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Hello Again mrcvs! Glad to hear you joined the HCCA. It has been my favorite club. I joined in 1967. Anyway, please do also join your local regional group. Get to know the members in your area, they can be a lot of help (and usually become good friends) and perhaps give you a lead on a car. We did not have a regional group where I am in Wisconsin so,we started one!

 

I am curious as to exactly why you desire a brass-era car. Are you interested in touring or are you wanting a car to show? Personally, touring is the most fun (and frustrating too when things break on ones car, and they do). If that is your desire you really don't need that awesome car. There are things in the road that have a nasty habit of giving one's car paint chips, among other things. If you acquire a beautifully restored car, such as  Pope Hartford, you will most likely will cry at the first chip. I know I would. My cars for touring look like used cars, with lots of patina, and thus road dangers (i.e stones and such) are of less of a concern. But if you want to show, you will need to save up for a car like that and/or pay for restoration work, and that can be expensive.

 

But I have to ask, what is wrong with a Model T? They are reasonably priced, parts are readily available (important), they give you the feel of the past and  they are quite tourable. If you look through your Gazettes you will see that a lot of the tours are populated with Model t Fords. I never actively sought a 'T' but wound up acquiring a 1915 Roadster. Yes, it does have those three pedals on the floor but it does not take long to learn to drive it. I haven't put a lot of miles on it yet but next year (after hip replacement) I may moth ball my 1909 Regal and drive the 'T' on tours. I think a 'T' is a good way to start with brass-era cars. You are not in too deep financially, should the hobby prove to not to be to your liking, and you can get a lot of experience with the brass-era car hobby. If you are as hooked as I am, then you can move up to a larger car. The other thing to think about is you mechanical skills. Brass cars have things that can annoy one, such as carburetors and magnetos let alone the need to have someone pour babbittings should you car so need it. Something to think about.

 

Good luck with your search.  Keep asking questions though. There are no dumb questions and the more you ask, the more you learn. A bit of advice that I am still not sure of is - 'you never pay to much for a car, you just bought too early'. Oh, I share the desire for a Pope. Actually my love would be a Thomas-Flyer. That would be my ultimate brass-era car. For a Classic, I long for a vintage Bentley. Both which are very unlikely to wind up in my garage. But, as Jefferson Starship said 'it ain't what you want it's what you need'.

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First, I am interested in one for touring, so having a Brass Era car that sits under a tarp all the time except when hauled on a trailer to a car show is not my style.  I would take it to the local car show, but that is just my means of transportation to and from the show.

 

As for a Model T.  That is indeed an entry level Brass Era car.  I think I want something a bit less pedestrian, although I have not certainly ruled out a Model T.  I had seen a 1913 Studebaker at the local show and one was offered for sale in California, I think, some time ago.  I tend to accumulate and not flip or resale, and with limited garage space, it would probably make things crowded a bit when I get the Model T, and then some other Brass Era car as well, although, hopefully by then, I will have long ago sold where I'm at and moved on to a place with more covered space.  On this note, a car that can be in a barn, or similar environment, as opposed to a show car, would prove more practical.

 

So, how do you know what to pay?  I mean, even if an identical car as one that was listed for sale, it still is comparing apples to oranges.  Condition may be far different, the asking price of the car you are using as a reference may be far different than what it sold for, if it even sold at all.  Maybe a Model T is better in this regard, as at least there are a significant amount of sales relative to other makes & models.

 

I was born 3 years after you joined the HCCA, for what it's worth.

 

But, thank you!

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Hi mrcvs.

 

I agree with you, touring is the way to go although I have restored cars for show in the past. The chase for a trophy does not appeal to me anymore. We (my wife and I) do go to local shows though. There is a definite lack of knowledge (and interest?) in the general public about the brass-ear car and we who own them have a bit of an obligation to get them 'out in the open' to generate interest and keep the hobby alive.

 

My car friends also thin the 'T' is too pedestrian, a did I until I got the '15 Roadster. This was more of a nostalgic acquisition as my dad took me to see a '15 Roadster when he learned that I was becoming a car 'nut'. I thought it was cute and would get one of my own sometime. That sometime took 50 years. I was just going to look at it as an art piece and remember my father with it but I learned to drive it and it is one fun car.

