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Hmmm… I am no expert, but that Pierce doesn’t look stock to me.

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Greg I do have wire wheels.  I found a forum discussion on the AACA website concerning the lug nut torque specs for the 1932 Model A.  A gentleman was asking what the torque should be and the first reply said to torque the lug nuts to 100ft./lbs.  There were several more replies that all said that 100ft./lbs. was too much and the correct torque should be in the 50-60ft./lbs. range. Upon reading this discussion, I decided to ask the wise men ( and wise guys) on the PAS forum for guidance. Tightening bolts or nuts without torque specifications gives me high anxiety. I did torque the lug nuts to 60ft./lbs. I will drive the car a few miles and torque them again to the 80ft./lbs. mark.  Thank you again for your time and help.

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Interesting piece!

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I suppose it could have been a mouse nest. I do not have vermiculite at my house so the vermiculite would have had to come from my great uncle’s garage and stayed in the exhaust for the last 2 years.

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Thanks guys for helping me solve that mystery.

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David,

Thanks for the 16 truck tube suggestion. I was just about to buy some new tubes from Universal this week and I thought I should check on this forum again.

George,

1. I will clean up and paint any rust I encounter and I will apply HVAC tape around between  the tube and tire as you indicated. I am not surprised the wheels were changed out at some point with the cars weight, historically poor roads, and weak tire structure. I did find out that the 17-7s will not fit the spare tire covers but the 18-5.50 will fit. The 18-5.50 look like bicycle tires.  I am learning a lot about Antique car technology and how remarkably different it hand rim modern vehicles. In some ways the technology is more complex and other ways it is simpler. Thanks again to all of inputs and suggestions.

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Tony, thanks for the 411 on the wheels, but now the mystery of how 17s ended up on the car is nagging at me.

David, I don’t plan on chasing trophies and I will take your advice and continue rolling on the 17s. I will just buy a new 17-7.0 tire and tube. The 18in tires look brand new, one is a Lester white wall and the other is a “gum dipped” Firestone. Thanks for the

 

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I am not sure of name of the blue paint on my 1932 model 54, but maybe this helps.

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Karl, Greg, Jim,

I will tighten the bottom nut this weekend and see how it drives when it warms up a little.

Thanks again,

Ryan

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David T.,

There was little evidence of what was done to the Pierce in Lloyd’s old garage. I drained the oil and then used a thin piece of plastic shaped like a hook and scraped the bottom of the oil pan and I did not see any lumps or sludge. I had looked over several AACA and car enthusiast sites, and found so much conflicting information on the best type of oil for antique cars. Of course I came to the PAS, for more Pierce specific information and guidance.

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It sounds like I can’t go wrong with the valvoline. I appreciate the thoughtful and thorough responses by PAS members. I will have plenty more questions as I start to delve deeper into lubricating of the car. I am going to try and stop several leaks the best I can.

Best regards,

Ryan

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Since the engine has not been cleaned in the last 30 years, I will use the non-detergent oil. Thanks Paul, Stuart, and Richard!

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The nuclear plant sounds like an interesting trip, I will add it to my next Idaho trip. I can’t believe the nuclear plant area is more desolate than Craters of the Moon. Glad you had a good time.

Sincerely

Ryan

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Bill,

There is a tremendous amount of beautiful places to visit within the Idaho, western Wyoming, Utah, and western Colorado area. I agree with Jim that the Grand Tetons are worth the trip. I have been to the Tetons 6 times and they are still as amazing as the first. I would also consider the following: Black Canyon of the Gunnison in western Colorado, Craters of the Moon in eastern Idaho, Arches National Park near Moab, Utah and Dead Horse Point, south of Moab. The Unita Mountains, just outside of Salt Lake City, are wonderful as well.

I have visited all the national parks in UT, WY, MT, CO, and SD and my favorite two places have been Dead Horse Point and the Grand Tetons. I am ready to go right now.

Ryan

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Edgar, I saw that Michelin had the top rated tire tube on Amazon. Does Michelin make a quality tube? Does my model 54 have the split wheels or the wheels with locking rings.

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I want to thank everyone for their continued interest in this saga. I am overwhelmed by the support that the society members are providing. I will get some new tire tubes after I can get the car in my hands. I might try and drive it from Auburn to Pokagon for the annual meet, if the timing works out. I am eager to begin going through the mechanical aspects of the car to ensure that everything is in reliable working condition, but I am busy planning an extension on to my garage so I can store the car in a proper environment.

Big thanks to Greg Long who has been a welcome guide and a reservoir of information regarding not only things related to the Pierce, but also the pitfalls of buying and selling through the auction.

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I ended up with the car with an after auction purchase and I am working on having the car at annual meet.

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My heart sank when i received the text from my father that the car was on its way to Auburn. I have known about the car for years but I had never laid eyes on it. The Pierce Arrow was always kept in a seperate garage from my great-uncle’s other collector cars, that my father would take us to see. Those other cars included a 1949 Lincoln convertible, a Model t, and a 1940s Ford. It wasn’t until April 28th that I first saw the 1932 Pierce Arrow. My father told me that my cousin Joann was selling the Pierce Arrow and he wanted to go drive it one more time before it was sold. I drove my wife and two children to my cousin’s house and met my father there in front of the garage. My father opened the garage door, in a made for TV unveiling, and I was immediately taken by the big elegant Pierce. I was surprised at the smooth lines for a car built in 1932. Stepping inside the car created another awe inspiring moment, as I looked over the beautiful wood work and metal accents. I also found the interior lighting and adjustable suspension unusual for a car of this age. Then my mother, my children, my wife, and I, all piled in for a ride down a back road for a short but unforgettable ride. After we returned, I told my father that I would try to buy the car. When my attempt to buy the car was turned down, I vowed to help sell the car to the right people(PAS members) for a fair price and ask for nothing in return.

I will call RM-sotheby on Monday to find the lot number and the day that it is projected to sell. The auction runs from May 29th through June 1st. The car has yet to be listed on the auction website. I hoping that the car does not meet reserve and I can buy the car after it has been transported back to Muncie. I would hate to have to pay a bidders fee and a buyer’s premium.

Thank you again to all PAS members for your help and I look forward to seeing all of you at the annual meet.

Sincerely,

Ryan Riggin

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I have bad news. I was unable to convince my cousin to not sell the Pierce Arrow through the auction and she sent the car to Auburn. I thought I had her convinced earlier in the week but “wiser” family pushed her to sell at auction. I will try my best to be there when the car crosses the auction block and if the bidding falls short, keep her from dropping the reserve in order to sell it. I hope that after the auction is over I can offer to buy it. Regardless of what happens, I will still be coming to at least one day of the PAS annual meet. Thank you all for taking the time to give your advice and information.

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Thank you for those who have posted with sound advice and who corrected my upside down photos. Don’t worry about being critical, I have been critical of my family’s handling of the situation. I soon as I heard that the car was going up for sale without anyone doing some independent research, I was trying to stop the process and I immediately began looking up the PAS. I love the car and was wanting to buy it from my cousin but she insists on getting “fair market value” for it. I asked her how she was going to determine what that was and she said, “by sending it to the auction”. I have tried to explain to her that there is no guarantee of getting a “fair value” by taking it to auction. I told that I have been to many house auctions and have seen houses worth 50,000 to 60,000 sold for just 10,000 because nobody was there to bid on them. I believe that it is more than a coincidence that within a month of my cousin’s decision to sell the car, the PAS is having it’s annual meet just 2 hours from where the car sits.

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