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Hi all,
The restoration is moving along nicely. The engine is waiting for its new pistons and assorted internal parts. The frame is being worked on and is almost ready to head over to the engine guy. The first batch of chrome has left the building and cosmetic items are being ordered.
I believe I have most parts I have been searching for. I cant even imagine all of you who started with a car that was missing a ton of stuff. My hats off to you. My car was 90+ percent complete and I still had a tough time finding some stuff. Thanks to those PA members who made my parts search much much easier.
I have to make a final choice on the color so the upholstry man can place the order. I won’t tell you the color just yet, but I will tell you that the paint is NOT metalic and the interior is leather. The Leather is high end, and the top material is high end german enginered material like Harts cloth. Its the good stuff! My thoughts are, if your taking this car down to the last nut and bolt, why would you scrimp on something like interior or top. Thats the first thing people see!!!!
Along with all the other parts I have hunted for, I came across a beautiful and original set of 1929 Minnesota liscense plates. Much to my suprise, Minnesota will allow me to register and use them in lieu of collector plates. So, I did just that. Bought the plates and registered them.
I am making a trip to the engine shop and will have more pics of the beast very soon. Nothing is worth snaping pics of right now. Its just a frame with a ton of stuff around it.
Here are the plates.
Those plates are beautiful! The colors are also important. When picking the car’s paint, consider how these plates fit in to your color set.
Good find!
The car will look great with those plates.
It adds a very nice finishing touch to the overall look of the car.
We managed to find a pristine, unused set of 1926 plates for our Rickenbacker and had them registered to the car but it was a nightmare to do so with Calif DMV.
I would like to find a set of 1929 plates for our PA and do the same but I am not looking forward to the process of having them registered to the car.
Your plates are great, but if you want them to be as beautiful as the car, you could contact the guy I list below.
Ron Hargrave
1780 – 210th St
Webster City, Iowa 50595
515-832-5344
He did a great job with mine and quite reasonably.
I had to take them to the Registry in Massachusetts in original condition or they would not register them as Year of Manufacture (YOM) plates.
After the plates were accepted, i sent them off to Ron for refinishing.
He did a superb job with quite accurate colors.
Craig, you may want to find plates as I did and after they are registered, then have them refinished.
Any reputable seller of license plates will know in advance if they qualify a YOM plates in California.
Thanks Pete,
Once again, I am owing you a big thank you. 
Rick
Thanks for the contact, Peter.
There can be huge price differences between plates that are still in their original envelope and plates that have some wear on them.
Any antique car looks so much better with YOM plates.
Yes, an antique car DOES look so much more ‘authentic’ with antique plates.
Greg Long
A better image:
Nice plates! Can’t wait to hear your choice of colors and materials, that can really make a car! Haartz/Stayfast is a fairly normal choice, sounds like you might be going with a Sonnenland German fabric?
Some heavily patterned top materials can be tricky on a touring car, as the side panels sometimes have to be cut on the bias to properly conform to bow shape, and the pattern can get “crossed”” so to speak….
Let us know your decisions when you make them! Exciting project…”
Gregory,
That is a super neat car. Would you consider posting a few more pictures of it. I can picture the driver holding the door for the lady/man of the estate.
Gregory,
Are the step plates missign off the running board or are they just a dark color?
Rick
Here is a pic of Chauncey’s rear end, with refinished plates.
Hi Rick, the Town Car is a full custom body car, so it does not have the more common [but still not all that common] Aluminum step plates that were accessories.
This car, is known as ‘Miss Helen’ after the lady that had it built for her in ’25, took delivery in ’26, and willed it to her chauffeur when she died in 1948.
Miss Helen has raised molded rubber step pads on the rubber running board material. Pierce Series 80’s and S81’s had pyramid aluminum running board material starting in late ’25, or sometime in ’26. But the custom body cars got what the purchaser wanted, and these appear to be original. The car has 40,800 miles and is almost totally original. The tires, exhaust, and head gasket and some valve springs are all that are not original, and the interior is MINT. Only a few of the thin silk ‘ropes’ that pull down the silk privacy curtains are broken or frayed.
The intercom speaker, mounted by the driver’s left ear, has been removed to preserve it, it is made of pot metal and is badly cracked. Someday I’ll install the NOS intercom speaker I found at Hershey a few years ago.
Peter, Your license plates are crooked. or the photo is distorted.
Greg Long
Miss Helen:
Another of Miss Helen, nose to nose with my ’25 7Passenger Series 80 Touring. The pure elegance of Miss Helen is quite evident.
Greg
I think they both should come live in Minnesota. I think the 29 would be an awesome youngster between the two.
Peter,
Were your plates that redish color originaly or did you choose that color?
My 27 Series 80 5P Coach has similar “rubber” pads on the pyramid aluminum running boards, but the metal “borders” appear to be missing. If I remember correctly I saw a car (Series 33?) at the R.I. meet that had them as well.
I will try to post a photo when I get home this evening.
James
Rick,
The 1924 Massachusetts plates were Maroon and White, each year the color changed.
My Pierce-Arrow is actually a 1925, but has always been registered as a 1924, ergo the 1924 plates.
Here is another pic, but the color is off because of lack of light.
The 1925 plates, which I have and plan to reregister the car with are Black and White.
Paint the car the color you want because everything goes with Black & White.
Besides, you should paint YOUR car any color you like.
Peter
I agree!
As promised. a close up of my running boards.
