alsancle

Yes, please keep us posted on your progress.

That eBay 16 has been on and off for years. It will be back on. Not really a car to restore without a bit of experience with the model.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

I'm a firm believer that anyone has the right to do what they want with their own car. I also believe in my right to call them a moron when they over restore or mess with something that should be left alone. Sometimes there are clear cut examples of cars that need to be preserved instead of restored. The Packard Steve posted being a golden example. In other situations it can be very gray what the "correct" course of action is. We can only hope that each individual "does the right thing" with regard to their own property.

Cool!

A picture would help.

That is a fantastic car.

Condition is critical to the value of the car. If it doesn't run, was poorly stored, etc, it might only be a 10k car. A mint original the purrs like a kitten should be worth 3 times that.

Without seeing the car in the light of day I would have a hard time with the 25k. I remember a 34 Pontiac Business Coupe with the 8 engine in nice/decent shape that was available for about 25k. Personally the 34 was more attractive and the 8 trumps the 6 most days of the week. Perhaps I'm not up to speed on 32 Pontiacs and they are worth more than I realize. Or perhaps the seller is confusing his Pontiac with a 32 Ford. Either way very nice car and I'm sure it will find a new home with someone.

Pictures are not that great. But I'll say it is a 15 to 20k car if it runs. Maybe a tad more if it looks great in the sun.

If the Series 1 cars have the same transmission as the xk140/150 then the tranny is fine. Obviously, you need to know how to drive a stick as it is not like driving a later model import where you can find the gear by blowing on the gear shift.

Jerry, The unit may or may not be rebuildable based on the condition of the gears. My advice would be to put it on ebay as is. See if it spins freely and note that in your ad. It seems that everyone that ever junked a Graham removed the blower and kept it. I've seen them go for anywhere from 100 to 600 dollars depending on condition, year and completeness. You will see at least a few of them on ebay every year.

A picture would be helpful.

The pictures that Ken had, (one of which is attached below) were taken in 1963 by Earl Parks in Harwich Massachusetts. The car was never crushed. .

I'm friendly with the current owner of Ken Dunshire's Phaeton and will ask him about the overdrive. I was always under the impression that there isn't enough room. I know the Spirit of Motion cars could be equipped with it. The Conv coupe is serial #700000 with engine number 710004. The Phaeton is #700005 with engine number 710005. There is a gap of 4 cars which might mean 4 yet to be discovered convertibles.

Here is a direct link to the ad: 1931 Used Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Two-Door Faux Cabriolet at Gullwing Motor Cars Inc. Serving Astoria, NY, IID 9474530 I wonder what GullWing paid for it at the auction? I don't have the results.

How do you fit the overdrive? It seems pretty tight under there. There is a project to have some high speed gears made: http://forums.aaca.org/f171/hollywood-high-speed-rear-end-gears-323484.html

They didn't have to shorten the wheelbase. The chassis from the firewall back is unibody and identical to Cord except for the tunnel. The stub frame is Graham but designed specifically for the Hollywood. I love Cords but find the Hollywood just as attractive.

They were doing anything they could to survive.

If it has 18k original miles why do you think it can't be simply sprayed and made to run? Not sure of your point?

Packard 515 Sedan Limo in Packard | eBay Motors

It is funny you mention the 540k because I thought it was a European body before reading your post. The crisp lines of the "boot" definitely make me think of a German coachbuilder. Derham & Rollston (pre-high hat) are two of my favorite pre-war carrossiers.

You make a good point. About 80% of the time a forum (not just this one) will happily promote spending someone else's money. However, I think most of the advice in this thread is pretty good. Ultimately our cars are toys and should never be considered a priority over the more important things in life.

Wow. I like that quite a bit. Words can't describe how nice it looks without white walls defiling it

I think the Car to the right is more interesting.