Another one probably lost to the TV craze, just my luck

[Guest janet0]

has been bookmark, this seems like a very interesting thread

[auburnseeker]

For anyone interested a V12 coupe was just posted on ebay.  Pretty slick lines with that long hood.  Out of my price range for what's needed but a pretty neat car. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-V-12-160-coupe-/161773172801?forcerrptr=true&hash=item25aa6eb841&item=161773172801

 

[jeff_a]

Fantastic car. No idea they ever made a V-12 Coupe! As West might say: "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! It almost looks photo-shopped. Hopefully someone deserving of it will get it.

[jeff_a]

The sellers mention that the ownership goes back to the "Harris collection" , so at least they know something about it's history. I see that a set of hubcaps is included. Might save a guy a few hundred on the restoration. Hopefully it's O.K. to make comments about the design of cars built 80+ years ago, when my Dad was just a kid. It looks like a design exercise where someone in the studio was saying "I bet if we put the spare on the rear it will accentuate the length of the hood."

Edited July 25, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

Does Leno even buy cars ? People give him cars, he still has every car he ever bought but he doesn't have to buy any more.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Yes, Jay Leno buys cars.  I never heard that rumor

that people give him cars!  I heard that he bought

fairly recently a Pierce Model 66, a large and noteworthy

early model known for its cast-aluminum body panels

and its 825-cubic-inch engine. 

Edited July 25, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[trimacar]

Great looking coupe, a little pricey but would be a beautiful car when done.  As far as the rear mounted spare, I believe most cars were listed from factory as rear mounted spare was standard, and sidemount spares were an option.  I've always liked the look of cars without sidemounts, the lines become much cleaner, but it's fairly unusual to see rear mounted spares on Full Classic cars.  Even if they came with rear mounted spares, over the years many have been converted to sidemounts to "dress up" the look.

[John_S_in_Penna]

... Hopefully it's O.K. to make comments about the design of cars built 80+ years ago... 

 

Jeff, it's certainly okay on this forum to comment

on car models' design, mechanical reliability, etc.!

Just about every car book or magazine does.

 

It's only when a person is selling his car on the forum,

that the moderators want to keep the topic constructive,

not hurtful, and so they say disparaging comments are inappropriate.

(And critical comments about suppliers aren't supposed to be

made, either.)

[alsancle]

I believe I have a picture of that car when it was in the "Harris" auction.   The only little issue would be making sure it was originally a coupe.   The bodies were interchangeable and some large percentage of the 12 speedsters started out as 8 cylinder.

 

I would also wonder about who put up the ad as the "Harris" reference means they don't know a lot about cars.

[alsancle]

It is not in the Sept 84 Harrah's auction catalog.  I couldn't find the catalog for the other auction so it might be in that one.   I believe there were 2?

[bradsan]

Now that's my kind of project. Nothing really looks like it fits and appears to have come off several different cars . Rusty parts in boxes. Doesn't  run. What's not to like? Except I already have two of those projects! 

 

BTW I'm pretty sure all 1932 Auburn's , 8 or 12 cylinders came with wood or wire wheels. Not sure what might be going on there and that could be a problem unless 'safety concerns' are going to require big fat tires and a Chevy suspension

 

Brad

[Matt Harwood]

There's a replacement engine block from a fire truck that looks identical to the Auburn V12 and gives more than 500 cubic inches. Apparently there are quite a few running around with this invisible "upgrade" and as that Auburn V12 was already one of the most potent engines of the period, I can only imagine how stout one of these big ones would be. That's a lot of money for a project, but it would be a highly desirable and very rare car when it's done. Even at this price, you could probably come out OK financially with a car like this, if that's something anyone considers. I think it's gorgeous.

[alsancle]

I agree with you Matt.  I love it.  I need to find that other Harrah catalog I have.

 

Personally,  I would rather pay 60k for this car,  than 20k for the subject of this thread.

[Curti]

The ACD guys that  have the 12's can spot an  ALF engine 10 feet away. Granted they are both Lycomings, however...................