 

If you don't go for a 'T' I would recommend a Buick rather than a Studebaker. There seem to be more parts available for the Buick and plenty of people tour with then, so help and advice is available. They seem to be dependable.  Buick produced many models so there is a wide price range for them. Speaking of prices, in real life I am an appraiser (houses though not cars) and it is a bit of an art to value something. If you continue with your research, reading the Gazette, looking a Ebay listings and the like in time you will get a feel for the proper price range of a given car. It is not necessary to try to get examples of the same car you want to value (unless there are lots of sales of the make) but one can develop a value range for, say, 30 hp four-cylinder cars or two-cylinder chain drive cars etc. I am not a fan of auctions as indicators of value. Too much emotion involved in auctions. My opinion.

 

I hope you find what you are looking for. If you were not so far east I would say come over and we could show you some examples of brass-ear cars and maybe get you driving one. I would think that there might be a Model T club in your area, or a local HCCA regional group. If they are like our local groups, they may give you a ride or even get you in the drivers seat. It is one thing to read about and look at cars, another to actually feel one on the road.

 

Good luck!

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Hi mrcvs.

 

I do not own a Model T because my family history goes back over 100 years with Buick so I own Buicks.

 

That said, if you are going to tour the Model T is the best vehicle for a first time tourer.  There are lots of groups to tour with,  parts are available for everything, and THERE IS LOTS OF HELP from other members to keep you on the road. Be a friend and you will have lots of friends.  

 

If you are on a tour and a part breaks, you can call one of the Model T suppliers and have the part at your hotel the next morning if you want.  This is not possible with most other cars.

 

I was out on a tour in June with friends and had a rod break on my Buick truck.  At one time I have a new (used) rod for it coming from a friend in New York, the base engine in Ohio at the machine shop, and the rest of the parts at my home in Michigan.  Not able to be fixed in the field.

 

Might have been able to have been fixed at the hotel parking lot if it was a Model T.

 

Some day I might just buy a T to say that I have one.

Edited by Larry Schramm (see edit history)
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Logic says I should get a Model T, eventually, but, then again, I am not always that logical, so we shall see.

 

I am not completely a novice to early cars, as I have a 1917 Maxwell and a 1930 Ford Model A.  I suppose if the Brass Era car ended up put away for awhile pending finding a particular part, I always have the Model A to drive, so it is not imperative that the car run at all times, although this tends to be more attractive than the alternative.

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When my wife and I went looking for a brass era car to be used for touring we meaning I wanted more car than a T, wound up with a Buick, which we still have and have never regretted owning.  The Buick was about 50% more expensive than a Ford back then because the Buick is larger, prettier and more comfortable.  Brass cars are few and when we were looking our choices were some Fords, a REO, and our Buick.  Buy the car you can rather than pining for a Maytag.  Gary

 

BTW I've had a ride in the original Maytag, fine car and fellow.  If you get a Ford it is the price of entering the world of the HCCA you can always get a different car later.

Edited by cxgvd (see edit history)
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  • 2 months later...

Okay, a very generous member of this forum offered up for sale a beautiful 1913 Model T for sale to me not too far away.  I last spoke to him at the end of the summer, and intended to look at his car.  That car, in photographs, looks so incredibly good that I am okay with a Model T.  Reliable, and affordable.

 

But, here is the stumbling block.  The way I left it with him is I was looking at properties for sale with barn and garage space that were actually somewhat more affordable than the home I live in, where I only have .25 acres and a 2 bay garage.  One bay has an antique car, another antique car I have is in rented space in someone else's barn.  However, no matter what I do, I cannot get my wife to look at other properties.  I guess there are folks that actually like living in McMansions.  Okay, mine is one of the smaller ones in the neighbourhood, but still mass-produced housing meant to look pretty, but really more for someone that goes to work, comes home, kicks back and watches some TV, goes to bed, and gets up the next morning and does the same all over again!  I can't even put up an outbuilding on this lot, so I am at a roadblock right now.

 

So, how do y'all get your wives on board with your hobby?  I really don't want to rent more barn space for another car, and, admittedly, not having the car on your own property is a major inconvenience, even if the barn is less than a mile away.  I find I drive the car in the barn far less than I otherwise would, and working on it is a chore.  I had it out front of my McMansion for a week recently while I waited for a part to arrive, and all I heard about for a week was that my eyesore was depreciating property values, LOL!  Interestingly enough, as I worked on it, or looked out my window on some days, I saw folks in the vicinity walking by who were genuinely interested in it, they had never even seen a car this old, and I was asked lots of questions about it, and they were interested.  I was impressed!

