Good Cord 812 Parts Car

[Guest]

Not mine.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-Cord-812-1937-Cord-Beverly-812/273907608688?hash=item3fc62a6c70:g:~J8AAOSwIoNdBAgy

[auburnseeker]

It would be for mine.  Unfortunately I never have the extra 15G these usually seem to try to sell for laying around plus shipping when they come up.  I wonder how many unrestored mostly complete as well as partially / stalled restoration sedans are out there?  Seems a couple come up for sale every year atleast but they are never the same ones. 

[mercer09]

that is a relist from last week. not one bid, but ironically, one in NV sold last week that was in a million pieces for 18k.

 

I would much rather buy a car that is still together then one torn into a million pieces. you never know what is missing.

[auburnseeker]

I was surprised that one got bid so high. Either someone saw some parts they really needed or someone (well atleast 2 people) or a friend of the seller really wanted a project in the anti project climate we are in.   I wouldn't be surprised if that missing front bumper ends up costing atleast 2500 before you have a nice one hanging on the front.  

Remember it's a Cord so Any missing pieces you need to buy are made of Platinum plus.  

Edited June 28, 2019 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[Peter S]

That's way better than a parts car.

[mercer09]

That's way better than a parts car.

 

the one that sold on ebay for 18k????????????????

 

did you see it?

[Dave Henderson]

36 minutes ago, Peter S said:

That's way better than a parts car.

I'm  much in agreement.  Unless there's something missing that isn't apparent, this one should not be sacrificed for parts.   Based on the interior and the "S" serial number suffix it's a Beverly, not a lesser Westchester. 
An explanation of the status of the transmission is needed.  I see shift rods in the parts picture meaning it was dismantled, and In the inverted view of the transmission area non original linkages are visible.  As for the rest. ??   Nor can I make out any shift lever or control in the dash picture.  That's likely an indication that the vacuum/electric shift system was scuttled and a manual arrangement had been or was being rigged. 
Transmission failures are a major cause of Cords becoming inactive, but contemporary updates have improved reliability.   

[alsancle]

Why do you guys think the seller would let it go for 15k?  that is just the starting bid.   He probably wants 25k or more.

[BucketofBolts]

Tacoma area (near the LeMay museum) is where the vehicle is located. I would opine that the seller wants much more than $15,000 and is fishing in EBAY for a buyer that would pay the reserve before the seller decides to go some other route. Selling the parts individually likely would fetch more than the $15,000 but after figuring in a sizable amount of lost time in pulling apart the pieces and listing them for sale and then taking them to the UPS store or Post Office to ship makes it too costly even if the seller is retired and lots of time to spend parting out this vehicle.   Better that the seller have a good story for the car. The seller could tell everyone that Al Capone's older brother Ralph "Bottles" Capone owned the car and drove it down to Florida to be used by his younger brother Al Capone in the 1940s, and that Al Capone used the vehicle to go back & forth to the grocery store to buy suntan lotion for Al Capone's out-of-work henchmen when they visited scarface at his Florida home in Palm Island. 

[auburnseeker]

Many may be better than a parts car,  but most need everything and hope there are no missing parts.  They are far beyond survivor status and quite often half apart and or not running.  Now anyone that wants to step up and restore one to have a nice 60G car with 100G invested they are more than welcome to.  Or you could go buy a pretty nice one for around 60.  There always seems to be several for sale that you can enjoy right away. 

On the parts end,  I think if you bought one for 15G or so to part out,  you wouldn't be above 15 G again until you sold the carcass and had a room full of "valuable " parts no one really needs.  There are a few choice parts,  beyond that (mainly the engine and tranny) every Cord guy seems to have spares of.  Of course if you call the Oklahoma guys they will give you big prices for anything you need,  which they still have in stock.  If the parts are so crazy rare and valuable there would be almost none if any available.  I have a corner in a room stacked tight with Cord spares and a few good sized boxes full of NOS and rechromed parts that my car still has the originals of.  I think there is some myth to the Cord for rare parts.   Now of course this is the 810-812 not the L29.  I know nothing about their parts supply or market. 

Of course if you were parting out a complete open car that was in Decent shape so that the components weren't crap,  I could see netting some good money for all the convertible specific parts. 

Makes me think,  maybe I should part mine out.  Of course my drivetrain isn't original but boy do i have some nice sheetmetal and alot of Convertible specific pieces in very nice shape since it was stored in a nice dry garage in the California desert for 40 years before i bought it and has been in a dry heated garage since I bought it and had it shipped.  I wonder what the vin is worth alone with clean clear paperwork?  

Edited June 29, 2019 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[mercer09]

looks like everyone has the cars mixed up- nobody said the photo of the maroon one was a parts car- the one in a million pieces that actually sold on ebay.........was the one referred to as a parts car.

 

English is my third language..........lol

 

yes Im kidding!

[mercer09]

15,000 and is fishing in EBAY for a buyer that would pay the reserve

 

there is NO reserve this time around..................... 15k and its yours.

