Transmission and clutch are done! Engine coming soon.

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The clutch assembly and transmission are done. they look great and are ready to be attached to the engine.

The frame is on schedule to be finished and delivered to the engine guy before Christmas. He hopes to have the engine and drive train in place by the second week of the new year. As soon as the wireing harness comes back we are going to have the entire crew over to watch the initial start up. Should be a great time.

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The transmission in my Club Brougham is 6 weeks newer than this one (3/13/29 as I remember). It has black paint on the case, inspection plate, pedal assembly, etc. For you gurus, should the assembly be painted, or should it be natural?

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I sent you a factory advertising piece. The picture is probably not designed to show how the actual power train was painted, but I did paint mine exactly the same, without anyone questioning it. When it arrives perhaps you could put it on this column, as most have never seen it before. A good discussion item. Bill

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The red inspection plate was a joke by my mechanic. He did that to mess with me. Its not staying that color. I believe I read somewhere the transmission should be yellow. However, this cars transmission was all natural when they took it out. I don’t bleive it had ever been taken out of the car before.

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The gas tank was returned last week. It only had 2 pin holes in the entire tank. It as the rest of the car was amazingly solid. Tank Renew said it was filled over half with dirt and crap. Thats a head scratcher. How can a gas tank that has never been removed from the car have over half of the volume of the tank be filled with dirt and crud????

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The radiator is being redone as we speak. The tech called a few days ago. The radiator is solid but has a major blockage in the uper chamber. He is working on it all by hand. He does NOT want to place it in the vibrating tank. He is too concerned it might damage the core. After working on it for a while he has the flow moving but not to the extent it needs to be.

When the car was found it had been sitting since the 1950’s. The was no radiator cap in place. Im sure additional dirt and crud settled into the tank. He did notice there were no mites or rodants in the tank as he began cleaning it out. Over the years (25) he indicated that he has found, toys, rodants, earings and a small wrench in radiators he has restored.

The winter grille was removed before it was sent out. After lubing it up and working it back and forth,it moves back and forth with the ease of one finger.

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The “dirt and crud” in the gas tank was just the bad, dried up, old gas that was in the tank when it was set up. As many of you have, I’ve seen this repeatedly, most recently in a ’27 Dodge cabriolet that I just pulled out of a basement, car beautifully preserved from a 1960’s restoration, but the gas tank 1/3 full of crud. It’s just old gas.

You’re moving fast on this restoration, quick progress! Thanks for postings, you’ve really livened up the PA forums!

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Just recieved a call from the engine guy. The babbits are slowing him down. it will take him another 4-5 weeks before the entire engine is done. Most of the wait time is the creation of these and other engine components. It will be worth the wait in the end.

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As long as you’re confident he is up to the job then let him take the time he needs to get it done right.

Your car is moving at a breakneck pace so maybe this little delay will give you some more time to mull over cosmetic decisions.

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Rick, In reading through all the ‘strings’ that your project has produced, it is clear that we have two concerns:

1. This is your car, at the moment, and we want you to feel that these decisions are yours to make and enjoy. But all of us are really only custodians of these cars for a moment in time. They will be passed down through the years for others to protect and enjoy.

2. The second concern is that you might make a mistake and produce a car restoration that doesn’t look much like a car that had come directly from the factory production line.

It is true that these cars were really ‘custom cars’, and could sport Packard paint, aftermarket headlights, long trumpet horns, Duesy taillights, Alligator interiors, etc. But not many cars of your model type were made and very few survived. We have seldom seen so much interest in a new restoration as there has been with yours. WE really wish you the best in your endeavors, and hope your result will be a real winner at all the car shows you will bring it to, and hold it’s own through the years, unique, well balanced, and beautiful!.

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Hi,

I am having great fun in the restoration of my car. Finding all the parts, learning as I go, and meeting some great people. Im afraid, I have very little experience in fixing or restoring cars so I have to rely on my restoration team to do whats right.

Their experince has spanned several decades with dozens of restorations under their belts. Granted, some have never so much as touched a Pierce arrow, while there are others that have experience with several. One is a mechanic that has rebuilt components for several PA cars. The chromer owns 3 himself. The engine guy has done a few PA cars. One other rebuild and several mechanical servicing on others. This is over and above 100’s of rebuilds of other models old and new.

