Jump to content

Pebble Beach, just 5 Months Away


1937hd45

Recommended Posts

Just wondering what the typical shop and owner is doing right now, is everything carefully planned and moving along smoothly? How many of this years or any years cars are older restorations that just need a detailed cleaning? Bentley, Zagato,  and Hot Rods, should be another great year. Bob 

Edited by 1937hd45 (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Also, please note that we generally do not allow cars to return to our show field within a ten-year period unless they have changed ownership and are freshly restored (or they are an original preservation car)".  This is from the Pebble website.  Very few concours allow cars a return engagement and certainly not for the purposes of getting a first place award.  Concours are generally curated by a committee and the goal is to be new and fresh. 

 

Bob, the Elegance, June 9th, is in driving distance!  75 amazing cars and if you will see a strong showing of coachbuilt cars from the pre-war era all shown in the gardens of the Hotel Hershey and not roped off, you can get close and personal with these cars!

 

Bob forgot to answer your question what shop owner's are doing now.  Probably cursing, muttering under their breadth, tearing their hair out, driving their staff crazy, screaming at supplier and vendors and getting calls from clients wondering if their car will be finished on time!  This I know for a fact!

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What’s the shop owner doing? That’s easy........working nights and weekends, on the phone yelling at the chrome shop, begging the upholstery guy to work faster..........just the normal Pebble Beach dance...........been there, done that. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, edinmass said:

What’s the shop owner doing? That’s easy........working nights and weekends, on the phone yelling at the chrome shop, begging the upholstery guy to work faster..........just the normal Pebble Beach dance...........been there, done that. 

Lot's of begging.  I always try to get things done early that depend on other people, but it is a large orchestration process and lots of people helping really are hobbyists, lot of the businesses are not of the same business model that you see in say CPG, and the really good chrome platers, upholsters, and ... have more work than they can do too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

How many years out are most restorations? I would think the Pebble Beach committee has planed the feature cars 2-3 years in the future, but there must be last minute picks that need some updating. Bob 

 

Bob,  anywhere from lots of years down to 1 year.    The deep pocket guys can hand a car to a shop 12-18 months in advance and it will be ready.  But there is a cost.   I think that applications need to be in by late winter. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pebble Beach..........the Super Bowl of Automotive Art. So many details and special things to account for, busy from 5am to 11pm for and entire week.......on edge like drinking fifty cups of coffee a day. To be honest, I have been enough times that I have developed a routine that works great for me..........when showing cars. Most importantly is good parking access or you will be miserable. Figuring out what to do, what to skip, when to arrive, and when to leave are all very important skill sets. My routine makes the pressure drop a few notches, get me to bed at reasonable times, and now I can honestly say besides the long hours, everything else is just a pleasant time working hard........all that said, it can be VERY expensive, or not too bad.........it’s all in how you approach it. I do recommend everyone who has gas in their veins to attend at least once.......just like the Hershey fall meet. If anyone wants pointers or tips, I would be happy to share them. And, I can tell you from experience, when your there with a car and get recognized..........it’s quite a thrill. Just driv g on the grass at the dawn patrol is fantastic. Acceptance letters should be in the mail this week.......keeping my fingers crossed. 👍

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve, Do you know if they consider cars under restoration with completions dates years away? I guess there are two batches of cars, the featured marques of the year, and the cars in the yearly classes. Either way it is amazing that every year there is an unseen batch of outstand automobiles. Bob 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cars considered under restoration several  years away...........no. 18 months to 24 months out would be a reasonable limit. There is a strategy to get in..............and if you want to separate yourself from the other 500 enteries in your class, you need to understand what they specifically are looking for in any given class in any given year. As far as all the post war stuff.......I have no clue, as that is not the world I travel in. I would be happy to assist for anyone with a pre war car......just pm me. 

 

 

Now, if you have a barn find special roadster, a unknown and never seen Alfa 2.9, or a long lost SSJ that Clark Gable owned, you can bet your odds of getting in are pretty good.........just another run of the mill fantastic pre war car..............maybe the overall acceptance rate is the same as Harvard...........1 out of 50 get in on any given year. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Stutz belongs to my friend Diljeet Titus of New Delhi India. Helped him with parts and some odds and ends, and made a clutch adjustment on it after the tour. Great car of the Raj.........it won a special award.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Nothing yet.............I expect to hear something soon. I would like to make my flight plans ASAP and I’m sure I will attend even if our car doesn’t make the cut. Like Hershey, it has become a permanent fixture on our yearly calendar. Keeping my fingers crossed! Ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The letter from Pebble arrived Wednesday, we made the cut. Now we just have to finish the restoration on time........."

