Surcingle

Had to look it up. The only definition I can find is that it is a strap that goes around a horse's belly to hold a saddle or pack or something similar in place. No mention of its use in an automotive context.

But here it is in an article in Old Cars Weekly about a famous 1929 Buick once owned by William Harrah of Harrah's Casinos and Andy Granatelli of auto racing fame.

You learn something new every day.

 

Stunning car. Some of those old 6 cyl. engines had huge cubic inches, very little power though.
http://www.thedrive.com/vintage/2145...e-last-century

 

Very true. Isn't that because those engines had low compression by today's standards? Maybe 5 to 1 or 6 to 1?

 

Surcingle - I seem to remember that word from back in the day, late 1970s - had a horse and it pertained to a strap - piece of tack.

 

where what is the surcingle in this context ? the strap under the light on the spare ?

 

I think so. That's the "cowl lamp" referred to in the article. But instead of being mounted on the cowl, they're the yellow lights mounted to surcingles attached to the spares.

 

Reminds me of when I was in high school. We lived out of town 8 miles. Dad bought an Appaloosa horse, big sucker, about 16 or 17 hands tall. The damn horse would take in a gulp of air when I would try to chinch up the saddle so it wouldn't be so tight. Would also try to bite anyone trying to ride him.