Stearns Knight

[John_Mereness]

1927 Stearns knight.8000 original miles. Barn find.runs and drives. Has a 6 cylinder piston and sleeve engine .very rare. If you know anything about this car make offer.  Message Ronald Constantino on Facebook 

 

 

+6

$1,234

1927 Chevrolet sedan

8K miles · Schenectady, NY

Message

Edited May 30, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[pughs]

If $1,234 as shown above is the price, I will take it.

Steve

 

 

 

 

[alsancle]

2 minutes ago, pughs said:

If $1,234 as shown above is the price, I will take it.

Steve

 

 

 

 

where you gonna put that? Wanna sell me the Pierce to make room?

[pughs]

It's time to buy another warehouse.

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

where you gonna put that? Wanna sell me the Pierce to make room?

I have dibs on the Pierce.......just saying.

[K8096]

I'm the only one who has seen the Pierce in person.  I want it.      

[pughs]

Instead of arguing about who's getting the Pierce, please go over to my Stearns-Knight "headlight reflectors wanted" thread and tell me which of the 3 styles that will fit would be most correct. Also, I hope none of you get the Pierce because if you did it would mean that I am dead.

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, K8096 said:

I'm the only one who has seen the Pierce in person.  I want it.      

when were you in California?

[alsancle]

12 minutes ago, pughs said:

Instead of arguing about who's getting the Pierce, please go over to my Stearns-Knight "headlight reflectors wanted" thread and tell me which of the 3 styles that will fit would be most correct. Also, I hope none of you get the Pierce because if you did it would mean that I am dead.

Ed, can you look this weekend and try to point Steve in the right direction?

[edinmass]

12 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Ed, can you look this weekend and try to point Steve in the right direction?

Only if he leaves me the Pierce in his will. I’m in no particular hurry for it. 
 

I wasn’t following the thread, if he needs photos or information I would be happy to help out. Steve, PM me your email address and phone number in the event I have questions. 
 

Steve, if it works for you, I can trade you the Brunn Stearns straight  up for the Pierce...........😎

Edited May 30, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[K8096]

13 minutes ago, alsancle said:

when were you in California?

 

2 summers ago when I drove out west, remember?   

[pughs]

3 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Only if he leaves me the Pierce in his will. I’m in no particular hurry for it. 
 

I wasn’t following the thread, if he needs photos or information I would be happy to help out. Steve, PM me your email address and phone number in the event I have questions. 
 

Steve, if it works for you, I can trade you the Brunn Stearns straight  up for the Pierce...........😎

ED, The photos of the reflectors are already posted on the thread.

 

[edinmass]

I sent these to Steve directly, but though the members would also be intrested. 

[edinmass]

[John_Mereness]

17 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

 

It's seems like a nice car, but it comes with at least one surprise - it has some degree sill rot on the driver's side (under doors) - my guess is garage roof leaked onto splash apron, perhaps someone set a battery inside, perhaps a mice issue, perhaps some design issue/flaw, or ..., but surprising to see lower rot on a car that looks this decent otherwise.     Second surprise was he does not know what he wants for it.  Nice fellow - I asked for more photos.

[alsancle]

5 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

It's seems like a nice car, but it comes with at least one surprise - it has some degree sill rot on the driver's side (under doors) - my guess is garage roof leaked onto splash apron, perhaps someone set a battery inside, perhaps a mice issue, perhaps some design issue/flaw, or ..., but surprising to see lower rot on a car that looks this decent otherwise.     Second surprise was he does not know what he wants for it.  Nice fellow - I asked for more photos.

 

Looks like it is being sold in a nick of time before the circus paint was gonna go on it.

 

Also,  I'm surprised it doesn't have vanity plates with Steve's name on it already .  It is right in his wheelhouse.  

[58L-Y8]

Is the body maker known?  Was it Bender or Raulang local to Stearns-Knight or one of the series custom coachbuilders such as Walker, Willoughby or Judkins?

[pughs]

My 1927 Victoria Coupe has the same problem with sill rot.

 

Edited May 30, 2020 by pughs (see edit history)

[alsancle]

Phillips?

[John_Mereness]

23 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Is the body maker known?  Was it Bender or Raulang local to Stearns-Knight or one of the series custom coachbuilders such as Walker, Willoughby or Judkins?

Owner does not know - says he is a customizer/rodder and does not know these things - Very helpful though otherwise.  

 

He sent photos and looks like car has a design flaw in body construction and metal splash apron touches up against the wood body sill and moisture between two over years has caused a very serious wood problem on drivers side.  Personally, I really see no way to fix wood properly without taking body apart and totally reworking the driver's side body sill (albeit someone else may have some idea of how they would repair).  He says the passenger side is fine, but if same design/build flaw exists then could be still be at issue as well, as unfortunately area between sill and splash apron having no gap prohibits seeing wood sill to inspect bottom side of sill).   Interior has considerable moth damage as well.   Seems more complete than most cars of its age: missing clock, dome lamp bezel/lens, bezels for window cranks and door handles  - some or all of them, and the radiator shell badge - but he says he has badge.  I would say incredibly nice car still and just boils down to price (but he sees something really special and I see wood rot and I only have so many rewood projects left in me, so leaning toward "thank-you-for-time-though-no-thank-you-for-the-car"). 

 

I thanked owner for his time. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[pughs]

9 hours ago, alsancle said:

Phillips?