[alsancle]

You have the same deal going on with the Pierce 12s but other than a letter somewhere on the block they are visually indistinguishable - I think.  Ed Minne can tell us exactly.  Of course that little letter is the first thing the Pierce guys go looking for - in fact they may be able to see it from 10 feet with the hood closed

[auburnseeker]

The pros seem to know before the car even gets through the gates.  It's always fun to find some factory anomaly that defies their schooling.  It drives them almost into convulsions.  "It can't be , well I've never, that's not how it was done. "  

Reminds me of when I sold my fuelie Vette.  Now the NCRS guys and wanna be guys are about the pickiest I have seen.  The vin stamped on the plate on my column was stamped out of whack of what was the norm. Instead of the middle of the plate,  it was stamped really low down to one side.  They said it had to be restamped.  GM never did it that way. (first of all if you were restamping one you would atleast try to match the location of known ones I believe)  They were even saying if you really examined the letters they didn't look quite right.  There was actually a whole thread on a Corvette site I was tipped about on my car.  then their last post ,  a picture of a rusty 60 Corvette column and box with the plate still spot welded in place with the same exact stamping (different numbers of course)  located almost exactly in the same spot as mine.  Funny thing was,  once that picture was posted, No other comments were made as to it being illegitimate.

I think we will always learn something new about old cars as more and more originals are uncovered that will make us rewrite or atelast amend the rule books.  

[Curti]

Restoration guidelines are a living growing document. New information surfaces all the time.  

[1937hd45]

I'm adding this one to list of cars to buy if I win Lotto, what great lines! Checked my "Harris" collection listings and the two 160's he had were different body styles. I can picture this  Coupe black on black with blackwalls on the lawn at Pebble Beach. Please someone tell us those wheels are correct, I like the look. Bob 

Edited July 26, 2015 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

Restoration guidelines are a living growing document. New information surfaces all the time.  

That's what I thought, just don't tell the Vette guys.    LOL

[wayne sheldon]

Corvettes, and model Ts. how different, yet how alike. I have never owned a Corvette and claim to know very little about them, but I have had a dozen model Ts since Stingrays were in their third year. On the model T forum I spend way too much on, I often comment about how much more is really known today that what was known when I got into the hobby nearly a half century ago. I remember many things I was told and cars that I saw that were all so very wrong. I thank Floyd Clymer every day for his contributions to automotive history first, and the formation of the hobby second. Then I quietly curse him for the errors in his books, books that I have had, loved,  and read for decades.

Yes. Knowledge is a growing and fluid thing.

 

About Auburn automobiles for sale. There is a '29 sedan on eBad right now that looks like a decent older cosmetic restoration with a somewhat fixable original interior. It needs work, and is not a convertible, nor a coupe. But I would be curious to hear what the Auburn crowd thinks of it. I am not in the market for anything right now, and 1929 is a bit new for my interests anyway. Since this thread is discussing available Auburns, I thought maybe some could comment on it just for general interest and comparison.

W2

[auburnseeker]

I just like convertibles/ open cars. I could buy a pretty nice closed car but would rather hold out for an open one. I also like the 1931-1933 styling best.  I saw the sedan on ebay but didn't check it out.

 Probably any one I buy will need engine work and chrome and paint and??? so I would rather dump all that into a convertible.  

There is another Auburn 2 door mentioned in the ACD section below.  That one has great lines as well but looks like a money pit to me in the current condition it's in.

 If I was very well to do I would buy anything I found intriguing and restore it,  but since my funds and more importantly  time are limited I have to be picky and wait for the right car that will hopefully come at the right time. Last thing I want to do is settle then have the perfect car come along and regret having settled.  I'll get one some day,  probably in the next couple of years.

 Right now my plate is pretty full.  We bought a newer house which needs work, still trying to sell our old house which needs a bit more to probably make it sell, I'm trying to sell my shop so I can build a new one here at the new house, all while trying to run my parts business which is essentially open 7 days a week.  It all leaves little time for the extras at the moment.  

I had a really nice 1931 Lasalle phaeton ran by me at what I think is a good price but it's fairly  apart and needs a fair amount of work still.  If things were settled I would probably jump on that and get it together and usable for now but I can see it coming and getting stuck in a corner and not getting a thing done on it in the next 3 years. 

The original Auburn of this thread sounded like what I was looking for.  Something not all apart that I could get up and running and enjoy a bit while I was improving on it.  I think it might have been a little past that stage though. 

