1928 Pierce Arrow Model 81

[TexRiv_63]

Both of my old cars could be classified as "refurbished" I guess, a combination of old restoration, some newer cosmetic work, and in the case of my 28 Pierce, a lot of "original" under the surface. I have spent a lot of time just bringing this car to the point of being driveable and am not fully there yet since I am quite limited in both time and money. I recently dropped the oil pan and was pleased to find the engine very clean inside. This car has a beautiful finned cast aluminum pan which had a layer of soft sludge in the bottom but no metal or hard debris. I removed the oil pump and cleaned everything up, for the pan I used a product called Super Clean which is water based and did an excellent job. The photos below were after two spray applications, some light scrubbing with a toothbrush and water rinse, a little more detail cleaning produced nice bright aluminum. I did not use this product on the oil pump but did use it on the filter screen. I had purchased a set of pan gaskets from Olson's which included a circular neoprene seal which was supposed to fit around the oil supply tube at the pan rail. The piece they sent did not fit so I called them with the correct dimensions and they sent me two additional custom pieces with no charge - great company to deal with.

I also just fixed a fuel problem with the Stromberg O-3 carburetor which I had since I got the car - almost every time I opened the fuel shutoff from the vacuum tank the carb bowl would overflow. I would fiddle with the float adjuster and tap the bowl with a screwdriver and then it would stop and work correctly. I assumed I had dirt in the float valve. I finally pulled the carb apart and cleaned it out but back on the car it leaked even worse. I took it apart again and discovered one of the tabs on the "flapper" float mechanism was broken and was causing the float to bind and hang up. An appeal to my fellow PAS members turned up a good used float top assembly which I polished up and installed - and the car now runs better than ever with no leaks!

Thanks to good suppliers and good club members I might actually get this thing on the road!

[unimogjohn]

Don, the engine looks great. Was it running when you got it? Pls. post pictures of the entire car so we can get an idea of what you are up against.

Just finished my three year restoration of a 23 McLaughlin Buick, took almost eight months for me to get the engine unstuck. Now I am trying to bring the Avanti back to life.

So continue to plug along and keep us updated.

[TexRiv_63]

John,

The car was running when I got it but would only work with fuel poured into the vacuum tank with a small funnel, so the car had only been moved in previous owners driveway for the previous five years. The vacuum tank wasn't working due to a vacuum leak, I fixed that but it also had a seriously gunked up fuel tank and a crushed fuel line. It now has a 6-gallon temporary tank until I can get the original tank rebuilt and resealed, enough for me to drive it around the neighborhood.

Your thread on your Avanti has been great, kind of inspired me to post some on my cars. You've been making me nervous with the wiring stories, I have some seriously patched wires under the hood of the Pierce that need replacement, one more thing on the to-do list. You have made a lot of progress, hope the weather will let you continue.

[unimogjohn]

Don, what a beauty. Now that is a great looking car.

Re the gas tank, I had mine 23 tank done in MD by a shop that is licensed to do the ReNu process. Not cheap by any means. Mine had previously been coated, but it had failed and the tank was rusting between the coating and the metal. I also had several areas that needed welding and patching. I think it was around $700. They did a great job, and I need not worry about it again.

Re the wiring, on the 23 all I had was the delco wiring diagram. I bought the cloth wiring, shielded cable, and terminals from Road Island Wiring. i just followed the diagram and ran the wire. The wiring is pretty simple and are usually straight runs. I also had them make up new pos and neg cables for the battery as mine were original and badly need some repair. I sent the old ones to them and got back perfect copies. I did have to do some research on how to route the wires, but basically used the routes that are on my 28 Buick and pictures from other 23s, and also advice from forum members. I just went circuit by circuit. Worked out great.

Keep us posted on how you are doing. The pics are great.

The first couple of pics are of the gas tank before, you can see the rust leaking from the bottom of the filler and also from the seams of the tank. The last ones are of the finished tank.

[jbbuick22]

John,

What size is your fuel tank on the 23? The tank on my 22 is 22 gal which is only

used on the models 41, 54, and 55, and filler neck is on the end of the tank like yours.

On the 55 it is because the trunk is in the way.

The Canadian models use a lot on different parts, steering wheel dash ,and fuel tank! Working with Tom Black about a speedo cable for you.

JB

[unimogjohn]

JB, thanks for continuing to look for the speedo cable for me. I am down to two missing pieces, the cable and the McLaughlin Buick radiator badge. I did have four missing pieces, but got four NOS McL/Buick hub caps a month ago, and just got the gas gauge mechanical for the inside of the gas tank.

My gas guage goes from 1 to 13 and then when full it says GM SIX so I believe the tank to be approximately 16 gallons. I have never filled it completely so I really do not know. Hope that this helps you.

