Calling all Side Mount 31 Carbs that you have

[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.]

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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.