1936 Pierce Arrow 13 passenger (?)

[1950panhead]

Holy Moses !

You better have money and lots of it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1936-Pierce-Arrow-tour-bus/223412795926?hash=item340470ba16:g:CQcAAOSwTmpcbuMm

 

[1950panhead]

[1950panhead]

[mercer09]

that wont sell. wishful thinking.

[JamesR]

The ad says "Only one known." So maybe the guy who bought and hot-rodded one of the last four remaining Continental Flyer coupes on the planet would be interested in this vehicle, too. Metal flake purple...ghost flames...hemi. Chopping that top is going to be a lot of work, though.

[edinmass]

Another easy restoration.........about 1.2 large to restore it to original condition. Worthy project, need the right owner. I’m a purist, but I would use a modern chassis and mount the body on it.......it would save you about 200k.

[C Carl]

To the right owner, saving a couple of hundred would be insignificant. But, Ed, is it really the only one left ?   -   Carl 

[j m davis phd]

there are 2 that I know of...massive restoration and or custom built, either way about the same money.

Edited December 13, 2019 by j m davis phd (see edit history)

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, C Carl said:

To the right owner, saving a couple of hundred would be insignificant. But, Ed, is it really the only one left ?   -   Carl 

First off......it’s a 1935, as far as I can tell. I have seen photos of at least a dozen different units......all similar, but no where near identical. There is an earlier example and I think one other that’s similar. I’m not a truck or bus guy, so I don’t try to track them.

[Grimy]

2 hours ago, edinmass said:

First off......it’s a 1935, as far as I can tell.

Ed, the front end is indeed 1935.  There was an article on these cars in a long ago PAS "The Arrow," but I can't spare the time to look.

 

But I did go to the Bernie Weis (editor of 3 PAS publications for 43 years) digital 'recension tables' which provide the following info:

 

This was known as Model 204 for its 204-inch wheelbase.  These vehicles had their own set of serial numbers beginning with 3580001.  The last known serial is 3580037, so at least 37 were built.  Bernie's files call them FOURTEEN passenger. 

 

Per Motor Coach Age, August 1983, the Fred Harvey Company had four that were documented: serial 3580033 (eng. no. 312037, Harvey Co. #219); 3580034 (eng. 312038, Harvey #220); 3580035 (eng. 312039, Harvey #222); and 3580037 (eng. 312028, Harvey #221). 

Variations included [sub-model] H, J-1 open top, and J-2 closed top.  Branham’s lists these vehicles for “1937”, starting Oct. 1936.

Weis indicates only ONE of the beasts (undoubtedly this one) was known to have survived as of late 2005.

 

[mike6024]

Then there is another thing that occurs to me We were very anxious to get school busses We brought in we had 400 teachers and we had a big school program under way so I lined up school busses through the Fred Harvey program the only busses available at the Grand Canyon They had beautiful equipment up there Pierce Arrow equipment that we were to get at $3,000 a bus large fine de luxe equipment After I left there they bought a bus in Phoenix and paid $3,700 for it that had been sitting on a lot for 2 years I looked the transportation the Government transportation 
 

[mike6024]

 

Pierce-Arrow 15-passenger site-seeing bus, 1935, soft top, 4x2, ?-cyl. ?hp, 51k b/w photo
                        10 of these coaches were used by the Yosimite Transportation System
                        for visitors to Yosemite National Park, in 1935-1953

Edited December 13, 2019 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[edinmass]

2 hours ago, Grimy said:

Ed, the front end is indeed 1935.  There was an article on these cars in a long ago PAS "The Arrow," but I can't spare the time to look.

 

But I did go to the Bernie Weis (editor of 3 PAS publications for 43 years) digital 'recension tables' which provide the following info:

 

This was known as Model 204 for its 204-inch wheelbase.  These vehicles had their own set of serial numbers beginning with 3580001.  The last known serial is 3580037, so at least 37 were built.  Bernie's files call them FOURTEEN passenger. 

 

Per Motor Coach Age, August 1983, the Fred Harvey Company had four that were documented: serial 3580033 (eng. no. 312037, Harvey Co. #219); 3580034 (eng. 312038, Harvey #220); 3580035 (eng. 312039, Harvey #222); and 3580037 (eng. 312028, Harvey #221). 

