I like the vapor lock, but the neighbor kid carried a bottle of water in his 39 ford and when it stalled would just pour water on the fuel line. I spoke I was 10 when I learned about vapor lock watching him. So either pour water on it or wait for it to cool down.
A Bugatti Type 57SC is a good choice for a French car from the late 1930s.
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The ignition points were a bit rusty.
The 2CV (deax chevaux, meaning 2 horse power) didn’t go into large scale production until the 40’s, but was conceived in he 30’s. Maybe your character knew someone at the plant and had access to a early test model. Very popular classic, there are many 2CV’s still on the road.
Built for the adaptation of Clive Cussler’s Sahara, Land Rover chassis with Jag power reportedly, Replica body built by a company that restores the originals.
Well If this script ever gets to be a movie, I believe we will easily find a decent car. This is to be shot between France and Switzerland and I know for a fact there are a lot of collectors in both countries. But first we need to finish de script 
Thanks. Both incredibly beautiful. Is there a back seat on the second one?
Clive Cussler immediately popped into my mind when I read the original post. Classic car s often get Dirk out of trouble!
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I don’t know. The roadster may have had a rumble seat.
Being set in France, a Mercedes Benz may be possible, depending on the political leanings of your character and his father.
You are actually worrying about a non problem . No matter what you choose the company you use to make the film will have sources of vehicles just for making films. Plus they will have more than one vehicle .
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+1
Script writers don’t have to worry about the sourcing cars for films. And, the OP has to be flexible enough to accept that a film producer might choose a different make and model than the one mentioned in the script–depending on availability.
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IIRC vapor lock was most possible after an uphill climb on a hot day and then shutting off the engine.
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I don’t recall a Cussler book w/that title. Movie scripted by Cussler? Any good?
It’s #11 in the series and is easiest to find in Paperback form, Movie follows most of the books plot but switches the order of the search since they’re searching for the ironclad first. The Voisin is the prized possion of the brutal dictator which Dirk decides to borrow to make their escape. This is the publisher’s summary of the plot.
1996, Egypt. Searching for a treasure on the Nile, DIRK PITT thwarts the attempted assassination of a beautiful U.N. scientist investigating a disease that is driving North Africans into madness, The suspected cause of the raging epidemic is vast, unprecedented pollution that threatens to extinguish all life in the world’s seas. Racing to save the world from environmental catastrophe, Pitt and his team, equipped with an extraordinary, state-of-the-art yacht, run a gauntlet between a billionaire industrialist and a bloodthirsty West African tyrant. In the scorching desert, Pitt finds a gold mine manned by slaves and uncovers the truth behind two enduring mysteries – the fate of a Civil War ironclad and its secret connection with Lincoln’s assassination, and the last flight of a long-lost female pilot…Now, amidst the blazing, shifting sands of the Sahara, DIRK PITT will make a desperate stand – in a battle the world cannot afford to lose!
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No, that would be a shame. In the end a French car is probably the best. The son would never let his dad buy a German car hehehe. The dad would probably not care.
Hum that was what we are discussing yesterday: this scene is set in October so not that warm… Would it still make sense to say it was vapor lock? Thank you.
Low or dead battery? If the car is packed facing downhill, driver could restart it by allowing it to roll, then ‘pop’ the clutch. Or possibly hand crank the engine, that would require more research to determine if handcranking was available on the chosen car.
Vapor lock could still be used—the black arrow in the photo shows a fuel line located near the exhaust manifold.
Clogged fuel filter, blue circle, driver could remove the filter element and tap out enough debris
to get the car running again.
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Yeah, dead battery can happen anywhere, anytime, any year. Or maybe the ignition system has a problem, burned points, bad wires, fouled spark plug, that kind of thing.
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The knowledgable regulars here can correct me if I’m suggesting something unlikely in a 1930s era car.
Loose grounding strap creates problem of the alternator not properly charging the battery. Solution is to find that the grounding strap is loose and reconnect it properly.
This actually happened on my parents 1956 Oldsmobile.
As to more specific details how this could happen and where the grounding strap should be attached at both ends I leave to those who know to explain.
Not sure. When vapor lock happened to me, it was in a 1972 Fiat that had climbed a hill on a hot day. Others will have more knowledge about that phenomenon.
Do you want the car to start and run with no intervention except the passage of time? If so, vapor lock is your most believable reason. Or can they push start it down a hill, or jump the battery, or have someone come and do a roadside repair? Or did they run out of gas and then have some brought to the car?
Many books and movies show little comprehension of mechanical matters. I laud your effort to create a realistic scenario.
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