Walt G Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 In 2015 under the Graham Paige topic I posted a comment on Graham toy sedans made in Washington , Indiana by Corcoran, who also made Airflow Chrysler and DeSoto sedan toys. For a break from the research and writing this winter , I just took one of the numerous toy sedans I have and started restoration. the toy is pressed steel 19 inches long 8 inches wide 6 inches high. Very realistic and in proportion to the real car it was modeled after . It looks very crusty and is condition wise, but that will clean off with some alloy oxide bead blasting. I will start by annealing the 5 tabs that hold the body to the fenders so that when reassembling will not see them break off after 89 years. Hope to get all the preparation work done so once the weather here on long island is warmer I can then paint in lacquer. SO, this proves I do work on other things besides looking at period photographs,images, and periodicals and literature................ 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I would want to upholster it with extra wide wale corduroy . 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Harper Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Looking forward to following along with your progress. A refreshing addition to the restoration section. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Very cool Walt !! I can't wait to see the end product ! Steve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 That looks awesome! Thanks for sharing your project. Looking forward to the rest of it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 I am amazed at how there are so many people that love rusted metal - even toys. If you are a seasoned ( ie long time) toy collector the main purpose to enhance your collection is to find/buy perfect no scratches, dents, chips "mint" toys as they are the perfection of anyone's collection. It was this way 50 years ago when there were toy shows here on long island at a hotel in Kennedy airport. Being a collector as well as a teacher of kids in the 5 to 12 age bracket ( over 1,000 kids a week) I understood the thought of having a unplayed with perfect toy as a collector BUT it just ran against my judgement that some kid never got to play with it, never had any imagination to think about using the toy as an inspiration, so no dreams to then have memories of 50+ years later. I thought that was just wrong. Besides I had the ability to restore a well used, worn toy to bring it back to the way it was when new - just the way I did and do with the pre war cars I own of the same era. Need to do some work on it outside and the weather isn't to clear, will share the progress as it rolls along. 🙃 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 Walt, I don't remember seeing that one in your collection. Great project. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 1 hour ago, John S. said: Walt, I don't remember seeing that one in your collection. Great project. John John, it is the worst one I have, was at the bottom of the rack others stored on top , when that is finally finished I will only have 9 more to go. I haven't worked on one in many years , just let them sit there and wait their turn. Glad I bought them when I did, at the time even I thought I was a bit crazy . The plan was- still is - to restore them in different period colors , original paint on them from the toy factory was in "toy" colors - light green, red, light brown, I have two others already restored, one in medium gray ( that I bought in the early 1970s at the Ridgefield ,Ct. pre war car show for $40.00) and one in dark blue. This one will be done in medium blue. I will have more $ invested in the cost of primer, paint, sand paper, some light body putty filler, and lacquer thinner then I paid for the toy..................some reading this are shaking their heads and thinking - yep I understand that. First one I ever saw was owned by my friend Gates Willard of Manhasset, NY about 10 miles north of where I live. Gates was my old toy mentor , introduced me to fellows who reproduced parts for them etc. Collecting and restoring the pre war pressed steel toys became a father/son thing for me and my Dad, when he got older and retired and couldn't easily crouch down and work on the real cars in the garage he liked to work on the big toys on a bench/table - I am near that stage now. Walt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 This will be fun to follow……I understand what you mean as far as $$ spent. I restored a pedal car once and was amazed at what it cost to do……and this was 30 years ago! Enjoy your journey! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 16, 2022 Author Share Posted March 16, 2022 Update, this morning at about 8:30 am. Annealing the tabs on the bottom of the body so that once it is restored it can be rejoined to the fenders. Two of the 7 tabs will need to be remade (as they fell off) and silver soldered to where the original ones were. I did this with the first Cor Cor Graham sedan toy I bought 50 years ago when I restored it, some people never learn............... or never grow up..................just get old looking !!!! but never ever loose their enthusiasm. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Obviously a Graham toy but could almost pass for a Frontenac. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Pictured at a Graham dealership, they used the Cor-Cor cars to display the new pearlescent colors for 1932. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 Finally got the crusty surface of the CorCor Graham sedan into the bead blast cabinet and used aluminum oxide grit on it to get the surface clean. No deep rust but sandpaper alone would not have been able to get into the small areas. Blasting it was great but very tedious, the tip of the blast gun is about the size of the end of a pencil. so slow going, both top and lower surfaces of the toy had to be done and it took over 5 hours of standing at the blast cabinet hunched over to see ( sort of) through the window what was being blasted "erased" away. Spent most of yesterday recovering as my lower back , shoulders neck are all stiff from being in one position to see what was going on so long. I just love restoring pre war toys as much as the pre war cars ............... Here is the result - still need some areas to get cleaned with a hand held wire brush . It makes an interesting break from looking up material in my archives to note and then write stories about. Thanks to Graham Man for the above photo at the Graham dealership that show the toys! I had seen this some place but couldn't recall where. Some very very realistic larger ( 20 inches long or so) were made pre WWII most notably this Graham, Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow sedans of similar size by the same company, Model L Lincoln sedan of the mid/late 1920s in a huge size, and Packard roadster, etc by Turner Toys. Not all toys were of generic style, some were very specific. Thanks for looking at this. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) Walt, pictures I have collected of original Cor Cor cars. Notice these are all factory colors and have chrome hub caps and Graham emblems on the axle hub caps? My theory is these cars were the dealer color sample cars, just a theory... except all the Cor Cor cars in the Dealership pictures are the same configuration. I though I read they were $1 new? Avon Blue Pearl, silver stripe. Golden Tan Pearlescent Galion Green Pearlescent Opalescent Gunmetal Edited March 23, 2022 by Graham Man Updated (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 1 minute ago, Graham Man said: Walt, pictures I have collected of original Cor Cor cars. Avon Blue color, silver stripe. Golden Tan Pearlescent Grayling Green I know the blue one! It lives in our office. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Still looking for a Cor Cor myself, have to live with this one for now... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 I am so happy I started this topic! Love the photos of the assorted colors! Thank you gentlemen ! The toys were not inexpensive when new and usually came in boxes of 4 at a time when bought by the Graham dealership. I have others that await restoration , one or two are unrestored original and one had headlamps with bulbs and a tail light too with a push switch in the left cowl at the side - battery box at the bottom chassis. Two styles of bumpers - full front and rear or full rear and split front. The styling of the car was a major mile stone in design as was the Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow at the same time and Corcoran toys ( Cor-Cor) of Indiana made the Airflow toys of the same size and accurate detail at the same time as well. I am not a major toy collector but really like the accurate, in scale and proportion pressed steel toy cars and trucks of the pre WWII era. It was not an easy task to create the stamping dies to make the assorted shapes that would allow the toys to then be assembled ( welded and by tabs). The late Al Marwick was a great author of stories on toy history for the Antique Toy World magazine and did a great story on the Cor Cor Grahams. He used to attend toys shows here in the east in the NY metropolitan area and at a show in New Jersey held near Newark airport about 45 years ago when I walked up to say hello he reached over and pined a button on my shirt that says " Cor Cor Graham toy club member " he loved these toys so much that all he knew who felt the same got 'buttoned'. I have had way to many toy/car/carriage experiences for many many decades and am amazed I am still around to talk about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Walt, would love to see that article and a picture of the button. The "Blue Streak" Graham was introduced in December 1931...what a game changer, in 1933 they were advertising "the most imitated car on the road" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 25, 2022 Author Share Posted March 25, 2022 I will try to locate the issue with the article in it, but due to copyright may not be able to reproduce here - will let you know issue etc. Also the button when found ( I think I know where it is) I will photograph and post. Here is the latest as of 20 minutes ago. Weather has been do damp/wet to get etching primer on the bare steel until now. I did not make the missing tabs yet but hope to later today then silver solder on. I am happy that there are very few dents in the sheet metal all will be removed as much as possible by hammer and dolly ( skills learned when restoring full size cars of the pre war era) with as little filler as possible. All will be shown here. Next to come paint wise is coats of lacquer primer , all needing to then cure and be sanded to a fine level to accept the color coat. Require warmer temperatures to apply that and no dampness which the ground here on long island is still full of. As I may have mentioned the Cor Cor Graham and Airflow toy sedans as well as the Turner made Lincoln and Packard toys are my absolute favorite. True to scale and proportion and just a joy to view. Thanks for looking at this everyone. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted March 25, 2022 Author Share Posted March 25, 2022 Regarding details on the Graham toys: yes the hubcaps all have the three Graham heads on them, the chrome wheel discs weren't on all toys, some had them some didn't. The original tires I have seen on the cars I have all have Cor Cor cast into them in the center wheel area at the edge of the wheel. Bumpers - full both front and rear or full at rear and split at front, option as to what was fitted when they were made. Most did not have a rear spare mounted but some did! Electric bulb versions had a rear tail light on left side and the push switch was on the left cowl side battery ( D cell) in the center of the chassis/fender area . I have an unrestored headlamp version I will post a photo of once the restoration story here is done when the car is finished. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 (edited) Finally got the etching primer sanded and a tiny bit of red spot putty to fill in the slight imperfections after I tapped out any dents with a body hammer. lots to sand with assorted grades of sand paper around a lot of small stamped steel details. I have to admire the ability and time it took to create the molds used to press/stamp out the body pieces then fit /weld them together. Incredible detail for a "mass produced" toy that was very very much in scale and proportion to the real car. Fenders shown earlier will not need any dents removed. All of this will get a good coat of lacquer primer when the weather clears up in a few days. That too needing to be sanded before a color coat. Restoring a toy is like restoring the real cars. Lots of prep and patience. It took 3 + hours to get the dents put, puttied, sand and to the level you see here. I still have to make the two missing tabs that hold the fenders to the body and solder them on. that is the next step before the next coat of primer. Edited April 5, 2022 by Walt G (see edit history) 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted April 7, 2022 Author Share Posted April 7, 2022 More progress and photos coming but weather here is wet and damp so I am waiting to see some dry and slightly warmer weather to post more. Thanks for everyone who looks here at this . Yes it does confirm I look at things with a different perspective , and no I try not to keep track of how many hours it takes to do this/finish one 🥺 but I am a bit with this one to give all of you an idea of what it is like to do so - just like restoring a full size vehicle - if you figure it will take 2 hours to accomplish something , just double or triple that to be even near realistic. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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