Hupmobile S ... yes or no?

[Guest Petr Stefan]

Hi, I need advice. I have the option to buy Hupmobile Sedan 1928 Model S. It is an interesting car or not? I'm from the Czech Republic and I have not a lot of informations about Hupmobiles.

[JFranklin]

Not too many parts are available. They were well built cars so you may not need a lot of parts. They are interesting cars and there is a Hupmobile club in the USA to provide information. And always help here on this website. If you think it is too much of a job the Ford Model A is a good choice because there are a large availability of new and used parts. Good luck! Here is a photo of my hupp awaiting some love. I cleaned the oil-pan and freed some stuck rings with ATF and it runs nice and quiet with minimal smoke, I need to go over the brakes and do some woodwork before complete paint and upholstery, most of the chrome plating was done by a previous owner.

[Hupp36]

Petr If the data plate on the firewall starts with a S, its a 1929 to 1932 model year. Hupp started producing the model S in Cleavand in 1929. The Hupp club lists 65 model S cars owned by members. We have technical advisors that are a great source to help answer questions about the car. We also have a parts locator that will help you locate the parts that you may need. We also have members that get parts reproduced on different models. The 4-dr sedan is the most common of the S models. I am very partial to Hupmobile. It is true that it would be easier for you to restore a Model A Ford because you could build a new one from the ground up. If you like a good challenge, buy the Hupp. If you have specific questions about the car, send me a PM and I will get an answer for you. Chuck

[Guest Petr Stefan]

Thank you for answers. The car is from Texas, last 30 years stood in a dry barn, he is complete and generally in good condition. I don´t heard engine run because the electric cables are in very bad condition, but the engine has a compression. Car has a new tank and carburetor Zenith. Original is probably Stromberg carb? Woodwork looks nice and body too. I send few foto. I have just few question....the headlens are original? And how much cost theese car in US?

[Guest Petr Stefan]

See fotos in my album http://forums.aaca.org/members/petr-stefan/albums/hupmobile-s/

[Hupp36]

Petr Nice looking Hupp. Paint looks presentable. Chrome looks good. Headlights are from a Ford Pu. but in your country who will know. If they work

thats all thats necessary. Ebay quite often has the correct ones for sale or someone in the Hupp club may have a set. The engine compartment at first glance looks Ok. If the car has not been started for a while, look on the bottom of the engine oil pan and you wil lsee a round plate 4 to 5 inches in dia. Before removing the plate, drain the oil from the engine. It is held on with about 5 to 7 bolts. Under this plate is screen that collects particles that get in the oil. Clean it and apply new oil BEFORE you try to start the engine. You will be happy you did. Price, well thats always a tricky question. I look at all the Hupps I can that are being sold privately on Ebay and by club members and auctions and in my opinion this is a $ 6000 to $ 9000 car. Please just take this as a guide. Chuck

[Hupp36]

Petr This is a Model S Hupp, notice the fender lights,different hubcaps. I think this is a 1931 model but its hard to tell because the 1930 looks the same. The real way to tell is to look on the dash and if it has a temp gage its a 1931. Yours is an earlier model because they used 1928 Hupp model A hubcaps.

[Guest Dean_H.]

Great looking car! I would grab that one up before someone else sees it. Hupmobile is a fine car, more power than a Ford and of higher quality. Thanks for posting pictures, it's a beauty.

I think the removable plate on the bottom of the oil pan was eliminated in 1930. Since this looks like a 1930 or later, you may need to take the entire oil pan off to clean out the sludge. I certainly agree with Chuck, you will be glad you did clean it out. Most of these old motors have an oil pan full of crud.

[Guest Petr Stefan]

This car needs a complete restoration because upholstery is destroyed, body is damaged in several places and paint isn´t original. I would restored him to the original condition, but I miss the radiator cap, the driver door handle, ceiling light and the original headlights. Don´t you have anything of that?

Model S was probably the basic and cheapest model in Hupp motor Co. production program?

See all fotos of this Hupp in my galerie here -> belenus | Ná? Hupp ? rajce.net

If you want, look to other cars in my collection. It isn´t nothing fancy, but I must start with veterans somwhere :-) all albums here -> belenus | seznam alb ? rajce.net

Theese pages is in Czech, use Google translator it´s better for orientation

[Guest oldlute]

Hupp36 (if I remember correctly) said that one way to identify the year is the temperature guage since he says the 1931 had a temperature gauge. We just purchased a 1929 Model S and it has a temperature gauge of sorts. The gauge says cold, then driving range and hot as I recall so there is no mention of actual temperature but I would consider it a temperature gauge.