Variations included [sub-model] H, J-1 open top, and J-2 closed top.  Branham’s lists these vehicles for “1937”, starting Oct. 1936.

 

 

Weis indicates only ONE of the beasts (undoubtedly this one) was known to have survived as of late 2005.

 

Front clip and dash are “car” 1935 style........hood is modified and non standard from what I can see. Neat truck/bus. It should be saved, but it’s probably 100 to 1 that it ever gets done.

[alsancle]

That thing is cool but the restoration costs make my head hurt.

[neil morse]

10 hours ago, Grimy said:

Ed, the front end is indeed 1935.  There was an article on these cars in a long ago PAS "The Arrow," but I can't spare the time to look.

 

George, this rig has got your name all over it! 😁  You can hang your PA birdcage in it!

[63RedBrier]

I like the huge zip ties holding all the doors closed!  My guess is the seller bought it at a local auction for next to nothing and is now trying to cash in!  If the seller was brave, they would put it on eBay at NO RESERVE and let the market set its value!  It would have a better chance of getting restored if the buy in cost was $5-10,000... 

[John Kelso]

Couldn't be any more difficult than this restoration, at least there are patterns.

[JACK M]

Define "mostly complete".

seats, glass, roof, lights, apparently door latches, etc.

I would go the Hemi route.

Edited December 13, 2019 by JACK M (see edit history)

[Grimy]

3 hours ago, neil morse said:

 

George, this rig has got your name all over it! 😁  You can hang your PA birdcage in it!

Don't tempt me, Neil!  And I have far too many projects as it is....

[mike6024]

It's a four door model. Four doors per side.

[auburnseeker]

5 hours ago, JACK M said:

Define "mostly complete".

seats, glass, roof, lights, apparently door latches, etc.

I would go the Hemi route.

I'm thinking Cummins. 

You could run a big 10 foot 6 inch diameter stack up the back or hell right up through the middle since you have to build a new roof anyways.  

Might want to run double wall pipe though so your passengers don't burn their toes or arms. 

[mercer09]

i THINK TRIM HAS AN OLD TIMEY PIERCE FRIDGE THAT COULD BE SET UP IN THE BACK AND A CAMPER COULD BE MADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Randy, that bus is YOU! will fit neatly in your new garage.

[auburnseeker]

Boy it's tempting but I have to save a space for the White Super Power tractor trailer I'm looking for.  Maybe even a Diamond Reo. Saw a beauty at the Saratoga truck show for sale,  the guy had 80 grand in it and was really looking to sell,  Drove it down from Canada just to sell it,   but I didn't think the 30 G I had would take it and Hershey was right around the corner.  

[mercer09]

Heck, you add a tow hitch to the back, hook up the new vertible you just bought and run down to see Ed in Florida.

 

He says he'ld be glad to sort that thing out for ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Apparently he's a master at it.

[auburnseeker]

Well Ed would be the man to sort it out, but if I put the Cummins in it,  then I think he might refuse. Unless I get it looking a tad better he might not even want me to park it in the neighborhood. 

[JACK M]

Probably right about the Cummins, it would for sure get better gas mileage. And that stack thru the roof would make me young again.

However I don't have one of those under the bench. 392s? Why yes, I have two more of those, and several wedges.

[JACK M]

I meant fuel mileage.

Potato/Yam.

[Matt Harwood]

20 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

I'm thinking Cummins. 

You could run a big 10 foot 6 inch diameter stack up the back or hell right up through the middle since you have to build a new roof anyways.  

Might want to run double wall pipe though so your passengers don't burn their toes or arms. 

 

Cummins power is the right call for something like this bus.

 

We sold this Diamond T a few years ago and it remains the single most spectacular thing we've ever had. Built by a very talented guy and if you'd gone to any hot rod shop and asked them to duplicate it for you, they'd probably hand you an invoice for $1 million. Just amazing. The Cummins and the 5-speed manual made it feel like a big rig, but it would also cruise at modern speeds without any effort at all. Too cool. 

 

Hopefully there's a guy just as talented who sees the potential in this bus. That would make one heck of a motorhome, too! Or car transporter if you build a clam shell door on the back to drive in. It's not like it's something that needs to be 100% stock so there are endless possibilities with this thing. I think it's awesome.