Great day for a car ride in the country

[alsancle]

Not sure everybody reads the entire forum so I'll double post this from the Stearns Knight thread.  50 degrees, bright sun, beautiful fall day in southern New England.   We drove the Stearns 63 miles today, mostly between 40-50 mph.  Fully loaded with 4 passengers. 

[Paul Dobbin]

On 11/17/2023 at 8:22 PM, Steve_Mack_CT said:

Overheating condensors are the bane of the Model A ignition system.  They are largely universal from what little I know about them. A&L parts used to make a nice heat resistant unit, I wonder what other applications it would work for...

 

Love this thread and may actually find time to contribute this weekend, foliage will likely be on the ground though..

    Also the bane of Early Ford V8's survival.    The condensor slides into the distributor and is held there by a bracket on the condensor

    that attaches to a distributor bolt.   It can be duplicated by unsoldering the bracket on the old one and soldering it to an old Chevrolet

    condensor .

    I prefer to buy used ones for the brackets.   I still don't know what # the right Chevrolet condensor # is. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Paul Dobbin
spilling errors (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

Yhis one os for "Whitewall Hater Ed Minnie.   Here is a 1935 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow with white walls.   Hard for me to hear that anybody would put blackwalls on this beauty.   Agree Ed?

Color of the vehicle is important and white walls can  help most non-racing, collector cars, yours or mine.

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

I like whitewalls on some cars. This one is fine. The silver arrow may be the most beautiful car ever made!

 

I will add, I really like the colour scheme, LOL (same as my trans am)

Edited November 20, 2023 by TAKerry (see edit history)

[alsancle]

14 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said:

Yhis one os for "Whitewall Hater Ed Minnie.   Here is a 1935 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow with white walls.   Hard for me to hear that anybody would put blackwalls on this beauty.   Agree Ed?

Color of the vehicle is important and white walls can  help most non-racing, collector cars, yours or mine.

 

Probably nobody but the factory.  White walls on a silver car are a crime.

[Grimy]

13 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said:

Yhis one os for "Whitewall Hater Ed Minnie.   Here is a 1935 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow with white walls.   Hard for me to hear that anybody would put blackwalls on this beauty.   Agree Ed?

Color of the vehicle is important and white walls can  help most non-racing, collector cars, yours or mine.

 

Paul, the pictured car is one of the five *1933* Silver Arrows, three of which survive.  All the 1933-vintage photos I've seen of those cars show blackwall tires.

 

For 1934-35, Pierce produced about 50 (total of two years, vast majority in 1934) so-called "production" Silver Arrows which were 2-doors on a 144" wb in either an 8 or a V-12. and with or without sidemounts.  The 1933 SAs were on a 139" wb.

 

I am fortunate to have one of the 1934 SAs and it came with whitewalls and I replaced them with whitewalls (see photos).

[edinmass]

 

Little known fact..........only one Silver Arrow was painted silver......and after the World's Fair it was painted the same shxt brown as the others...........same color as the Packard Car of The Dome. Some would call the color "coffee with cream". 

 

Notice no wheel disks.....and strange mirrors. Painted grill louvers. Early style archer.........

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by edinmass (see edit history)

[arcticbuicks]

there are a few pierce i have seen of the Canadian built ones ......i love the look of them......one is a 1932 model 50.......and this post reminds me of a place i visited years ago..... where the guy has 2 in the mid 1930s........i have to see if he is still alive and if the cars are still sitting.........there was only one canadian built 1934 convertible 12 built

Edited November 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

Grimy's 1934 2 door PA is prettier than the 35 4 door and it has a chrome grill and whitewall tires  !!!!   Good taste Grimy.

