EThomas

This! 100 percent. All day long and twice on Sunday. I purchased my Chrysler out of a museum, already restored. Unfortunately, it sat for 30 years on display. The cosmetics are damn near perfect. That said, I put almost the full purchase price back into her to get her mechanically restored. It took almost a year and to say it was stressful and overwhelming is an understatement. Sometimes, this hobby isn’t for the faint of heart.

I fully agree to pick the one you like the most and go from there. That said, also consider the engineering behind it, the strength of the hobby community and the availability of parts. I own both a '30 Ford Model A and a '31 Chrysler CM6. I got the Model A first, as it really is a great "starter" car into pre-war vehicles and overall for enjoying vehicles as a hobby. I would not recommend the '31 Chrysler as a "starter" vehicle as it is very complicated - though engineered to a high standard. You'll find the Model A to be quite simple, all things considered. There is a vast amount of knowledge that is easy to find and folks are extremely helpful. Parts are plentiful - to the point that you could order all the parts from a catalog and build one from the ground up. I'd recommend starting there and see if you like it and want to continue. It is a hobby after all. You have to enjoy it and look forward to tinkering around. If you don't, it'll be a frustrating and painful experience. You have to love the car and it has to be something you look forward to building a friendship with. No matter which one you choose, research the car. Research the community. Research the parts availability. Take an honest look at your skills and if you want to add to them.

Congratulations! I hope you make a ton of wonderful memories and it's an amazing adventure!

Can I advocate as a fan of cream wheels with white wall tires?

I think Matt is spot on with his thoughts. When I began considering a pre-war car, I gravitated towards Packard, Buick and Cadillac. During my research, I stumbled on an article about Walter Chrysler and the early days of the Chrysler company. Intrigued, I began to research more and became fascinated with Chrysler engineering in the late 1920's and early 1930's, especially the acquisition of Dodge Brothers and how that engineering was incorporated. On a lark and prompted by a friend, I began to lightly search for early 1930's Chryslers and found my 1931 CM6. I was hooked from the first picture. I will freely admit that I looked like a silly kid the first time I saw her in real life. It really did feel like Christmas morning! Throughout the journey to get her reliable, which took many turns with lots of ups and downs and was more expensive than I anticipated, I never once considered another car. It's a passion project and a hobby. Everything about her makes me smile and I still look back at her when I walk away. That's what this whole hobby is about - finding joy in the mechanical marvels made from a bygone era. If that car makes you happy and your day a bit better and a little brighter, that's the car for you. From my perspective, it's as simple as that.

My ‘31 Chrysler CM6 gets about 15 mpg in the flat farmlands of nowhere, next to nothing, east Central Illinois.

Thank you. I feel lucky to be the current caretaker.

Man! She is a real beauty. I love that color! Congrats on such a nice car.

I should post more photos. It typically doesn't occur to me. That said, I grabbed a quick shot in the parking lot this morning. Fair warning, I am no photographer! I'll have to look into the WPC Club. I think they're in Chicagoland, which can be a bit of a haul from nowhere, close to nothing, rural Illinois.

Well. It looks like Spring is trying to arrive and drive-in movie nights and long country drives exploring the rural back roads are on the horizon. Since getting her back in December, I’ve put almost 700 miles on her. Most were trouble free, to be honest. I had an issue with the fuel sending unit, which seems resolved by a good cleaning. So, I now know how much gas I have - which is important! One of the rivets on the parking band brake let go, which was a frustrating noise to chase down and solve. I’ve had to tighten the packing on the water pump once. The last thing remaining is a slight intermittent belt squeak. I guess after 30 years, she needs a new one. That will be this weekend. I wanted to give an update because I noticed something today as I was letting her warm up before I left work while chatting with a good friend. The more she’s driven, the better she is. I know. I know. I read that months ago on this forum. Use your car! I’m surprised at how true it is. It really is shocking how easy she starts on the 6 volt system. How nicely she runs on the mechanical fuel pump. How comfortable the bias ply tires are. No, she’s never gonna be a speed demon. Keep her well within her limits and she’s a joy. Easy. Predictable. Stable. If you look at my history, you know it was a long and expensive road to get here. That said, it’s well worth it. The more she sees the world - even a trip over to the next town for ice cream on a Thursday night - the happier she is. I encourage everyone to drive your car. What you read is true! The more you drive is the more problems you solve which is the more you learn and equals the better they run (kinda like an old school word problem!). Plus, as an added bonus, you make friends. Kids are fascinated. Adults want to chat. You can’t stop anywhere without someone striking up a conversation. In today’s world, an old car brings so much joy to so many people by just getting out on a warm afternoon. This is just my two cents. Take it for what it’s worth. I’ve noticed the more I’m out and about, going here and there, the better she runs and drives.

My ‘31 CM6 is about 15 or so, depending on speed and traffic.

I've used Instrument Services out of Machesney Park, IL.

PM sent.

I’m sorry for the delay. They used Benchwick Carburetor in Youngstown, Ohio.

