1930 Stutz for sale

[Yellowriv]

Hi everyone, I’m fascinated by this 1930 Stutz that is listed for sale. Whilst I know a little about the history of the company, I’m interested to know what they are like to own and drive. Looking at the pics for this car, the dash looks uncommonly sparse for a car of this vintage.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/stutz/m/1937052.html?refer=saturday#&gid=1&pid=19

[kbeach]

Dash looks different to most model M's because it has the rare factory installed radio. 

Missing its trunk rack and correct tail lights.

[Rusty_OToole]

In their day Stutz was a luxury car selling against Cadillac, Packard, Peerless, Marmon etc. Their big selling point was performance. In the early days they did a lot of racing and had a lot of success, the Safety Stutz like the one you show,  was built for performance with low slung chassis, overhead cam straight eight motor, one of the first cars with hydraulic brakes and safety glass and other features that were supposed to make it safer, as well as faster from point to point than other cars.

 

What they were like to drive and own I don't know. Certainly a classy and attractive looking car. But I suppose the cheapest Toyota or Ford Escort would out perform one today.

[John_Mereness]

7 hours ago, kbeach said:

Dash looks different to most model M's because it has the rare factory installed radio. 

Missing its trunk rack and correct tail lights.

I am use to seeing the instruments centrally located in a cluster (but the trim of the cluster tends to be die cast and falls apart over time) - that being said this dash has been the way it is for a really long time.  Strikes mesomeone updated the dash to be more SV-16 or DV-32 and took some liberty at even that (all be it not uncommon for differences in Stutz cars). 

 

Usually you see some trim on the gas tank cover (I have seen wood in many cases)

 

The taillights bases are correct - though the lights questionable and certainly not what I would associate with an M.

 

And should have a luggage rack

 

Additions:  I think M's have some sort of odd die cast carb that fell apart, so not sure if this has a restored original w/new parts, is a replacement, or it the preferred type replacement - best ask a Stutz guy.

 

Fabulous car - and an M as a whole is a fabulous car !

 

I found the Detroit 4 speed transmission a little tricky (most experience though is with the Franklin 147 which is basically the same less any possible hill-holder feature) - Ron Andrews drove his 151 Series Franklin Pursuit Touring and use to shift his 4 speed without using the clutch - said after daily driving it for x years and ... you get use to it and he had spares - would drive that way and tell people (aka me) "do not try this at home." 

 

I recall going over to Bill Bools the week after he got his unrestored M Cabriolet - impressive cars.  And, see Stutz regularly in this area being so close to Indianapolis.  

Edited January 6, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[K8096]

The dash layout is correct for a car with a factory in dash radio, just the radio currently installed is wrong.  It's supposed to have 2 large bakelite dials in the center.   Stutz relocated all the instruments to make room for it.   Someone replaced the original radio with newer one, and probably replaced the dash cover piece to cover up the 2 large holes that would have been there from the original dials.   The photo below is what it's supposed to look like.  

Edited January 6, 2019 by K8096 (see edit history)

[edinmass]

How are they to drive? Well, it depends. Year and series influence driving experience. The DV 32 is the most desirable model, then the SV-16, and then the Model M. The body is a factory catalog tagged batch built unit. Very nice, but nothing custom or special about it. The Convertible Coupe body is only one step below the most desirable Roadster, although some like touring cars better. It’s not a particularly difficult car to drive, fix, or restore, but it can be expensive to work on. I would NOT call that car restored, only serviced. Our European friends have much diffrent ideas about service and repair than Americans do.........much diffrent. I expect if a Stutz guy looked over the car in person, he would have lots of comments. I see a few things myself I would call........inexpensive service and repairs. Doesn’t mean the car isn’t a good or decent example, just that it’s likely that you will put a lot of time and money into it to make it a dependable and sorted driver. The tires are old and will need to be replaced before much driving. And anyone who would lift a car up like that on a offset lift is out of their mind..........overall I like the car. Hire an expert to fly out and look at it in person if your a buyer....it will be the best money you ever spent. I think the price on the car is exactly what I would ask for it if it were mine......as far as current market selling price, that is more difficult to determine. Good luck, Ed

[Yellowriv]

Gentlemen, thank you for your generous and very knowledgeable assistance.

 

John.

[JACK M]

I wouldn't kick it out of my garage.

However, I just cant keep up with everything I would like to own.

[Rusty_OToole]

From an old interview with a designer from the custom body era. He worked for several well known custom body companies in the twenties and thirties. He said most bodies were 'stock' in that they were made in batches of 50 or 100 and were stored until they got an order, then the body was installed on a chassis, painted trimmed and equipped to the customer's order. Most were ordered by dealers for stock, and bought off the showroom floor. If a customer wanted a particular color, trim combination, or accessories they would get out a body and modify and equip it as desired. He said the full custom, hand built to order, one off bodies only accounted for 1 or 2 out of every 100 bodies sold. But, the materials and workmanship were the same in all the bodies they made, and all were considered custom bodies.

[edinmass]

Rusty, your quoting from Hugo’s book, the custom body era, which as been proven to not be truthful or accurate in SOME instances. Batch bodies were NOT the same quaility, they were often better than many factory work, sometimes not. Easiest way to determine it is by looking at the hardware on the doors........hinges,latches,window regulators,.......and such. The large production LeBaron stuff was not up to the same standards as the low production custom stuff.

[K8096]

Ed is 100% correct.   And on Stutz, some of the bodies that were built in 1929/30 were not used up until 1932/33.  The car in the ad is a batch production body, not a custom.   

 

 

    Here's the same body as the subject car in a 1931 MB chassis.

 

  

And here's the same body again on a 1931/32 DV chassis. 

 

 

 

  

Edited January 7, 2019 by K8096 (see edit history)