We had also been told that the Model S is supposed to be a 1930 but if it was sold in 1929 then it was registered as a 1929. I would like to join the Hupmobile club or at least correspond with them to get the best information. Thank you!

[Hupp36]

Oldlute We would be most happy to have you join the Hupp family. Send an Email to hupmobil@99main.com Agnes our membership Chairwoman will help you. By the way, the Hupp club does not judge cars or people. We just have fun on our tours and eat a lot of ice cream. Chuck

[Hupp36]

Oldlute The good pic is a 1931 S. The scan is a 1929-1930. If your temperture gage does not look like this, its an add on.

[Guest oldlute]

I haven't sent in my club membership yet but will shortly now that I have all the data requested. I see what you mean about the temperature gauge. I will try to attach the pictures of the temperature gauges in our 1929 and 1930 Hupmobiles. The gauge is nicely installed in the dash in the 1929 but below the dash in the 1930. You will note that the 1930 has been sitting since about 1954 but we just bought the 1929 and hope to find out information about its restoration when we join the club. We are looking forward to joining. I am currently a member of only one club here in Washington, Olympic Vintage Auto Club (OVAC), and they tour often during late Spring thru early Fall so we are looking forward to participating in the tours.

[Hupp36]

Our current president of the Hupp Club also lives in Wa. Oakville. Those gages look good and if they were mine, I would, as they say If its not broke don't fix it. If I can help with any questions just ask. If I do not have the answer there are 600 members in our club that may. The Hupp Club is having a tour in July 2011 in Reno Nev. We are planing to go modern as the wife would like to do some sightseeing on the way home.

[Guest oldlute]

Hupp36,

I sent in my membership application today so I should be member in 2011. I have one more question based on a comment made about the oil pan sludge. I noticed that both our 1929 and 1930 Model S have an oil filter (AC P-21) installed. Since the 1929 was restored and has the oil filter and doesn't have a removable plate, do you feel the filter has eliminated the sludge problem? I would hate to remove the whole oil pan. Also, we wish to change oil in the 1929, is there a consensus on the best oil to use? For example, a modern detergent oil or stick with non-detergent and what weight, 30? I am also wondering about using a synthethic oil, any experience there?

[Hupp36]

If you know for sure that the engine has been rebuilt there should not be a reason to remove the oil pan. I have friends who use synthethic oil. But not on an engine that has just been rebuilt. On a engine that has been just rebuilt it is better to use a detergent oil as it will break in better. Putting a detergent oil in an engine that has used a non detergent oil will loosen up all the sluge that builds up from a non detergent oil and that may not be a good thing. On my 1936 8 cyl Hupp for the first 5,000 after I rebuilt the engine I used a 10-30 detergent. I switched to 20-50 detergent and have nearly 20,000 miles on the engine and use a qt. of oil every 500 to 600 miles depending how hard I drive it. I also added a cartridge type oil filter and that is working very well. I am showing my age but years ago new cars came from the factory with break in oil and the dealer told the owner to bring the car in after 500 miles and they would change the oil.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Hupp36
Forgot somthing (see edit history)

[Guest oldlute]

I certainly agree that we wouldn't want to start putting detergent oil into an engine that was using non-detergent. We don't know when the engine was rebuilt but we are pretty sure it was a while ago. That is one reason we decided for sure to join the Hupmobile Club because we understand that Don Roetman from the club restored the car so we hope to contact him before we actually change oil. The previous owner to us had not changed oil for a long time so we want to change the oil and filter but put in the best choice. I hope to contact Don after we get our membership. The oil filter on our Hup is a cartridge with a copper tubing fitting on the top and bottom rather than a cannister type like many 40 and early 50 cars and trucks had. Thank you for your suggestions!

Edited December 29, 2010 by oldlute
Response to Hupp36 Edit (see edit history)

[Hupp36]

Its with a heavy heart that I have to tell you our friend and long time member Don Roetman has passed on. I have had many converations with Don on at least 7 different Hupp tours.I never saw him add oil to any of his engines so I am not sure if he used a detergent or a non- detergent oil or a synthethic. Maybe 1 of our members will read this and give us the answer. If not after you become a member you could post it in the Parts Locator that is sent out to all our members via parcel post or by email. Don being an engineer and a puritan may have used a non-detergent but lets wait for the correct answer.

