Recommended 1st Franklin

[OnSafari]

Hello all,

I am keen to add a Franklin to my collection, and I'm thinking a series 12 is the way to go, mainly due to the fact that they have 4 wheel hydraulic brakes. I would be intersted in anyones driving impressions between the series 11 and 12 cars and whether one is preferred to the other??????

I am used to driving my grandfathers 1929 633 Packard sedan and 1926 426 Packard roadster, and I hope a Franklin is a lighter car to drive than the 633!

Thanks in advance.

Lyndon James

[Rusty_OToole]

I'm not a Franklin owner but have heard that they are an easy riding, easy to drive car with their full elliptic springs and wooden chassis frame.

They were not the most powerful car but could cover more ground in a day, than more powerful cars with higher top speed, due to the excellent riding and handling qualities.

[Povertycove]

I'm fairly new to Franklins, and just attended my first Trek. Great time, great folks, so if I had a recommendation it's to buy the best Franklin you can afford and join the fun. My only perspective comes from my two cars, an 11B roadster and a series 15 convertible coupe. The 11B is a delight to drive, and tours comfortably at 40 mph. It'll do better, but 40 is comfortable. The 15 has wonderful power and is great for hilly country. My car has overdrive and is comfortable at 55-60, though it will do better. From observing other Franklins touring in upstate New York, the earlier cars take a fairly leisurely pace and have some difficulty on steep hills. The later cars keep up with normal traffic. I do a lot of touring in brass cars, at 30-35 mph, so slowness doesn't bother me. What I like about the Franklins is the handling, the comfort and the dependability. After my week at the Trek, I also like the club.

[Povertycove]

I should add that Franklin brakes, in both my 11B and the series 15, give me confidence. Properly adjusted, the 11 series service brakes bring the car down dependably, and the handbrake works well, too. Unless you drive in very hilly country, You can get by just fine without brakes on all four corners.

[OnSafari]

Thanks for the replies guys, all good feedback.

[RansomEli]

For a first Franklin, I recommend a 1929 model 135. Parts are readily available, hydraulic brakes and a nice engine. If you can, get wire wheels and side mounts. Very nice driving cars at a reasonable price.

And you can work on them yourself.

[OnSafari]

For a first Franklin, I recommend a 1929 model 135. Parts are readily available, hydraulic brakes and a nice engine. If you can, get wire wheels and side mounts. Very nice driving cars at a reasonable price.

And you can work on them yourself.

Thanks, I do like the 13 series styling. What would one expect to pay for a neat, presentable driver?

[Steve Braverman]

If you really want to know what the best Franklin is for you, come to a Franklin Trek and test drive a few. Most owners are happy to help. There is a big difference in feel between a series 12 and a 13. The side-draft cars are completely different again. I love my '32 for its power and comfort, but the nimble handling and agility of my dad's series 10 can't be beat. BTW, the series 10 stops much better than the '32, at least on dry solid roads. It's half the weight. A series 12 has a wood chassis (unless it's a seven-passenger or a roadster), so that gives it a nice feel, but also opens up potential problems.

A series 11 might be a good compromise. It has the mechanical beauty and simplicity of the series 10, but with different styling. Some feel the series 10 is unattractive, if you own or drive one you will quickly discover it is one of the most beautifully designed cars, truly and engineer's car. A series 11 is mechanically almost the same as a 10C, but with a few hundred more pounds of weight, thus a 10C will outperform it.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Steve Braverman (see edit history)

[RansomEli]

You can pay anywhere between $14-25K for a 1929 sedan/coupe in good running condition. The higher end of the price range is for nicely restored cars. Of course, this does not cover open or special-bodied models. Engine condition is all important. Ask who did the engine work. There are a few names out there in Franklin-land that are worth paying extra if you know they worked on the car. Ask other Franklin members & they'll be glad to share.

I bought my '29 sedan mainly because of the mechanic who worked on the engine (a Franklin master). I called him and he said, "That's a good car." He told me all about the history of the car going back to the 1960's. That was good enough for me.

[scott12180]

Your collection looks like mostly modern era cars. Owning a Franklin could allow you the experience to broaden your horizons to other eras, notably the 1920's.

There is a huge difference in the feel and driving experience of early 1920's cars versus later 1920's cars.

Franklins before the classic era, roughly 1925, were light weight, very nimble, had tight steering, and were simple to work on and maintain. Yet as others have said, they have a good power to weight ratio (and braking to weight ratio) because they are light in weight. They are quite comfortable at 40-45 mph if you live somewhere which allows you to drive leisurely.

Franklins of the post-1925 era grew progressively heavier and ponderous. As the car grew heavy due to styling demands --- as function began to follow form --- the engines had to get bigger and heavier also. Four wheel brakes became necessary, bigger engines with longer stroke became necessary, steering ratios grew large to accommodate heavy, wide tires, etc. To that end, their steering is not as tight and enjoyable as the early cars but if you want to just go in a straight line, then I suppose they are fine. The later post-1925 cars are just different and grew more like cars of the 1930's.

So driving experience aside, if all you are looking for is something to take on the California Freeways, then go for a sidedraft car from 1930-1932. The 1929 Series 13 cars are basically Series 12's with upgraded styling (save for the 137 "senior" car which has a bigger engine still). In my opinion, these very heavy cars really stress that old downdraft engine alot. The sidedraft cars finally had an engine capable of handling that weight.

Series 11's are very nice. I owned one for twelve years and put alot of miles on it. But they have essentially the same engine as a 1924/25 Series 10-C with about 300-400 pounds more weight. As Steve pointed out, Series 10's are really a great car. Even Carl Doman, Franklin's Chief Engineer, admitted that the 1924-1925 10-C was a leader in performance. And lots of people like that "antique" styling of the earlier era when the car bodies were more "architectural" and when form truly did follow function, as John Wilkinson intended !

Everyone will give you different advice. The best advice is to just buy a good running car of any year for your first one, and get involved. Come to the Trek. You will learn all about the other cars and refine your tastes as time goes on. But just have fun. We are not about merely collecting cars as artwork. Franklin people are about driving cars. And these are great cars to drive.

--Scott

[OnSafari]

Thanks for the feedback, this has been helpfull thus far.

Lyndon

[OnSafari]

Thanks for the feedback, this has been helpfull thus far.

Lyndon

[29 franklin]

Thanks for the feedback, this has been helpfull thus far.

Lyndon

i have a 1929 Franklin model 130 for sale. If you want to call me at 609 698 4499. Thanks Jim