1950panhead Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20/the-elkhart-collection/lots/r0013-1937-cord-812-supercharged-cabriolet/820658 Serial No. 812 32023 F Chassis No. 1023 Engine No. FC 3232 Body No. C 92 260 A genuine factory-supercharged Cord ‘Sportsman’ Formerly the personal car of Cord expert Lee Richardson An excellent example with numerous accepted, reversible improvements Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club Certified Category 1 (C-268) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950panhead Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950panhead Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950panhead Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 I can't emphasis enough what a GREAT cars these are. People get scared of the mechanics, but they are fairly easily sorted and the club has figured out all the minor engineering updates that Cord didn't have time to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 7 hours ago, alsancle said: I can't emphasis enough what a GREAT cars these are. People get scared of the mechanics, but they are fairly easily sorted and the club has figured out all the minor engineering updates that Cord didn't have time to. What’s the trick to accomplishing smooth shifts (the mechanical portion, not the operator portion)? As a kid a family friend had one that was well sorted and that particular aspect was a point of positive distinction for their car, but I don’t recall ever hearing the method for accomplishing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 One of the tricks for smooth shifts is to regulate the amount of vacuum to the shift cylinders. With full vacuum from the engine, the attempted shift is too fast and may grind gears. There is an inline control valve that is sold specifically for this purpose. When I did some work on my Cord, I unwittingly slightly kinked the main copper vacuum line to the transmission. The car shifted better than it ever had. I showed it to my good friend who’s doing a little mechanical work on the car (actually, a lot of mechanical), and told him whatever he did, DON’T fix that kink! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 I drove one two weeks ago and the 2nd, third and fourth gear shifts were clunk free. I was grinding going in to first but now I know the trick. You go to neutral as you are slowing down and then to first on the last half turn if the wheel as you stop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 These cars are often misunderstood. In reality they are a joy to drive. They are easy to maintain and above all beautiful works of art. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 When I first had trouble with my shifting, I called a well known Cord expert and asked if he could straighten it out for me. The conversation went something like: Are you mechanically inclined at all? Me:well, yes, I’ve restored numerous cars, hands-on, but the Cord.... Ok, are you going to drive the car at all? Me: well, yes, I enjoy driving my cars OK, then, here’s the deal...when you’re stuck on the side of the road with most other cars, someone can help you. With a Cord, you can only help yourself. Get the diagrams and the information on how Cords shift, and fix it yourself. Then, at least you have some chance of making round trips...... It was great advice...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYER15015 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 On the third picture, do I see an alternator in the back ? And just wait till Ed sees those 8 hose clamps. He'll have a "coronary"........ Mike in Colorado 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 11 hours ago, alsancle said: I drove one two weeks ago and the 2nd, third and fourth gear shifts were clunk free. I was grinding going in to first but now I know the trick. You go to neutral as you are slowing down and then to first on the last half turn if the wheel as you stop. Thanks for the reply! That seems counterintuitive to me. Slow the rpms on the down shift? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 12 hours ago, trimacar said: One of the tricks for smooth shifts is to regulate the amount of vacuum to the shift cylinders. With full vacuum from the engine, the attempted shift is too fast and may grind gears. There is an inline control valve that is sold specifically for this purpose. When I did some work on my Cord, I unwittingly slightly kinked the main copper vacuum line to the transmission. The car shifted better than it ever had. I showed it to my good friend who’s doing a little mechanical work on the car (actually, a lot of mechanical), and told him whatever he did, DON’T fix that kink! Thanks for the reply! I wonder how one accomplishes the proper vacuum setting, sans unintentional vacuum line restriction. Has anyone written a “how to tune your Cord”? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 minutes ago, SparkEE said: Thanks for the reply! That seems counterintuitive to me. Slow the rpms on the down shift? I guess I should have pointed out that I'm not actually shifting when I move the lever from 2,3,4 to Neutral because the transmission only shifts when you depress the clutch. It is a "preselector". There is a wealth of knowledge on how to maintain and repair (and upgrade) the 810/812 Cord within the ACD club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, alsancle said: I guess I should have pointed out that I'm not actually shifting when I move the lever from 2,3,4 to Neutral because the transmission only shifts when you depress the clutch. It is a "preselector". There is a wealth of knowledge on how to maintain and repair (and upgrade) the 810/812 Cord within the ACD club. I follow you. What I meant is, I’d expect to speed up the engine when down shifting (if double clutching were an option) to match the speed of the lower gear. It seems like a good understanding of how to tune the shifting mechanism would be invaluable. I’ve been a member of the ACD club for a while but missed the articles on tuning a cord transmission, I guess. Maybe I’ll dig back through. Again, thank you for your answer! ...beautiful vehicles! Edited March 12, 2020 by SparkEE (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 38 minutes ago, SparkEE said: I follow you. What I meant is, I’d expect to speed up the engine when down shifting (if double clutching were an option) to match the speed of the lower gear. It seems like a good understanding of how to tune the shifting mechanism would be invaluable. I’ve been a member of the ACD club for a while but missed the articles on tuning a cord transmission, I guess. Maybe I’ll dig back through. Again, thank you for your answer! ...beautiful vehicles! The club issued a "transmission book" sometime in the late 70s or 80s. If you figure out how to get a copy let me know, I think we could use a copy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, FLYER15015 said: On the third picture, do I see an alternator in the back ? And just wait till Ed sees those 8 hose clamps. He'll have a "coronary"........ Mike in Colorado Hack! Sorry, I can’t help myself........... Nothing wrong with a bone stock Cord........If you know what you are doing. They are a great tour car, and with a little bit of effort, trouble free. Edited March 13, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 1 hour ago, alsancle said: Ah, perfect! Now that I look, I see a thread on it over there at the ACD website. Maybe @Justin Kerns can shed some light on this (very old 2010 link): https://www.acdclub.org/forum/cord-810-812-acd-forums/4817-transmission-manual-updates 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Kerns Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 I sure can! We have sold out of the old manual but the club is well into creating a brand new one that will be available in the coming weeks. I can post up here when they're available. They will be greatly improved and updated vs the previous version. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkEE Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 32 minutes ago, Justin Kerns said: I sure can! We have sold out of the old manual but the club is well into creating a brand new one that will be available in the coming weeks. I can post up here when they're available. They will be greatly improved and updated vs the previous version. Thanks @Justin Kerns, I’d be interested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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