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A bit of a typo! I meant if residing in Holland as a college student then I would have been liable for the Dutch purchase tax on the Volvo which at that time could have been 30-40 percent of the purchase price of my car.When I dropped my car off at the Volvo dealer in Copenhagen,Denmark,the owner gave me a lift back to my hotel and he told me people there paid the price of two cars for one as there was a high purchase tax on new cars.As a tourist taking delivery of a new car there,I would not have been liable for the tax.
This is some years back and perhaps laws have changed.I purchased my Volvo P1800 From a firm in Amsterdam,Holland who was a dealer in new cars on a tax free basis to tourists. paid no tax even though my car carried Dutch plates because I was taking the car out of the country but if say I were to decide to stay in Holland and finish college there thus becoming a resident,then I would have been liable for the Dutch purchase.I paid no tax on the purchase of my 1927 Rolls Royce in Great Britain.In this case,armed with export documents,I might suggest trying to contact a Chartered Public Accountant or other professional in Great Britain who could get this resolved.I hope you have not paid for the car yet.People do buy cars overseas on the European Delivery Plans provided by companies like Mercedes-Benz,Audi,BMW and Volvo.These purchasers pay duty at the US Port of Entry at the amount for a used car and they have may to pay a tax at their state level when they register their car in their home state.
Years ago while on a two month motor trip through Europe,I did purchase a very original 1927 Rolls Royce 20hp Barker Enclosed Drive Cabriolet from a classic car person outside London.I had him do some work on the car and when completed the car was steam cleaned underneath per US regulations then put on the ship bound for the port of Houston.The car was not crated.I was advised to hire a customs broker to clear the car through customs and he brought gasoline so I could drive the car as it was drained before shipment.When I saw my car it was between crates of lettuce but during shipment the car got a dent in the rear fender and the bumper center clamp was broken by pulling the car with a forklift but otherwise was fine except for being covered in cosmoline.We put in the gas and I drove to the Houston Rolls Royce dealership to have them check the car over before driving home to Santa Fe.If I ever did this again I would have the car crated and trucked to my location.The drive home of 800-900 miles in absolute cold is a story in itself.I did have marine insurance but never knew one could have costs for the loss of a ship.
I registered the Rolls Royce in New Mexico with no problem with the British title but when the MVD guy say the word “Cabriolet”” he asked me what kind of Chevrolet it was.The car now is in France.Interesting experience!You have to work with the schedule of the shipping company and I would really suggest having everything properly set up way in advance.”
Ford went to hydraulic brakes for the 1939 models,Chevrolet for the 1936 models and Chrysler from its beginning in 1924.
I have driven my very original 1915 C-3 on the road and the original two wheel brakes did just fine.One should use both the handbrake and footbrake together so as not to distort the drums.I think my two wheel brakes were actually better than those on a Ford Torino I drove.I keep the car to around 35-40 mph and in my neighborhood keep the car in second gear as we have lots of critters in the area.
George,
Yes,it was Jon’s place and it was a very interesting home.Does it still look the same today? In there was the 1930 Packard 740 Phaeton,a 1930 Packard 745 Roadster,a 1930 Packard 740 Club Sedan with a Philco Transitone radio and a 1937 Lincoln K.The Club Sedan had a special dash board to accomodate the controls for the radio and a box under the rear floor for the batteries.It had to be the earliest of car radios as we know them.That Packard was fitted out for the Paris show.I wonder where it is today.
Yesterday May 12th was the 104th anniversary of the fender headlamp patent by Major Dawley.It is the latest patent date on my C-3 which is on a little plate beneath the larger patent date on the left side glove box door.
Craig,
Yes,there are three pieces to the mat assembly those being as you mentioned the piece that goes around the steering column and pedals,then the piece that goes around the shifter and hand brake.As of this date,the piece going around the hand brake and shifter is available from Karl Krouch with the steering column piece I believe available from Steele.The gear shift piece is available from Steele but it is for the 1930-1931 models and does not have the metal plate in it like the originals and Karl’s as used on the 1929’s.It is the main floor mat that is the needed item.
The cowls and toe boards according to my research in the 133-143 parts book which covers the 1929 models appear to be the same for the roadster,the tonneau cowl Phaeton,the phaeton and the 143 touring car.The same toe board appears to be used on the closed cars.For some reason,the 1930 parts book is less detailed and it would be interesting to know what shows up in the 1931 parts book as to the front floor mat.If someone with a 1929 open car that is undergoing restoration where everything is accessible so exact measurements can be taken,that could be a start and a point from which to work with perhaps more than one person on this job.Juat an idea!Even a paper template could be made.
David,
Exactly what dimensions from the 1929 would you need? According to my 1929 parts book,all the 1929’s are the same.If you are taking yours out of your 1931 Model 43,could you take a photograph them post an image with all needed dimensions perhaps even showing the ones from your car,then we could compare these with the 1929 and 1930 cars.It could be that 1929-1930-1931 all take the same front mat.AS I recall there is an image of the front compartment in that huge leatherette bound book Pierce Arrow printed in 1930 and was reprinted by PAS about 40 years ago.
