C Carl

Also , it is a bit like that hippie friend you had for 15 or 20 years. One day , 25-30 years ago , ol' hip' shows up short of hair and clean shaved. What the ......? Uh .......? And then ya say , "huh ! Looks kinda like a movie star !" Pre Easy Rider ! Of course , hair and beard can be reversed. YOU can't go back. Neither , despite efforts to do so , could Elton John 45 years ago. Some things you realize you really made a good move , and enjoy it . Besides , waxing that car will help keep you in such good shape ! - CC

Hey , 'Vegas , Cadillac Carl here to try to slap a little sense into yaz ! Looka here , I strongly suggest you don't try to squeeze or hammer the geenie back into the bottle. We all know how a substantial appearance enhancement can at first look like overkill. I even had a bit of that after I made the new wheels and put the pinstriping back on the '27 Cad which is , as you personally know , one of those "love at first sight" cars. At first , it looks a little like painting a garish makeup mask on an aging naturally beautiful lady. But with a car , finally you realize that you have revived the objective of the industrial designers and stylists who intended the car to show off , or even flaunt their creativity. Let it be , brother. You will learn to love it , and see it as it was intended to be. Read Larry's posting above , believe it , and slowly pull the masking off. Do a high force machine rouge polish on your bumpers while they are off. Yeah , for a little while things won't seem quite right. Patience , and listening to the compliments of the audience , will make you glad you did it. Really ! And if you ever doubt what you did , just rationalize it away as "ladies choice" ! If you try to re-create patina , you will just end up chasing yer tail , and I don't think you will enjoy what you find if you do catch up. I wanted to post some "before" shots of the '27 , but pics are locking up on me. Gimmee a call if you want. Right now I am temporarily using 408-621-8261. I have been stuck in L.A. , but finally , FINALLY , expecting to get unstuck real soon. - CC

HI , Vincent , you probably have seen it , but have you seen the '29 that Ed is selling ? I have not seen notification that it is sold , so under DOMESTIC MAKES & MODELS below check it out near the top under Pierce Arrow is the 1929 sedan. It may not be exactly your "cup of tea" , but it sure is mine. If not for the devastation of my life , that car would already be mine. (I do like non-synchro transmissions). Although you are new to AACA forums , you may well have a sense , or know of Ed's expertise. A lot of first class work has been done on that P.A. , and you do say you want a real good driver. Growing old about as gracefully as an 87 year old car ought to be , showing age with grace and dignity. I just wrote , and erased a sentence about a woman about that age I met a couple of years ago ....................... anyway , she and that car have been well kept. Man ! I sure wish I could have that ........................ Enough ! If wishes were Pierce Arrows , we'd all have a garage full ! Although you understandably are looking for one a bit newer , what do you think ? - Carl

Also , if you are considering a '29 , scroll down to near the bottom of the 2nd page of this Buy/Sell (maybe near the top or the 3rd page by the time you see this). There is a beautiful 1929 Pierce Arrow 133 Club Brougham 2 Door posted by FireballV8. Please let us know what you find. There are some of us , myself included , who have bought our last car. It is fun to enjoy sharing in some small way , the hunt process of others on the AACA forum. Good luck ! - Carl

Simichrome is great for chrome. I have been advised against it for routine polishing of nickel. A top end restorer told me it is acidic , hard on nickel. Old timers (plural) have recommended lampblack and kerosene or turpentine. Wipe radially as per ply33's excellent referenced article. As implied , you want to be very gentle , as the silver is very thin. - Carl

Yes , Steve. That is what I was told by Western Fire and Safety Co. in Seattle. Halotron is now safe state of the art. Mine is an Amerex. No , they are not cheap. I just wanted the best. I like to have the best whatever , and so I seek out experts , as I am not one. I also like to carry a large dry powder extinguisher in the car for messy backup in case things have got to that level. At home , kitchen and shop , I use CO2 extinguishers which weigh almost 40 pounds. A pail of water standing by is also an effective backup , or a first line option in some cases. Amerex is located in Trussville , AL. 205-655-3271 Made in U.S.A. - Carl

