What are the shorter CCCA cars (under, say, 16.5 feet)?

[1935Packard]

Most CCCA cars are in the range of 17, 18, or even 19 feet long.   I wonder, what are the shorter CCCA cars?  To narrow it a bit, let's stick with cars of the 1930s, available with four seats, and, and say, under 16.5 feet.  Any ideas?   The best ones I could think are the Cord 810/812 (which I believe are 15.75 feet), and maybe a Derby Bentley (which vary, but I have seen some stated as 16 feet).  Any others? 

 

And yes, this is a question prompted by a garage space limitation. I mean, that's rational, right?  Um, right? 

[alsancle]

You caught the 810/812 Cord.   I don't have any Auburns handy to measure but those might be under 17.    Also a bunch of English cars,  Railton, Squire, SS (Jaguar).  Bugattis are not very big,  Also a 500K/540K Mercedes may be under 17 feet for some of the body styles.

 

Any Brewster bodied Ford is probably not 17 feet long but also don't have one handy.

[edinmass]

Obviously you're looking at this from the wrong perspective.............the car's are not too long, your garage is too short. I could say for you to just extend the wall........but not having hot water and electricity in the house would probably be an issue. I do have the PERFECT solution. By the wife a Jag XJ-120 MC, and put it in the small garage. When handing her the keys, explain about the new carriage house with five bays and a chauffeur"s quarters upstairs.............don't mention my name. And just think.......all of the cost savings. A carriage house is much cheaper than a divorce...........and then she will expect you to fill the place up.................see, no problem buying more cars! I should ave a PHD in marrige counseling...............I always find a solution. Where should I send the bill? Ed

 

PS- If she has any problem with this perfect plan, let her pick the color of the 120. If she gives you any more static..........then I will come up with another solution, probably a new house.

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

[Matt Harwood]

The cars are not nearly as big as everyone thinks they are. I just went out into the shop with a tape measure: my 1941 Buick limousine on a 139-inch wheelbase is just over 18 feet long, including bumpers. My 1929 Cadillac on a 140-inch wheelbase is barely 17 feet, bumpers included. A 1931 Packard 833 5P phaeton is about 16 feet, 3 inches and the 1931 Cadillac Town Sedan next to it is almost exactly the same with a 134-inch wheelbase but no trunk. The 1932 Marmon Sixteen we have on a massive 154-inch wheelbase with a trunk hanging off the back is probably as big as cars can get, and it's not quite 19 feet long with the trunk and bumpers; I have parked it in my standard 2-car garage at home without issues. Melanie's 1956 Chrysler station wagon is just about 16 feet but it looks gigantic from any angle and I would have guessed it was bigger than that. Freakishly long cars like Duesenberg limousines might approach the 20-foot barrier, but there aren't many cars that even get close to 20 feet.

 

A standard garage should be at least 20 feet deep but much more commonly 24 feet deep if it was built in the last 50 years. My old house, which was built in 1927, had a small bump-out on the back wall of the garage that was obviously made for the nose of a very long '50s car, and without the bump-out it was just barely 20 feet deep.

 

Any Full Classic should fit in a standard home garage. Will you have room to move around? Maybe.

 

[trimacar]

Doctor friend in town, he had two collector cars.  Next thing I know he’s telling me he has four.  He lives on a small lot in an exclusive neighborhood, so couldn’t make his two car garage bigger.  He brought a contractor in, raised the roof, and put in two lifts!  We all need bigger garages.....

[1935Packard]

12 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

The cars are not nearly as big as everyone thinks they are. I just went out into the shop with a tape measure: my 1941 Buick limousine on a 139-inch wheelbase is just over 18 feet long, including bumpers. My 1929 Cadillac on a 140-inch wheelbase is barely 17 feet, bumpers included. A 1931 Packard 833 5P phaeton is about 16 feet, 3 inches and the 1931 Cadillac Town Sedan next to it is almost exactly the same with a 134-inch wheelbase but no trunk. The 1932 Marmon Sixteen we have on a massive 154-inch wheelbase with a trunk hanging off the back is probably as big as cars can get, and it's not quite 19 feet long with the trunk and bumpers; I have parked it in my standard 2-car garage at home without issues. Melanie's 1956 Chrysler station wagon is just about 16 feet but it looks gigantic from any angle and I would have guessed it was bigger than that. Freakishly long cars like Duesenberg limousines might approach the 20-foot barrier, but there aren't many cars that even get close to 20 feet.

