Stutz V24

[West Peterson]

At the Amelia Island Concours there was a 1932 (I think) Stutz V24 cabriolet on the field. Beautiful restoration. I had never heard of a Stutz with a dohc straight-six. Can anyone shed light on this unique car?

Wish I would have taken a photo.

[alsancle]

Jason will explain it better than me but I believe there was a single 6 cylinder DHOC engine built by Stutz as a prototype. It was advertised for sale in the club newsletter a few years ago and I would guess has found its way into a car.

[K8096]

There were a small handful DV-24 engines built by the factory. It's a regular Blackhawk 6 engine with a DOHC head instead of the normal SOHC. The engine in question was in California for decades, and sold a couple years ago. The guy who bought the engine put it in a 1929 Blackhawk roadster that had a regular SOHC 6 before. It's basically just like the head on an 8 cylinder DV-32 Stutz, but built for the 6 cylinder engine.

Edited March 14, 2014 by K8096 (see edit history)

[Curti]

I have never seen tires like those. Are they specially made?

[Rusty_OToole]

You could get that effect with a grooving tool but why would you want to. Was there a brand of tires with that sidewall when the car was new?

[sambarn]

There were lots of wild tire patterns available in the 20-30s. With the engine swap I'd have to say originality may not have been the first priority.

[Ivan Saxton]

We have known about the DV24 for a good many years. David Braun deserves our gratitude for saving this engine after it was apparently used extensively for racing in California. He had most of what he needed to build it back into an L6 Blackhawk as has now been properly done. (I don't know about body though; and if he had a complete good car to restore it into, his achievement may have matched his intent and his understanding of its significance). As it was, his other great interest was narrow gauge railways; and he told me he was restoring a couple of items of 2ft6"gauge rolling stock at his home; but sadly he must have run out of steam before he reached the DV24 on his timetable. A couple of years ago , a forum participant posted photos of the engine as it was, asking for identification. This raised the possibility that a second engine had survived, but it was a while since I had correspondence with David, and it was in the hands of his executors.

It would be hard to determine whether the engine block is the original without detail examination inside and out. Obviously it is a prototype; but its origin may be a couple of years later than the first handful of prototype DV32s. It would be very interesting to know if it has Stutz steel connecting rods in it.

The initiation of the DV 32 is likely to have been early-mid 1928, because my engine has a late June 1928 casting date, and the word "SPECIAL" cast on the same side, upside down. It is a BB pattern block, with different coreing for the larger 3 3/8"bore. DV30004 is a 1928 engine number, earlier than any known M series car surviving. I shall write more later in explanation, because some recent efforts to write helpful posts have been obliterated by the forum software: Also, qualifying for the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix is about to start, and I shall watch that.

[DavidAU]

I think the tires may be Excelsior Comp from Cokers

http://www.cokertire.com/700-21-excelsior-comp-h-blackwall-tire.html

[Curti]

They could well be Excelsior Comp on the Stutz. I went to the Coker website and found many sizes. I would need 700 x 16 which they stock, but the cool side walls are not on the 700's. They are a bit spendy at $300 - $400 each.

Is the Stutz a bit over restores or was the engine compartment that glitzy with chrome?

[edinmass]

It's not chrome, just polished aluminum. That's the way the DV-32's were done.

[alsancle]

I bought those Excelsiors for my Stutz also. Very cool tires.

[Curti]

I bought those Excelsiors for my Stutz also. Very cool tires.

AJ, I would like to put them on my speedster, but I didn't see them offered with white walls. What did you do , put port-a-walls on?

[alsancle]

Curt,

Big Al was going to try to paint them on but I think he gave up. Somebody needs to repop the Lee tires as those would look cool on a bunch of cars.

[Curti]

There is a guy in the twin cities that has (had) the molds for those LEE tires. They were used on a Franklin. Odyssey Restorations did the car.

[alsancle]

It would be AWESOME to get a set of those tires. I could give you a sweet deal on some Excelsiors with only a few hundred feet of mileage on them.

[West Peterson]

The LEE tire molds were ordered to be destroyed by the family that owned the rights. They cease to exist, according to Tom at Odyssey. A shame. One of the best looking tires.

[alsancle]

Now that is disappointing.

[Curti]

Now that is disappointing.

Maybe, you can contact the guy that owns the Franklin, and trade him the tires and some money to boot. They have enjoyed them for ten years or so. Ya just never know.................