Oh , that is for a 5 pound Halotron. You can get a smaller one that might do the job for maybe $175. These extinguishers don't make a mess. CO2 might also be an option. Hopefully someone expert in this will advise. - CC

The state of the art is a type called Halotron. I think mine cost about $250 or so. - Carl

What did this magnificent car sell for ? - Carl

Congratulations ! Sorry , but I don't know Hudsons. Someone will for sure. But , we have been vicariously enjoying your hunt. What a refreshing difference in this one ! And , hey , I don't know how that interior strikes you , but it is tasteful , and appears to be well done. Just like all the other vehicles you have found , take another driver , and cash. Show car or driver ? Insist on a stone cold start , and drive it every whichaway. Relatively hard , fast , and long. You know what to do. And then buy it ! From the pics and the groundwork you have done , it seems you might regret not buying this one if you don't. But then again , we have all looked at so many cars that you know how the right one kind of gives you that love at first sight feeling ! Next one to post here might be a Hudson authority. - Carl

AACA is the 400 pound gorilla which may ultimately protect our option to drive our ancient deathtraps. Think about all the creative mischief any governmental level could conjure up to make life unpleasant and/or very expensive for us. Vigilance and AACA , my brothers and sisters. And then there is that old saying about not knowing what you have 'till its gone. Mark , where in California is Galt ? - Carl

Correct. Exactly. I had a conversation with a manufacturer about a popular size in a very desirable tread pattern. High finance proposition. Would there be some industrial tire close enough ? 125 vehicles X 7 tires would be insignificant towards amortizing production costs. I hope you are rolling soon , Dale. - Carl

I am almost unable to tap more info just now. S-I A article given to me , just this one poorly copied page. More later. - Carl

h_h , 15 bids on eBay stalled at $15,220. I suspect this is well short of a somewhat optimistic reserve. Did you play ? What is your current thinking ? What more can I/we do for you at this time ? Please join Cadillac & LaSalle Club , and place a wanted in The Self Starter our superb monthly. I would be happy to help you write it. You will see very attractive cars offered at realistic prices. Fellow club members are extremely helpful , interesting , and of highest integrity. It appears high 'teens for this car could indeed be a "good buy". Stay active here on this forum. You , still in your 20s , can expect some wonderful old cars to come your way. And just think , you might get to be a 60 year member , the esteemed conservator of institutional knowledge , of some prestigious car clubs. Maybe you will be a "Past President" of CLC , and judge preservation of such cars as this '22 , or the eventually to be old , yet-to-be-built '22 !!!! Keep this thread alive for the benefit of all. Hoping for the very best for you and everyone who reads this posting or not , Cadillac Carl

There are good deals to be had on mid '20s Cads. I may be spoiled by my 2 beauties , however I have seen a couple of guys ( previously mentioned ) who ended up with somewhat problematical misrepresented cars. It is ALWAYS the best deal to get the very best car you can afford. Maybe even just a little more than you can afford. No , mid '20s Cads are quite satisfying. They are a wonderful combination of the archaic , and the magnificent V8 engines. They take you back in time very well , time machines , while constantly reminding you that you are being propelled by an essential step in the evolution towards the future. The ubiquitous V8 engines. The Leland V8 got balanced in '24. '27 was the last of that line. '28 saw the disappearance of fork and blade rods with the Nacker offset (staggered) blocks. The monoblock flatheads , '36-'48 yielded to the high speed OHV V8 in '49. You will have some of these sooner or later ! ( I am not sure I have answered your question ? ) - CC

As stated earlier , the middle class around these parts has seen better days. However , for some reason or other , I have a feeling the P.A. will not last long. There was a beautiful 1925 Lincoln Opera Coupe at Branson Museum. ( bransonmuseum.com ). Recently after a long time on the market , the price was dropped to $22,900. Appears to have sold. You are the buyer. You are in the drivers seat in today's market. In the future , I expect you will have many fantastic deals come your way. Trick will be to have the financial resources to snap a few up. - CC

