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Your generator needs to be polarized, I believe, to reverse the polarity. There are discussions on the Internet about how to do so, but it depends on the system you have.
It’s not moving wires, it’s a momentary surge of current through the generator that makes it “push”” electricity the direction you wish….”
I stand, or sit, corrected by the Master, Ed! I didn’t know radios were offered that early for cars, I thought it was late 20’s.
At $1200 in 1922, it would have been cheaper just to hire a one man band to ride with you!
Bob is correct, when first radios were put in cars and into the 30’s, the chicken wire was used as an antenna. If you plan to do this, make sure no part of the chicken wire touches the body metal, it needs to be completely isolated on the wood framework.
’26 would be too early for a radio (factory or period aftermarket), I think, as far as originality goes…
I’m sure many know better than I, but you want very low pressure, in the 3 to 4 psi range. You can buy pumps with that low pressure rating.
The little chrome pressure regulators sold in auto parts stores are junk. If you must put a regulator in line, buy a quality unit.
Also, decide how to wire the pump correctly, I just heard the story of pulling power through the ignition system, drawing too much current from the system and causing issues with engine.
Make very sure you have a positive way to cut off the fuel pump in an emergency. I had an engine fire in my ’31, thought I’d turned off the pump, but didn’t….and the results were bad, luckily not disastrous. I run only a mechanical pump on it now for that reason, may take a few more turns of the engine, but that’s how it was done back then and that’s good enough for me…..
Nice work! I’m sure you know the process, but over the roof slats goes chicken wire, then a layer of material (muslin or a tight weave burlap), then a thin cotton pad, then top material. Don’t use foam, it will disintegrate in 8 or 10 years and leave you without padding. There used to be an additive added to foam for longevity, about 10 years ago or so the gub’ment outlawed it, caused cancer. Foam is now sold in years, 8 year foam, 10 year foam, which is a fine life for furniture, but not our antique cars!
Here are the exact weights and comment from a previous discussion on this medal: The reproductions were made of an alloy (possibly aluminum) and are very light (in weight, and also a different color). I was once told that the replicated medals were made by an individual, so not sure if they were PAS distributed. The originals are relatively rare.
If you want to be 100% sure, ask him to weigh it for you. The reproductions weigh 2.1 ounces, the original will weigh 5.3 ounces.
It appears to be the slightly lighter color of the reproduction, the originals are a darker metal. If you pick it up and it seems light, it’s a reproduction, the originals have a good heft to them.
That would be a neat piece, restored, for a museum or individual which/who had space! Would be expensive to restore, and the asking price is a tad much, maybe some decimal point modification would find an interested buyer!
There is an original medal, and a reproduction medal. The original is very heavy, I think 5 ounces or so. The reproduction medal is very light, about 2 ounces. In a previous thread I put the exact weights, but that’s close enough to tell real from repro. The repro is low value, maybe $20 if you had to have one, the original more valuable, I think the last one that sold on Ebay was $150 or so, it did have a few dings in the edges though…
Well, shucks, I see you an Amazon Prime, and raise you a McMaster Carr…
Seriously, get an account with M-C, usually order one day and arrive the next, although with the current issues with shipping more like 2 days or so…but they…have…everything! (well, a lot anyway…)
I may be looking for a pair of the wooden accent strips which go on front doors, in repairable condition, 1934 840 sedan. About 34 inches long I believe, with raised area and hole for vent window crank. Looking for them but at this point not found in parts with car.
You don’t need a fan. Just a hose that can clamp around exhaust, and cut an appropriate hole in garage door or wall to run hose out (3 inch or so). The engine is very capable of pushing the exhaust another 10 or 15 feet through the hose. This was, and is, the set up in a well known restoration shop, works fine….
“The 285cid engine has the same bore but a 5.00″ stroke crankshaft. So, it has a longer stroke crankshaft, as built by Pierce or later, by Seagraves”
You meant 385 cid?
I agree some casting numbers would be interesting.
I “Google Earth”ed that address, hoping to find a nice old house with a carriage house around back filled with Pierce Arrows, but alas, appears to be a church/school on one side of the street and apartment buildings on the other. Guess that would have been too easy!
Bob, does it still exist? Or rumor of existence? Or a victim of the war scrap drives?
I agree with Ed that restoration work is very expensive these days, and if you’re paying someone by the hour, think about it and remember how little actually gets done in an hour. Paying for restoration is not for the faint of heart nor the light of pocketbook.
My comments were directed at a bare block, no accessories nor chrome. We all know what chrome costs are, exceedingly high. For starters and generators, I’ve found a fellow in my area who does great work, and for about a hundred bucks apiece they are as new.
On my ’31 phaeton, I had John C. rebuild the carb and the fuel pump. Oh my, what a difference, the car runs so much better than it did before, his comments about that are true, not hype. Yes, it costs, but in my mind great value for the money.
Great information, thanks!
I believe the 15K to 25K engine overhaul is correct, if you don’t have personal contacts in the business. I believe those are the “drop it off and call me when it’s ready to go” numbers.
I’ve had straight eight engines rebuilt (Packard and Pierce) for well under 10K, but I have friends who help me, and I help them, on restorations. It really pays to have a good network of craftsman. I also do some of the reassembly myself.
The high cost of excellent mechanical restoration makes buying a “restored” car somewhat of a crapshoot, unless you really know who was involved in the work.
Interesting. Never heard of it until now, although I’m sure the old hands of the PAS are very familiar with it.
Chicago Vintage has always been interesting, seems they come up with some great cars, and a few years ago I remember that a car would come up, seemingly for sale from them, then all of a sudden it wasn’t for sale.
The bracket headlight ’32 convertible sedan that they show was, I believe, the one restored by my late friend B.B. Crump from Baton Rouge. I had a chance to buy the car before he restored it, but the bracket headlights made me hesitate too long….
http://www.chicagovintage.com/gallery/pierce/1931-pierce-arrow-dual-cowl-sport-phaeton/
As an engineer, and a trimmer, this is embarrassing. I always looked at the problem as a horizontal issue, thus the backrest was the issue. Never thought that the solution might be a vertical one, raise the seat (or, more hidden, make the seat cushion much more firm) to cure the leg length versus space issue.
Interesting!