 

A standard garage should be at least 20 feet deep but much more commonly 24 feet deep if it was built in the last 50 years. My old house, which was built in 1927, had a small bump-out on the back wall of the garage that was obviously made for the nose of a very long '50s car, and without the bump-out it was just barely 20 feet deep.

 

Any Full Classic should fit in a standard home garage. Will you have room to move around? Maybe.

 

 

Thanks, Matt. 

 

FWIW, the "problem" I am having, which Ed knows and is teasing me about, is that we're moving to a new place that has a 30-foot long attached garage.  (There's room to build another garage; negotiations with my better half have limited me to adding another two-car.  At least for now.  )   Thinking down the road, I'm trying to figure out if I can someday fit two cars end-to-end in those 30 feet.   There are small cars from the 50s that I like that are 13-14 feet, so I'm trying to figure out what options I would have to squeeze in a second car. I mean, you have to daydream about something in the middle of a pandemic, so why not this.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Yes......I must admit my sick sense of humor thought it was funny that I recommended him buying a new house when he hasn’t even moved into the one he is currently asking about............

 

Like most wives of car collectors, Orin’s wife is a Saint...........I’m not sure she has figured out how much of the old car hobby is in her future yet...........but I’m sure it’s ten times more than she has imagined. Wait till I tell her that along with the new carriage house and guest apartment, Orin needs a suite of Snap-On tools........just another “sell” I have to help him with. 👍

[1935Packard]

1 hour ago, edinmass said:

Yes......I must admit my sick sense of humor thought it was funny that I recommended him buying a new house when he hasn’t even moved into the one he is currently asking about............

 

Like most wives of car collectors, Orin’s wife is a Saint...........I’m not sure she has figured out how much of the old car hobby is in her future yet...........but I’m sure it’s ten times more than she has imagined. Wait till I tell her that along with the new carriage house and guest apartment, Orin needs a suite of Snap-On tools........just another “sell” I have to help him with. 👍

 

And yet she likes you anyway, for some unclear reason.  Go figure!

[John_Mereness]

34/35/36 Auburns and 36/37 Cords (but not Custom Beverly's) are pretty nice as to length, 

[John_Mereness]

8 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

34/35/36 Auburns and 36/37 Cords (but not Custom Beverly's) are pretty nice as to length, 

Probably a 1929-1933 auburn as well.

[1935Packard]

For those interested, here are a few lengths I could find online (although I don't know if the online references are accurate).  I'll edit this post if I find new ones to add.

 

1931 Cadillac Eight:  16 feet, 11 inches

 

1934 LaSalle:  16 feet, 10 inches (not a classic, but a very cool car).

 

1935 Auburn Eight:  16 feet, 2 inches

 

1927 LaSalle: 15 feet, 5 inches

 

1933-40 Derby Bentleys: 14 feet 6 inches for the Chassis only.  [Car length depends on coachbuilder and body style]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[8E45E]

On 11/11/2020 at 7:03 AM, Matt Harwood said:

Any Full Classic should fit in a standard home garage. Will you have room to move around? Maybe.

I think most modern garages, especially attached ones are more height deficient than anything else.  A 6'6" overhead door doesn't cut it with some older cars and nowadays, newer SUV's.

 

Craig

[Steve_Mack_CT]

My neighbor had a 65 vette that was a touch too long for his shed/barn so he built a 18 or 24 inch bump out on the back.  A very handy guy, it served it's purpose till he built an addition to the barn for another three cars.  Sadly, he and his collection moved down south, new people use this beautiful structure for..nothing these days!

[John_Mereness]

Try a 34 Cadillac V-16 - a tight fit for any garage  

[Grimy]

1925-27 Pierce-Arrow Series 80 (the junior varsity model but still Full Classic) is 190 inches long (15 ft 10 in).

[Steve_Mack_CT]

41 Lincoln, 209 inches, just 17 feet. 5 inches,  assume later models through 48 may be a tad longer.  I am actually a little surprised as I did not think these look as long as they actually are.  

Edited November 15, 2020 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[1935Packard]

12 hours ago, Grimy said:

1925-27 Pierce-Arrow Series 80 (the junior varsity model but still Full Classic) is 190 inches long (15 ft 10 in).

 

The CCCA cars of the mid-1920s era seem a good bit shorter, at least on average, than the ones of the 1930s.   Maybe smaller cars when they had weaker brakes and therefore didn't want the extra weight?  Or maybe just the style, I don't know.

[1935Packard]

12 hours ago, John_Mereness said:

Try a 34 Cadillac V-16 - a tight fit for any garage  

 

I was fortunate to drive one once.  MASSIVE!  But oh so sweet, too.