Oh no what did I do? Now I need a new Username.

[DAVES89]

18 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

Ok so I decided we'll just skip lunch entirely so I can get the stuff bought before I turn 100.  Should work out in a few years. 

 

Anyways,  I ordered the running board moldings, Bought the matts, He had those (last pair made right now) in stock and was going to ship them right out.

I finished cleaning the interior today and decided to take the back seats out to clean them  (surprisingly only a few turds and none of the other disgusting mess)  but they relocated a bunch of the batting from my seats.  Still not sure which one, unless they really had them over stuffed.  While out I decided to really clean out the tail pan area.  I got a vacuum and made some extensions that could flex and really cleaned it out.  I found no rust holes or repairs,  so thats a good thing.  Wood bracing all looks good as well. Looks like the original rear window got broke at some point by some chunks of glass and I found these two treasures back there while vacuuming it out.  

 An old small perfume bottle and a neat pair of Wilson brand sunglasses in pretty good shape.  I can imagine some girl acting like a movie star while riding around in the back on a nice sunny day. Folded them up to put them in her pocket and they slipped through the crack in the seat only to sit back there for the next 80 years undiscovered until today. 

One of the neater finds I have had,  though not really all that exciting. 

You can make up a better story then a girl "acting like a movie star". Maybe a guy and a girl after a great day on the beach heading back to town when the guy thinks "Why not" and turns off onto a scenic overlook for a lovers tryst. She takes off her sunglasses and applies some perfume... only to lose them both in the enchanted moment...

[auburnseeker]

Just could be the real story.  It was restored in the 60's so any other evidence of it's previous illustrious past were lost,  but those slid into an obscure pocket no one cared about until I came along. Better than the pile of spent shot gun shells I found in my 36 Chrysler Convertible.

I found a fly swatter neatly stowed in the tool tray under the driver's seat. 

 

Unfortunately it was from a different era or i could claim it was to fend him off.  

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I usually find a box of rocks.  For example:

Found condoms (in the factory first aid kit) and golf tees in this one.  Biggest cosmetic issue was a couple of inside out dents in the trunk I suspect were the result of carelessly stowing golf clubs.  I guess it provides some clue about prior owner.  But the purfume and suns make for a better story!

[wayne sheldon]

Those are nice sunglasses! I have a couple early pair that I collected a long time ago (used to attend an annual "Gatsby Picnic"). One pair I have is very similar to the ones you found! But mine don't have a great story to go with them.

[auburnseeker]

Unfortunately the only great part of the story I can confirm is they were hidden in an Auburn Phaeton for probably close to 80 years.  Beyond that it's merely speculation.  One can make that part as grand as possible if they want. 

[SC38dls]

Maybe Roger Stone rode in your car as a kid.😳

[auburnseeker]

I'll stick with my versions of the story.  

[auburnseeker]

I got my running board matts in.  Very nice and detailed. That's why they cost so much I guess.  Looks like they will fit very nicely.   Now to get the trim for them,  then I'll peel the boards off and "restore" them.  I don't want to tear things apart until I know i can get them back together.  Trim is suppose to be about 6 weeks or so away. 

The inside cleaned up really nicely. 

The colors are growing on me as I get it wet sanded and buffed out.  I'm about done with that,  just the 2 passenger doors and the side of the hood to go.  Though I still think a dark blue or maroon contrasting stripe would really make her pop. 

Edited March 10, 2020 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Color is great Randy!

[Peter J.Heizmann]

1 hour ago, auburnseeker said:

Though I still think a dark blue or maroon contrasting stripe would really make her pop. 

 

Randy,  

 

Just a suggestion if you plan to have painted pinstriping applied.  With this car being absolutely beautiful I would go to one of the chain auto stores and pick up some of the pin striping tape.  They all handle the blue and maroon colors.  Apply some of the tape in the thickness you choose then step back and take a look.  You could just apply the tape to one area, a whole side, etc.  Ask various friends or relatives to offer their opinion of the color, location, etc.

 

If you then opt not to put any one the tape comes off easily with no damage of the paint.

[auburnseeker]

Ironically that left front fender is dented up a bit between the sidemount and the edge on the curve of the fender.  Not sure how they managed that but I sanded and buffed right down around it and as much as I said it looked terrible,  it actually doesn't look nearly as bad. I mean it's there and you can obviously see it but it doesn't look near as bad.  Maybe now it looks more like patina rather than neglect?  Same as some of the other fender dings.  Once I sanded and buffed the paint out,  the dents didn't seem as herendous.  I mean it's not trashed but they managed to put a ding or dent in the 3 of the 4 fenders.  Each one has been fixed from a previous dent it appears and they did it again.  Maybe they let great aunt Ester in her 90's with Katarakts  park it in the garage a few too many times.  

