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Auburnseeker


Xander Wildeisen

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It does share a vague similarity to me, or atleast the Hudson does to mine.  Not sure who the old looking geezer is in the photo.  

I told my wife,  geeze do I really look that old?  

Must be old cars prematurely age you. 

 

On a side note,  I'm getting an itch to try to trade my cord for this,   though I'm sure the ywill think their plastic bodied car is much more valuable than mine.  I wish it was the steel body you had on that chassis with your front fenders.    Temptation would probably be too much then.  

I would get it going and safe just as it is and drive the hell out of it. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1932-Auburn-8-100A/173668575348?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

 

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Not really,  that's why I haven't contacted them.  Though I did once before about something else they had and they seemed about as interested in taking my Cord on trade as if i was offering a rusty 52 Dodge 4 door sedan. 

It seems whenever I have contacted dealers with any car I have been interested in trading like a 68 #'s matching big block Vette,  a 57 Tbird, etc. (both nice turn key driver's that looked good) for something similar or even less desirable they either never get back to me or flat out refuse to even entertain a trade without even seeing pictures of my car.  I didn't even say I was looking to trade even,  I would have considered ponying up money for the right cars. 

Of course I did mention trading the Cord to a few people and they weren't interested but I can Understand that as it's more project status.  Dealers I'm surprised though as both of the cars seem like they would be fairly easy sells when priced right.  It's even been the same with newer cars when I went to inquire into trading.  Needless to say I sold all the cars for pretty much what I wanted out of them. 

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Mine was a repro steel body/rear fenders/tail pan. And the rest was original 1931 Auburn. It was a nice project, but it would also be looked at as a reproduction speedster. That is why I was having some fun with it. I am with Curti, your Cord is a real one. Finish it out as a custom, or put it back to original. Ether way it is a real steel Cord. 

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Boy they would have really gotten on your case with a Hudson Powerplant.   Understanding it was a "replica" but as close as one can get to a real one with the current price on them tracking 300 plus and sure to gain as the 35 to 36 versions push the million mark. 

I really did give it some thought and even proposed a trade but figured you were selling it to free up some funds,  more than you really needed another car in the shop. 

If it had run,  I probably would have liquidated the Cord to buy it.  I just didn't want to plop down another pile of cash to get it running and foresaw  I wouldn't have the time in the near future to actually do it either.  Not to mention the funds with the shop build that has robbed me of any extra funds I can come up with.  Looking at Garage doors now.  I only have one huge one but I'm planning on something like this so it's going to be probably close to 5 G before IU get exactly what I want.  

Heading out to do some soffit work now. It's suppose to maybe even reach the upper 30's today. 

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Light transfer through the windows is nice, but the R factor would be the down side. Shops are a big space to heat in areas that have cold winters. In regards to people getting on my case about the Hudson power plant. I was kick off the 1937 Hudson registry when I was 18 because I modified my 37 utility coupe. I got a lot of crap for what I did to my 54 Jag, the Pacific Northwest Jag Club did do a few stories on the build. And then the sh#t hit the fan out here. What I have been put through out here, someones opinion about a Hudson motor, in a reproduction car falls very far down on the list of things I would give thought to. The Hudson motor was with in 1/4 of an inch, of the lycoming engine. Fit right in with no mods, just made a mount/bracket that bolted to the stock frame. It was a repro car, with no harm done to it, to be enjoyed by it's owner. Now someone might try to pass it off as an original car a few years down the road. I am guessing that is what some people wanted me to do. I have always enjoyed fixing up my cars, and do give thought to the value of the car, and what I am doing to them. I look at your Cord and see endless potential. Still looking for a building to lease, and start all over as a business. Our car scene out here has a lot of problems, a lot of really talented people have been wiped out with what goes on. I hope people will start to do something about it, very sad.

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Now if you threw in the Hudson motor with the deal,  I would have really had to think long and hard about it. There is a chance I would have left it in there as well.   It would have been interesting to say the least.   It's funny,  I do a search for Auburns for sale on Google every now and then and pictures of yours and a glass boat tail like yours  in primer on an original Auburn Chassis, not completed that sold for what seemed like pretty cheap money still pop up. 

On the glass on the garage door,  I will have a crazy good R value in my ceiling and walls with a heated floor eventually so I might lose it in the door,  but it's only one door.  My man doors are glass as well.  I might put a wood boiler in as well,  so it won't make a big difference except on the circulators. 

