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Yes, the Model T club is very active, Model T was the beginning and the backbone of old car activities in the early days….I follow and participate in the MTFCA forums, and justify it by knowing that Model T rear end gear were a near perfect fit in the differential of my Model 20 Hupmobile. There is no more active group out there, and the entrance fee to touring and enjoying old car activities is no lower in any realm of the hobby. I’m cure with liking the more unusual cars, and lucky that my first Full Classic was a 1934 Pierce, and I got hooked on the quality and engineering of same….yes, not everyone can afford a custom bodied car, but the same people who pay 40K for a new car at $800 a month could do the same for a nice Pierce sedan, and actually have some value at the end of 6 or 8 years…not to mention the fun during the same period…
I agree, I once called the 1916-1924 era the “bastard years” on the AACA forum, and got censored for it. As you say, it’s a period when there were some great cars, but up until now many of them had nowhere to go! I’m not sure I agree with the CCCA decision, as I feel a club that starts changing partially to include more potential members may be in trouble, but it did bring some great cars into that club.
I agree, too, that Lincoln’s have always seemed to lag behind the price point that one would expect for such a quality car. Remember, too, that Pierce lagged behind Packard for a long time on price point, and that now seems to have changed for the “better” (depends on whether you want to sell or buy!)
I think the year and the styling hurt the Lincoln, from a price realized standpoint. The boxy styling, even if a custom body, doesn’t excite big spenders about early 1920’s cars.
Looks to me that most of the cars brought top dollar. It’s good to see Pierce getting some bidding respect, even if that’s bad for someone looking to purchase one!
I’d be willing to bet the nickel plating is correct. Remember, Pierce was making bicycles, which have plenty of plating, so it would be a continuance of that practice….
Congrats, great find! You now have time on your hands!
Glad to help. I’ve been fooling with old cars for over 50 years, as have many of you…decades ago, pot metal was holding together OK, but now, with 80 to 100 years on it, it fails easily.
About a year ago I acquired a 1927 Dodge Fast Four cabriolet, no big deal, but a rare car in it’s little world. A good friend is a Mopar collector from way back, as was his father (if the name Burchill means anything to you). He showed me all the pot metal pitfalls of this car, from distributor housing to starter to generator to…well, you get the idea, pot metal was a cheap way to go and would last for a while, but the Engineers never intended for it to be permanent….
I’m not the expert, but experienced on interior trim and upholstery to some degree, used to do it professionally but now retired from an Engineering life, and doing leather work and wood bow tops for a hobby….
Ed has more experience than I do. And, the slot I mention is keyhole shaped, not inverted.
Usually this is two pieces, the outer piece (to which the swivel is attached) has a knob on the back of it, the inner piece has an inverted keyhole shaped slot, the knob goes in the slot and slips down in place. The inner piece is attached to the wood with screws.
If you gently tap up on the outer piece, it should slip up and out.
I do not have specific knowledge of the part shown in the photograph, but based on others I’ve seen this should be the case.
I was wondering about that piece also. It’s funny how one gets a “feel” for an object, whether or not it’s a genuine piece of Pierce memorabilia.
For some reason, this item “feels” wrong. It doesn’t look right for a radiator badge, it’s too big (2 inches across) for a pin, from the pictures it looks like an imperfect casting (the details aren’t sharp)…
Interesting to know if someone can positively identify it…
I believe anything negative said about a car should be said privately, between one with the knowledge and a would be buyer, NOT on any public forum.
Ed Minnie is a great example of that, numerous times he’s told people to contact him for information on a particular car, but he doesn’t say bad things about a car in “public”. It’s a good way to operate.
Good things are OK to say, however, if you know a car is a really good one!!
Paul, what was final price per set, and are there any “extra”” for sale? thanks David C.”
I agree with inserts for rods, the only downside is that a failure of an insert will likely damage a crank much more than the failure of a babbit bearing.
There are different qualities of babbit, just as there are different grades and qualities of any metal. Also, there’s both science and art to pouring and finishing babbit correctly, and like a lot of trades, we’re losing people who know how to do it correctly.
I know that I’m over simplifying, but I always wondered about multi viscosity oils in older engines.
A 10W/30, for example, is 10 weight oil at ambient temperature, and 30 weight oil at engine operating temperatures.
So, I start my antique engine, full of bunny rabbit bearings, with 10 weight oil the only thing between crank and journals. That doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, in a new, insert, thin bearing surface engine, fine, but will it make my rabbit more bunny, that’s the question.
My Pierce lives in a temperature controlled room, so the possibility of starting it at 20 degrees ambient is pretty small. I run straight 30 weight, in that and my Cord and Packard, and don’t have problems.
I’m sure the discussion will continue.
Well, let’s see, 1000+ members, if we each put up $5K, then it’s ours!
Slight problem after that of course, figuring what to do with it….
Well, now that the gloves are off, I said they may be period correct, didn’t say I liked them. Personally, I think they’re silly. To “protect” the running board rubber, one drills four holes through it and squeezes it down with a plate. I don’t think they add any value or appearance to any car. Whew, feel better now!…
It will be interesting to see if there are any Pierce specific running board step plates out there.
I’d think you could take a blank plate, available as attached, and either engrave the Pierce name, or make an insert.
Personally, I think step plates are period correct for teens or twenties cars, but detract from the appearance of thirties cars.
Thanks for link, I’ve passed it on to questioner. I also passed on recommendations to contact the AACA library. Thanks! dc
I agree on the rock guard, I bought one for my ’31, propped it up against the radiator front, and didn’t like the look at all, so sold it…
The regular shutters that are factory look great, and as mentioned, could come either painted or chromed…..
There should be an overflow tube below the filler neck, and that overflow tube prevents pressure from building up, in addition to taking care of minor overfills. The radiator cap itself should have a gasket, but it usually isn’t water tight, as many stains on radiator shells would show!
I’d start looking at the overflow tube, though, sounds like it’s missing or plugged…….
Reminds me of the cartoon of the fellow waking up in the hospital after an operation, looking down at his chest, and yelling “OH NO, a Lucas pacemaker!!”
[as an aside, the interesting thing is that Lucas did, in fact, make a pacemaker….one fellow is quoted as saying “I have a Lucas pacemaker, and I’ve never had any trou…………….”]
