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Eddie, I don’t have a problem switching between SERIES and MODEL Pierces despite having both. And I had a SERIES 75 Cadillac for 42 years and a SERIES 60S Cadillac for 12 years. 
Merry Christmas! George
That radio will draw about 10 amps. You might consider keeping wire leads separate from car wiring, and carry an Optima AGM sealed battery to run it when stopped.
In the SF Bay Area, there’s nothing worth listening to on the AM band anyway, and precious little on FM. That’s why I haven’t been installing radios in old cars for >10 years.
For show-and-tell at the Gatsby picnic, I have a 1932-34 General Electric B-52 Meteor portable radio, designed for placing on the floorboard or runningboard, and which can be run or 6V or 120V. See http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_meteor_b_52.html
George
1930 Model A used an oblong splash apron courtesy light, Model B had round ones, and Model C (like the little piggy) had none.
To pick a nit, the word ‘series’ was no longer used after 1928; 1929-38 cars were designated ‘models.’
Best wishes for a very happy holiday season to all!
George
My guess is that it’s a 1929 (not 1930 headlight lenses, but that’s not definitive) LWB 7-pass touring. The side view shows a courtesy lamp on the splash apron, used in 1929 only on the 143″ LWB.
The license plates are “exempt” (letter e within an octagon) meaning the car was registered to a local or state government agency, They are Calif “black plates” with yellow characters first issued for 1963. (1956 thru 1962 were yellow with black characters).
The storage compartment on the floor with finger-pull hinged-at-bottom lid, is identical to that in my 1930 Model B roadster.
In the late 1920s, color magazine advertisements became far less expensive due to technological advancements in the printing industry. (I’m sure Henry May can describe those.) As a result, there was a proliferation of auto ads in vivid colors, as exemplified by the Lincoln ads featuring tropical/exotic birds as well as their autos. These ads were almost always paintings by artists, who took considerable license in their colors, which were highly saturated.
In the 1980s, especially, the vividly and imaginatively colored ads were used as “proof” of authenticity of colors selected for restorations during that period. Today some of us refer to those cars as Circus Wagon restorations.
About 20 years ago, a 1930 Packard touring car on the short 133-inch wheelbase made the rounds of local concours, resplendent in three shades of purple, and was accompanied by a framed magazine color ad of the day showing the identical car in the identical colors. The owner had, unfortunately, used the ad as “proof” that this color combination was offered by the factory.
Pierce-Arrow was willing to paint your car ALMOST any color you desired except for pink, purple, and white (but made an exception for the Shah of Persia’s white town car in 1930).
The Series 80 standard color “English Purple Lake” is in fact a rich blue rather than purple.
Please remember that the Pierce-Arrow clientele were primarily Old Money and conservative, who largely found Cadillacs to be gaudy and vulgar (the latter after Harley Earl’s Art & Colour a few years after your car).
One other thing to check: (This is from my experience with a member’s 1930 Model A, which got into the Death Wobble at about 35-38 mph, requiring a full stop to terminate the shaking).
Jacking up one front wheel at a time, I found looseness in the right front. It seemed like the wheel bearings were loose, i.e., the spindle nut wasn’t tight enough. I could not get it adjusted properly, so pulled the wheel, tire, and drum as a unit.
As everyone knows, the inner wheel bearing seals are not available. Some previous owner had a metal seal for a smaller hub installed in a soft red plastic “carrier” which extends to the Pierce hub. HOWEVER, the lip of the carrier, which fits into the recess in the hub, was too deep–or the recess was not deep enough. The result was that when one pushes the hub home on the spindle, the hub would bounce back (out) slightly.
The cure, of course, is to find a plastic carrier with a shorter lip OR to machine a slightly deeper recess in the hub. I offered to explore those options, but the owner decided to send the car to the facility which had done other work on it.
For what it may be worth….
Hi Scott, that car belongs to Ev & Gus Young. The car did have a cracked exhaust manifold when they acquired it (they probably inadvertently used one of their “as found” photos in their eBay listing), but they replaced it with a good one sourced from Pat Craig. I saw the car at Pebble 2013, where it completed the Thursday tour (>80 miles) with no issues. I also saw the car at the Minden Meet in July 2013, where it similarly performed well.
Best regards, George
I am looking at a photocopy of the permissible trailers chart (“California Driver License Classes Valid as of April 1, 2012”) that I keep in a document protector in my truck. This chart is found inside the front cover of the California Commercial Drivers Handbook.
**California** Class C (regular driver’s license) licensee may tow **with** a 2-axle vehicle with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs or less (motor home or truck) the following:
* a single vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less, including a tow dolly if used
* trailer coach (travel trailer) not exceeding 9,000 lbs gross
* trailer coach or 5th wheel travel trailer under 10,000 lbs when towing is not for compensation
* 5th wheel travel trailer exceeding 10,000 lbs but not exceeding 15,000 lbs GVWR, when towing is not for compensation and with endorsement.
