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I had 41 Cad with the typical hard start when hot situation. The previous owner had installed an extra battery, so there was the benefit of the extra oomph when the car was hot One night, I drove home in the dark, lights on etc. The following morning everything was totally dead. The weak battery had sucked the other battery dead. I installed two new batteries, with a shutoff on each. Then I could drive and charge both batteries, or shut one or the other off, and have one in reserve.
As far as a 4 speed transmission, it was an option in 1931. My 31 model 42 convertible had a 4 speed, it is referred to in the owners manual as the “optional four speed transmission” Trust me, it was no great honor having it in the car.
Nice job Peter, thank you.
The car is shown with the top down. Pre 1931 cars have the straight up windshield and “square top” with landau irons. To my taste, this style is not appealing. Of course the pre 1931 side curtain cars, or roadsters have a much more attractive top and windshield configuration.
Let’s go to McDonalds for a breakfast burrito, and we will talk about it.
If that car is a nice as the pictures reflect, it is a shame that’s all the money the car brought. My friend was at the sale, and said the car looked good from the audience also. In this day and age, its getting hard to go to dinner for 35 grand.
I knew and forgot that these clocks are different. Actually, 36 has both white and brown faces, white denotes early production.
They appear to be not tapered, black, and size may be figured by where they point on the numbers.
the lense on the first one is correct. It mounts under the dual cowl, and is turned on when the dual cowl is raised. In a convertible coupe, perhaps a roadster also, it is turned on when the golclub compartment is opened.
Save yourself a lot of grief. 9 out of ten open Pierces of the thirties with exposed wiper motors are running on chrome model a Ford motors which fit the space, and work perfectly. The original motors, (I had them for my ’31) have a little more filigree decoration. The nonsense plating them, and getting innards to fit, etc. are exasparating. I sold them to a purist and left the Model A ones in the car.
No this is the later one.
You must chrome the louvers. I have been there. The difference is undescribable.
Eddie, how can you be so sure?
The same slant windshield convertible coupe was available in 1930. It was a Derham bodied car, and John Steckbeck is restoring an example. From 1931 through the end, Pierce Arrow used this Derham design. i.e. a small roadster like top, no landau irons, and a slanting windshield. Whether Pierce bought this design from Derham, or just took it I don’t know. If that ’32 Pierce was Don Meyer’s, I thought someone told me the car started life as an 8 cylinder. I could be wrong, but that is my memory, and any other feedback would be interesting. This discussion 8 cyl vs 12 has come up before, and apparently factory serial numbers do not tell us whether the car started life with an 8 or 12. The small tops on these 31 and 32 cars anyway, not so much on the last years, really don’t have much of a place to park. They bunch up when lowered. My car was a much prettier car with the top up, than when it was down.
First of all Greg, I think your dog is a much nicer and not snobby version of the RCA dog, who I knew personally. The picture of Timothy’s (I assume Seagrave) “Cities’ Service” fire engine really brought back memories. In Brockport, N.Y. Two of the three fire companies had Seagrave trucks. When the whistle blew the code for the North end of the village, we would go outside to see where it was going. Chubby Churchill was always the first to reach the 12 cylinder pierce powered open pumper. It was Capen Hose Co. open cab, painted a light gray. They called themselves the Grey Ghosts. He would come over the Erie canal lift bridge doing about 70. a roaring, last vestige of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Co. I was a volunteer, there was an incredible fascination with riding on the back (can’t do that anymore) and open cabs. No more of that either. Everyone must be inside, strapped inside in child seats. No wonder young people don’t want to be volunteer firemen anymore. Sorry for the aside, but that Pierce powered picture brought back memories.
Greg: Guys like you and Eddie are very talented, and can bail your way out of many critical mechanical situations. I have always had someone to do these things for me, especially for the years we were in the car/garage business. Again with three 6 volt installations, 36 Pierce and ’41 Cadillac,(negative ground) 47 Cad, positive ground. I never have experienced any operational problems. The 58 Cad is pos. ground. The unit has not been in the ’36 that long, but hopefully the reliability trend will continue.
Eddie has a point about where does an old car end, and a hot rod begin. I am a firm believer that if an intolerable situation exists (points obviously being more intolerable for some), and if its hidden do it. We must realize, there are at least 6 20’s and thirties Pierces running around with 1980 Ford pickup Muncie transmission with overdrive conversions. They have permitted people with crash boxes to tour easier, and provide ease of driving. Yes,there is a fine line, one must be comfortable with the idea that most elements of the car are preserved, and outright rods (like the ones at the last Buffalo meet) must still be parked by the dumpster at Tinney Cadillac.
By the way, if the ignition point system was such hot stuff, why don’t cars have them anymore?
Ten years ago, (at least) I had Pertonix installed in my ’41 Cad, (since sold), my ’47 Cad. and my ’58 Cad. I am older than Eddy, probably not as mechanically accomplished as David, and prior to those installations, I had hitchhiked in with points failure a half dozen times. Never did I have trouble starting either of those two 6 volt cars with the Pertonix. Because of the cam lubrication drying up and points closing up, I had the Pertonix installed. Make sure you buy the new high powered coil that goes with the system. This spring Pertonix made a unit for my 1936 Pierce. I swear it starts quicker, is more nimble, etc. This authenticity stuff is great. But for a guy who use to have all kinds of people to do my work for me, I find Pertonix to be a wonderful addition to my little fleet.
The spotlight on the fender may be a clue to this car’s history. Does the interior have narrow pleated seats?
I am of the opinion that one of the biggest problems with bearing material today, is that there a lot of people out there who don’t know how to manufacture babbit or pour it properly. After two different failures on my ’36 (material breaking into many pieces)the car now has insert bearings. Yet, inspecting the bearing surfaces on my recently sold 31, the bearings were at manufacturers’ tolerances and great looking after 30 years.
