1931 8-98A Brougham About to be Destroyed

Posted 2/23/13 on AACA site by superods:

Re: 1931 898 Auburn motor/trans etc. etc.FOR SALE
All parts have been sold.

He wants $6500 for the drive train.

Pat, that did cross my mind.

Seems to me, a car that Significant Cars should buy for resale.

Excellent idea on the donation part - and museum does have the need.

That being said, why does someone not just call the fellow and buy the car - you will never find a nicer unrestored 1931 - a small price to pay on the frontside for a huge cost savings on any restoration cost on the backside.

If this Auburn is to be dismantled maybe the owner would
consider donating the engine and drive line pieces to the
ACD Musuem to be used as displays or just extra parts for the
museums "driver-parade cars"

I would think the owner could get some sort of tax credit for
this type of donation. The museum is always looking for
a helping hand in this area. Might just be a good solution for
everybody

greg

contact Aaron at the ACD Museum
260-925-1444
Auburn, Ind

Someone on this forum with a similar Auburn, or some ACD member, or ACD restoration shop should at the very least Try to buy these old Auburn engine & driveline parts from this guy in an effort to save them ~~~

When they are ultimately scrapped~
They will be gone forever !

Seem more like a sales pitch to me or am I completely out of touch with scrap value?

Great attitude this so called car "refitter" has !
And he calls himself a car collector !
He wants the original parts gone within 30 days or he will scrap them~~~
But what price is he asking for these parts ?

I have always suspected that he would scrap & trash the engine, drivetrain, and other original Auburn parts.

Streetrodders seem to just throw prfectly good original, & hard to find, vintage parts they don't want or need away. I have seen & heard of rebuilt original engines just junked by the many rodders in my area.

Sadly this seems to be the end of this very tragic Auburn story.
To have survived all these long deades intact, solid, and running only to be parted-out~~~ the valuable rare old Auburn parts scrapped, and the car streetrodded is a crime !

I received this email from the owner today and am posting it here with his permission:

"Posted reply today in AACA forums on the parts from the 31 898A. Knowing full well there are not many automobiles using these parts being restored today, I have no intention of storing after April 15. I cannot post on the ACD site. Thought you could inform one and all of my intentions. Bottom line?. parts within 30 days of posting photos?.they are either sold for reuse or sold to be recycled. "

He can be contacted at <a href="mailto:[email protected]][email protected][/url]

Justin

A new owner will not be disappointed in the car - it is "that" solid and "that" correct, complete, and .... Buy something else out there in a 31 or 33 and I guarantee you will spend more in the long run and not be as happy.

I find it very hard for anyone to "Defend" this owner, and his tactics, who only really seems to wish to tear this great survivor auto apart, part-out it's original engine &amp; drive system, and turn it into a modern drivetrain powered "refitted" streetod/hotrod ! ! !
Basically he want to make a fast buck $$$ !

He is NOT a true Antique &amp; Classic car collector in my opinion.
He is really just a streetrod/hotrod butcher !
He should be doing his "Refitting" to fiberglass replica reproduction autos and save the few remaining original autos for the true Antique auto collectors &amp; also. for future generations to appreciate &amp; enjoy long into the future.
Once they are gone~~~They will be gone forever !

I work with Shawn Miller / SignificantCars.com and I have also personally seen the car in the valet parking of the Marriot at Hilton Head Concours. It is an attractive car and you will not find one more solid, plus it is up and running and drivable. I have seen a lot here about the seller wanting too much money - in seller's defense it is a car that is "that" nice and the price is within range no matter what the critics think the market is. If you want the car call Shawn and see if he will hammer out a deal 1-800-837-9902

I have also seen at least three Cords"Refitted"as streetrods in a similar manner.

One was in fact an L-29 believe it or not !

The other two 810/812 types.

With all this streetrodding/hotrodding going on today the few very limited original survivor cars will soon almost disappear.

And here is his website~

packardrefitters.com

Click-on the old Packard B&amp;W photos to see how he in my opinion butchers these cars with modern engines, suspensions, &amp; drive systems.

Read through his website and you will really want to cry !

Very Very Sad Story~~~

Folks like this are not real Antique &amp; Classic car collectors.
They do Not appreciate these cars for what they are, how they really run, and overall the really great grand autos that they once were in their day!

Justin &amp; ACD Guys~

I just got an email from the hotrod/streetrod guy "Mike Super" who plans to strip &amp; hotrod this very nice original Auburn~

His email address
<a href="mailto:[email protected]][email protected][/url]

From his email address above it appears he is in the business of "refitting" 30s Packards as Hotrods/Streetrods.
Wonder what the Packard collectors think about this sort of business enterprize ?

Justin ~ I have forewarded this email from the Auburn hotrodder to your email address~
You may post it here if you wish to do so !
The owner states he cannot reply directly himself on the ACD website for some reason ?