The bodies for 1927 only (F and G) appear to have been built by the Ohio Body Company (officially Ohio Body & Blower Co. Inc.). 1923-1926 (D and S) bodies were built by the Witham Body Company. 1928 and 1929 (M, N, H, and J) bodies were built by "Baker, Rauch & Lang" with a body tag of Raulang. I believe this is correct but welcome any corroborating information or corrections.

Steve

[58L-Y8]

Hello Pughs

 

Thanks for the explanation of the body supply sources, it would make sense the body suppliers would be in proximity to reduce the shipping costs.  Would these apply primarily to the majority of the most popular body styles, I. e.. touring and sedan bodies?   It appears the rumble seat coupes both convertible and stationary were sourced from Phillips.

 

What surprises me is that Baker, Rauch & Lang were the source for the 1928-1929 Models M and N.  The chassis specifications appear to be shared with the Willys-Knight 66A, though their cars somewhat lower priced.     

 

Any comments on the custom bodies supplied to Stearns-Knight will be of interest.   

[pughs]

I am pretty sure about 1923-1927. I know that my J is Raulang. I couldn't find specific info about 1928 and 1929. You could be correct about M and N being Willys bodies but who made those? Were they built at the Willys factory or contracted out?

[alsancle]

59 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

 Any comments on the custom bodies supplied to Stearns-Knight will be of interest.   

 

Period advertisements reference Brunn and Judkins.   We do have a single photo (Posted here) that shows 3 coachbuilt J8-90 cars at the Commodore.  They look to be all Brunn.  We have a single photo of a Judkins sedan (also posted there).   There are drawings which show Derham bodies (also posted in this thread)  but I have never seen a live picture.

[pughs]

The University of Michigan has Herman Brunn's files including several boxes containing items related to Stearns including stuff about A.J.'s car. I haven't seen the files myself but here is the link:

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/s/sclead/umich-scl-brunn?view=text

 

[alsancle]

Steve, I’ve got a request pending the librarians going back to work.

[edinmass]

When I was buying things from Margery, Herman’s daughter back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, she told me that the CCCA museum had a bunch of stuff, and all her thing were going there. Obviously they didn’t end up there. And many things were sold to people who had cars and the files existed..........she got a lot of money for what she had. It was great stuff. Many of my top items in my collection came from her, and while I have sold much of the Brunn pieces I had, I still have the best piece that Herman and she kept all of the years. 

[alsancle]

You gonna tell us what it is?

[58L-Y8]

Don't leave us in suspense, what is it?  We won't tell anyone else...

[alsancle]

Knowing Eddy it is probably a lap robe.  That needs to be washed.

[edinmass]

It’s the lap robe from the Reza Shah Pahlavi Brunn Town Car. It has the family crest embroidered into it with 24k gold spun into it. I have never posted photos of it. 

[58L-Y8]

Ed  Is the Pierce-Arrow Brunn town car still extant?

[alsancle]

10 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Ed  Is the Pierce-Arrow Brunn town car still extant?

 

It is in a museum somewhere.  Hopefully tucked in a dark corner.

 

Eddy,  you sure she didn't just embroider the Shah's initials in to Herman's old bath robe and pass it off to you?

 

 

[edinmass]

9 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

It is in a museum somewhere.  Hopefully tucked in a dark corner.

 

Eddy,  you sure she didn't just embroider the Shah's initials in to Herman's old bath robe and pass it off to you?

 

 

 

 

Since you don't have anything as cool in your collection of memorabilia that is worth talking about........except the cut away sleeve valve engine.........which is in my garage........and I might keep........... one should not poke fun at others.

 

Here is the car today...........Stop by Iran and tell them I said Hello.......

[John_Mereness]

Thanks Steve

 

[Cookie Man]

I would appreciate advice on removing the plated jacket on the steering column on my 28 Model J. The steering works fine but the jacket needs to be re-plated.

Thanks

Darryl

[edinmass]

6 minutes ago, Cookie Man said:

I would appreciate advice on removing the plated jacket on the steering column on my 28 Model J. The steering works fine but the jacket needs to be re-plated.

Thanks

Darryl

 

 

Thats a BIG project, and it's easy to bite off more than you can chew. You can't just pop the cover on and off.........it's do the whole box or nothing. While not impossible, there are only a select few decent steering box guys left...and most of them are OLD. There are impossible to find bearings, cork and asbestos seals and packings. Never mind adjusting it correctly..............if you decide to take the plunge, I can give you some help with names.......all of which are very busy...think 12 months or more.......Ed

[alsancle]

6 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

 

Thats a BIG project, and it's easy to bite off more than you can chew. You can't just pop the cover on and off.........it's do the whole box or nothing. While not impossible, there are only a select few decent steering box guys left...and most of them are OLD. There are impossible to find bearings, cork and asbestos seals and packings. Never mind adjusting it correctly..............if you decide to take the plunge, I can give you some help with names.......all of which are very busy...think 12 months or more.......Ed

 

Have you figured out which Gemmer box is in the H/J cars?

[Cookie Man]

It might be ok as it is. Sounds like too big of a project for me. Thanks for the advice, it pays to ask.

[edinmass]

23 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

Have you figured out which Gemmer box is in the H/J cars?

 

 

Yup.......same as a Mack dump truck.........probably the biggest and most heavy duty box ever placed in a car. It.s a top of the line box with all bearings.......no bushings.