[wayne sheldon]

I pretty much figured that was what your position was. I have never had a specific marque that I was particularly interested in getting. In my better days, I have had a '25 and a '15 Studebakers that that I toured with quite a lot. I also toured a '25 series 80 Pierce Arrow that I loved. Over the years, I have had several good model Ts including a couple brass era cars that I enjoyed touring with. I also had a two cylinder horseless carriage that I was crazy about, but never quite got ready to drive. Life has never treated me all that well, and all those cars had to go away "for the good of family". I currently have a model T boat-tail roadster/speedster that is drive-able and a nice running and drive-able '24 T coupe whose unusual dash is shown in my avatar. I also have a mostly restored mostly correct '13 T speedster and a very real '15 T runabout that I am frantically trying to get back on the road (the replacement for several cars I had to sell), so I really have no grounds to complain. You made a comment about project cars  " but I can see it coming and getting stuck in a corner and not getting a thing done on it in the next 3 years". Try fifty years. I have the '27 Paige my dad bought and buried in a corner when I was in high school. By the time it "became mine", I had other cars and other projects. It is on my list still, if I live long enough.

So I have never been a specific marque specialist, but I have known many people that were. Auburn has always interested me. I have known a few Auburn specialists. But the closest I will ever get to owning one is probably the transmission in my Paige. It is not for sale, nor do I have a usable spare. But when I was trying to get a good transmission for that Paige over forty years ago, I got lots of letters from Auburn owners hoping for leads. Seems that particular Warner gear transmission was notoriously weak. The one that provided the parts my Paige needed came out of a Jordan.

Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

[auburnseeker]

I'm not really marque specific hence the car in my Avitar.  An open Auburn is just on my Bucket list toward the top, of cars I might actually have the means to acquire, but that list also includes stuff from all over the board including a 61 olds Conv, 62 Chrysler conv, 49-52 Hudson conv, A big boy pickup, a stude Coupe Express, maybe a 40 Ford coupe or conv, 41-53 Caddy conv, 57 Caddy conv, Most open cars built between 1930 and 1936, A stutz, a Pierce Arrow, A duessy (we can dream right) , I think you get the idea.  I also like really nice originals as most people do so I look at everything from a Bath tub Nash to a 42 Olds and that super clean AMC wagon at Hershey in the Car corral last year. I was even pondering an 83 JAG V12 coupe this spring and I don't care for 80's cars but the car was literally in showroom condition and had never been restored. 

I think the marque specific guys really miss out by being so centered.  I like the variety in my collection.  I like getting in a different car for a totally different feel/aura.  I often wonder what fun would it be to own 5 cars that were all the same except for maybe an option or color. 

[wayne sheldon]

Oh, yes, we can dream. Even I still try. I am still hoping to get back to getting my Paige done after the '15 Ford makes its first few tours.

Just to tease you a little bit, a fellow I knew some years ago was an Auburn specific collector. I think he had five of them if I remember correctly.  He was not a close friend, but one I knew from shows and such, he and his wife were both very nice people. If I recall  correctly, I think he had three 1932 Auburns, one of them an absolutely beautiful convertible sedan. He drove it to shows often. His regular sedan was equally, beautifully, restored. I never saw the third one. I don't recall what models they were, but I think the convertible sedan was an eight.

I do wish you success on getting the Auburn of your dreams!

[jeff_a]

Regarding the 1932 Auburn Coupe, I read in The Standard Catalog that there indeed were model 12-160 Coupes. "Custom Dual Ratio" 12-160As cost $1,105 and plain old 12-160s were $975. Re-reading the eBay ad, there's been a revision in the description and it says "had a frame change". I hadn't noticed that before. Still unsold at 22 hours to go.

Edited July 30, 2015 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Steve_Mack_CT]

AKA a "bitsa" A bit of this, bit of that makes a car before youknow it...

[John_Mereness]

You may want to join the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club and consider putting a want add in the newsletter - there are a many many very nice ACD members who are willing to help others find a car.  

 

And, the phaeton you are looking at may just well be worth 45K and perhaps even more (even looking like it does) - thus all the commotion with multiple people, TV shows, and ..... 