[John_Mereness]

14 hours ago, Peter J.Heizmann said:

 

  Ask various friends or relatives to offer their opinion of the ..., location, ....

 

If you then opt not to put any one the tape comes off easily with no damage of the paint.

Backtrack a touch:  Auburns are tu-toned and pinstriped very specifically and they had incredible uniformity across a series - remember, they are the parallel marque to a Buick and have a very "assembly line mentality of manufacturing".   While some variances are seen in the tu-toning via restorations - and very accepted (of which this particular car has lots of potential via tu-toning), the pinstripe is something that should be done per factory specifications. 

 

Sidenote:  As to dings in fenders, you will find very quickly that the cars have exceptionally poor visibility for everything but the driver's side front fender (and jokingly, the parts supply of NOS passenger's rear fenders were probably gone when the car was still in production).

 

My suggestion on the pinstripe is something within a few shades of whatever maroon you go with on your wheels. 

 

And, the yellow does have a nice look to it (Auburn = flashy cars for flashy people) !

[John_Mereness]

By the way:  Nice runningboard mats !

[auburnseeker]

I should be happy from what I can see the fenders are actually very good and even if stripped and examined would show minimal work from what I can see on the underside. 

I do know what you mean about visibility.  Cool car to look at, but probably going to be quite challenging to park in an unfamiliar setting, especially with the top up.  Good reason to put the top down in the spring and not put it up again until fall. 

[Walt G]

Randy - thanks for sharing your joy of your new old car and what you are doing to and for it.

I have two old four door pre war cars that the tops go down on - or can go down on. I will never put them down. One has side curtains so with them off the visibility is great, the other is a conv sedan and with the windows rolled down , rear window in the top unzipped and laying down and the center posts between the doors removed there is enough "air" floating around. Even on a really hot summers day it gets pretty "breezy".

I wish you the very best of luck with your Auburn and many thousands of miles of happy motoring.

If you do put the top down get several friends over to help you out - not an easy task for one person to do - it is not a roadster or conv coupe. Be careful of how you grip the top irons as it is easy to get a finger caught and wood top bows, and heavy steel top irons can be very heavy once gravity comes into play when the top is going down in the last 2 feet or so.

Walt

[John_Mereness]

12 minutes ago, Walt G said:

Randy - thanks for sharing your joy of your new old car and what you are doing to and for it.

I have two old four door pre war cars that the tops go down on - or can go down on. I will never put them down. One has side curtains so with them off the visibility is great, the other is a conv sedan and with the windows rolled down , rear window in the top unzipped and laying down and the center posts between the doors removed there is enough "air" floating around. Even on a really hot summers day it gets pretty "breezy".

I wish you the very best of luck with your Auburn and many thousands of miles of happy motoring.

If you do put the top down get several friends over to help you out - not an easy task for one person to do - it is not a roadster or conv coupe. Be careful of how you grip the top irons as it is easy to get a finger caught and wood top bows, and heavy steel top irons can be very heavy once gravity comes into play when the top is going down in the last 2 feet or so.

Walt

I have tried the Auburn "one man" top directions with two men though (and a trained monkey helping) - not a good thing; and I found the easiest way to for them is a person on the left and a person on the right to work the windshield bow and side rails back to the C-pillar bow, then reach in and pop the internal landau irons and fold everything back.  Helps to leave the B-pillar center posts in - just in case you need to stop and rest top on something, but windows rolled down (plus be careful all is unsnapped, rear window removed if possible too). Upon all folded, I usually wrap the side irons with towels as lots of little sharp edges.  And, tops are never be same when you start to use them, but fun down and I am very pleased with destroying my tops. 

Edited March 11, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I heard it was quite a process. Probably going to do the once up and down a season route and get a nice boot made like John Suggested.  I haven't researched to see if anyone has done a youtube video on it.  Even a similar car.  Would be interesting to watch before I maim myself. 

Quite the difference from the other convertible in the garage.

Though I haven't tried it yet,  this one looks super easy. Two latches careful the window folds nicely and it's done. 

[John_Mereness]

As a sidenote:  for the big downpour just before the parade at ACD Festival three years or so ago, I was able to put the top up in probably 3.5 minutes (a Worlds Record) ! 

Edited March 11, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

On Buick convertible sedans, I've been able to get the tops up and down myself by standing in the back seat area and pretty much throwing the top over my head. It's heavy and involves some contortion, but in an emergency, I bet it can be done. I even did a '37 Packard convertible sedan, and that might just be the most miraculous combination of giant top, long wheelbase, and tiny top stack ever created. Stand in the back seat, clean and jerk the top out of of its well, turn aroud so you're facing forwards, and throw it towards the windshield as you bend at the waist. You'll either throw out your back or get the top close--or both!

 

Practice when it doesn't matter so you know what to do when it does.