Thank you. I was hoping there was something like the handles I’ve seen on some Packards or Pierce-Arrows. I’ll grease the doors and see if that makes a difference. Outside of that, I’ll just have to be mindful.

I wasn’t exactly sure how to describe my question in the title. I’ve noticed the Chrysler doesn’t have the same little ‘lip’ (for lack of a better term) on the top of the door sill to help close the door as the Model A does. I hate using the inside door handle opener. It feels like I’m stressing it. Also, it’s not the best to roll down the window and either pull on the top of the door or the middle part of the door. I’m not the most nimble fella (God gave me a healthy dose of clumsy, so I’m concerned I’m gonna pinch my fingers or charlie horse myself!) Is there an accessory out there that mimics what the Model A has? Is there a technique I’m missing. How do you close the door without pulling on the inside handle? Where’s the strap?!? lol

To echo the Mercedes-Benz recommendation, I have a '95 E320 (w124). It's built like a tank and has never failed me. It's a quiet, comfortable cruiser that gets good gas mileage for what it is. The size is just right, as it's easily maneuverable and the turning radius is quite small. The great thing is that parts are easy to find and the running costs are quite reasonable. I would recommend a six cylinder car, as the V8's (outside of the 500E/E500) can have issues with cooling. The engine bay is just a tish too small. There's a reason Porsche essentially reworked the entire front to put a V8 in. The only issues I've experienced are due to incompetent work by the dealership. That would be the one caution I would give about any older Mercedes-Benz, if you chose my path of always using a dealer for service. Make sure the dealer is familiar with the older cars and actually has someone on staff with hands on experience. The W124 is the last in line of the old Mercedes-Benz philosophy of building a car that will last a lifetime. If you treat it well, it will treat you well.

Sweet catch!

First thing I notice is the block at the front wheel. That says there's a brake issue. To fully rebuild the braking system, that's a few thousand at minimum. I would be concerned about damage done to the frame, battery tray and shields due to hydraulic fluid leaking. I would be curious as to how well it runs. You could run into issues with the fuel pump and the carb. Neither are inexpensive to rebuild. Another is the water pump. If it has any form of large crack, it's not going to be rebuildable. They are extremely rare and expensive to find and rebuild. If all the gauges are there, restoring them isn't too expensive. Finding them if they're not is going to be a nightmare. You can get a new wiring harness, so that's easy if everything else is there. Overall, most parts aren't too difficult to find with patience. You're looking at ALOT of work. I would be skeptical of any price over a few thousand dollars. I'm hoping this isn't one of those "I know what I got" issues. Good luck. If you need any more insight into '31 Chryslers, I just wrapped up a mechanical restoration on a CM6 sedan. Feel free to ping me.

It's been an adventure. The focus now is making memories with family and friends. We've got a laundry list of things we want to do and Alice seems to be the perfect companion for them. All things said, I'd do it all over again - just with my eyes wide open the next time! LOL