[John_Mereness]

I'm adding this one to list of cars to buy if I win Lotto, what great lines! Checked my "Harris" collection listings and the two 160's he had were different body styles. I can picture this  Coupe black on black with blackwalls on the lawn at Pebble Beach. Please someone tell us those wheels are correct, I like the look. Bob 

 

Yes, the wheels on that V-12 are correct - and they are fairly rare as well.

[auburnseeker]

You may want to join the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club and consider putting a want add in the newsletter - there are a many many very nice ACD members who are willing to help others find a car.  

 

And, the phaeton you are looking at may just well be worth 45K and perhaps even more (even looking like it does) - thus all the commotion with multiple people, TV shows, and ..... 

I actually was a member for a while but my membership lapsed.  I still frequent the site which doesn't have a whole lot of activity.  I think 45,000 is pushing it for that car.  There have been much nicer examples trading hands in the 65,000 range for the last couple of years.  Especially one that needs a little.  This car needs everything plus.  I'll hold out for better.  I'm not looking for a 1 of 1.  The more I've looked the more I've found.  Worse case scenario,  I'll just restore my 36 810 phaeton.  or atleast get it up and running.  Not the worst runner up. 

[John_Mereness]

Most of us running ACD cars will likely say to renew your membership.

 

An 810 is a difficult car to restore - you may want to try "running" first.  

 

 

As with 1931 definition of a "nice" car is all relative.  If the Cord really is "nice" then focus on it. And, take it out of the garage - a 31 or 32 will follow you home in no time thereafter.  

 

 

Not sure all those 65K 31's were really "nice" - most in this price range have their faults whether cosmetic, mechanical, base product prior to whatever work was done, and/or ......  

 

 

When a colleague and I bought and restored a 1931 Phaeton in the late 1980's the base car was about 25K and well over 100K additional in restoration - and that car today has been continually worked on is always very nice to see as a regular at ACD Festival.  It took and still takes a lot of dedicated people to make it a really great car.

Edited August 15, 2015 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I do know of the 2 cars that were for sale for 65,000,  you couldn't have taken the original car posted to the same level be it finished driver or more pristine show car partially restored for less than 50,000 and a few years so you would then have atleast 90,000 in a car that was no better than those 65,000 cars.   If the original car was a v12 or something else more desirable that would have changed things but then the seller would have been talking atleast 6 figures and I would have never inquired.  It's all about what I have to spend and what I'm willing to do to get it to the point I want it.   I look at the whole picture,  not just the purchase price.  I've learned to spend more up front to get more. 

I'll get around to renewing my membership at some point.  I never even read most of the newsletters,  just scanned the classifieds quick to see if there were any parts for my car.  My plan with my cord is to buy a complete or relatively complete (mechanically) parts car at some point and swap in the major components once I restore them.  It will probably be nice but not perfect when I'm done with it.  Or I'll sell it off and buy an Auburn at some point.   I have already amassed quite a bit of the mechanical parts I need including multiples of them.  Some are restored,  some aren't.   Life is in the way right now with a new house and my business so it's just a static display in my shop.  It hasn't run in decades,  so it's not going backwards. 

[alsancle]

I have never driven a 31 Auburn so I can't comment on that but your cord is a great road car even at modern speeds.   Also, do not be scared as they can absolutely be sorted for driving and there is a tremendous amount of knowledge in the club on how to do it.   As a boy I made two trips from Boston to Auburn and back in a conv coupe.  I remember the trips very clearly although I was only 4 for the first  one.

Edited August 15, 2015 by alsancle (see edit history)

[X-Frame]

If they have an offer for a Discovery show, most likely it is the Strip 'N Rip out of Las Vegas, that turns cars into Rat Rods.  I think all of the car shows on cable either chops or customized them and none do a showroom restoration.  That said, I am betting they are holding out to see who is the highest bidder to bait these people at Discovery and get 15-minutes of fame with it.  And, this could be a young kid selling the car with no manners when it comes to business?

 

Eric

[auburnseeker]

I have never driven a 31 Auburn so I can't comment on that but your cord is a great road car even at modern speeds.   Also, do not be scared as they can absolutely be sorted for driving and there is a tremendous amount of knowledge in the club on how to do it.   As a boy I made two trips from Boston to Auburn and back in a conv coupe.  I remember the trips very clearly although I was only 4 for the first  one.