So there is a reason that most car trailers are rated (like mine) at just under 10,000 (mine is rated at 9,995).
My point is to recommend that each of us find the rule for his/her state and carry a copy in your tow vehicle.
As the owner of a 24-ft (near perfect length for me) 3-axle trailer with 15-inch tires (drat!), I urge getting a trailer with at least 16″ wheels. If you are licensed in California, try to find a trailer with an axle combination that exceeds 10,000 rating but the entire trailer is rated at under 10,000. The point is not just avoiding tickets, but also protecting yourself from allegations of wrongdoing in the event of an accident.
I do love the stability of the triple axles.
Welcome to PAS, Jim!
There is no factory shop manual for any Pierce. Through 1929, the Owner’s Manual (usually called Operation and Care Manual) has a good bit of information on mechanical “adjustments.” You can download your OM FREE by going to “Member Pages”, then “Library”, then enter your year and model (1926 80). You’ll then be prompted to download the whole thing as a pdf.
I encourage you to obtain a copy of the Series 80 “Parts Catalogue” from the AACA Library, which holds our PAS physical collection. That Catalog runs almost 200 pages, but the first 30 pages or so are diagrams of components and their individual parts. Individual fasteners are thoroughly described by diameter and thread. This is a must-have reference!
Please read through the OM, then ask questions on the Message Board, and we Series 80 guys will get back to you with advice tempered by experience.
Looks like a very nice car you acquired.
Congrats, and we’re looking forward to answering your questions and meeting you and your S80.
Best regards, George
Due to our small allotted space this year, PAS NorCal Region did not have its usual canopy / open tent, with a cooler of cold drinks. We are usually parked on the first tier above the paved Friday night dinner area. I wish you guys had hunted us down and said howdy. Bob Jacobsen, Larry Seidell, Greg Long, and I were all judges (for other classes, of course), and that kept us away from our vehicles until nearly noon. If anyone plans on coming in future years, let Bob or me know and we’ll tell you about the group dining opportunities on Friday and Saturday evenings. Ironstone is always the fourth Saturday in September, and seeks to provide a relaxing end-of-season event.
There were 361 vehicles approved, an all-time high, but there seemed to be greater than the usual 10 percent of no-shows of accepted vehicles.
Bill, for openers let’s separate “gears” from “speeds,” which are being used interchangeably, as we all do. By “speeds,” I’m talking about which ratio is being selected by the driver. Let’s have “gears” be limited to those round thingies with teeth on them.
Your comments have some validity when limited to a discussion of Third and Fourth SPEEDS in the Clark. However, First (granny) and Second are straight-cut gears which require double clutching if the car is not at rest when either of those SPEEDS is selected.
Third and Fourth SPEEDS in the Clark have constant mesh HELICAL herringbone gears, and they are indeed “constant mesh” (see page 28 of the 1930 Prestige catalog and page 31 of “The Story of Pierce-Arrow.”
The same illustration used in both references, and also shows the straight-cut First and Second.
I cannot understand your statement “that huge jump is accommodated by the constant engagement of the teeth of each gear set.” Well, if one is indeed able to move from one SPEED to another, yes, the gearbox “accommodates” that. The “huge jump” from Second to Third (or as Pierce calls it, “intermediate”) works but is not desirable: you must wind the engine up to an unseemly (for a Pierce) rpm before shifting from Second to Third. I must say I do love the 1.25 Third; I just wish the ratios were more closely spaced between 1, 2 and 3.
And one sure as shootin’ must double clutch when shifting from Second to Third/Intermediate–and back.
The illustrations show NO synchronizer assemblies (small bronze teeth, which is what I was referring to, as used in 1932 and later Pierces, in the 4-speed Clark. Wiki defines synchronizers as a subset of constant mesh, so you have a point there.
As I recall, Cadillac pioneered conventional synchromesh about 1928, and the ‘h’ in the spelling may have been a GM Trade Mark. Primarily, Pierce boasted of the helical herringbone gears (about half a degree apart) as SILENT to get away from the ‘singing second” for which big GM cars of the era were famous.
The Clark was an interesting exercise, but Pierce dropped it like a hot rock after the 1930 model year and had an aggressive factory exchange program to put later transmissions (1931 and 1932) in 1930s–as described in reprinted PAMCC bulletins in a PASB circa 2003. (I reviewed that recently but can’t find it as I type this.)
And that’s about all I have time for!
George
Bill, the 1930 four-speed Clark transmission does NOT have synchronizers. Its primary fault is the spacing of the ratios: 3.12 on the granny First, about 2.2 (off the top of my head) for Second, 1.25 for Third, and 1.00 for Fourth. Huge jump between Second and Third. The Brown-Lipe 4-speed as used in the Broadmoor Hotel cars (and precious few others) was much more of a close-ratio transmission. Pierce’s first syncro box was for 1932.