I’ll try to put this long post in some form of chronological order, while giving some history along the way. It sure has been quite the journey. We bought the car in December of ‘22 from a consignment dealer as my Christmas present. It was being consigned from a collector who purchased it to go into his private collection the year before. The collector purchased it directly from a museum. So, the previous two owners displayed the car, one first in a public collection, the second in a private collection. When I asked the consigning dealer why the collector was selling the car, he said he decided he didn’t have the room and wanted to look at getting a Ford instead. Later, as we started really going thru the car, I now know exactly why the collector sold it. I inspected the car and took it for a light test drive and everything seemed fine. Being a museum car, the cosmetics are stunning. There are no imperfections anywhere in the paint or upholstery. It truly does look like a brand new car with an odometer of less than 400 miles (keep this in mind as a key component down the road). The dealer said the car was freshly serviced and didn’t have any issues. Also keep in mind, my reference point for pre-war cars was a ’30 Ford Model A. Though I grew up on 60’s muscle cars and spun a fair amount of wrenches, I knew nothing about complicated pre-war cars, flat six motors or pre-war hydraulic brakes. Knowing what I know now, alarm bells would be going off based upon the power delivery, braking and overall ride. Anyway, that clarity comes down the road as this tale has its twists and turns. After delivery in late January ’23, things started to get bad as I tried to drive the car. Real bad. Bad enough that I was terrified I had a 5-figure paperweight and got royally screwed over - which, in some ways, I did. Eventually, somewhere around the end of Spring ’23 and the beginning of Summer ‘23, I got so frustrated that I threw in the towel and found a shop in Chicago to get the car running reliability and drivable. At that point, I thought it was just an engine servicing issue, as I had replaced all the fluids, greased the car, replaced the cooling hoses, flushed the radiator, replaced the plugs, replaced the plug wires and soft fuel lines. I also cleaned each and every electrical connection. I knew it needed new tires, as the ones on it were old. Oh, the naivety. Shortly, after dropping off the car to the shop and after their initial inspection, I learned one of the reasons why it felt like the power was down. The brakes were binding and the front passenger side was locked. Before anything else could happen, that needed fixed. So, new drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, lines, master cylinder - the full nine yards. The bonus round of that issue was the hydraulic fluid had leaked everywhere, so the frame, battery tray and all the under body shields needed repainting. Great. Then the tires and new tubes were installed. Once that was done, it was on to the engine. First issue, the generator was bad and the bearings were locking up. Great. It went out for a rebuild. Once that was back, there was an issue with the water pump and off it went to rebuild, only to find it couldn’t be rebuilt. Great. Now, I had a scramble to find a water pump to ship and get rebuilt. Thankfully, two members of this forum helped me out and I will forever be grateful for that. Once that was done, it seemed the car should be ok. The engine was running fine, the brakes were fixed and all the paint damage was taken care of. I scheduled a time to pick it up and that was an absolute disaster. The car ran great; it just wouldn’t actually go anywhere - not even 15 feet. I asked for shake down drives of at least 50 miles before we called the car good. This car is not going to sit or just be back and forth on a trailer. It will be a semi-daily driver. Now is when the fun starts and all the bugs show up. First break down, the carburetor needed rebuilt and it was shipped out. Great. Second break down, the fuel lines needed replacement. Great. Third break down, the gas tank needed boiling out, coated and repainted. Great. Fourth break down, the grease points on the rear axels were incorrectly installed on the restoration, so new bearings were installed on each side due to lack of lubrication. Great. It was as this point that I had a conversation with the shop. I asked about the quality of the restoration and why this was turning out the way it was. The shop said the restoration was fantastic – they estimated it had to be a six-figure restoration (they do Pebble Beach cars) as everything was top of the line, absolutely correct and 100% stock – but the issues didn’t make sense with the car being restored in the early 2000’s and sitting for two decades. At this point, I decided to contact the museum owner directly and get the scoop. I’ll add that tidbit down at the bottom, as we’re still trying to get the car going. Fifth break down, the entire fuel system needed cleaning again with an additional filter installed near the gas tank. Great. Sixth break down, the carb float had a crack and needed repair. Great. Seventh shakedown try. She passed with no issues. Finally! Between the fifth and sixth break down, I contacted the museum owner to see what he could tell me about the car. The news was a little eye opening, to say the least. Turns out, the car was initially restored in the late 1980’s. The gentleman commissioning the restoration wanted to compete at all the concur shows. Unfortunately, his desires and his bank account didn’t align and he filed bankruptcy. As part of the bankruptcy settlement, the car was repossessed and sold by the state of SC. In order to sell it, the car had to pass the annual SC state inspection (hence the 7/92 inspection sticker on the windshield). The museum owner bought it from the state of SC and displayed it ever since. He put less than 5 miles on the car from 1992 to selling it in ’21. The 300 and some odd miles on the car were shakedown miles from the initial restoration in the late 1980’s. Now it all made sense. The car hadn’t sat for two decades; it had sat for almost three! I suspect the collector realized what it would cost to get the car into a drivable shape and decided to pass that little gem on. I’m sure I’ve missed some of the minor details and repairs. At one point, I was overwhelmed and stressed, watching the cost rise and the progress slow. That said, at the end of the day, it’s been an adventure and an expensive lesson. I look at museum cars, trailered show cars and super low mile anything with a skeptical eye these days. I know that to get one to be a reliable daily driver will cost near the initial purchase price, as the outside can be pretty; but the mechanicals can suffer from neglect. I have the receipts. That said, Alice (as she is affectionately known) is home. I’ve put over 150 miles on her between yesterday and today. She’s done great and will be going out and about, exploring the world and I’m sure our adventures will continue.

I got her back yesterday from the mechanical restoration and took her out today, as it was raining pretty hard when she was delivered. I took a video of her inaugural drive, in case folks are curious. I’ll update this later today or tomorrow with details of the difficult and expensive journey to get her here. In the meantime, enjoy! I guess it shows with enough determination, anything is possible.

As someone who purchased a 1931 Chrysler CM6 museum car, I've put almost the full purchase price back into making her drivable and reliable. Everything mechanical has been repaired, rebuilt or replaced.

That's an absolutely beautiful car. Congratulations! I hope you have many, many happy memories with it. I'll reach out to the shop here in IL that's doing the mechanical restoration on my '31 CM6 and see who they used. They shipped the carb off for rebuilding and had a pretty decent turn around time. It wasn't inexpensive. You may also want to think about the hard and soft fuel lines and the gas tank, depending on how long it was sitting and how much gas was in the tank while it sat. I've had all that cleaned and replaced as well.

Having just went thru this with a car that sat in a museum for 20 years, you will need to do a full and complete brake system rebuild. The hydraulic fluid will have damaged everything from sitting. It may not look like it from the outside; however, it has. I had everything from the drums in replaced - pads, wheel cylinders, lines, master cylinder - the full nine yards. You'll also need to have your parking brake serviced and repaired as well. I know it's not the news you're looking for. It wasn't the news I wanted either.