[Walt G]

Austin Clark was a very close friend of mine, who lived about 15 miles north of me, and I used to help him put the top down on his 1929 Lincoln Locke bodied dual cowl phaeton, his Simplex touring car etc. He always warned me without fail to be careful and not wrap my fingers around the top irons for added support when lowering the top. His comment " Anyone who takes the advice that there is such a thing as a one man top usually is minus a few fingers, which makes it hard to hold a glass of scotch , and of course you don't want to spill any of that!":.

[auburnseeker]

So you are telling me it'a a beartrap and I just have to be careful how I set it off?  

 

I have been known with other convertibles in the past to either drive faster (retractable hardtop like mechanism on my 61 Tbird and no top on y 57 Tbird) when it starts raining or if at a show.  a car cover and a body shop bag,  sometimes with a small tarp and a few stretch cords do a good job as well.   Though I will say there isn't much of a rake between that low windshield and the back of the rear tub to shed water.  I bet that's why someone put a few snaps for a tonneau on my 36 Cord phaeton. I heard those tops are a PIA as well. 

[Walt G]

With a top up and no side curtains on a touring car I found that riding in rain wasn't really to bad as the top over hangs the doors reasonably well. Unless you get a Noreaster with rain going horizontally into the car you stay dry. That depends of course on the rubber gasket at the base of a windshield on a touring car as well, if it is dried out you usually get a waterfall affect straight down from the windshield base and if sitting in the front seat the rain water usually goes straight down your knees into your shoes  and onto the floor once your shoes overflow with water etc. The joys of old cars. But when you get out of the car and walk you get a "squishy" noise from your feet/shoes that you will forever remember as you recover from the cold that you will catch and have to endure days later. 🙃

[Laughing Coyote]

Is the Auburn a yellow or tanish color?  My Mercury looks similar in color and with the lighting in the garage it looks more yellow when pictures are taken, but more tan outside. 

 

 

[auburnseeker]

I think it's really tan but as you can see it's one of those colors that has just enough of a yellowish tint that it looks yellow under different lights.  Probably close to your Mercury.  When the weather gets just a little better,  I'll get it outside for some better pictures now that I wet sanded and buffed it all out as well as cleaned up the upholstery and chrome.  It's just a little work as she's not running and I have a little bit of an uphill grade to the garage so coming out is no problem.  Going back in is a different story.  I think I can pull her back in with my tractor running a rope out the back door but the ground is still pretty soft back there right now.

I've got to tackle the engine, but I'm going to switch to get the Dodge done so I can get that on the road as it just needs the same wet sanding and buff as well as a bunch of little things and possibly a brake job.  All not a huge deal.  Victoria may need a full engine rebuild.  I still have to get her apart to see.  I don't have the money to dig that deep yet and want to leave her together until I'm ready to fix her. 

[edinmass]

AJ put the top down on our 1930 V-16 Cadillac roadster all by himself.......since he is rather lazy, he just did it while driving 55 mph. Seems it managed to go right down with very little effort or delay. True story.......now I don't let AJ drive anything unless I'm with him. He insists it wasn't his fault..........the young lady's feet seemed to kick the latches on the header loose.........😝

Edited March 11, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Guest]

5 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

Cool car to look at, but probably going to be quite challenging to park in an unfamiliar setting,

How about a set of "JC Whitney" style fender guides.😀   Just kidding.   Great looking automobile.  I'm glad you finally found YOUR Auburn.  By the way. your car today does not look like the one you brought home.  Amazing what a little (or a lot) TLC can do.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Guest (see edit history)

[alsancle]

23 minutes ago, edinmass said:

AJ put the top down on our 1930 V-16 Cadillac roadster all by himself.......since he is rather lazy, he just did it while driving 55 mph. Seems it managed to go right down with very little effort or delay. True story.......now I don't let AJ drive anything unless I'm with him. He insists it wasn't his fault..........the young lady's feet seemed to kick the latches on the header loose.........😝

 

I had to throw those pants away since I thought the roof was laying in road 100 yards back.

[edinmass]

26 minutes ago, alsancle said:

 

I had to throw those pants away since I thought the roof was laying in road 100 yards back.

 

If that scared the you know what out of you, wait till I take you for a ride in your Stutz at speed...............got to find out if the speedo is accurate, and if the car will actually do 160 mph..........only two things are for certain on that run, I will find the top end no matter what occurs, and you will be screaming at the top of your lungs while your sitting next to me........APPLY SHOP MOTTO! 

[wayne sheldon]

Oh, the images some of those recent post do conjure up!

 

Walt G, Speaking from experience, eh?

