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I will post a video, it will be a little while before I get it…although it sounds like I might need to go up there with the High Sheriff of Hampden County to get it away from Ed!! I wish now the fellow I got it from had taken a video, he ran it briefly on a Model T carb….
Can’t seem to post picture, you can see carb laying in a box in the above picture featuring Ed and the engine!
One more history lesson that I got today, thought I’d pass it along.
The fellow who had this engine, had it running on a Model T carburetor. He said he sent the “original” carb with the engine, but Ed was convinced it was a later Holley carb.
In 1901, the Holley brothers went to Paris, France, and came back with the rights to manufacture and sell Longuemare (a French brand) carbs. They did so, all the while making and trying to market their own “Holley” motorette. Henry Ford came to them at some point, and convinced them to build carbs for him, and thus the brothers gave up the idea of making an automobile and put all their efforts into a carburetor company, and of course, the rest is well known.
Turns out that Don Silbert, who owns a 1903 6 HP Stanhope, verified that this is, indeed, a carb original to this engine. He indicates to me that they are a little more than rare to find.
So now, I’m even happier, if that’s possible! Thanks to Don for the info.
I agree, Peter! I’ve driven our ’31 phaeton in a toad-strangling rain in Texas, and found out that the only difference with/without side curtains, with them installed you only need ONE towel per person to try to stay dry!
“it is theirs in spirit”…what a great way to put it! Thanks for the explanation, Dave……
The AACA has gotten to be a big business, as has the Museum apparently, and I’m convinced that money in those cases has prevailed over hobby “spirit”. One of my best friends is on the board of AACA (club), and he and I have some spirited discussions!
Thanks for nice comments, Richard…yes, it would be a neat display! As you mention, at this point you’re fourth on the list for people who’ve asked about engine, you on, others off, the forum. It’s not for sale, I have a passion for Geo. N. Pierce stuff, and I’ll be hugging this thing for a while!
Somehow I ended up with a pile of T-handle wrenches, all marked Pierce….anyone know what this particular tool was used for?
By the way, Greg, I think your valuations are valid….I think the screwdrivers seem to be the slightly more difficult thing to find….the other interesting thing, I think, I have a very small open end wrench, and a very big open end wrench, in my pile of tools…I’m thinking maybe bicycle on the one and truck on the other….Pierce jacks are fairly common, I do have one very large Pierce jack that had to be a truck accessory, it’s big and heavy…. thanks David C.
Unless I could come up with the other major pieces pretty soon, I think this engine is destined to sit on a display stand during my life time. I can’t imagine there are many Motorette/Stanhope “pieces” out there, but one never knows.
Time is a factor, if I were 20 years younger I’d probably already be bending the frame tubes, but now, time’s not really on my side. I was just looking at my membership renewal, I’ve been in the PAS for 40 years, what a great club (uh, excuse me, Society!) it is!
Greg, thanks, I’ve had the same thought….I think the transmission and rear end are the tough parts, after the engine…if anyone has pieces laying around, let me know!
I have a good friend in Pennsylvania who runs a small restoration shop, specializing in very early cars. He took one look at the engine picture and asked “When are we starting to build the car?””!!!”
Eggs Babbitt guy probably felt pour, so left….he was just scraping by, probably had some bearing on his decision….his leaving might cause some additional friction in the workplace…
Guess I’m gushing, I’ve been working on buying this engine for about a year. In fact, my first contact with owner was in January 2016, he’d bought a collection of marine engines in late 2015 and wasn’t familiar with this “oddball”. Everything just seemed to come together in the last couple of weeks, even though I would have bet odds that I didn’t stand a chance. And, of course, as Ed and I have discussed, it’s best keeping these things tight to the vest until one’s grubby little hands are holding it tight!
I’m just happy another piece of Pierce history is now known to us. Keep looking, one never knows what’s going to show up out there! As Ed knows, I’m working now with an individual who has two pieces of Pierce memorabilia that are exceptionally unusual, hopefully something will come of that also!
I’ve had some serious issues with Egge, though some people seem to think they’re the know all/be all. I’m a believer in Arias, a little pricey but you’re done with it for your lifetime. I have a set of Arias pistons and rings for my 1910 Buick Model 16, they are so pretty I hate to hide them in the engine.
Proper rings can make or break an engine, so to speak and as you know, so go with quality…
Beautiful, both!! That’s a very handsome car, and a lovely lady….
Wow, other Ed, you must have been typing the very second I was replying to the OTHER Ed!
Remember, Ed M., it’s IN TRANSIT to me, it can’t grow roots at your place!!
Thanks, Ed, I’ve always wanted a Motorette, but think they’re out of my price range right now. I started pursuing this Pierce engine almost a year ago, and finally was able to acquire it….not the holy grail, but a rare piece of history.
Ed has verified it’s a 1903, although the serial number doesn’t seem to match the current records on this site for 6 cylinder engines….
Interesting “trunk””! Wish they’d posted some interior shots……”
You also may wish to check with Arias, they have beautiful (and functional!) stuff….
Good progress, Richard!
I would make one comment, it appears from some of the other items in the pictures that this is a “regular” body and paint shop, that is, one that doesn’t exclusively do early cars.
I had a friend who ran such a shop, mainly did insurance work on newer cars. He painted some fenders for me, and I didn’t explain to him that parts of the UNDERSIDE of the fenders were very visible. As a result, the outside of the parts were great, but there were some rough spots underneath that were visible and not very good looking in the finished product.
Just make sure your guy understands, under the hood, the outer sides of the sidemount wells, and so forth, all need to be nice too…
Can’t wait to see the finished product!
There is a “webbing”, or heavy woven material, that goes between the body sills and the frame, and of course there may be some shims that help align the body so the doors fit correctly (for an open car such as yours).
Then there’s welting, which goes between the rear fenders and the body, and between the front fenders and the front of the splash aprons. This is merely vinyl material sewn around a round core. The comment that puzzles me is “needs a few miles”, as there is actually not that much welting needed.
The running boards, where they meet fenders and splash aprons, normally have trim pieces at the mating points, not welting.
I have some early 30’s color cards for Pierce, and while I haven’t measured the stripes shown, they are VERY narrow. Striping was an accent, not a focal point, so the 3/64 sounds right. It took me about 3 years to find a person who could stripe my ’31, as I wanted it done narrow and by hand (no taping involved). I don’t think it’s quite that narrow, but it’s close…
