Cord "restoration" thread

[JBOYLE]

Have a project you're planning to "get to" one of these days? Over on the A-C-D Club Cord forum, a guy says he's finally going to reassemble a Cord sedan that been apart in his (and other family) garages since 1955! He has finally come to the realization he doesn't have the money (or now the time, I suspect) to restore it, so he's going to reassemble it and try to make it to the next club meet. Good for him. But, it's a shame he didn't get honest with himself 40-30 or 20 years ago. Cords are rare as well as being a real design icon of American cars. I'd politely suggest the car deserved a bit better fate (but at least he didn't let it get scrapped or rodded, so you've got to give him credit for that). Still, it's a (albeit minor) pet peeve when guys wait decades before doing something with a car, especially something as nice as a Cord. http://forums.acdclub.org/phpbb2/vie...34ac014dbebc35

[Bob Bryant]

Havng lived in the Niles area for 23 years, I recall the owner of the Cord. As Auburn was nearby it was convenient and a treat to visit the annual ACD event. Tom in years past would have the car on a flatbed in the Saturday parade with a sign mentioning that his car was awarded the most "improved" award from the previous year. It is not known if the car still competes for that recognition. Having attended Kendallville HS Auburn was a short drive and my date and I would go to the Court Theater. My trivia function just kicked in!

Mr. Jack Randinelli founded the ACD Festival. He drove with the mayor in the parade and passed away on Sunday. It is fitting that he had that opportunity and will be missed by the club and community.

JBOYLE: Thanks for posting.

[Jet Green Daytona]

Interesting indeed. Surprisingly that happens a lot with Cords, even though there were so few of them made. I remember as a kid my father chasing down a lead on a Cord that was sitting in someone's garage in Millstone, NJ. It took him some time but he found it, and of course tried to buy it. It was robin's egg blue, and not supercharged. The owner had collected more bicycles than I ever saw in my entire life and they were hanging all around and above the Cord, there was not much that you could see of the Cord. Needless to say the owner did not want to sell. I have no idea if the car is still in the same place or not.

Bob, I was under the impression that Harry Denard started the ACD club and organized the early Labor Day festivals?

Todd

[t walgamuth]

I would imagine restoring a Cord might be a daunting task with the extremely low production numbers.

[sweetolbob]

There a fellow locally that has a Cord under restoration and had to sell two beautifully restored 31 & 32 Buick Coupes to fund it. He says the engine is the most difficult part to find parts for and more difficult to find someone that can work on them. Luckily he found an old local machinist that has done a couple in the past but only does an engine or two a year. His is one of them. The good news, this one will be a top notch build and will see the road and shows.

He must have had some money left as he just purchased a 1927 Paige for his next project. His most recent completed project is a 1926 Kissel and it is beautifully restored.

Bob

[BobPalma]

'Good post, John. You're right; that has to be some kind of record. BP

[63 R2 Hawk]

I have the same predicament with my '32 Studebaker Regal sedan. I bought it disassembled in 2001, put it together to see what worked and what didn't. I put about 400 miles on it driving around town and decided to restore it. I disassembled it, then my wife became ill and passed away so it has lanquished with spurts of body work and paint prep, but the budget doesn't justify spending $20,000 to make a $9,000 car. The Cord is no doubt worth restoring though. I am thinking it may be a CASO project for this winter.

[Bob Bryant]

...Bob, I was under the impression that Harry Denard started the ACD club and organized the early Labor Day festivals? Todd

Todd, Mr. Randinelli's obit gave him credit for instigating the ACD Festival not the club. It also said he had volunteered for 50 years. Maybe it should have said he was one of the founders of the festival when it was initiated. He apparently was quite a sparkplug for all things Auburn after he arrived from PA.

[t walgamuth]

I have the same predicament with my '32 Studebaker Regal sedan. I bought it disassembled in 2001, put it together to see what worked and what didn't. I put about 400 miles on it driving around town and decided to restore it. I disassembled it, then my wife became ill and passed away so it has lanquished with spurts of body work and paint prep, but the budget doesn't justify spending $20,000 to make a $9,000 car. The Cord is no doubt worth restoring though. I am thinking it may be a CASO project for this winter.