 

For whatever it is worth, and definitely not quite the same thing. But I a few times put up and/or put down two-man tops on model T touring cars.The cars were not mine, belonged to friends. Once I put the top down because the friend and I were going to a parade, and he wanted the top down, I was at his home as he had called stuck at work to have the top down and ready to go as soon as he got home. So I did. Another time, the friend's car was at a show with the top down, outside, and it began to rain. He was busy, so I put it up to protect the seats. They are called "two-man" tops for good reason. But me in the back seat area, working top sockets from both sides with my long arms and fumbling with the front sockets trying to not scratch anything (or pinch my fingers). Most of the time standing, half the time hunched over.  It can be done!

[Walt G]

Yes Wayne, speaking from experience! The leaky windshield gasket was in Austin's 29 Lincoln phaeton. Memories ....soggy memories. 😏

[edinmass]

Randy.......get it running.......I was supposed to be up north next week, but got delayed. I'm looking forward to my ride. 😀

[auburnseeker]

My friend is coming back from FL next week so unless he gets held up by the beer bug I'll have him give me a hand and dig into the mechanicals.  I want a second set of hands if we decide to start it, if I don't find anything that requires me to tear it all down. He can also help me determine how far we need to go if i do tear it down at all.  I want to do it right but if we are talking the rest is good and it only needs rod bearings to be OK then I wouldn't mind going that route so I can get it on the road to see if it needs much else. Some issues I won't find until it's running I'm sure.

 I know the gas tank needs to be done as well. Wow smells like 20 year old gas and the inside looks pretty fuzzy. 

[alsancle]

That is a very simple short block to go through.  You can definitely get it done for 10k or less.

[alsancle]

6 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Oh, the images some of those recent post do conjure up!

 

This picture was taken 5 minutes before that "incident".   This is germain to the auction discussion,  but even beautiful cars that are practically 100 points come with faulty roof latches.   You wouldn't know from this picture there is nothing holding the front of that roof down.

 

[Matt Harwood]

1 minute ago, alsancle said:

 

This picture was taken 5 minutes before that "incident".   This is germain to the auction discussion,  but even beautiful cars that are practically 100 points come with faulty roof latches.   You wouldn't know from this picture there is nothing holding the front of that roof down.

 

 

And you without your brown pants...

[auburnseeker]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

That is a very simple short block to go through.  You can definitely get it done for 10k or less.

I figured worse case scenario,  unless the block is ruined, nothing to suggest that and the issue is a noisy engine, from what I'm told and a possible oil issue I should be able to get it done for that.  I can do everything but the machining.  I've heard of a good shop less than three hours away if I really need to go all through it and have everything machined.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  I really need to get to work on the Dodge as Spring is creeping up on us.   I need to generate a little capital before i dig into the Auburn as I don't have the funds right now to go completely through the engine if it needs it and as I mentioned don't want it torn apart laying around the garage for several months until I can afford it. 

Just bought a real nice load of literature yesterday that's getting shipped in. 650 + pieces. Nothing pre war but lots of unusual stuff from the 50's up.   Hopefully that will help pay for the rebuild. 

Unfortunately I don't have unlimited resources. 

[edinmass]

Randy, I agree on NOT tearing it apart till you are ready. That said, buying gaskets and other things like a spare cap and rotor should be done as soon as possible. I recommend drop the pan, clean it, and figure out what and or if you have any rod issues. If it wasn’t run and hammered on, there are a few band aid short cuts that I deplore, but may be a good short term solution to get it running, and there will be other things to deal with once you get it up and out. If possible, buy a few rods, and send them out for Babbitt. Getting them done ahead of time is important as it can often be a long wait to get them done. Even if you can only borrow two rods from someone, it’s worth having them in hand. Ed

[edinmass]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

And you without your brown pants...

 

 

 

I was tempted to make a disparaging comment but AJ bought me and the Mrs. a very nice overpriced meal at a snobby gourmet restaurant in Jacksonville. It always tastes better when AJ picks up the check. Looking forward to him buying us dinner at Pebble Beach!

[auburnseeker]

I figured doing what it needed but if not urgent to do it all might be the best route as I'm sure she is going to have other issues once I get her up and going that may then facilitate a full rebuild but it will allow me to really ascertain any other mechanical issues she might have in her drivetrain.  I want to get her sorted out,  so I'm encouraged to drive her.  Nothing like having a car that lights right of, runs cool and you know with the exception of a component randomly failing that she will be trouble free. 

[John_Mereness]

On 3/12/2020 at 9:42 AM, alsancle said:

 

This picture was taken 5 minutes before that "incident".   This is germain to the auction discussion,  but even beautiful cars that are practically 100 points come with faulty roof latches.   You wouldn't know from this picture there is nothing holding the front of that roof down.

 

Common issue too - lots of people do not understand the importance of top latches that actually work, proper tightening that damages the chrome, need to tighten latches pretty often, and ... (especially touring's and roadster's with folding windshields, as well as Auburn Convertible Sedans that have folding windshields too.

 

Hagerty probably has statistics on such.