Steve Braverman

Here's my Olympic Convertible. It's a work in progress.

Does that water pump have a rubber impeller inside? If it does, then it's a raw water pump as still seen today on marine engines. It does look strange for a marine propulsion application though. It may have powered a generator or some other auxilary on a larger boat.

Mike, I didn't know you owned my car. Bill must have fixed the rod knock, because that's the one problem it doesn't have now. I plan on freshening up the engine with a ring and valve job, and maybe throwing a set of rod bearings in for good measure if it needs them. (I still have that set of rods I bought from you on ebay last year.)It runs so good, I hate to mess with it, but the oil leaks and the blue smoke is getting a little embarrasing. This winter I want to re-wire it as the wiring is getting scary and dangerous. The headlights and horn only work sometimes. I really want to get my Olympic convertible done before I tear this one apart, but I need to keep it safe and roadworthy. I didn't know Jeff had the ends, I'll get a set from him at the Trek. I hope he gets hubcaps made soon too. Thanks for the info.

I usually put at least 1,000 miles a year on this Franklin. I'm also working on another, and have two more in the garage that belong to my father.

How about making the ends for the trim strips? They are almost always missing, mine are. My '32 has so much oil coating the bottom of the car, that the the running boards will never rust!

It looks a lot like a Franklin Carb. Franklin made their own carburetors up until about 1924. The one on my father's 1911 Franklin looks a lot like that. I can get a picture of it later.

Okay, at first I agreed that digging a hole might be a good idea. But your persistence has made me get up and do some research. The serial number you posted can not be correct. The prefix 37 indicates that this is a model 137, or the long-wheelbase Series 13 from 1929. Franklin always used suffixes to indicate body style. The number 3719727FL2 is not a Franklin car number as it is. Most likely you missed the last digit, and the third from last should not be a letter. All of Franklin's suffixes end "L**" with the last one or two numeric digits indicating body style. (In case you're wondering the L stands for left-hand drive. Overseas you might find a suffix beginning with R.) For a model 137, the choices were: L23-Sedan; L24-Oxford Sedan; L27-Dietrich Speedster; L5-Limousine; L28-Sedan Limousine; L29-Town Car; L22-Touring; L1-Sport Touring; L2-Sport Runabout. So if it does indeed end in L2, you have a roadster, it's unlikely though. It's also interesting that you have one of the latest Series 13 known, with the end of the run being car# 197288. Considering the condition of the remains, parting out is the best route to take. 1929 was Franklin's best selling year, so parts are always in demand. To restore this thing would cost many times what the car could ever be worth. Franklins generally do not bring the high prices that other classics do. I dragged home a 1923 Series 10 sedan last year that is better than what you have. I sold alot of it, but alot of it went to the scrap yard. Yes a series 10 is much less desireable than a 13, but ratty sedans are still ratty sedans.

Rare Parts in California has them. Check them out at http://www.rareparts.com/ When you call ask for a tie rod end for a Reo S6. They were about $80 each last time I checked. I doubt that there is any modern replacement.

I'm restoring a 1933 Franklin Olympic convertible, and the entire convertible top assembly is missing. The car came from Las Vegas, and before that I believe it spent its entire life in the San Diego area. I would appreciate any help in locating a top or any parts of a top. The body is the same as a REO Flying Cloud or a Marmon 125. The top is very complicated and will be difficult to make.