I just got done going over both my 1929 and 1930 parts book trying to find a part number for the front rubber floormat with no luck.I did find the toeboard and this seems to be about the same for all models although there was a change when the battery was moved to the left side later in the run.I did see references in the list of parts to rear rubber mats.Nothing on mats is shown in my 1930 book.The 1929 parts book is way more detailed than the 1930 book.It appears that the 1929’s used rubber mats front and rear at least on the open cars.The same mat might just work for for 1929-1930-1931 and it could be made with extra edging if necessary.I do not have the 1931 parts book but I think 1929 and 1930 used the same front mat.The big hurdle is the pattern plus a firm who could make these.
It might be worthwhile to contact the Ford Model T and Model A parts vendors on who is making the mats for Ford Model T and Model A cars.There is Snyders,Langs and Chaffin’s Garage and they are on the Web.It is possible the company making the Ford mats could tool up for Pierce Arrow if there were enough commitments.Get a deposit from each person wanting a mat so there is money upfront.We did this on a project casting new exhaust manifolds for the 1931 Packard 840-845 Deluxe Eight cars.The firm making the mat would of course need a pattern but they might be able to work from a drawing or a scan.Again checking parts books will help on coverage.
Ed,
Making the mat where it would cross over to the various models would make the most sense.I can check my 1929 parts book to see if all 1929’s used the same mat.I remember writing to Otto when he was doing the service bulletins and as I recall he said carpet could be put in place of the rubber mat on special order.Even though that could be the case I would still like to have the correct rubber mat.Is it possible to do a scan of an original rubber without the risk of further damage and go from there.They can do this with machining.I also have a 1930 parts book and will check if part numbers are the same for 1929.If these are like most rubber floormats the edge of the mat is plain so it could be carefully trimmed to fit correctly in various models.
Richard,
How high does your oil pressure guage read? The ones on Series 1,Series 2 and Series 3 cars read up to 20 pounds and the one on my C-3 reads in that range when the car is running.I believe the guage on Series 4 and Series 5 reads to 50 pounds and the one for Series 31 and 51 reads to 100 pounds.I would suggest placing a universal engine oil pressure guage in the line,starting the engine and seeing how it reads.If that one jumps around then it may be something in the engine.
David,
I believe the 1931’s have that center pad that goes around the gear shift tower and the handbrake although with a different shaped cutout
for the tower.This part covers the opening in the mat and is held to the floor with screws.This part for 1929’s is currently reproduced and I believe Steele does it for 1930 and 1931.I would think the floormats would have a border around where this part fits.There is on the 1929’s a similar part around the clutch and brake pedals.My 1929 Roadster has these but yes that natural rubber is brittle.When my car was restored after sitting in a building in Ouray,Colorado for about 30 years,even in that very dry climate,the original floormat just fell apart so carpet was
installed.Just touching that old rubber will cause it to break apart.With the technology we have today,it should be somewhat easy to do a run of mats.
I believe new correct rubber matting for the runningboards is available so it should be possible to reproduce these.If there is a logo on these then a pattern will need to be made from an existing mat.I am not sure if they are the same for all body types.New spatter pattern floormats for Model A Fords have been available for almost 60 years so it is possible.
The 1929 open cars used a rubber front floor mat with a pattern similar to that on the running boards judging from old photos.Rubber floor mats for other cars have been reproduced so with a pattern ones for Pierce Arrow could be done also.I would be very interested in getting one.
I commented on the 1929 Phaeton on Facebook as I know the car.When the Al Rodway collection was sold off,the car went to I believe Tiny Gould then to Jim Ladd.The car was in Automobile Quarterly about 1968.The Al Rodway Collection was a very large collection of open cars of the 1927 to 1932 era.
Bill,
As I recall there some nice Curved Dash Oldsmobiles on The HCCA site recently.If you want a car originally fitted with a self starter,then you will have to find one from 1912-1915.There is a nice book out there by Bob Dluhy on the cars of 1906 through 1915 that has a lot of information on the period of 1906 through 1915 as to social changes and a full listing of the cars available for each of those years and their specs.He is in PAS and he may still have a copy.A must book! Also the NACC Handbooks can be viewed on the Web and were published up through 1929 can give the specs for most makes of each year.Finding a car! When I was building my collection,I built a system of contacts really starting when I joined the the HCCA when I was barely 16.Then joined other clubs as I got older,I who had what cars and would peruse the rosters,write letters,make phone calls etc and above all make friends.I had my mentors.
A person’s situation might change and they have decided to let their car go for whatever reason.I started looking for my first antique car at 13 and I would just ask around,my mom and dad’s friend’s,my school friends etc.Developing a system of contacts will find you a car.I had the good luck of knowing people who were around and even adults when these cars we love when new and I would be told what was a good car and what was not so good.One of my dad’s friends who was like an adopted granddad was driving Pope Toledos and Thomas Flyers in Nevada in 1904-1905-1906.I would ask him what cars were good.In the end,it is deciding what you like,educating yourself and going from there.In my case,it has always been a deep love of the cars of 1932 and earlier and learning all there is about them.
I think when these cars were just used cars,people fitted what they could to replace parts that wore out or were damaged in an accident.The trunk rack was vulnerable if you were hit in the rear in traffic especially by a truck.There were a lot of nice wrecking yards in those days.In the early days of collecting,one could go to Sam Adelman in Mount Vernon,NY for parts.True Automobile Yearbook of 1954 had a great article
on Sam Adelman and there was a Pierce Arrow in his yard.
