- Home
- About Us
- Join/Renew
- Member Benefits
- Member Pages
- Log In
- Help
- Museum Store
Hi- made a list in pencil, and still have to find a few things, it is about #2 or #3 on my priority list for this weekend. thanks David Coco
OK, thanks, will get a list together this weekend and email to you. David
Hi Lee- thanks for your gracious offer. The project I was working on is just about completed, and I am now working on another close to home project. I will probably be back out in Sacramento sometime in the next couple of months, and will contact you then. Thanks!! David Coco
Great story Bob. So it would appear that what I saw, also long ago, was the car in the process of assembly, thus the assumption on my part that the post was “removable”. Remember that on my visit, Enrico was not on site to clarify for me; that both cars were there (Merlin’s and Craig’s), so I have no idea which one I was looking at; and lastly, it was when both cars were in the middle of restoration. To me, mystery solved! Sure hate not being at the meet this year. Know everyone will have a great time. David Coco
Darn, did I let kind remarks slip in somehow? Oh well. I remember looking at Craig’s car (the unrestored phaeton) when Henry Yeska had it for sale. Great car, I just could not afford the cost of ownership. Glad it went to someone who is maintaining it’s originality. Would be interesting to see if that EDL is a removable post car, or if that whole episode is a figmentation of my imagination. Will miss seeing you guys at the meet this year, y’all have fun! David
Interesting stuff, Tony. I may have left out one part of the story; Enrico was not home when I looked at the cars, the other Pierce owner showed me the cars; obviously he wanted to sell his, not offer me the choice of the EDL’s.
Perhaps Merlin could let us know if my recollection is correct. I believe he told me the second EDL that Enrico had in his workshop was in a very private collection in the northeast (i.e. stuck in a garage and not driven or shown). Both cars were in mid-restoration when I saw them (this would have been in the mid to late 80’s), but I distinctly remember seeing the removable door post on the passenger side of one of the cars. Sure wish I had known at the time that one of these EDL’s was for sale; for a couple thousand more than I paid for the model 54 sedan I could have had a unique car. David
Hi- I remember! I never have repaired the gas guage on my 31 phaeton, so ALWAYS carry extra gas. And it gets poor mileage, so one always is a poor guesser on how much is in the tank.
Thanks for info on gas regulator, that helps. I have papers from both Pierce and the machine shop that made these for Pierce; interesting reading, as apparently they ordered a lot of them, and then kept cutting the order (optimistic on sales perhaps?). There is also discussion of the tooling and mold used for the pieces. Interesting stuff. Thanks again! David Coco
Hi- glad this worked out for you, as mentioned in previous post he has done nothing but excellent work for me; also, as mentioned before, if you are going to finish natural, tell Bill so that he uses a nice looking grain; otherwise he just goes for strength. David C.
I would please ask that nobody bids on this little gem. Tony Zappone and I are going to buy this thing and get it back on the road for a winter driver. Bob Sands has all the parts we need to get it running for $135.00 . Be sure to look for it at PAS meet this summer. Ed Minnie 
Wow, nice lines to the body, this is not for the faint of heart nor light of pocketbook, of course. I pulled a 1934 836 out of a field in Virginia a couple of years ago, and the more we pulled the worse it got. Mother Nature sure wants these things back when they sit outside! dc
Hi- the data plate is clearly visible on the passenger (left) side of the body, at bottom of cowl; I just could not read it from behind the display chains, and did not want to cross them. I’ll contact Bob, if I can would love to come visit, although I’d have to bring someone with me if you want a "distinguished" visitor, as doubt that I fit that billing. dc
Hi George- next time I go over there I will try to get the serial number; it is not "readable" from behind the barriers, will see if one of the docents will let me get close enough to copy it. There is an 840 in the museum, an older restoration it appears. I was wondering what the deal was with the privately owned cars there. Luckily there is a short rainy season here, the museum was leaking (through the roof) on numerous cars Sunday when I was there.
