snapper riding mower.

  • @sashley616
    @sashley616 Před 5 lety

    if you look at a drive on a snowblower it is just like that except the paper is replaced by rubber

  • @turdferguson7270
    @turdferguson7270 Před 5 lety

    That's what clutches in an automatic or Harley was made of forever. Still use paper in rebuilds

  • @shahinsha108
    @shahinsha108 Před 5 lety +1

    Better than model T

  • @MostlyInteresting
    @MostlyInteresting Před 5 lety

    Snapper lawnmowers for 30 years.

  • @delosdmi
    @delosdmi Před 5 lety

    Does Jay Leno have one of these?

  • @stephendoherty1275
    @stephendoherty1275 Před 2 lety

    Sam Elliot is a gear-head? I didn't know that.

  • @jwalster9412
    @jwalster9412 Před 3 lety

    Just imagine the smell when it overheats, worse than a clutch.

  • @jsawyer0617
    @jsawyer0617 Před 5 lety

    Half made outta paper? ITS ALL PAPER!!!!

  • @boxedfender4810
    @boxedfender4810 Před 5 lety

    Wonder if there is a reverse lockout 🤔

  • @rADIOLINJA
    @rADIOLINJA Před 5 lety

    I wonder if Nissan got inspired by this car to design their Extroid CVT transmission for their rear wheel driven vehicles.

  • @treserious
    @treserious Před 5 lety

    Snowblower drive works like this.
    hard rubber instead of paper

  • @AlabamaShrimp
    @AlabamaShrimp Před 5 lety

    Talking about the 'weird' sound and the noise of the chain but all you can hear is the stupidly loud music.
    Other than that a good video.

  • @Elky-yn3ev
    @Elky-yn3ev Před 5 lety

    It's just a really big Snapper without a deck.