Dear Andrew:  In days or yore when I taught a course in the rudiments of 
historical archaeology, I urged students to take artifacts such as yours to 
the potential experts on the subject.  In this case, that would be to the 
oldest automobile mechanics you can find or to restorers of old vehicles. 
If nothing else, they will be able to narrow down your search and let you 
know where to look in manuals such as Chilton's.
    Bunny Fontana


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Robinson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 10:08 PM
Subject: Help in Identifying Automobile Parts


> Hello all,
>
> I am working on my master’s degree on a couple of sites in Southwest
> Michigan.  We located a number of automobile parts on the surface or just
> below the surface.  One of the parts appears to be an axle,
> another might be a gearshift or emergency brake with a spring-loaded 
> handle,
> and “T 240” stamped into the metal.  The site dates from the
> mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.  I am wondering if anyone has 
> any
> information/sources to assist in identify the parts and/or the vehicle 
> model
> these parts came from.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/39493264@N08/
>
> Thank you,
>
> Andrew Robinson
> Master's Candidate
> USFS Archaeological Crew Lead
> Colville National Forest, Newport, WA