This is the same 4 door car pictured at that started  off my comments.   Much nicer than the Airflow design too.    I have seen all silver Airflows and their pretty too.   The one I  did 9 Great Races in was silver & black, but never pretty.  Pictured on Pikes Peak

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Paul Dobbin
added Aiflow picture (see edit history)

[edinmass]

9 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

there are a few pierce i have seen of the Canadian built ones ......i love the look of them......one is a 1932 model 50.......and this post reminds me of a place i visited years ago..... where the guy has 2 in the mid 1930s........i have to see if he is still alive and if the cars are still sitting.........there was only one canadian built 1934 convertible 12 built

 

 

The 1932 would be a series 54, 51, or 52. I believe you are talking about the yellow rear mounted spare 54 convertible coupe. The 35 above is owned by a friend. It was sold new to a gentleman who bought a Hispano new also.

[arcticbuicks]

model 52  on the 1932 pierce.......rather than the 50 i typed

 

i am not an expert on the pierce but i do not know of a yellow one canadian built ,..........just red 1934 1240A with the 462 c.i. that was first produced car of 247 ,walkerville ont. and ended up going to grandson in Mi.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Arctic, I have inspected and driven the red car......the wire wheels on it actually came off one of my old cars when the two owners swapped them......go figure. The red car had steel artilliary wheels new. I have a photo of the car the day it left the assembly building in Canada.......

[arcticbuicks]

and you are saying it is 1935 and not a 1934 ?........can you post a the pic you have ? i could pass it on to Reynolds archive ....thanks

Edited November 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[arcticbuicks]

the serial number is 3119001 on the walkerville cowl tag.......where it was manufactured .......as simply assembly was not allowed 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[Grimy]

2 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

the serial number is 3119001 on the walkerville cowl tag.......where it was manufactured .......as simply assembly was not allowed 

 

3119001 is a 1934 12-cyl, 139" wb chassis number.  The historical file for this car in PAS records reads "assembled in Canada."  There were only 1,740 1934 Pierces made including 3 different engines, 4 wheelbases, and 19 body styles.  No wonder they went broke!  That also makes it highly unlikely that any more than a few parts were manufactured in Canada.

[arcticbuicks]

only 247 built in canada in 1934

surprising there are a few in existence still.....i have seen one tucked away in a museum,2 in a garage......and 2 at car show or places in the past canadian built all pre 1934.

i am not sure why the word 'assembled in Canada'......is so commonly used......maybe by people who do not know the laws of the time.......there were a lot of parts manufactured in canada for all brands as there had to be with canadian materials also......as assembly alone did not beat the rules to avoid the tax........and thus many of the cars also ended up being slightly different than the US brothers.

Edited November 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[JACK M]

On 11/20/2023 at 12:21 PM, Grimy said:

Paul, the pictured car is one of the five *1933* Silver Arrows, three of which survive.  All the 1933-vintage photos I've seen of those cars show blackwall tires.

 

For 1934-35, Pierce produced about 50 (total of two years, vast majority in 1934) so-called "production" Silver Arrows which were 2-doors on a 144" wb in either an 8 or a V-12. and with or without sidemounts.  The 1933 SAs were on a 139" wb.

 

I am fortunate to have one of the 1934 SAs and it came with whitewalls and I replaced them with whitewalls (see photos).

Grimy, That thing is gorgeous.

I hope you remember me in your will.

And I love the WWs.

[JACK M]

I should mention,

Today is actually my birthday.

[Grimy]

6 minutes ago, JACK M said:

Grimy, That thing is gorgeous.

I hope you remember me in your will.

And I love the WWs.

 

4 minutes ago, JACK M said:

I should mention,

Today is actually my birthday.

Well, I hope you have a VERY happy birthday, Jack, and the best year yet!  🙂

[JACK M]

3 minutes ago, Grimy said:

 

Well, I hope you have a VERY happy birthday, Jack, and the best year yet!  🙂

My kids are taking me out to dinner tonight and they insist that I do not pick up the tab.

A HUGE turnaround from the norm.

I believe I will have the rib eye.