[mike6024]

[1912Staver]

If this one can be bought for $15,000.0 that would make sense . Use the engine, trans and whatever you need for your roadster, and sell the rest of the car to someone who would be using it as a basis of a resto - rod. It is definitely good enough to be a car again , even if modified.   People might have backed off on stock restorations but I think rods have some life left yet before demographics catch up. 

 

Greg in Canada

Edited June 29, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[John_Mereness]

Not to be critical, but the Beverly we are all talking about should be restored (basically it is a 98% pretty solid car that is mostly assembled).  

 

The one in a billion pieces that was on ebay a while back was questionable as to parts car or not, via cars in a billion pieces apart for years probably fair far less a chance of ever becoming a completed project  

[Peter S]

yes, the Beverly deserves resurrection.

[1912Staver]

I agree it is not a parts car. But possibly at a fork in the road between 100% stock and non stock power train.  Personally I like Cord styling a lot, but I have always been doubtful of the early front wheel drive engineering.  A re-engineering along the lines of the Hupp Skylark; or as has been done to Auburn seekers roadster, MIGHT be a more attractive proposition for some potential owners.

 If I owned Auburnseekers car I would just use it as it is and leave the restoration back to stock for a future owner. But it is without question a car that should at some point in time be returned to stock , restored condition. 

 The ebay Beverly could be the basis of a casual use cruiser without the complication of the front wheel drive. And if bought cheap enough be a low cost source of the stock parts needed for the roadsters eventual restoration. The residual Beverly is still worth much of the purchase price without the stock drive unit as it is good enough to be viable on its own to a modified car builder. A person might get 60% - 70 % of the price paid back for the car less power train , and therefore be a reasonable cost engine trans source.

 

Greg in Canada

[mercer09]

ebay beverly listing ended early. must have sold it on the side lines................

[Guest]

To me the subject car is indeed a parts car. My view has nothing at all to do with whether it COULD be restored or even whether it SHOULD be ( "deserves to be?")  restored. It's simply about the numbers ($). It gives me no pleasure to state this, as it would be great to see it saved, though I doubt it will happen. I owned the LWB Beverly pictured below. I paid around $75K for it as shown, and sold it several years later for around the same money. I like working on old cars as much as the next guy, but why would I buy the subject car, and spend years restoring it and then wind up having at least $150K in a car worth $60-65K? Being slightly underwater on a car for the love of the hobby, etc is one thing. Most of us have been there . Being at the bottom of the ocean is something altogether different. I see it as a good fit for someone like Mr. Auburnseeker.

  If someone decides to restore the subject car, I will be their biggest cheerleader, and follow the project with great interest, but for me it is unapologetically nothing but a very good parts car.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Guest (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

One better hope as well that the engine is good in those sedans, because if you need to buy a good engine,  you just sent another torpedo into your project. 

[Peter S]

Interesting comments, but why "restore" it? Get it running and rust-proofed and let it express the impact of the "hand of time."It doesn't need to look it just rolled pout of the showroom.

[auburnseeker]

58 minutes ago, Peter S said:

Interesting comments, but why "restore" it? Get it running and rust-proofed and let it express the impact of the "hand of time."It doesn't need to look it just rolled pout of the showroom.

I think it's one of those cars that the while you are in there you should do this,  then it ends up fully restored before you finally get it all back together.  Time hasn't been unusually cruel to it,  but it hasn't been real nice either.  It needs new glass if nothing else and that's just to be able to see out of the windows to pass inspection if it were being registered in NY.  It's beyond aged. 

[mercer09]

One better hope as well that the engine is good in those sedans, because if you need to buy a good engine,  you just sent another torpedo into your project. 

 

well as David aptly mentioned a short while back- he was able to buy his correct engine back for his car for a song........well a fairly good price.

 

His rendition  o  f

 

 

" O solo Mio"!!!!!!

[Dave Henderson]

11 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

I think it's one of those cars that the while you are in there you should do this,  then it ends up fully restored before you finally get it all back together.  Time hasn't been unusually cruel to it,  but it hasn't been real nice either.  It needs new glass if nothing else and that's just to be able to see out of the windows to pass inspection if it were being registered in NY.  It's beyond aged. 

I recently saw a great deal on 810-812 glass on ebay, all the sedan pieces for $495.

Edited June 30, 2019 by Dave Henderson (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

The glass is easy to get,  then rubber,  maybe another 500 in gaskets,  as I said, it's just a while you are in there what else do you do?  Now you have the door panels off if you are doing the side windows.  The door panels may crumble.  Can of worms. Even on good cars that look great lots of surprises arise.   The while you are in there's burry you.   Also remember most of these cars were parked for a reason. Hopefully it's not a tired engine or broken transmission.  All fixable,  but the deeper you dig into mechanical things,  the deeper you bury yourself.  Just about every dime spent mechanically on a car you will never see back or atleast at a return in 1/10 or so of it's investment. 

