For Sale 1922 Stanley Steamer model 740 (not mine) $36K

[prewarnut]

I have no personal interest in the transaction....

If anyone has some plumbing skills. The body and interior looks original. Newer boiler apparently. Perhaps a good HPOF candidate otherwise.

 

Link to auction site ad: https://www.ebay.com/itm/285553692560?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230811123856%26meid%3D58c22c3266a041748ec7b87798e1dee6%26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D285553692560%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3Abe2ba96518b0aaf6088490e5ffffef7a|pageci%3A9d1b50c6-8086-11ee-9074-86c96a015f91|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

 

Seller's description: "Up for auction is one of only a few remaining Unrestored Stanley Steam cars. Excellent condition for a 100 year old example. It has a replacement boiler which was made by the Bourden Boiler works in Vermont. They also rebuilt the burner and pilot and furnished a new burner pan. I have owned this car for 25 years and got it out of a barn where it had been for 45 years or more. Original interior all leather, has all of the gages, original condensor, water tank and most of the piping. Some piping has been replaced using correct size and fittings. Tires have been replaced also. The top was missing when I got the car but I found a correct size replacement at Hershey swap meet some 20 years ago. I have had this running but currently it needs more fine tuning than I can provide. Shipping to be arranged by the buyer. Body is solid and is aluminium with steel fenders and hood. Missing are the dash mounted clock and original generator. Taillite is damaged but included as are replacement housing and lense. This is a vehicle that would best be taken to a steam car expert to be sorted out and gotten back to what it should be. $500.00 due at end of auction, balance by bank transfer or cash on pickup. This comes with original owners manual and many years of steam car literature. Also have an aftermarket front bumper that I removed when I got the car and some other extra parts."

Edited November 11, 2023 by prewarnut (see edit history)

[John Bloom]

very cool.   Daunting, but cool.  I would be interested in the comments from guys with Steam experience....I have none.  

 

looks like the perfect car to "talk your buddy into buying".....

[Leif in Calif]

Now, when ever I look at a steam car, I think of Jay Leno. 

[John Kelso]

A very nice steam car but not for the faint of heart. Would be a great learning tool for someone interested in learning steam.

 

[alsancle]

I need to set a link to the project thread.

[TexRiv_63]

Following...

[Fossil]

Anyone else thinking Asbestos when looking at the boiler. 😲

[m-mman]

3 hours ago, Fossil said:

Anyone else thinking Asbestos when looking at the boiler

If personal safety is high on your list of automotive attributes you shouldn’t even be physically close to a steam car.  
A hot water high pressure boiler is a disaster waiting to happen.  This is not something that you tinker around with. There’s a lot of valves and pipes and gauges that you need to fully understand. 
It would take the skill of a steam engineer to operate one. 

[prewarnut]

8 hours ago, Fossil said:

Anyone else thinking Asbestos when looking at the boiler. 😲

I was wondering the same thing but the boiler was replaced so most should be gone. There may be residue at the top (unclear what that is). The bright white areas are probably a newer plaster like material. What could remain is what looks like the asbestos wrap around the feedline from the throttle to the superheater. Reducing heat loss there and then back out to the engine is paramount.

Edited November 12, 2023 by prewarnut (see edit history)

[prewarnut]

5 hours ago, m-mman said:

If personal safety is high on your list of automotive attributes you shouldn’t even be physically close to a steam car.  
A hot water high pressure boiler is a disaster waiting to happen.  This is not something that you tinker around with. There’s a lot of valves and pipes and gauges that you need to fully understand. 
It would take the skill of a steam engineer to operate one. 

I agree. At least this (below) won't happen as the boiler design is different. Given that railroad locomotives having a horizontal boiler the problem lay in low water not protecting the firebox. If going up grade (like these guys) the water is pushed back to cover. Once on a level grade again the firebox is uncovered an melts. Safety plugs are supposed to melt first but occasionally the superheated steam blows out sending 20 tons hundreds of feet in the air. The crew can't react fast enough and the water injector can't respond either. Basically railroad engineering is all about anticipating the next 10 minutes down the road. Often mistakes were of this lack of foresight. One really has to respect the old time railroad engineers of the 19th C. Here too I would say. Google crownsheet failure for some spectacular and grisly events of days past.