 

But, back to the part in bold, above.  Any ideas?  I cannot afford another McMansion elsewhere where you could put up outbuildings, the cost of these monstrosities are ridiculous.  An existing property with numerous outbuildings does not seem to be my wife's idea of a place to live.  I might add she lived in 11 (!!!) properties growing up, 10 of which were brand new, and one of which was not.  (Yes, somehow her parents believed a house wasn't worth living in unless brand new, and they moved from one brand new house to the next--back in the days when you could sell a house in 2 years and at least break even!)

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5 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

My wife and I bought a storage facility instead of buying a house with out buildings. First priority is to take car of customers and if there is any space left over then I can move stuff in and out.

You know, I actually thought of doing something like this.  Buying a property with an outbuilding, cheap, and using it to store stuff, like cars.  In the end, a more costly approach than just selling this place and buying a place with a bit of land and outbuildings, but it "could" work.  Again, I would not drive or work on stuff as much as if it were in my back yard, and you risk vandalism and other problems during your absence.

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I rent storage for RVs, boats, trailers, etc. to help pay the basic bills.  Building has security, cameras and all fenced in.

2 hours ago, mrcvs said:

You know, I actually thought of doing something like this.  Buying a property with an outbuilding, cheap, and using it to store stuff, like cars.  In the end, a more costly approach than just selling this place and buying a place with a bit of land and outbuildings, but it "could" work.  Again, I would not drive or work on stuff as much as if it were in my back yard, and you risk vandalism and other problems during your absence.

 

Edited by Larry Schramm (see edit history)
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mercer09

""So, how do y'all get your wives on board with your hobby? 

Marry the "right" woman.....................""

 

 

I have the best wife for me.  We make a great team and have for over 45 years.

 

It also helps that we both came from car families. We worked for GM when it was a "family" business and multiple family members worked for GM in different jobs and divisions.

 

Her grandfather was working for Buick Motor Company when Billy Durant was running the place and a long time after. Her Grandmother worked for AC Sparkplug.  We always say that he could have helped build our 1915 & 1918 Buick Trucks since he started working at Buick in 1914.

Edited by Larry Schramm (see edit history)
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Have you ever thought that brass cars might be

a bit more affordable than you thought?  As with

other antique cars, ASKING prices are sometimes

'way too high, by optimistic sellers and especially

by classic-car dealers who are in business to profit.

Sometimes asking prices are double a car's worth,

as it was with my 1916 car.

 

I recommend buying from a private owner who

has long loved and cared for his car.  He'll know the

car well, can impart some knowledge to you, and

he will appreciate your giving it a good new home. 

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A Pre '16 car will always be more expensive than the same car as a 1917 due to the club following of the HCCA and Snapper rules.  As way of example may I sight a 1914 MclLaughlin project car recently sold here in Ontario for $15250 Canadian which is about 11,000 to 12,000 US, yesterday a 1920 Buick, larger, better car sold at auction for $3850 US.  The same applies to a pre '05 car is much more expensive than a later car because of the London to Brighton rules.  It is the fact of how the car can be used which dictates it value.  And that is the first time I mentioned value, a car is likely not ever worth what you have to pay, it is the cost to get into the hobby

 

I concur with John try to buy from the owner directly, better car purchase experience.  Gary 

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An individual on this forum DID contact me about a 1913 Model T.  It will absolutely, without a doubt, work for me, with regards to price and what it is.

 

As mentioned above, the stumbling block is "where to put it".  I do need to find a better place conducive to my hobbies, a now 4-year-old house purchased new on a postage-stamp sized lot with a 2 bay garage designed for the car an little else for space doesn't really cut it.  It's what the wife wanted.  I broached the subject yet again, let's get a place with LAND, outbuildings, an EXISTING house, all much cheaper, more for your money.  Her approach, she found another new house being built, same type of garage, 2 acre lot (not really "land" in my book), and more than 1/3 more than my existing house cost!

 

So, I haven't given up, but I may need to shelve this idea for awhile, at least until the spring.

