Calling all Side Mount 31 Carbs that you have

[msmaron]

Note the INSANITY of this auction

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zenith-3-Si...0?roken=cUgayN

[JaxFLG8r]

Started at $50.00. 19 bids later, the bid is up to $910.00.........WOW!

[KGBnut]

How the devil did that thing get bid up like that? I don't know that carb. Is there something magic about it?

Ken

[JaxFLG8r]

Late '31 A's with the indented firewall, and the fuel shut-off in the engine compartment, had the side bowl Zenith Carbs.

[CarlLaFong]

Shill bids. He has his buddies bidding it up, hoping some sucker will fall in and grab it while it's "cheap".

[MikeK]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

If you're into fine point that carb does have the correct original side bowl and through bolt. The repops of those parts are poor. How much is that last point worth to you?

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by MikeK

If you're into fine point that carb does have the correct original side bowl and through bolt. The repops of those parts are poor. How much is that last point worth to you?

apparently $910 haha. Just because the auction is up there doesnt mean they will pay. Buyer has more ebay rights than seller anyways.

[midgetracer]

I'd bet money that it does not get paid for. This is way over the top and some people bid on things just to see the numbers go up but never pay for them. In the 3 days that are left it could rival Bitcoin.

[F.M.]

The FACT is, Its a Ford Made Carb, Not a Zenith or Holly..

[F.M.]

Originally Posted by msmaron

Note the INSANITY of this auction

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zenith-3-Si...0?roken=cUgayN

Not "ALL" only #3 Side Bowls..

[Bob C]

F.M. has it. Just watch any Zenith-3 on Epay, not just the side bowl, they go
for big bucks.

Bob

[Joop]

You could have bought it for $750.00 as it was
listed here on the Barn a couple days ago.

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by Joop

You could have bought it for $750.00 as it was
listed here on the Barn a couple days ago.

Looks like the same person but the one listed on this site says SOLD.
Maybe he took it off here and put it on Epay.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237074

Bob

[Purdy Swoft]

I only paid $125.00 for mine in 1995 . I thought that was a high price then .It was advertised in one of the national club magazines as a rebuilt carb . I needed one for the late 31 tudor that I was restoring so I didn't hesitate . It looked good and run great right out of the box .

Simmons side bowl carbs also bring a pretty high price, they are even rarer than the Zenith side bowl carbs . Cast iron Simmons carbs give more performance and look
almost exactly like a Zenith .

[Keith True]

I've seen a few things that people really need go for prices like that.I had an Amal GP racing carb for British bikes I put on ebay maybe 10 years ago.I put it on for $50.or $75.to start.I didn't think it had much value until I started getting requests for details.I gave everybody every bit of information I possibly could,and it ended for well over $1500.After the buyer talked to me a little bit he told me his high bid was way more than what it brought.Luckily for him the other bidders stopped at around $1500.I had some NOS rear fenders for a 31 wide bed pickup,I didn't want to sell them,I was looking for a bed to use them on.Somebody from here got wind that I had them and wanted to see them.They hired somebody local to look at them,and first offer was what I thought was just plain outlandish.He said he needed them and couldn't afford to shop around.I got enough money to buy a new narrow bed and a set of four new fenders with money left over.I didn't even suggest a price.He set it.

[Purdy Swoft]

And the narrow beds look a lot better to me . You really hit ther jackpot on that deal !!!

[Joop]

..
Here are some pictures of the Zenith and Simmons side bowl carburetors Purdy mentioned
Zenith pictured is not a 3
..

[daveymc29]

One man's big bucks is another's chump change.

[figment]

There were Zenith 3's with and without the side bowl . Either one is very hard to find .

[Arcieri]

I have acquired a few side bowl style carbs over the past 30 or so years
since that is the correct one for my late '31 Tudor. Pardon the dust as some of these have been sitting on the same shelf in my basement for 25 years.

Left of the Zenith-3 side bowl on the bottom is a Zenith-3 non sidebowl.
I purchased both of the 3's from the late Dave Cella about the time he and his wife were restoring their beautiful '28 Coupe almost 20 years ago.

Knowing his skills at restoring carbs, I think these would be appropriate to enter into fine point judging after just a bunch of clean-up. There may be a couple things that would need to be changed as I have not yet checked them against the Guidelines. I'll agree that these are very difficult to find.