[Grimy]

2 minutes ago, JACK M said:

My kids are taking me out to dinner tonight and they insist that I do not pick up the tab.

A HUGE turnaround from the norm.

I believe I will have the rib eye.

For such a "rare" occasion, order the Kobe or wagyu!

[JACK M]

This place they are taking just might have those.

I have never indulged in such extravagance.

[Grimy]

45 minutes ago, JACK M said:

This place they are taking just might have those.

I have never indulged in such extravagance.

1. It's never too late,

2. you're not getting any younger,

3. try it--if you like it, do it again

[arcticbuicks]

@Grimy i like your knowledge on the Pierce......and i have become more interested in them.....do you have information on the Canadian production numbers ?

[Grimy]

2 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

@Grimy i like your knowledge on the Pierce......and i have become more interested in them.....do you have information on the Canadian production numbers ?

Not at the tip of my fingers--er, keyboard.  I do know that "9" as the fourth digit of the seven-digit serial/chassis number means Canadian production.  BUT...Pierce adopted the new numbering system in 1929 and kept it through 1938.  Each car of the 1929-38 period has a 7-digit serial/chassis number (first 3 digits indicate the year, the engine, and the wheelbase in code), a 6-digit engine number, and a composite body number that indicates body style, sequential number of that body style, and (usually) year. I'll try to find time to research this but not this week!  🙂

[alsancle]

7 hours ago, Grimy said:

Not at the tip of my fingers--er, keyboard.  I do know that "9" as the fourth digit of the seven-digit serial/chassis number means Canadian production.  BUT...Pierce adopted the new numbering system in 1929 and kept it through 1938.  Each car of the 1929-38 period has a 7-digit serial/chassis number (first 3 digits indicate the year, the engine, and the wheelbase in code), a 6-digit engine number, and a composite body number that indicates body style, sequential number of that body style, and (usually) year. I'll try to find time to research this but not this week!  🙂

 

According to Ed, 200 ish.  Production was really "assembly" as all parts were made in the USA.  Similar situation to the European chassis being shipped without bodies to the USA to avoid import duties.

[arcticbuicks]

 

edinmass

• 
• Members
• •  16.4k
• Location: Palm Beach, Florida & Springfield Ma
• Other Clubs: CCCA-HCCA-Pierce Arrow Society-ACD Club & Museum- too many others to list.

Posted October 25, 2015

The Canadian carswere shipped over the border disassembled and reassembled in Canada. There was no production there . I've been told they could only handle two or three cars at a time . As the building was basically a small garage . It was done to avoid tax import fees . The factory numbers indicate up to 150 cars I doubt that it was half of that . I think he's only three survivors from Canadian a assembley.

 

•  

[arcticbuicks]

disassembled  and reassembled ?.....in a small 2-3 car garage that only held a few cars......only three survivors ? 

a quick search on the net will show some pierce cars from Canada.......and specifically what years are we talking ?.......as the import taxes were not simply avoided by reassembly of a car from the US.

 

my cousins in California ....when we were kids and always traveled down there........they had this imaginary vision ......thought we Canadians live in a log cabin in the snow ....in the middle of the forrest.....with a wood stove and the police ride on horses.

 

just an observation not to be rude ....so i guess i could understand some peoples thinking if they do not know much about Canada.....that way back in the day a Canada car factory would be a 2 car garage ?

 

Fact is pre war .......the British empire was huge market of all the wealthy commonwealth countries........and with the British holding the powerful world currency  ........US auto makers wanted a share of the market and Canada was the close commonwealth country to manufacture and supply those countries .There was some pretty good production efforts  of brands outside the USA in doing so ........pierce did not weather so well ..........I could say i heard this or that.........but i first rather hope to learn and post some facts on pierce in Canada

Edited November 22, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[arcticbuicks]

@edinmass did you happen to find that pic you mentioned .........and some concrete fact on the "yellow" one as being Canada built..... you assumed i was talking about {which is not the one i was talking about }..........would really help.....and the known numbers of Canada pierce cars would now  instantly jump past 'three known' ........i am just waiting for a call back on one of the 1932 pierce i mentioned i know of......asking for at least the last 4 digits of the serial number........that would tell us at least that many were made in canada in 1932 with the last three digits ............the other two ......i have to find contact info.