Go to Buy/Sell under AACA General. Look at : "FS 1929 Pierce Arrow Model 133 ..................." If you are looking to spend in the 30s , this seems to be an unusual deal. Already at major West Coast port. I am in L.A. right now. Would you like me to have a look at it for you ? The Cad is too expensive , these days. - CC

Here you see a higher res pic of the one year only inlaid Cadillac instrument panel. A Cadillac patented process. I don't know why they didn't use it more. The radiator looks fine to me. The cap is standard issue. A Motometer would have been extra , they work great , and are not hard to find. Bumpers were also extra , as were the Gabriel Snubbers. Bumpers are a good idea , I don't know how difficult to find , as my cars came with them. Spring steel , they are extremely effective. Look , this is a very presentable car , with a thorough preparation. Cadillacs like this don't come up that often. I have read the work done , and have one question. They say pan was pulled and rod bearings checked. Did they also check the center main? The harmonic vibration loads the center main. Bright idea to check it. Check = visual inspection and plastigage clearance. The thirties is too high for this car IMHO. This is a real buyers market for cars of this era. Some very good offerings , substantially under "market" are available in some '20s luxury cars. Right now on AACA forums. Is is your oil filter like the one I showed you on my '27 ? Pictured here is CLC member Doc Rick Hawkins proudly learning to drive a crash box. This is West of Las Vegas at Red Rock. One of my most able students. He helped teach me how to better teach people how to drive these things. The best way to begin to learn how to double clutch , is to do thousands of double clutched shifts up and down on a synchromesh transmission.

The frontal pic was the only one on Portland , OR craigslist , listing (now) my 1927 Cadillac for $22,500. It only solicited one response. The P.O. sent more pics , including what you see here. Less than 200 miles from me , I was thrilled to see that this might be (was) a museum grade original. P.O. had owned it for 8-9 years , but didn't understand it. I did , and saw that the car needed preparation to bring it to long distance , cross country capability. Having likewise dealt with my '24 , I knew there would be some surprises in accomplishing this. I got a very good deal on the car , most surprises were happy , one or two issues not so , as you must expect if you are going all out to make a multi-thousand mile reliable lone wolf cruiser out of an old car. It sure is now ! You might figure adding the equal valuation of the purchase price to take an old , fairly well maintained parade car to that level. Your subject car ? Honestly , I can not tell. The extreme brake pedal wear would require me to go to a very comprehensive analysis by a qualified local. Lots of cars and parts get overly optimistic presentation. Our Early V8 Cadillac Yahoo group has at least 2 members , Mike Barnes , and Ken Hamilton who have suffered from that syndrome. At least one cars and parts flogger on AACA is less than honest , selling parts in poor condition , delaying shipment , sometimes by over one year ( ! ) , and incomplete when finally the poor quality , overpriced package arrives. Be careful , and guard against sight unseen disappointment. You MUST have a potential purchase expertly checked out. After much more thorough going over the ad , and considering the current market , you might well get into the high 'teens. If you would like , I can call and grill the sellers for you. I don't think it can hurt. I wonder why the center two primer cups are missing and plugged on each head ? Please join Cadillac & LaSalle Club . Member support for such evaluation , parts , advice , etc. is a huge advantage. Not to mention The Self Starter , our superb monthly magaIne. Also , sign up for our yahoo group. Contact Mike Barnes in Canada for this. His email is mbenseignant@gmail.com You know , I think I will post this for the group , perhaps others will help. - CC