Bob, you beat me to it. Perhaps Peter is infatuated with Miss Jane Eyre.
I’ll tweak Peter’s (figurative) beard for his phrase “an ample sufficiency” by quoting W.C. Fields, “Pardon my redundancy…”
Have a wonderful day, my Pierce-Arrow friends!
George
“Gobs”” (literally) are clumps that will create friction and tube failure. Use **plenty** of talc but spread it around the casing interior and also on (my preference) an inflated tube. Be sure to inflate and deflate a new tube before placing it in the casing.”
Bob has heard most of this from me already.
I am delighted with the Bedford Famous Coach tires on my 1930 roadster (700 18) and 1934 Silver Arrow (700 17). The sidewall design near the tread is authentic, they wear VERY well, and two of the 17s have survived high speed flats (see below). However, they are wider and greater in diameter than original equipment and will not fit in sidemount wells and under sidemount covers.
Just before the Temecula Meet in 2009 I bought a set of the 17s from Lucas and their tubes with rubber stems. On the return trip from Temecula I suffered two high speed (58-62 mph) flats due to the Lucas-provided tubes. In both cases, the tubes split along the bonded seams and were not repairable. There were no punctures, just tube failure.
Subsequently I replaced all five tubes with 16-inch light truck tubes sourced through my local Big O dealer and those tubes have done very well–no further difficulty in the last six years. But I carry TWO spare tubes for tours of any distance. And I’ve been unable to add plated valve stem covers to these tubes.
My tire wallah tells me that ALL tubes are now made overseas. The newer the tube, the thinner the construction seems to be.
When replacing tires on these cars, allow time to remove the usual rim strips and address the rust that almost certainly is lurking under them. “Address” means using wire wheel, sanding, Metal-Prep, and paint. For 1933 and later drop center 17″ wheels, do NOT buy 17″ rim strips, as they will be too large; 15-inch rim strips may work.
Greg Long came up with the excellent idea of using heavy duty HVAC tape to wrap the drop center in lieu of rim strips. As I recall, we used 20-mil tape on the center and 10-mil tape on the shoulders. 17-inch flaps might serve as well.
George
This is superb advice! Thanks, Greg. I believe it was at the 2000 Meet in Boerne, TX, that an older-restoration Series 80 which ***should** have had at least 2nd place failed to place due to multiple lighting issues, probably due to bad connections which developed over time. These are the cheapest judging points you will ever earn!
A minor nitpick: When using the infrared non-contact thermometer on the radiator, COOLER spots indicate clogs.
Also, check the temps of the outside of the water jacket plate from front to rear. If that plate has not been off in years, the cooling system would greatly benefit from cleaning out the rust, crud and corruption you’ll probably find between the cylinders, especially toward the rear. The diverter on the inside of the plate, which serves to give equal coolant to the rear cylinders, should also be cleaned or replaced.
I agree with the other answers provided so far but here are a few less-invasive, and less expensive, suggestions:
1. The bottom radiator hose leading to the inlet side of the water pump originally had a pipe (tube) in the center with approx. 4-inch hoses on either end. Sometimes owners replace this with a single long straight piece of hose, which can collapse at speed under the powerful suction of the pump. A single piece of hose, if used, should have a coil spring inside to prevent such collapse. Stainless exhaust tubing is my choice for replacement.
2. If the water pump packing is deteriorated, the pump can suck ambient air which will lead to foaming.
3. Modern ethylene glycol green anti-freeze (the only anti-freeze one should use in any pre-1970 car, IMHO) will foam in an UNpressurized cooling system such as found in all Pierce-Arrows. The foam displaces water, and the hot water entering the top tank of the radiator has to escape via the overflow tube. At highway speeds it’s even worse, and a siphon effect can result to further reduce your coolant level. When I first acquired my 1934, with 50/50 anti-freeze, every 150 miles on a highway trip to the 2006 meet I had to add 3-4 quarts of water. I don’t need anti-freeze in my San Francisco area climate, so I run distilled (NOT de-ionized) water PLUS Penncool 3000 additive for anti-corrosion, water pump lube, and anti-cavitation purposes. I doubt that I add a quart of coolant in 1,000 miles now. Greg Long of Michigan puts in anti-freeze only for the winter, and flushes and uses water + additive for the touring season. Use the minimum amount of anti-freeze to prevent freezing in your climate in conjunction with a full dose of other additive(s) for anti-corrosion and lube purposes.
Notwithstanding the above, my 8s will burp when shut down. A one-minute idle cool-down after a fast run will minimize this.
If possible, top off coolant only when the engine is hot and the coolant
has expanded. Fill to about two inches below the neck, except for 1934-38 cars in which one cannot see the level until it is overfull. Hot top-off is even more important on those later cars.
Good luck and please keep us posted on what you find….