Ray

[aford193031]

I am going to have to really watch the swap meets.

[160B]

Originally Posted by Bob C

Looks like the same person but the one listed on this site says SOLD.
Maybe he took it off here and put it on Epay.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237074

Bob

The location of the carburetor listed on eBay is Ringgold, Ga and the Fordbarn site location is also Ringgold, Ga.

[SteveB31]

Looks like some of my Zenith 3 carbs going on EBay soon

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by Joop

..
Here are some pictures of the Zenith and Simmons side bowl carburetors Purdy mentioned
Zenith pictured is not a 3
..

Thanks Joop for the good pictures . I wonder if Simmons ever made an alloy side bowl version . The alloy Simmons carbs were made for fuel economy . I've got a couple of the regular Simmons alloy carbs but have never seen a side bowl version . I'll bet that they made one .

[TerryO]

I will vouch for the seller. He is an honest upstanding Model A guy

TerryO

[F.M.]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Purdy Swoft

Thanks Joop for the good pictures . I wonder if Simmons ever made an alloy side bowl version . The alloy Simmons carbs were made for fuel economy . I've got a couple of the regular Simmons alloy carbs but have never seen a side bowl version . I'll bet that they made one .

Yes, They did..I had Two of them..

[Purdy Swoft]

Thanks F.M. I've been running a regular cast iron Simmons carburetor on one of my model A's going on 12 years and I haven't had to do anything to it. It doesn't leak a drop yet. I know that its hard to believe ! All of the different updraft carbs that I have ever used, sooner or later leaked. Simmons cast iron carbs were far better that Zenith in my opinion. I've never tried the alloy Simmons .

[Bob-A]

Mr. Purdy,

I've got a June, 1933, Simmons catalog. Replacement carburetors, Part number: A-9510-B 1928-31, A-9510-C Late 1931, B-9510 4-cyl. 1932. All carbs look like they are cast iron. The alloy carbs must have come out later.

Bob-A

[Purdy Swoft]

Bob , I really don't know when they came out but you are probably right . The first Simmons carb that I got was a rough Simmons alloy . I only paid 5 dollars for it . I patched it up with whatever Zenith parts that could be fitted to it. I never got around to using it . I kept it because I figured it was sorta rare .There was some articles about different carburetors in the restorer in 94-95 and the Simmons alloy was one that was briefly mentioned . Later in 03 , I think , There was an article in the Fast magazine about how much air some of the different updraft carburetors flowed .The model B zenith was best . TheTillotson model X was said to flow second best . TheMarvel and then the Zenith one and two was the next best . The Simmons alloy was way worse than any of the others . The tests were done by an engineer with a vacume cleaner . The Cast iron Simmons wasn't tested . The Simmons alloy has a much smaller venturi and jets than the cast iron perfoprmance Simmons carb . I was allways more concerned with more power than better fuel economy . I only keep the alloy carbs because they are part of my Simmons carburetor collection . I haven't found a lot of info . The cast iron Simmons is by far my favorite up draft carburetor . Maybe someone can tell us more about the history of these carbs .
Purdy .

[David31dlxslant]

Hi, this is my Carburetor on eBay, I can assure you I don’t have my “buddies” bidding it up, I will also agree it is a little insane how much it’s going for, but it’s out of my control

[Chris Haynes]

Same seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zenith-2-Si....c100005.m1851

[Mike V. Florida]

It's the fact that it is a "3" that makes it so rare.

[Joop]

...
Alloy "SIMMONS"

Last picture is the illustrious alloy side bowl (only 1 produced) ;-)))

...

[Purdy Swoft]

It doesn't have to be a Zenith 3 to be a side bowl carb . Without going out and looking I think that mine is a Zenith 1 . The first time that I ever remember mention of the Zenith 3 was when Rex Reheis found a few of them in the 90s .There was a write up in one of the national model A club mags . I think that Rex was asking around five hundred dollars for one of them. This was nearly 20 years ago and I don't think that any of them were side bowl . Zenith 3 carbs Bring huge prices because of their rarity to the right collector . I've read that the Zenith 3 was made by Ford as a replacement . I've got to wonder if the Zenith 3 came on any of the model A's or was only available as a replacement . Ford could probably make these thin delicate carbs for less than he could buy carbs from Zenith or Holley .

[RonC]

They were early to end 1931 production carbs. I think the first replacements were the 1932 production carbs.