Edited November 22, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[JACK M]

23 hours ago, Grimy said:

For such a "rare" occasion, order the Kobe or wagyu!

Went with the Wagyu, Good advise.

[edinmass]

7 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

@edinmass did you happen to find that pic you mentioned .........and some concrete fact on the "yellow" one as being Canada built..... you assumed i was talking about {which is not the one i was talking about }..........would really help.....and the known numbers of Canada pierce cars would now  instantly jump past 'three known' ........i am just waiting for a call back on one of the 1932 pierce i mentioned i know of......asking for at least the last 4 digits of the serial number........that would tell us at least that many were made in canada in 1932 with the last three digits ............the other two ......i have to find contact info.

 

 

 

 

 

[arcticbuicks]

thats one more ....if we knew the serial number........today i got a call back on the 1932 model 52 club sedan......sadly the serial number plate was stolen decades ago but it has the body number 242-N-20 and the car still sits tucked away ......and i thought of another one .....in Edmonton,a kind of army green 1929 ......perhaps someone here knows of it .....i am asking for the last three digits so we would know what number it is.

The staff at Reynolds museum archives called me back today and pulled up all the records they have on Pierce out of amazing organized vaults of 70,000 pieces of trades literature.....they do not have anything showing the production numbers....but have a couple original certificate of shares in the company,one for 50 shares and one for 100 shares....they offered to give us scan copies.....as well as original parts and service books and one 40 page option catalogue 1918 full of pics ......they said the 'western development museum' has some archives on Pierce.....as well as the archives in Toronto [ INGENIUM Canada it is called] they passed me onto for pictures of the factory.......should have pics in a few days of the factory...........here is another pierce in Canada....1918 just for intrest....then there are still 2 more i know or knew of in garage early 1930s......still trying to get contact.....but fear the guy would be near a 100 y.o by now......... i am going to see if i can maybe buy them too...if still there

[Grimy]

@arcticbuicks here's some info for you:

 

* 1932 model 54 conv coupe, the yellow one with 5-wheel equipment, bears serial no. 1059006 so it is Canadian production.

 

* 1932 model 52 club sedan with body number 242-N-20 has engine number 350184 but the serial number is "missing" (not uncommon, it's ONLY on a rectangular aluminum tag riveted to frame).  Can't tell from engine number or body number whether it was Canadian production.

[arcticbuicks]

the 1932 with missing serial number is Canadian luckily with known history of it.....just do not know the production number.

i am interested to continue to find more 

[alsancle]

Cool but sunny day here.   High was about 39.    Trying to stuff driving in days while I can.   Did a 34 mile circuit and it took just about 1 hour.  Traffic was light except in the town centers I passed through.  All 40mph road except one 50mph.

[Dan Cluley]

This wasn't me, but some folks had a nice drive last Sunday near Owosso MI.  Chasing a 1941 locomotive in a 1931 Ford.  

[BillinMd]

7 hours ago, Dan Cluley said:

This wasn't me, but some folks had a nice drive last Sunday near Owosso MI.  Chasing a 1941 locomotive in a 1931 Ford.  

Great old 2-8-4 Berkshire loco!

[Brass is Best]

I have been exercising this land yacht for the last few days. Wonderful Cadillac, it even smells like it should.

[EmTee]

21 hours ago, Brass is Best said:

... it even smells like it should.

Licorice? 

 

[Brass is Best]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Licorice? 

 

1959 Cadillac's with an original interior have a unique smell. Once you smell it you never forget it. Some might call it "new car" smell.