One of the reasons my Cord is just sitting pretty in the corner.  I would imagine I could easily spend 5 grand getting mine up and going, then it may not even run or drive well.  I have some stuck valves, so I need to go into the incorrect engine one way or another.  I even have a fully rebuilt with receipts 39 Caddy engine that's never been run I could put in it,  but then again, after looking around, I would be doing multiple things to re, engineer what's been done already.   Dump 5G toward maybe getting it running and driving,  or dump 5 G toward the parts to make it correct?  As it is,  it's still movable and presentable,  which it won't be when I start tearing things apart to try to fix the things I don't like.  I can see at some point hitting a wall of I don't likes and deciding to stop , so I can go the route to put it back correctly.   The original Cord wasn't the greatest bit of engineering,  but I believe it was probably better than the guy that modified it in the 40's. 

[Dave Henderson]

8 minutes ago, auburnseeker said:

The glass is easy to get,  then rubber,  maybe another 500 in gaskets,  as I said, it's just a while you are in there what else do you do?  Now you have the door panels off if you are doing the side windows.  The door panels may crumble.  Can of worms. Even on good cars that look great lots of surprises arise.   The while you are in there's burry you.   Also remember most of these cars were parked for a reason. Hopefully it's not a tired engine or broken transmission.  All fixable,  but the deeper you dig into mechanical things,  the deeper you bury yourself.  Just about every dime spent mechanically on a car you will never see back or atleast at a return in 1/10 or so of it's investment. 

One of the reasons my Cord is just sitting pretty in the corner.  I would imagine I could easily spend 5 grand getting mine up and going, then it may not even run or drive well.  I have some stuck valves, so I need to go into the incorrect engine one way or another.  I even have a fully rebuilt with receipts 39 Caddy engine that's never been run I could put in it,  but then again, after looking around, I would be doing multiple things to re, engineer what's been done already.   Dump 5G toward maybe getting it running and driving,  or dump 5 G toward the parts to make it correct?  As it is,  it's still movable and presentable,  which it won't be when I start tearing things apart to try to fix the things I don't like.  I can see at some point hitting a wall of I don't likes and deciding to stop , so I can go the route to put it back correctly.   The original Cord wasn't the greatest bit of engineering,  but I believe it was probably better than the guy that modified it in the 40's. 

 

With some luck you may not have to go into the engine to correct the valves.  I guess it depends whether they are stuck up, or down.  The best case scenario would be down, because they have hydraulic lifters which after a long snooze don't want to function. 
During my school days (back in the dark ages) a friend wanted to get a '37 LaSalle going that had been sitting for years. It just wouldn't catch on while cranking except on a few cylinders.  So we rope towed it with my '37 Olds up to about 45 mph in high gear and one by one the cylinders began kicking in.  After that, with a fresh oil change it ran smoothly and did surprisingly well. 

[auburnseeker]

The valves are stuck down as I can rotate the engine a little and it comes up against a shut valve,  then back the other way to another.  I did load it up with oil a few years ago,  but I haven't done anything since.   The problem is valves are so high in the block,  that even loaded up,  very little oil gets to the valve before it runs out the plug holes.  I've been told they are notorious for sticking and you really need to take them apart to fix the problem so they don't hang up again. 

Edited June 30, 2019 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[Dave Henderson]

3 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

The valves are stuck down as I can rotate the engine a little and it comes up against a shut valve,  then back the other way to another.  I did load it up with oil a few years ago,  but I haven't done anything since.   The problem is valves are so high in the block,  that even loaded up,  very little oil gets to the valve before it runs out the plug holes.  I've been told they are notorious for sticking and you really need to take them apart to fix the problem so they don't hang up again. 

Where all the valves are down it would be because the lifters had collapsed. 
If there is too much oil in a cylinder that is on the upstroke of the firing cycle (with both valves being closed) it could just be hydraulic lock.  If so try it with the plugs out, if you haven't already.  If it has been stored with coolant in it there is also the possibility that a gasket leak allowed liquid to enter a cylinder and rust the bore.  In this case rotation might be possible on the down stroke but not the up once the piston got to the rust area causing your symptom. 

[John_Mereness]

On 6/30/2019 at 10:39 AM, auburnseeker said:

Dump 5G toward maybe getting it running and driving,  or dump 5 G toward the parts to make it correct?  

RE: unrestored Cord Beverly sedan

 

I would say 10G to get that unrestored Cord Beverly sedan running or driving if it just needed little stuff (you would be surprised)  - probably 25G if you were rebuilding drivetrain (and savvy).

 

And, I would say 10G toward various missing parts - again you would be surprised when you get into one.

 

The last 1935 Auburn 852 S/C phaeton I did was being driven locally with and shown in LA area and to get it really tour capable and authentic to its "nuts and bolts" we spent 40K on drivetrain and misc trim parts (with 30K of that on parts and 10K in labor). 

Edited July 13, 2019 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

Being it's a flathead Caddy parts are much cheaper than Cord parts and I have a bunch of stuff for the engine plus a completely rebuilt engine so to make it drive around town capable.  I think 5 wouldn't be completely out of line.  To make it a reliable tour car,  yes you can spend alot more.  I figure that's with me doing all the work.  Anyways,  it's not going to happen.  A million other things to do,  including many on the honey do list before I get to the Cord.