I am going to be in Sacramento about 75% of the time for the next 4 months or so, heading up a project of production modifications to the Crystal Dairy plant there. Would love to visit with some of the area Pierce guys! I’ll get in touch with you and/or Bob to arrange something. Right now I plan to be out here March 3-12, then again March 17-26.
Thanks! David Coco
Hi- just as further information (and you can tell I spent some time in his shop); his father used to run the business, and as mentioned it is pretty much a one man shop now. In a good week, he turns out two sets of wheels (each set of 4 wheels). In this big world, 100 sets of wheels a year is pretty exclusive; most of the wheels he seems to make are the early brass cars it seems. He uses hickory if I remember correctly, it has to be cut a certain way with the grain to make the blanks. He has a machine into which he puts a good pattern (and can use one of the spokes off your car is one is good enough), and then it makes 6 or 8 spokes at a time from that pattern. He will choose better grain wood if you are going to stain and varnish wood wheels, but if to be painted grain appearance is not important. All wheel wood is put in a special room which reduces it to 1.5% moisture content. After dry (and it takes weeks to get to that low moisture content), he fits and assembles the wheels, and the moisture in the air rehydrates the wheel (I think normal wood is 30% moisture or more), swelling the wood to make a tight fit (remember the old trick of driving through a stream to tighten Model T wheels). Remember, a wood wheel is a compression wheel, with weight supported by bottom spokes of wheel at time of tire contact with road; wire wheels are suspension wheels, with weight of car supported by upper part of rim hanging from spokes. Then he has a machine which makes the hub hole true, and he finishes the wheel. It is all very low tech, but he turns out a true wheel which will last you another 100 years or more. All this trivia is rattling around in my head and am glad to let it out a little. Happy (Pierce or Franklin) Motoring! David Coco
Hi- one point I forgot to mention, if the powder coating that you had done is meant to be a final finish, you may get disappointed. I believe there is a heat step involved in shrinking the rim on the felloe (fellow?), which, combined with the dried wood soaking moisture from the air, forms an extremely tight wheel. This heat may discolor or damage a coating, I know that the primered rims on my sets of wheels had to be redone. Something else to be clear about with Bill.
Again, good luck! David Coco
Mr. LaFong (that’s CAPITAL L, small a, CAPITAL F, small o, small n, small g; LaFong, Carl LaFong, and if I did know him I wouldn’t tell you) is absolutely correct, the sills are brass, my mistake for thinking I had any idea I knew what I was talking about. At least it got people responding! Happy (Pierce) Motoring! David Coco
Hi- my guess is a 1929 to 1931, I believe after that the door sill plates started getting much thicker (larger) than this fairly thin one. I have a later one sitting in my closet, it is steel; it is possible that the copper color you are seeing is just that, a copper coating as part of the chroming process on the steel.
Hi- thanks, since I was not close enough to come look at the car, I was seeing what other information might be out there to help Marty make a decision, he is a long time friend. He was concerned about mechanical condition of the car, and I think that we have a few answers now, that it is a good car but does need some mechanical work (carb, water pump) and some cosmetics. Does look pretty nice though! Thanks David Coco
Thanks, Tony and Paul- this was one piece of Pierce trivia that I was not aware of; the "doored" hood is definitely more interesting than a standard 836A hood.
Thanks David Coco
Hi- well, used basic engines sell for $800 to $1500, depending on model, and without accessories. With all the accessories, probably add anoher $600 or more unrestored. Then, to rebuild an engine will cost $3000 to $10,000, depending on who does it, how it is assembled (by owner or not), etc. So, $5000 to $10000 is one range, and I am sure that many people have more than that in engines.
All these numbers are just guesstimates, and refer to an 8 cylinder engine.
I remember talking to Tom Lester back in the ’80’s, when he had a shop doing engines. Price was "basic rebuild, $500 per hole (cylinder); Great Race ready, with a modern engine inside a cosmetically correct original engine, $1500 per hole". And that was 20 years ago.
What is that engine worth? Not a clue, just thought I’d throw numbers out. Remember looking at a restored 1911 Buick for sale, and I asked ":where are all the spare parts?". The reply was that the late owner did not keep any spares, he figured he could always fix what was on the car.
dc