Firstly , h_h , go to "Technical" , under the banner of "AACA GENERAL DISCUSSIONS". Read "Vapor Lock Additives.........". Pay particular attention to "Heat Soak". You asked about the driveability issues in 50-100 degrees. There are simple mods to make these cars drive much better on modern gasoline. I might be a bit of an authority on this aspect of early V8 Cadillacs. I can go into detail. Yes , it is my opinion that the 1924 Cadillac is PRECISELY the sweet spot. But you have to be a bit flexible. For example , generally '24 uses a painted radiator shell , and painted headlight buckets. '25 were plated. I like the painted look , and wanted as archaic an open Cadillac as possible which incorporated the mechanical refinement I deemed necessary. It only took me 3 years to find just what I wanted , but the right '25 , or even a bit newer would have needed consideration. You don't come across just the right one every year. I got lucky. I have owned that car for 27 years , and have never come across what would have been as good a car for ME. It took me 20 years to find the PERFECT closed counterpart , the "Winter Car" Now as to price discussions : That is the name of a significant portion of the chatter game here , and elsewhere. Let's have at it ! You must know that all of us old grand dads are pulling for you. You are likely to be an expert "Old Bull" long after we pass the checkout counter and search that infinite parts pile in the sky forever. Yeah , where is he at on that rare , well sorted beauty ? Don't worry. Look at the oil filter on the firewall of the '27. Buick is the same. Good news is that filter is an exact repop , with a modern spin on 21 micron element inside. Bob's Automobilia supplys them , and a great source for particularly Buicks. By the way , the custom full flow installation on the '24 is almost invisible from above. Here are a couple more pics. The "Summer Car" is original , even the top and HEADLINER ! Repainted many decades ago , fortunately in original colors. The wheels having been painted also , covering up the original delicate pin striping , I took the liberty of a not quite as original treatment. How much have you driven your '26 'Bu ? - CC

I assume you are very proficient at double clutch shifting ? - CC

Relatively easy to plumb in a full flow oil filter on pre-'26 Cadillacs. From that point on , they had bypass filters. - CC

Oh , yeah : Pedal wear. Although variables play a part , and resolution is low , clutch pedal shows wear typical of perhaps 60,000 miles or so. It seems the brake pedal may be surprisingly worn. 60,000 miles is typical for the level of porcelain erosion on the ex manifolds. - CC

Wow ! Looks like this will eventually boil down to a definitive resolution. Don't let it drop. I know the vast amount of experience and high education level this has attracted can sort this out. Somebody certainly can referee this , maybe time to shake out the old boy network. Spinney' , here you see a couple of stages in my test bed mode. Aluminum foil sheets and "spit wads" made it remarkably easy to experiment. I don't know what the configuration of your carb/intake is. I ran into terrestrial carb ice in a Citroen 2 CV bouncing around Europe in the Winter almost 50 years ago. Being a pilot , I knew something about this. Rigged carb heat , (hot air intake) , and voila' , never stalled out again. I had bought the car in Denmark cheap from its frustrated owner , but it took me a while to realize what was happening. Got down to the French Riv. Life was great ! Way back on the somewhat labyrinthine back streets of Nice was a humble restaurant , Chez Jaquee' (sp. ?) . Large bowl of fresh mussels , 1/2 liter of wine , and , of course the most French of French Bread , abundant. 1.25 Francs. Two bits , U.S. at the time. Friendly Scandinavian ladies did not make any negative value judgements based on my primitive conveyance. What great outlooks on life they had. What fantastic , hopeful , innocent times ! Nice. We who are old now , are the luckiest generation who have/will ever live. Nice. Weep. - Carl

I am pretty sure I have posted this elsewhere. From "Marks' Mechanical Engineers Handbook" , 3rd Edition , June 1930. It explains the degradation , and resurrection of gasoline quality 1915 - 1930 or so. This corresponds perfectly with David's Packard info. I don't know about Packards or Chevvys or Plymoths , etc. and the extent to which they pre-heated the intake to deal with the low volatility components of this sad chapter of gasoline history. But I am very familiar with Cadillac , and have been told that Lincoln had similar exhaust heated intake. YOU MUST DROP THE INTAKE TEMP ! Block all exhaust heating , and insulate and interrupt thermal bridging to your intake. Insulate the carb from the manifold. Yes , it is worth it. Cool that carb. In the case of Cadillac , intake/carb pre-heating persisted inordinately , even after gasoline improved. In the case of my mid '20s Cadillacs with pressurized gas tanks , I have a certain advantage. Tom , I sure wish you a safe and enjoyable tour , full of happy events , and as few unpleasant ones as possible. I know you will report back to us. - Carl