The Greenlease Cord

[Dosmo]

I recently read a couple of reader’s feedback letters from the April 1991 issue of Special Interest Autos. Yeah, I know, I need to renew my subscription. Anyhow, there are a couple of letters making reference to an article in a previous issue – the article was apparently related to the histories of two Cord automobiles – one, an experimental Cord called the E1; two, a 1937 phaeton called the Greenlease Cord. I think that both of these Cords had turned up at a restoration shop in Wellington Kansas. The shop was called Gilliland’s Island.

I’m betting someone on here knows the rest of the story about the Greenlease Cord. Don’t know what year this was (sounds like early 1950s), but this guy Greenlease bought the 1937 Cord Phaeton in Indiana and drove it at high speed to Kansas City to his father’s Cadillac distributorship. He then requested that the revolutionary FWD, 4 spd pneumatic shifting transaxle, center-point steering, and Lycoming V8 engine be replaced by a Cadillac engine, automatic transmission and rear wheel drive. The reader’s letter says the guy traded a Cord Westchester for the labor of conversion on the phaeton.

Long story short, the letter says that Stan Gilliland, who bird-dogged the original E1 Cord parts from near and far, is now poised to replace the Cadillac engine with the original Lycoming engine that was in the Greenlease Cord when it left Indiana. Together with other original drive train parts, the Greenlease Cord may live authentically ever after.

I don’t have the earlier issue of SIA that featured the article on the Cords. I wondered if someone on here might be able to fill in the blanks on how the Cord Phaeton, separated from it’s original drivetrain for so many years, was able to be re-united with it – also, whether this project was ever finished.

[1937hd45]

Funny, this morning I saw a photo on the HAMB of three odd looking Hupmobile? convertables, two with the common Cord convertable bodied the other with a two passenger body. Bob

[CarlLaFong]

I have every issue of SIA and Hemmings Classic Cars. The story of E1 is fascinating. The combination of luck, coincidence and detective work was amazing. The article was in two parts and part one was a real cliffhanger. I don't recall the Greenlease car in the article. I am away from the house this weekend. If nobody answers by Monday, I'll look it up

[raywayne]

Hi Dosmo,

  I just joined this forum, so this is a little late. The Greenlease Cord was my father's. He was 20 in 1937, and I'm quite sure my grandfather, a Cadillac dealer in Kansas City, MO since 1908, wouldn't have bought and approved of my dad screaming from Indiana to Kansas City at a high rate of speed. My dad just wanted to make a hot rod in the'50s, and the Cord was one of the coolest looking cars ever. I think it was in fairly ratty shape when he got it. In 1955 my dad hired a guy named Toby Tobiasson who put a Cadillac engine in it and made it RWD. My brother says he was paid cash and my dad worked on it too. He had a couple of other Cords, and one was wrecked by one of his salesmen. The other Cord was a sedan that disappeared when my dad died in 1964, and a total weasel named Jack Roach , along with GM, scammed the business away from our family. Here's a picture of it below. I hope this helps. I wish I had seen this 7 years ago!

[alsancle]

On 8/4/2012 at 6:50 PM, 1937hd45 said:

Funny, this morning I saw a photo on the HAMB of three odd looking Hupmobile? convertables, two with the common Cord convertable bodied the other with a two passenger body. Bob

 

Bob,  I'm late to the party.   Was it these three?

 

[Bloo]

Where is @auburnseeker? Could it be his car we are talking about? I seem to remember it was a RWD Cadillac conversion....

 

[auburnseeker]

Mine sports a Cadillac Flathead conversion so doubtful it would have been done by a Caddy dealer who would have had the ability to get an Overhaed.  Mine is also a standard transmission. 

I wonder how many Cords were converted back in the day?  Some one did hot rod mine ,  not just replacing the engine,  they actually put edmunds heads and intake as well as chrome plated a whole bunch of parts under the hood. 

Edited November 30, 2019 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[mercer09]

have seen several Cadillac conversions over the years, for sale on the bay.

 

apparently that was the motor of choice.