[TexRiv_63]

John,

Glad to hear you are happy with the Renu process, I have considered using them but felt the cost was quite high and am still on the fence. I also have to have the pickup area repaired and the sending unit replaced due to pot metal disease. All in good time. I have bought wire from Rhode Island to fix my underhood problems, just need to get around to it. I made my own new battery cables using parts from Restoration Supply and added a battery shutoff switch which I use all the time.

Right now I'm working on the fuel system of my Cadillac. While the carburetors are off I'm also doing some cleanup on the engine and replacing the lower radiator hoses. I'll try to post more on that later

[unimogjohn]

Don, and post pics of the Caddy too! Usually the vacuum tanks just need a good cleaning as the varnish tends to build up around the needle/seat area, kinda like hard water on a faucet.

Yes, I choked at the bill from ReNu, but running with a plastic 2 1/2 gallon jug on the running board really did not look too cool so after six months of fussing around just bit the bullet. Kinda like I am doing on the Avanti right now.

[1940_Buick]

John,

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but can you post some pictures of your finished 1923 Buick? I remember when you bought it (I used to have a 1923 Model 45). It's good you hear you got it finished.

[unimogjohn]

I am sure Don will not mind, here are just a couple. Sorry they are when it was on the trailer coming back from its final trim work.

[1940_Buick]

Great looking car John. You've come a long way from what you started with!

[TexRiv_63]

John,

Your 23 is gorgeous, does it drive as good as it looks? Here are a few pics of my 32 Cadillac, most showing its usual position in the garage with parts removed! I have ordered all new tires and tubes for it but am having a hard time getting them, there is apparently only one US manufacturer and they are in no hurry to take my money. Right now I have the fuel pump and carbs off in my (hopefully) last attempt to make it drive well without leaking or backfiring. I was cleaning the engine sides yesterday and my fuel line came unplugged and spilled about a gallon of gas under the car - I haven't moved that fast in years! I had to run two exhaust fans for most of the afternoon to get the smell out but the floor sure is clean. Luckily it was warm enough that I could keep working with the door open.

Have a happy thanksgiving.

[unimogjohn]

Don, what a fantastic car. I LOVE that engine! It is a work of art for sure. So you have a carb and vacuum tank for each side? The car looks great, it must be a real eye catcher going down the road.

The 23 goes like the wind, it is a very light car and the big six really pushes it. I only have rear mechanical brakes and very tough to stop at speed as they lock up, but you are still going fast, sometimes it is a real pucker factor. Steering is pretty nimble too, but like all cars of this era, she does not really like to turn at speed, just wants to go straight. She likes to run about 45. We have only taken her on short runs of around 10 miles, but this summer took her on a run of 45 miles, we went 44 and then got vapor lock during the heat of August in downtown traffic. Took a while to figure out what had happened and then it was getting dark so loaded her back on the trailer. Now I know to pour ice and cold water on the vacuum tank if it happens again. Lesson learned.

You and all our forum group have a great Thanksgiving.

[TexRiv_63]

John,

The 30 and 31 V-12s and V-16s had dual vacuum tanks and dual Johnson carburetors which many refer to as "a fire waiting to start". 1932 was the first year to use a mechanical fuel pump and dual Detroit Lubricator carbs.

Your 23 sounds like a great drive. My Pierce has four-wheel brakes but not much stopping power, I can just imagine only two wheels. The pucker factor reminds you you are alive!

[TexRiv_63]

I just wanted to check in and update this thread. I have a "tandem" three car garage in which there is a single car space in front of the two traditional spaces and a normal two-car width entry door. I had it widened about two feet on the outer side to allow for my workbench, compressor, and storage shelving to sit without impeding access around the sides. My two hobby cars sit on the double deep side as I still park one of our regular rides inside when I can. Since last November I have been screwing around with my Cadillac and trying to get its fuel system to the point that I could go back to driving it. I will go into that long and so far sad story sometime in the future but the bottom line was the non-running Caddy was blocking the running Pierce Arrow! Well, I got fed up and the weekend before last I patched the Caddy up enough to switch the cars around and finally got the Pierce out. I drove it a few blocks and let it breath a little fresh air. I'm going to shelve the Caddy for a while and concentrate on the Pierce, here are just few of the items on my to-do list:

• Clutch adjustment, engages too close to the floor and is grabby.
  
• Timing adjustment
  
• Colling system flush, new hoses and thermostat.
  
• Replace fan seal to allow proper lubrication.
  
• Selective underhood and headlight rewiring.
  
• Either restoring the original gas tank or substituting an aftermarket unit.
  
• Restoring the running boards with new pyramid pattern aluminum and surround moldings.
  

Attached are a few pics of the car sitting by the curb, still dusty!