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On ‎3‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 12:10 PM, edinmass said:

That Paige sure looks like a Gold Bug Speedster to me??????

Ed, the Paige is a 1921 Daytona Speedster belonging to a good friend, and took 2nd in class in 2018.  And its appearance in 2018 was its second, after 10 years--exactly 10 years, I believe.  In 2018 the Paige was in a special  "sports autos of the 1920s" or similar class (don't recall the specific class name), whereas its earlier appearance was in a conventional year-grouping class.  It's a superb restoration, far better than that of the Daytona "prototype" shown at Amelia in 2011.

 

Congratulations on your acceptance--now get to work! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

George, the Paige sure resembels a Gold Bug....forgive me for that...........not too familiar with either of them. Looks like a fast car for its time. Obvioulsy well made. Ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, edinmass said:

George, the Paige sure resembels a Gold Bug....forgive me for that...........not too familiar with either of them. Looks like a fast car for its time. Obvioulsy well made. Ed

Gold Bugs were made by Kissel......  The Paige 6-66 chassis is 131" wb with a Continental 8A engine of 331 cid (3-3/4 x 5) but geared low and slow as you might imagine.  Even the Daytonas--except that the speed record Paige from the beach (I have a photo of it in front of the SF dealership) must have had really tall gears, like 2.75s.  You'll have to check out my 1922 Paige 6-66 "Larchmont the Second" 4-p phaeton, which is an older refurbishment, not a restoration.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, TerryB said:

If your taste is for something sporty

 

 

As Henry Ford II once said..........."Never buy a car you can piss over"...........even though he was the father of the GT40. 

 

Hope it doesn't get censored.......true quote.

 

I'll take the Page or the Gold Bug........😎 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

As Henry Ford II once said..........."Never buy a car you can piss over"...........even though he was the father of the GT40. 

 

Hope it doesn't get censored.......true quote.

 

I'll take the Page or the Gold Bug........😎 

This wouldn’t tempt you?

 

7B1A8F82-DA91-47B8-B85B-D3AEF5E46E3D.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! I am a BIG W O Bentley fan........have  experience with them......Speed Six, Three Liter, and a Blower. 👍

 

Took the DV-32 for a rip last Saturday...........and spun up a J to the 4000's on Sunday..........Like it says in my signature line.......

 

"Dive them like you stole them!" Best, Ed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Grimy said:

Gold Bugs were made by Kissel......  The Paige 6-66 chassis is 131" wb with a Continental 8A engine of 331 cid (3-3/4 x 5) but geared low and slow as you might imagine.  Even the Daytonas--except that the speed record Paige from the beach (I have a photo of it in front of the SF dealership) must have had really tall gears, like 2.75s.  You'll have to check out my 1922 Paige 6-66 "Larchmont the Second" 4-p phaeton, which is an older refurbishment, not a restoration.  

The first place in that sports car category was taken by a freshly restored 1921 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug owned by Andrew Heller. A beautiful car and correctly restored down to the wire terminals. The Kissel car differs from the Paige Daytona in many ways - here are a few important ones

1. A Kissel Gold Bug 45 has two suicide seats, whereas the Paige has one

2. Kissel built their own engines. Six cylinder L-heads producing 65 hp. Paige engines by Continental were bigger

3. Kissel Model 45 wheelbase is 124” vs Paige 131”

4. Kissel Gold Bugs after mid year 1921 usually had double side mounts and step plates. Paige’s usually had rear spares.

As always, have to post a couple pictures. The side seats in Kissel Gold Bugs and Paige Speedsters are definitely showstoppers!

Ron Hausmann P. E.

 

 

7E84B45C-C24C-4F68-AA3E-51AABF3712EF.jpeg

CAEC9566-6385-463A-96F1-0C7BDA12BBEB.png

69B4445D-4180-4027-9E00-7DB77B9C83F5.png

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

There is another thread about wheel restoration and it made me wonder, are there arguments between owners and restorers as to who has the best powder coater for their wire wheels, or do some of the cars still have painted wire wheels? Bob 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess you may find a powder coat company to do a wire wheel Pebble Beach  Concours quality (I am aware of a few examples that have seen the show field, though never asked who did the work), but most powder coated wheels I have seen are more "production" work (aka there are 100 point cars and then there are 100 point cars - one things is not like the other).   There is a local company (Cincinnati) called "Killer Coatings" and they are very proud of their show finish powder coating. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...