[Guest oldlute]

Thank you for the information about Don and I regret to hear of his passing also. I will try your suggestion on using the parts locator after I get notification of my member acceptance. It is interesting to know that Don was an Engineer since my brother and I are both Engineers and half owners in the car that Don restored. I am looking forward to more correspondence with you and others once I am an official member.

[Guest oldlute]

Hupp36,

It has been two months and no other Hupp Club member has responded about what oil Don used so I think I should take the pan off and inspect and clean. I will probably use a synthetic but before I do anything I would like to know about the AC P-21 filter that is currently on the engine. It is obsolete and I can't find a replacment. I noticed that you said you are using a cartridge filter which has been my thought as well but a local parts store wants to sell me an adapter that would allow me to put on a spin-on filter. Do you know of anyone who has had experience with this option? Did you get your cartridge from JC Whitney or rob a junk yard? Thank you!

[Hupp36]

Oldlute I used a cartridge type filter because I had it on hand. The 1 that takes a spin on filter works very well as I have a friend that has them on 3 old cars. The nice thing is that you can get the spin on filter at most parts stores. But I have seen the drop in cartridge type units at most of the old car flee markets that I go to. I get my drop in filters at Napa and they have a good selection. I tend to like the drop in because they look older. Huppingly Yours Chuck

[Guest oldlute]

I agree with using the cartridge or can type filter container plus I would think it would mount in the same place as our AC P-21 filter with little modification. I will probably look in local wrecking yards rather than wait for a swap meet. I couldn't find the old can type container at JC Whitney and they, of course, don't list Hupmobile as a car make. Thanks for the information! Maybe I'll see you at the Reno Meet??? I plan to go.

[Hupp36]

Oldlute Its not a good pic but you can see the add on canaster filter on the side of the block. What your looking at is my 1936 Model-N Hupp. Under the hood its not to pretty because it is an original car with a few little add' ons. We have driven this car 19,875 since I rebuilt the engine and outher than a timming chain slap it still runs fine.

[Guest oldlute]

I have attached a picture of the AC P-21 Oil Filter in our 1929 and in our 1930 Hupmobile. I am pretty sure that I should be able to install the cannister type filter in the same location. What did your 1936 have prior to the cannister filter?

[Hupp36]

The oil filter had been removed when I bought the car in 1991. # 4 piston & rod went through the pan and part of it put a hole in the side of the skirt just behind where I mounted the oil cannister. The old owner gave me a bucket with the broken engine pieces in it and I found the triangle part that broke out of the skirt and used a nick-cast rod and welded it back in. I got a parts car with a complete drive train. It took me a year to find it. I have 2 of the 262 1935-37 Hupp Model - N's that were producted. I removed # 4 piston & rod from the parts car . Plastic gaged and found that some good mechanic put shims in an engine that did not require any. The worst thing is that he used tin foil out of a cigarette pack. Almost 20,000 miles and still going strong.

[huptoy]

A year or so ago a fellow in California documented his restoration of a 1929 model A Hupmobile. Many of the items were interchangeable with a 1930. I suggest you spend time reading his comments.

http://forums.aaca.org/f190/1929-hupmobile-project-246532.html

He created a very unique solution to have an original look-a-like oil filter with a modern filter inside.

One of the reported problems with the original filters was the seam would split spilling oil all over the engine compartment. A replacement would be purchased and installed. I knew Don Roetman and he used a modern type spin on oil filter on his 1928 Model M 8 cyl. See photo below. He also had a 1928 Model A 6 cyl roadster and used a flow through type where the oil entered the top and exited the bottom. This type was used on farm tractors.

He had the engine on both cars rebuilt in 2006 & 2007 when he had driven each them

over 70,000 miles. He always used non detergent oil in his cars even after the rebuilds. Don could be considered a purest in antique cars but he used modern type oil filters.

Edited March 7, 2011 by huptoy
Corrected model A per Hupp36 (see edit history)

[Hupp36]

Don's 1928 Hupp roadster was an A model not that it matters.

[huptoy]

Yes, Don's roadster is a 1928 Model A. Also, the center photo is a 1931 engine but he used the same oil filter on his Model A car.