 

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If you have the time, post some pictures of your Cord. I know it has been changed up front, and has a different drive train. I would like to see what someone has done. Is it not road worthy? Not safe to drive? Motor tired? I had one customer years ago with a 36 Dodge coupe, I did a few things on it, but did not want to touch his front end. I told him that he should not drive the car any faster than he was comfortable wrecking it. Someone had cut the frame off right where the fire wall braces mounted to the frame. And then slid in 2x4 tubing, inside the stock frame rails, and welded the two together. Then mounted a Volare suspension to the bottom of the new 2x4 frame rails just floating out there. They were all ready buckling where they slid in the old frame. Maybe a load rating test was done on the inner fender panels. (they do add support) I have seen cookie sheets flipped upside down, pop riveted to the bottom of floor boards,  steel wool used as bondo backing in 60 Chrysler fins. Chunks of inner tube used as brake pedal return springs.:lol: A TV show could be done just on different repairs. Radiator hose clamps used to cover rust holes in exhaust pipes.:lol:

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I think I did the radiator hose clamp thing once to get a car past inspection that was worth not much more than the hose clamps cost.

I'll try to get some shots tomorrow.  It's suppose to be freezing rain all night then finally turning to all rain around noon tomorrow so i won't be outside working on my soffits.  I did get alot dpne on those today,  but as usual it was dark befroe i picked up so I couodn't get any photos.  

They did some questionable things.  They could probably be rectified for not alot of money.  The steering is the one I don't like.  They actually coupled it with a few rag joints and notched the radiator cores for it to go through the radiator to finally connect to the box The geometry is not right and it creates alot of play in the steering.  Someone actiually did put an H pipe in the exhaust when they made it up and they made the exhaust pipes functional in the fenders.   The rear is mounted to the original leaf springs so they didn't cut the back up.  Someone actually went to the trouble of chroming a bunch of stuff under the hood so they must have been proud of what they did.  They also relocated the gas pedal because of the hump they added to the floor for the tranny tunnel and it must have been driven as the new carpet they installed when it was done,  actually has a heel hole worn through it.   They did leave the dash alone though as that's all stock Cord as well as almost everything inside.  It has all it's original Cord trim outside and the only visible body mod is they filled the cowl vents,  but I think they may just be closed and filled,  not leaded in, as you can see a clean crack line in the paint around their perimeter.   Whoever did the conversion even set it up so they could use the original Cord wheels and caps. It has some truck heavy front solid axle in it.  The wheels set properly in the wheel wells,  so someone was concerned with the end result when they put it together it doesn't look like a hodge podge,  just not of the caliber that good builds are done today. 

Mechanically,  it hasn't run as far as I have been told,  since the early 1970's.  It has a flathead Cadillac engine and Lasalle top load transmission.  I tried to turn it over and it does rotate but only a short turn.  I believe it has stuck valves.   That's where I stopped.  I figured if I got around to pulling the engine apart and doing a valve job and then fixing the steering right,  doing brakes (whatever they are) I would be throwing money in a hole on a direction that may not yield a satisfactory driving car in the end. 

Way too many other things going on,  I haven't even gotten around to messing with anything on it in a few years now.  The Hudson took a priority and the 40 Ford which I have about finished to put up for sale. 

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The siren's song of a cool reproduction body on an original chassis must be ignored.  It takes as much money to "restore" a replica body as a real one but getting the money back is twice as hard.  And we know how hard it is getting money back anyways.

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But  a drive-able Repro speedster on an original chassis can be had for probably 3 to 4 times less than an original in comparable shape both in finished as well as project condition (35-36 excluded).  I haven't checked my pocket change today which is probably not much but don't see an original speedster ever in my future at this point.  I'm starting to wonder if an original convertible sedan is even in my future and I won't settle for a closed car.   With another 100 grand to probably finish my garage completely and paying as well as doing most of the work as you go The temptation to buy a repro speedster is atleast a pleasant distraction.  Unfortunately I'm not a realtor or investment banker,  so the money comes fairly slow and doesn't appear until I work for it and though my income has great potential, it's sales and that being small vintage items which come in surges with lots of dry time between the tides.   It takes alot of small items to buy a 5K garage door, or 20K in insulation, 30K for a floor, 10k for electrical etc.  As I said I will have a great garage when done,  but won't have any money to put anything worth while in it. 

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39 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:

The temptation to buy a repro speedster is atleast a pleasant distraction.

 

I LIVE for distractions like that!

 

The "get your money back" comments always make me smile. I have never tried to get my money back from a car I have owned any length of time. I couldn't even tell you how much I have in any of them today. Only a recent purchase once in a while.

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The temptation without the actual execution is what occupies 90% of our time, right?   For me, I just need to string it along long enough until the urge passes.  However, an astute seller can usually work me and if they are patient I fall in to the trap once in a while.