 

I have never gotten a grasp of a new house in a development.  No space for any real hobbies, ridiculous high prices (amazing how much folks will pay for so very little!), it's like buying a brand new car, overpriced...  I digress, but this is a major source of frustration and what is wrong with America these days.  PLENTY of good real estate available, with existing houses cheap, with no takers, and they line up trying to buy a BRAND NEW house with a price tag that will floor you!

 

Then again, I have never really grasped the concept of eating at a restaurant when you can buy it all a lot cheaper at the store, have control over serving and eating the meal (don't have to wait for a waitress to get you a bottle of ketchup), not have to listen to some blithering idiot next to you, and have to pay for this wonderful experience at the end, and add a tip on top of it all!:)

 

Off my soapbox...for now.

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The garage issue is something that looms over the hobbyist from day 1.  I can remember as a teenager working in the driveway being jealous of my buddy with a heated chicken coop (pot belly stove) for a garage.  When you finally get around to buying your first house garage space would be awesome but not usually at the top of the requirements.  As you get older and theoretically more liquid kids come along, college, etc. and the garage gets put off.  My dad finally got to build his garage when he was 71 and has been lucky enough to enjoy it for 20 years.  I was there yesterday and couldn't help but think the place had been around for 50 years based on the feel (and the piles of stuff).

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alsancle , you have just described my life as a old car fan. I just hope for a decent shop by 61 rather than 71 as in your dad's case. Regarding the clutter I have long felt that a separate basic storage building is essential to a high function old car shop. The building only needs to be decent sized, water tight and pest resistant. Then anything that isn't currently being actively worked on has a safe place for storage and is out of the way in the work area.  Ideally the storage building should be at least twice the size of the shop , and reasonably well organised.  We can all dream !

 

Greg in Canada

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20 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

alsancle , you have just described my life as a old car fan. I just hope for a decent shop by 61 rather than 71 as in your dad's case. Regarding the clutter I have long felt that a separate basic storage building is essential to a high function old car shop. The building only needs to be decent sized, water tight and pest resistant. Then anything that isn't currently being actively worked on has a safe place for storage and is out of the way in the work area.  Ideally the storage building should be at least twice the size of the shop , and reasonably well organised.  We can all dream !

 

Greg in Canada

A animal grows to the size of its cage. Thrust me I know. There was a time when i felt i would never run out of room. my shop would echo it was so large and empty. I now am so bursting at the seams that i am now filling up a third building.

Edited by vintagerodshop (see edit history)
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  • 1 year later...

UPDATE: I have joined the HCCA, and enjoy their Journal immensely. A year ago or so I turned down purchasing a beautiful 1913 Model T from a member of this forum as I did not have a place to store it. A wise move despite wanting that car as a decent property has not come along yet. Am confident that the "right" property will come along sooner or later and then I can have a place to store my "reasonably priced" pre-1916 automobile.  The stumbling block is the property.  Looked at what I believed was going to be a decent farm today but suburbia/urban sprawl abetted all corners of its modest acreage, so a no go, for now.

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1 hour ago, oldcarfudd said:

Welcome to HCCA!  Where do you live?  Maybe you can snag a ride with someone in a brass car while you sort out how to get your own.  Maybe you can get your wife to come too.  Some wives warm to the hobby when they join people having fun in it.

Near Allentown Pennsylvania. If you are familiar with this area, you will note that for whatever reason developers have built up this area with a vengeance lately and a small farm gets costly very quickly once there is any land involved and/or a place with any privacy is a rarity indeed!

 

I'll lick this skunk sooner or later!  It's just proving to be a bit more challenging than I expected. Nowhere near as bad as somewhere like Seattle though.

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The Susquehanna Valley Regional Group is very active.  Its annual meeting will be Sunday, March 18 at 2 PM in Pine Grove, PA.  They will discuss the tours they sponsor:

 

1.  BBC, a Sunday swap meet for pre-WWII stuff followed by 4 days of pre-'16 touring in May

 

2.  The Hershey Hangover, 2 days of pre-'16 touring on the Sunday and Monday following the Hershey car show.

 

3.  Their local summer one-day tours, at which cars through the '20s are welcome.

 

Contact me for details.  We'd be happy to meet you!

