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On the upholstery, I’d like to offer a piece of advice. Don’t use foam, either in the seats or in the top pads.
Foam used to have some longevity to it, but since the government has outlawed certain chemicals in foam, it now has a very short life. Wholesale dealers sell foam in years of life, 8 years, 10 years, 12 years, and in modern cars and furniture it makes no difference, but it’s awful stuff to use in a Classic car.
The foam top pads used on modern cars is not sufficient to properly hide arch of top bows, nor will it last.
Hopefully your upholstery guy is old school like me, using only cotton, horsehair, leather, and so forth, the original materials.
I can’t help you with mounting, but will make a suggestion. Have to put the stone guard up to the car, and stood back and looked at it? Get someone to hold it in place for you.
I realize it’s personal opinion, but I bought one for my Model 43, had it up on the car, and really didn’t like the look of it. Maybe it’s because I’ve tried to keep my car “unadorned” to highlight the frontal Pierce look, but it sure made the front end too busy.
Again, personal opinion, I know some cars have them and owners must like them.
That’s an interesting storage compartment, but for some reason it doesn’t look like it’s factory. Is it nicely constructed, or is it just plywood (which the end piece appears to be). Nicely hinged or does it look home made? The quality of construction would go a long way in determining if Pierce did it.
Sheesh, Bob, when you get to it we’ll work something out!
I just turned down putting a kit in a ’57 Tbird because one, it’s too new, and two, vinyl and foam don’t agree with me….give me leather, cotton, and horsehair any day!
The blue with black fenders will look nice!
I’d think dark blue or black fenders, matching two different hues of blue is like matching grays, harder than one might think.
Wish you were closer, Tom, would love to do the new interior and/or top on that car!
and a view folded back, note the binding running the length, the wood has a slot running the length of it to fasten ends of carpet then put binding over seam, in this case I used wire-on
Here’s a picture, yes the wool carpet needs cleaning!
A lot of early cars (1930’s) had radio antennas under the car, either under running board or the car itself. My Cord phaeton has an antenna assembly that hangs under the car.
1929 would be very early for a car radio, I believe.
Agree with Bob, very nice restoration on the radio, by the way…
There is a footrest on the phaetons, it’s hinged so that it can stow against the bottom of the rear seat cushion, or rotate forward to allow a foot to rest against it. It’s wood, oval shaped, with cast ends and hinges. I can send you a picture tomorrow. I don’t think it was an accessory, but standard…
I’m no expert on this topic, but a car radio that sounds great by itself can be interfered with by the car running (coil and spark), so investigate what needs to be done to make the engine running “quiet”” to the radio reception.”
Neat! It’s interesting that some survived, and found their way to Pierce collectors. Hope you’re doing well, Walt, haven’t talked to you in a while! Seeing some of the P-A tool drawings would be cool!
I have a Pierce Arrow Mechanical Club pin, which Ed Minnie told me was a fairly unusual item. A friend of mine was at a small auction in Ohio, and saw it in a cigar box of stuff. Another bidder bought the box, he walked over and asked if he’d take a dollar for the pin, and the high bidder did so. My friend then gave it to me as a gift. Just funny how stuff finds a home!
Brooks, I guess it does raise the question of the time frame, although it’s hard for me to think that the Army Air Force would use the PAMCC corporate name….but thanks for additional information, the more history the better!
Thanks Jeff! Yes, that’s what I have, have never seen one before in many years of Pierce memorabilia collecting. Thanks for letting us know there’s another one! Here’s a picture of mine, plus a “regular”” employee ID holder that came with it….”
I’ve now had it verified that this object dates to the period Peter mentions, 1917-19, when Pierce was, indeed, preparing to manufacture airplane engines.
If anyone else has any physical item in their collection relating to the Aircraft Division, please let me know, either here or by email. I almost think the object I have is one of a kind, that somehow survived the years and then found it’s way to my grubby hands, but that’s so rarely the case.
Meanwhile, look for an update in a future issue of the Arrow. thanks dc
Is that a Studebaker head on the engine, or is that what heads looked like in 1930?
OK, let’s review the cars based on wheel treatment.
360001, Vesley/Hudson car, had full wheel covers (discs), apparently the only known existing Silver Arrow to carry those. Tom Derro’s car has full covers. Thus, I’m thinking 360001 is Tom’s car, and still resides in his garage, as Ed mentioned.
360002, Stieff car, had full wheel covers, but it’s assumed lost.
360003, not applicable
360004, Worden car, unknown
360005, Sotheby Auction car, shown originally with discs, shown with painted wire wheels when owned by Peck/Clark, but now has chrome wire wheels
360006, not applicable
360007, San Francisco Academy of Art, painted red wire wheels
So my opinion now, based on Mr. Lyons astute observation to simplify, and Ed’s source saying the Derro car is still in TD’s garage, that Derro’s name should NOT be associated with 360007.
Yes, Bob, your Pierce engine is holding up my Packard engine, so get him moving on it!
You’ve only had yours at that shop for 3 years…he had one engine of mine for 7 years, so you’ve got some catching up to do!
I know nothing about Pierce timing chains, as I own a Model 43 that was apparently the ONLY eight cylinder car with an engine with timing gears, no chain!
For the record, my Packard engine (with hairline cracks between valve seats) has been at his shop almost 4 years, with him working on a fix, and I’m just about ready to pull it and send it to a block repair facility
Great information, Peter, thanks.
It would seem to explain all, except that:
-Tom Derro listed his car in the roster as 360007 at one point
-the interior in the car Tom Derro showed appears to be different than that interior in 360007 when it went through the B/J auction
-Ed has it on good authority that a Silver Arrow still resides in Tom Derro’s garage
I love a good mystery! It would seem that the only “positive” thing about a missing car is that 360002 had the rear body hacked off by John Grimage so he could haul firewood, possibly in the late 40’s or early 50’s in Baltimore, and there’s no record of that car being rebuilt or rebodied, so it probably ended up in a junk yard and was destroyed.
360004 is the most intriguing of the group, as it seems to have disappeared as a whole, and with the world as such a big place, it could very well be in a garage somewhere, with my guess being overseas….I think a person or family would be hard pressed to hide such a high profile car in the United States…
These cars have great lines. Sitting outside, even under a tarp and in dry California, is never kind to a car…
Ed, no rush…from the interior color, it would appear that the Derro car was NOT the one sold at the B/J auction.
The question now would be what serial number is Derro’s car, as the serial number of the one sold at the B/J auction was documented in auction literature as 360007. There is a reference at some point that the Derro car is “number 1”, and if so maybe it’s 360001?
Thanks and safe travels, Ed…..