 I've been told Cords are Quite the driver.  I was suppose to go for a ride in one but it was down with a minor problem.  

 The idea of driving the Auburn with a truck/ lumber wagon feel doesn't bother me. I was told 33 was the best year because of improvements including Hydraulic brakes. I drive an F250 superduty diesel stick 4 wheel drive truck every day so other than power steering and disc power brakes it's not going to be too different. 

  If I was really concerned with ride I would probably buy a luxury boat from the 60's. 

[X-Frame]

 I've been told Cords are Quite the driver.  I was suppose to go for a ride in one but it was down with a minor problem.  

 The idea of driving the Auburn with a truck/ lumber wagon feel doesn't bother me. I was told 33 was the best year because of improvements including Hydraulic brakes. I drive an F250 superduty diesel stick 4 wheel drive truck every day so other than power steering and disc power brakes it's not going to be too different. 

  If I was really concerned with ride I would probably buy a luxury boat from the 60's. 

 

Yes, the FWD Cords were horrible on the road, hard to handle.

[trimacar]

You're not talking about 810-812 Cords if you say they're horrible drivers, nothing could be further from the truth. My original, half worn out, 812 phaeton drives fine, and I've driven an 812 restored to new (mechanically by a man who worked on them when they were young) and it was a delight to drive.

Most reputations for "horrible" or, more commonly, "trucky" driving cars, of any make, is due to someone driving a worn out original or poorly restored car. Very few cars are true dogs, if in correct mechanical condition....

[1935Packard]

You're not talking about 810-812 Cords if you say they're horrible drivers, nothing could be further from the truth. My original, half worn out, 812 phaeton drives fine, and I've driven an 812 restored to new (mechanically by a man who worked on them when they were young) and it was a delight to drive.

Most reputations for "horrible" or, more commonly, "trucky" driving cars, of any make, is due to someone driving a worn out original or poorly restored car. Very few cars are true dogs, if in correct mechanical condition....

 

Trimacar, on the off-chance you revisit this thread, might you be willing to weigh in specifically on the reputation of 810s and 812s for being mechanically so tricky that they're not reliable cars to drive?  I think they're the most beautiful cars ever designed, but their reputation for unreliability has always discouraged me from thinking of buying one.  In particular, going over to the ACD Club forum and reading through some threads about how to solve shifting problems successfully scares me away. ....

[JV Puleo]

Years ago I worked for a life-long car enthusiast (he owned a Volvo-Saab-Triumph dealership at the time). Ted had owned many exotic cars going back to the late 30s and he often commented on his brother's Cord roadster... "It was a magnificent car...a crowd would gather every place it broke down." Ted's brother, George,  would have owned the Cord in the 40s, when it was hardly 10 years old.

[alsancle]

We have had a 812 Conv Coupe since the early 1960s.  My dad drove this car all over the place including the previously mentioned Boston to Auburn trip twice.  It never ever broke down.   All the engineering issues that were a problem when the car was new have fixes that the club guys are worked out over the years.   If your Cord is properly sorted and maintained it is every bit as reliable as any other 1930s cars except that it is better looking than almost every one,  more interesting than every one and faster than most.   Our car has the factory blower so it might be more peppy than a 810 but it has great performance for a prewar car.

 

A Cord that is driven on a regular schedule will give you no trouble.  A Cord that sits in the garage for 30 or 40 months and then goes out for the occasional ride will be a nightmare.

 

Here is my mom and dad at Auburn around 1968,  top left corner.

[Matt Harwood]

I have to concur, the 810/812s are delightful to drive. The L29s can definitely be heavy and a handful on the road, but certainly no clumsier than my 1929 Cadillac. The later Cords, however, are just beautifully engineered and wonderful road cars with almost a contemporary feel. I would also agree that Auburns are terrific tour cars, regardless of the year. More than almost any other American brand in the 1930s, Auburn emphasized driving over image and luxury and it shows in the way they operate.

 

Coincidentally, I have a 1932 Auburn convertible sedan with a fresh restoration coming with me to Hershey and I'll vouch for the fact that it's a joy to drive, particularly with the 2-speed rear end.