Photo from the defunct GDR news agency:

[alsancle]

5 hours ago, m-mman said:

If personal safety is high on your list of automotive attributes you shouldn’t even be physically close to a steam car.  
A hot water high pressure boiler is a disaster waiting to happen.  This is not something that you tinker around with. There’s a lot of valves and pipes and gauges that you need to fully understand. 
It would take the skill of a steam engineer to operate one. 

The only incidents I have ever heard about are related to the burners, and it’s usually when somebody is doing something really stupid. I think it’s a fairly established fact that a Stanley steamer boiler has never blown up. The way they are designed the spring steam leaks long before they could explode.

[Terry Harper]

2 hours ago, alsancle said:

The only incidents I have ever heard about are related to the burners, and it’s usually when somebody is doing something really stupid. I think it’s a fairly established fact that a Stanley steamer boiler has never blown up. The way they are designed the spring steam leaks long before they could explode.

Unlike a locomotive type boiler with stayed flat crown sheet and side sheets, that can and have given away catastrophically in low water situations, a Stanley boiler ends up being scorched with tubes leaking like a sieve. The most tragic accident was when one using propane burst into flames.

 

amazing technology and wonderful automobiles as long as you enjoy tinkering and putting in the time to understand all the systems and components including the boiler, feedwater and fuel pump, pilot light and burner. The engines unless severely abused are nearly bullet proof.

 

the condensing 740 is wonderful but isn’t nearly as peppy as the earlier non-condensing models. It’s much heavier and the average pace will be “sedate” though with proper management they get along just fine and of course the incomparable Stanley experience more than compensates. Another Isue with all condensing Stanley’s is the residual steam cylinder oil returning to the tank can also shorten the life and efficiency of the boiler. Thus quite a few now run with the condenser bypassed.

 

As for this one? I love it!

Edited November 12, 2023 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[m-mman]

6 hours ago, alsancle said:

The only incidents I have ever heard about are related to the burners, and it’s usually when somebody is doing something really stupid

 

4 hours ago, Terry Harper said:

amazing technology and wonderful automobiles as long as you enjoy tinkering and putting in the time to understand all the systems and components including the boiler, feedwater and fuel pump, pilot light and burner. The engines unless severely abused are nearly bullet proof

Imagine a YouTube star with a “Will It Run?” theme getting hold of something like this.

 
“Hi guys, welcome back.  Today we are going to try to start this steam car. I have made tea by boiling water on the stove, so I don’t think it’ll be too hard. I’m not sure what all these valves do so I’ll just keep experimenting until we get it going down the road. 
How hard could it be? What could possibly go wrong?

”Be sure to like and subscribe…..”

 

Safe if you know what you are doing, but I suspect that the number of steam car experts are decreasing each year.  

[alsancle]

4 minutes ago, m-mman said:

 

 

Safe if you know what you are doing, but I suspect that the number of steam car experts are decreasing each year.  

Couldn’t you say that about any old car?
 

I would say the steam car part of the hobby is as strong as any other part.

[Terry Harper]

2 hours ago, m-mman said:

Safe if you know what you are doing, but I suspect that the number of steam car experts are decreasing each year.  

Knowing what you are doing and, may I add, being willing to listen and learn are key along with gaining familiarity - in other words knowing what sounds, vibrations etc. are normal and good versus bad - i.e. being tuned into the machine. This is critical with steam power - whether its a 10hp Stanley or a 500,000 lb locomotive. It may be a simple technology with a limited number of moving parts but its a complex system that needs patience, understanding and respect.

 

As for this particular Stanley it would indeed be a great entry into the community. However, join the club. Meet the people, build relationships and spend as much time as possible in and under a Stanley - be a student. Watch and listen - You won't regret it! In my limited involvement some of the nicest people you could ever meet!

 

 

 

 

[Xander Wildeisen]