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I've had a 1932 Ford roadster project with a top of the line fiberglass body, that I sold to buy a 80% reproduction 433 Packard Roadster body to go on a running ex Four Door chassis. This in turn I sold for the REAL 1912 Model T Touring I've had since 1983. Real stuff has value and you don't need to make excuses, just enjoy being its caretaker. Bob 

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19 minutes ago, alsancle said:

The temptation without the actual execution is what occupies 90% of our time, right?   For me, I just need to string it along long enough until the urge passes.  However, an astute seller can usually work me and if they are patient I fall in to the trap once in a while.

 

 You know you really do look good in that Cord.

 I have just the right one at a price you can't resist.  

It's Sunday Special priced today only and until 6PM.   I'll even throw in all my spare and extra "RARE" parts that everyone says are worth so much money.  (well atleast when you try to buy them from them) 

Interesting trades considered.

Don't worry I'll make it all look good on paper for you so the wife will think you got the deal of a life time. ;) 

 

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2 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

While we're talking Auburn Speedsters, start to finish how many different style bodied did Auburn offer, I like the first design, not so much the chubby sister that they last offered. Bob 

 

Bob,  the 32-34 is the same as the 35-36 with modifications to cowl and tail on the later.   Not sure how the early cars relate to those bodies.

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2 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

  

It's Sunday Special priced today only and until 6PM.   I'll even throw in all my spare and extra "RARE" parts that everyone says are worth so much money.  

And do not forget about free hood Fridays out here. While supplies last, every Hudson hood must go.

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49 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

I want to see how they get the Christmas tree in this one.

Easy through the golf bag door.  How else would you put it in? ;) 

 

1 hour ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

This is a good looking speedster.

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That one might be a 12.  The hood looks longer and makes it look even more elegant than the 8. 

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I found a convertible sedan with the front clip off and engine out on google images that must have been on ebay or some other auction site.  That would have been a good contender.  Does anyone remember what it sold for?  It was a 32 8-100. I never recall seeing it listed and I search ebay pretty well daily. 

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I actually have a fully rebuilt 39 Caddy engine with receipts Line bored decked,  the whole nine yards in the corner.  I just didn't want to waste the effort to have a mess when done that nobody wanted even if it was running.  (remember the Auburn end goal here)  

I don't think I can use the heads on the 39 engine either, but I'm not sure.  Would be a shame to not put all the hop up parts on the other caddy engine.   I mean it ain't original so no sense in not playing with it if you are going that route. 

Like I mentioned,  I'm not crazy about the engineering of the steering to begin with and I haven't dug deeper into all the engineering.  

I actually have had an ad on the barter section of craigslist to trade for atleast an early 30's higher end open car, and just had an inquiry from someone that has the parts to put it back to original.  They may be interested in buying it.  I discussed a price and they are still interested so we'll see. I have to get them more photos.  So I can fulfill your request while I'm at it.  Sun is shining here right now,  so I need to get out to the garage project.  

I'll try to post some later. 

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7 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Found your ad on craigslist. Good looking car.

It's that realtor camera I borrowed and the mirrors.  That with low pixel count and anything can look pebble beach quality. ;) 

 

Now thinking of realtor cameras,  I always find it funny when you go and look at a house,  you wonder how they ever got that photo.  Must be some special reverse zoom lens, or they took it from a drone they flew inside the neighbors open window.  

  I got the cord uncovered today and started tidying it up a tad.  Figured I should make it present well especially since it should only take an hour to organize things and not make it look like a dumping ground for the spare Cord parts/ bits I have accumulated for it. 

I'll get the photos for you tomorrow.  

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So I went out to the garage and spent a few hours the last two days boxing up spare parts I had piled in the Cord and giving it a quick once over so I could get some current photos.  

Here they are. 

I used the realtor camera.  It looks a little better than it is in the photos. 

I never really cleaned the whole interior and it came up pretty good.  The seat covers should flatten out after a few days as I had a bunch of stuff,  now boxed up, pile on them.  

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I am trying to figure out why you do not have that car in driving condition? Well... I guess I have a couple that are not road worthy. But that car just needs your other Cad motor installed. A long weekend, and you are driving down the road. Since it is on the barter section on craigslist, I have an old drop light, extension cord, wooden creeper, two push brooms, a milk crate and a metal bar stool that I will trade you for the Cord. :lol: 

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Come on Xander it's your turn.  I have a 38 stude and a bunch of shop junk (I mean fine tools) offered you have to one up it. What do you have? 

In reality I would have been offended by the original offer except on craigslist,  I know anything goes.  

So far no ex wives or used up quads offered but it won't be long if I add the new photos. ;)

Come to think of it,  I haven't had any farm animals offered either.  Maybe they don't know how good a hunting vehicle it would have been if it had it's original front wheel drive.  It already has a hole in the windshield post for a deer jacking light and with the top down nothing to obstruct the shot. 

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