Sorry to hear of the loss of your wife. That kind of loss can sure take the wind out of one's hobby sails.

Maybe you can do a functional restoration, fix the mechanicals and clean up the interior and leave the exterior unrestored. It can make a neat old car that can be enjoyed and perhaps one day the value will be there for the full resto.

If you make it a 100 point car you won't want to drive it. (That's my excuse)

[jnormanh]

There a fellow locally that has a Cord under restoration and had to sell two beautifully restored 31 & 32 Buick Coupes to fund it. He says the engine is the most difficult part to find parts for and more difficult to find someone that can work on them. Luckily he found an old local machinist that has done a couple in the past but only does an engine or two a year. His is one of them. The good news, this one will be a top notch build and will see the road and shows.

He must have had some money left as he just purchased a 1927 Paige for his next project. His most recent completed project is a 1926 Kissel and it is beautifully restored.

Bob

Why is the engine difficult to find parts for, or to work on? It's standard Lycoming stuff as used in dozens of different brands. The difference between a Lycoming and any other flathead engine of the 1930s is insignificant. Any marginally competent mechanic can rebuild the engine. And Lycoming parts are thick on the ground.

As far as Cord specific parts, there still exists an enormous hoard of genuine NOS parts.

Nearly all Cord body parts, and most mechanical parts are interchangeable with Graham and Hupmobile , and there is an 800 foot long, nine foot high warehouse full of them. Millions of piston rings, thousands of NOS bumpers, complete instrument panels, new superchargers, NOS engines and trannys.

You could put the Studebaker NOS parts stash in a tiny back corner of the Hup-Graham-Cord stash.

Cord parts? More plentiful than VW Beetle.

Your guy is getting his xxxx jerked by his "expert" mechanic.

http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2007/05/01/hmn_feature19.html

[GThawkwind]

It's sad that he he let it sit so long, but at least he is doing right by it and finally putting it back together. Most will go to there grave saying there gonna start on the resto next month over and over again.

[Jet Green Daytona]

Thanks for the information Bob. I will put that into my "learned something new yesterday" file.

Todd

Todd, Mr. Randinelli's obit gave him credit for instigating the ACD Festival not the club. It also said he had volunteered for 50 years. Maybe it should have said he was one of the founders of the festival when it was initiated. He apparently was quite a sparkplug for all things Auburn after he arrived from PA.

[Bob Bryant]

For years there was a Cord body shell sitting by a barn east of Howe, IN on SR 120. I doubt if it is still there. A SAMCO Cord shows up at local shows.

[Jet Green Daytona]

Why is the engine difficult to find parts for, or to work on? It's standard Lycoming stuff as used in dozens of different brands. The difference between a Lycoming and any other flathead engine of the 1930s is insignificant. Any marginally competent mechanic can rebuild the engine. And Lycoming parts are thick on the ground.

As far as Cord specific parts, there still exists an enormous hoard of genuine NOS parts.

Nearly all Cord body parts, and most mechanical parts are interchangeable with Graham and Hupmobile , and there is an 800 foot long, nine foot high warehouse full of them. Millions of piston rings, thousands of NOS bumpers, complete instrument panels, new superchargers, NOS engines and trannys.

You could put the Studebaker NOS parts stash in a tiny back corner of the Hup-Graham-Cord stash.

Cord parts? More plentiful than VW Beetle.

Your guy is getting his xxxx jerked by his "expert" mechanic.

http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/...feature19.html

I can't help but ask what other makes used the same Lycoming engine as the 36/37 Cord? Furthermore what about the transmissions and universal joints, now commonly called CV joints?

Todd

[bezhawk]

The Lycoming V8 in the Cord was not the run-of the mill straight eight flathead. The heads were flat, and the combustion chambers were much like the "W" Chevy engines,(348-409), angled above the pistons. Only the early non Coffin Nosed Cords had the inline non Vee type Lycoming straight eights