 

Gil Fitzhugh the Elder

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On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 5:20 PM, mrcvs said:

UPDATE: I have joined the HCCA, and enjoy their Journal immensely. A year ago or so I turned down purchasing a beautiful 1913 Model T from a member of this forum as I did not have a place to store it. A wise move despite wanting that car as a decent property has not come along yet. Am confident that the "right" property will come along sooner or later and then I can have a place to store my "reasonably priced" pre-1916 automobile.  The stumbling block is the property.  Looked at what I believed was going to be a decent farm today but suburbia/urban sprawl abetted all corners of its modest acreage, so a no go, for now.

 

Welcome to the HCCA.  A great bunch of folks. Our objective is to drive the cars and have fun.    As Oldcarfudd says:

 

23 hours ago, oldcarfudd said:

Welcome to HCCA!  Where do you live?  Maybe you can snag a ride with someone in a brass car while you sort out how to get your own.  Maybe you can get your wife to come too.  Some wives warm to the hobby when they join people having fun in it.

.

And it is true with the wife.  Great group of persons.

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  • 3 months later...

I am new to the AACA so just ran across this topic.   I also just joined the HCCA recently as well.   I started collecting 18 months ago and jumped right in.  My first car was a 1931 Model A and after a few months with that, I was in love with older cars.  I recently entered the pre 1915 era with the purchase of a 1913 Cole touring car and it takes time and research to find what you are looking for.  I also do not have a large garage or land to build a storage place, but in the Detroit area we have facilities that are for classic and exotic car collectors so you can store your cars, have 24 hours access to them, easy in and out, and completely climate controlled.  There might be something like that around you as well.

 

As far as the wife, I also had a similar situation.  She was supportive of the first car, but she found herself not that interested in old cars or going to shows and tours.  To work around that I talked to her about what would interest her in a car.  She told me a pink fun car that she could go places and drive around with her friends in.  So, I found her a 1955 Pink Nash Metropolitan convertible and she drives it all of the time.  She now understands how classic cars are a wonderful thing.

 

Good luck with your journey!

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Great story KFLE! Ladies want to look good and have fun. A pink metro is perfect for that, good job. My wife had a very slight desire to get involved. She liked the white T-bird that Suzzane Sommers drove in American Graffiti, and I think that the mystery and desirability that was woven into that story was appealing to her. So she asked for a 2 seater T bird. I ended up finding a deal on a red and white 62 'Vette for her, and she is very happy with that, probably more so than a T-bird. She is still not too involved in the hobby, but she understands it better, and she loves the attention she gets with her Corvette.

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5 hours ago, kfle said:

I am new to the AACA so just ran across this topic.   I also just joined the HCCA recently as well.   I started collecting 18 months ago and jumped right in.  My first car was a 1931 Model A and after a few months with that, I was in love with older cars.  I recently entered the pre 1915 era with the purchase of a 1913 Cole touring car and it takes time and research to find what you are looking for.  I also do not have a large garage or land to build a storage place, but in the Detroit area we have facilities that are for classic and exotic car collectors so you can store your cars, have 24 hours access to them, easy in and out, and completely climate controlled.  There might be something like that around you as well.

 

As far as the wife, I also had a similar situation.  She was supportive of the first car, but she found herself not that interested in old cars or going to shows and tours.  To work around that I talked to her about what would interest her in a car.  She told me a pink fun car that she could go places and drive around with her friends in.  So, I found her a 1955 Pink Nash Metropolitan convertible and she drives it all of the time.  She now understands how classic cars are a wonderful thing.

 

Good luck with your journey!

 

Awesome! Welcome and we're glad you're able to involve your wife in the hobby. That makes all the difference. Here's my wife, Melanie, on her way to a car show last Sunday with the Pink Lady:

 

PinkLady1.thumb.jpg.675ab3296780497605b66f793ff3775d.jpg

 

Have fun and welcome!

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

While we did not buy our SL primarily for my wife, she was the one who initially suggested we find one.  Interestingly, my late mom liked these as well.  This is far and away the hobby car we usw the most.  She and my son use it, and as you can see in the second pic, I think it might be our dog's faverite ride also.  

 

Space is always an issue, we added a one car shed and have a bigger 2 car attached garage so now we can park at least 3 undercover.  Enough as 3 is about my limit, but in CT it would be nice to hzve cover for the new cars...

20180528_142515.jpg

FB_IMG_1517057096258.jpg

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