I trust my team to do a quality job and make it correct. I also relay all the information from this site to them just to make sure. They are very accepting of your information. “better to recieve it and already know, then not too and have an awful surprise.” They actually love all your comments. “use womans panty hose”, “the babbits are better redone, then to take a chance on pot metals integrity ” etc……

There is one body guy who is so protective of this car, he has turned it into his child. He has it in the corner of the shop, no one can go around the car unless he is there. He sweeps up around it and talks to it every day. lololo When he disasembled it, he found a petrified mouse. He named it Pierce and placed him on a pipe that over looks the car and dubbed him the mascot of the restoration. Pierce is as dried out and flat as he can be. Im sure he is of 29 vintage too. lolo Ill snap a picture of Pierce.

Though, im building my car for myself to enjoy and look at, I too want it 29. Im sure there will be purest that can pick it apart and will. Thats ok,thats their thing. It will make me proud to own it and im sure it will hold its own at any meet/show that it attends.

The car will have non metalic paint and all the parts will be 29 or as close as I can find or is available. It will have chrome over what most will find acceptable but nothing will be chromed that wasn’t in 29. (or darn close)

where the purests and I disagree is on those items that were available options in 29 but were not on my car when it left the factory. I find nothing wrong with putting those options on the car if the factory drill hole is there and I have the original part. This type of descison is one that only the current caretaker can make. There will always be a dispute of what is correct etc….. My choice is to give my car the gift of an option he was robbed of in 29. I guess my thoughts are as simple as “Why not!”

As Bill mentioned, we are only care takers of these pieces of rolling artwork. If nothing else, my restoration is a mechanism to freeze the the car in time so it will not deteriate any further. The next caretaker might find it apalling and tear it down and do it all over again. This time as a hot rod (hopfully not) or a concourse restoration. My beautiful car is to be driven loved and enjoyed, right down to the last nut and bolt by all, especially me!

Keep the comments coming. No such thing as too much information. As long as everyone still likes the photos and updates, I will continue posting them.

Once again, thanks to those who have dug into there secret stash of parts and supplied me with info and beautiful nos parts for this car. You are amazing. Especially Bill and Dr. Pete.

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I agree with Mr. Rolapp, we all know a restoration can be done to someone’s personal taste, but the result isn’t always well received. When I worked at White Post restorations, a Pierce club sedan came in for restoration. I left before it was finished, the owner had it painted all white. Yes, white was available then, but it doesn’t look good on a car that early. The restoration was excellent, and should have been for the $270K it cost (owner published that number when he sold it), but car was not “correct”. Phil Marshall owned it for a while, got quite a bargain when it sold at auction I believe.

So, what we’re saying, even using non-metallic, and even using colors available then, color choice can affect both how the car is viewed and, at some point, value. If you paint the car, for example, red with white fenders and blue interior and top (which would be acceptable for a bright pedal car to grab a kids attention!), then car won’t get the respect that it deserves from the Pierce group.

And of course you’re free to add any accessories you want, it’s my personal opinion that less is more on a Pierce.

Again, thank you for posting the restoration progress, it’s one of the most “visible” restorations we’ve seen and very interesting, particularly the comparative lightning speed at which you seem to be progressing. But, since it is so visible, expect to have varied reactions if you have chosen an oddball color combination.

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lololo I actually think we are all on the same page. We are just looking in from different windows. The colors of my car are not odd, nor carnival or brothel like.

A 1929 Pierce Arrow Dual Cowl Phaeton can stand on its own bones in any situation, amongst any company. The correct quality and color will only enhance what this car already exudes.

Wether people like or dislike the colors, amount of accesories or even the chrome, they will admit that this car is beautiful and exudes the integrity and class it had the day it drove away from Buffalo.

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Dave,

Im very curious about this white Pa. Do you have a picture of it? I would love to see it.

As I stated in the previous post, a PA has a certain something just because it is a PA. The picture above is of a tragicly modified car. Amongst the horrible wheels, giant bumper and assorted abominations, the Pierce Arrow still stands out. You can clearly see the quality and integrity of that car waiting for the day it will be brought back.

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Here’s a picture, and I’ll post some interior pics too…I remember it being much “whiter”” in person….”

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interior 1

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