1913 waverley electric

[berry]

Hi all. i am a new member with a need for some advice. recently i brought home a 1913 waverley electric. this car has been in my family for 45 years mostly just sitting in storage. since i brought it home i have become worried. the car is in original condition. it has not been taken care of at all. there is a patina on the whole car, some rust ,some dirt no polish to anything. i washed the hood and a fender ,removed the surface rust and there is some remains of black underneath. i polishe a small spot an a lamp and it came up copper{brass?} colored. i stopped there. maybe i shouldnt polish it up. maybe i am going about this wrong. the interior is good considering the age. the headliner is perfect, dirty dirty but perfect. so much dirt but very good condition considering..how do i clean it without ruining it?. i have moved the car from a cool climate{ san francisco} to a hot dry climate. i am so worried the car is going to disintegrate befor e my eyes. i have put rodent blocks in the car and cedar chips to prevent moths. obviously i need to photo document it before doing anything else. what next. this is a caretakers responsibility and i feel this may be my best site for good advice. thanks to all. berry n.

[Amphicar BUYER]

Berry -

Sounds like you have a great survivor car. (umm, where's the pictures! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) I have always loved the very early cars, especially the steamers and electrics. People think hybrids are new, nope! It was first done in the teens I believe.

I would do what is often referred to as a "Sympathetic restoration." This consists of repairs to the mechanical problems it may have and general light clean up of debris and such. The materials may need special care to preserve them. Keeping the patina and scars of it's life intact will only add to the value and history.

I would not polish anything without speaking with a pro. Some modern polishes can remove or severly damage that early plating. You need to have the correct tool for the project. Stop where you are at and get your info in hand before proceeding. It took 93 years to get it where it's at, some more months won't hurt.

Before you do anything else, see if a local pro restorer may be able to help you save your Waverly. Post a message in the forums here to look for any experts or owners of Waverlys or similar electric for advice.

The Waverley Co. of Indianapolis IN produced the Waverley electric car from 1896 until 1914. From 1903 to 1907, these were sold as the Pope-Waverley. One of the best references about the genesis of the American automobile in the "Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805 - 1942," by Beverly Rae Kimes, C 1996. This reference is available at most good libraries. It is available at Amazon.com. This reference has two and an half pages of material on Waverley, which may be a good place to start. It doesn't seem to include much mechanical information.

Here's some literature for your Waverly.

[berry]

amphicar, thanks for the response. the "sympathetic restoration" is probably the best solution. i havent seen a amphicar since the sixties. is it a good boat ? they always looked like a lot of fun. thanks.

[Amphicar BUYER]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">amphicar, thanks for the response. the "sympathetic restoration" is probably the best solution. i havent seen a amphicar since the sixties. is it a good boat ? they always looked like a lot of fun. thanks. </div></div>

They are as good as any boat you can drive to the lake! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Yes, lots of fun.

Please post some photos of your car! I just saw an episode of My Classic Car where Jay Leno and Dennis Gage took out his Baker Electric. Cool-ness!!

[berry]

John, as soon as i can i will try to post some pictures of the car. hopefully in the next few days. the car is on hold till i get some more feedback. berry