It's very clear that this guy has a very arrogant attitude~~~
He has the money~~~so he is going to do whatever he wants to do with these great old Antiques &amp; Classics !

Sadly it appears that we may next see this great Auburn appear again at next year's Scottsdale three ring circus &amp; auction on speed TV as yet another butchered &amp; hotrodded "Restomod" Streetrod !
Brad~

Realistically what do you think this car, in it's present condition, should actually sell for in today's market ?

Much as I hate to say it, we may as well move on. Who among us can afford to over pay for it?

Time is running out on any chance of saving this one. The owner posted again in the AACA forum - he is just taunting now.

Very sad.

Justin

Sadly I see this same Hotrod/Streetrod butchering story over and over again all the time in the Philly area.

These streetrod/hotrod guys have no respect, nor any appreciation, for true Antique &amp; Classic autos.

They would rather tear-apart a fully restored solid car, or a very good survivor car, than buy a rusty basket case project car that nobody cares about.
Many times the old original drivetrain, &amp; rare original parts, are tossed straight into the dumpster with no thoughts of the Antique &amp; Classic car restorers who may need these hard to find original parts..

Many older Antique &amp; Classic collectors are also sadly conned into selling their restored Antique Classic baby that they have owned &amp; loved for forty++ years ,to one of these very same streetrod/hotrod folks that claim they will keep it all original as it sits. Their only real motive is to tear it apart and drop in a Chevy 350, turbohydramatic trans, and ford 9 inch rear end; along with chopping the top, and slamming it's suspension to the ground.

I have sadly seen many great, &amp; rare Antique &amp; Classic cars chopped-up in this manner in the last ten years or so.
Sadly there seems to be many more hotrod/streetrod people around today than true real Antique &amp; Classic car collectors in my area; and I suspect around the country as well.

I fear this sad trend will only accelerate as time passes on; and streetrods/hotrods become more &amp; more popular.
Just look at the so called "Restomods" at the last few Barrett~Jackson Scottsdale Auction &amp; three ring circus events.

Ok.... Time for somebody to step up to the plate and save this Auburn. If anyone thinks they will make money turning an Auburn into a Rat Rod, then maybe he would also like to buy some swamp land. Somebody save us from this guy! <!-- s:oops: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" title="Embarassed" /><!-- s:oops: -->

Hey mike,

Yes this murph's. he and I used to drive around together he in his auburn me in a Marmon brougham that he and I went to get. My first orphan car. Murph loved Waffle House it was always funny to watch people's face as they pulled in and tried to figure out what division of GM or Ford created a Mormon or Auburn. Murph also was in the process of creating a v-12 sedan when got sick that I think Mike Samson ended up buying.

Tom

Hey Tom,

Was this one of Murph's cars at one time?

So what does he think a rodded Brougham is worth? The guys that build nice, well engineered rods don't work cheap either....priced paint lately? I certainly wouldn't consider it as an effective money making scheme.

The reality is that closed 31-33 Auburns haven't appreciated too much in the last 20 years. Yet with all the speculating on the speedsters, the public assumes all owners are millionaires.

It sure would be nice to see this car go to a good home, but when the day's over, it isn't up to us.

Looks like a very tough position. He overpaid and is now holding the car hostage for his price. He says it will be dismantled by mid-Feb.

Justin

Sadly I must admit that I was that club member who sold one of the most solid auburns I have seen. I deeply saddens me that after being told the car would be restored and taken care of that is not the fate. He has offered to sell it for 40k . This car belonged to a very good friend of mine who taught me about Auburns Mormons and packards and has brought a young person into the orphan car world to appreciate the skill and elegance that these cars represent. Sadly Ed died 9 years ago and I purchased the car I had ridden in for almost ten years and kept it just as Ed had only doing what was necessary to maintain it.

I have another auburn and two packards and many long time members of this club have helped me more than anyone and I thank them for all the knowledge and advice they have given me. I truly wish I could just by it back but unfortunately life will not allow that.

If anyone does decide to save this car I will do whatever I can personnally to assist the new owner with any information I have and more if you choose to contact me.

Respectfully

Tom Hornsby

I saw that car posted on the AACA website under ACD cars.
The owner was duly chastized by the AACA guys. Some one should deal with the owner and save it from the torch.

I am SAD to see an 80+ year old car being rodded.
My wife and I have a soft spot for 31 Broughams.
I was willing to pay what the car was worth; bearing in mind the engine and interior needed work.
I tried.
Pete

I need to correct myself - this car is not about to be sold to someone new. It is actually the current owner who is planning to rod it out. He has listed it with Significant Cars, hasn't gotten a bite at his inflated asking price and is therefore planning to rod it out in an attempt to get more money for it.

Justin

I am trying to 'rebuild' the same thing from pieces/parts, and would LOVE to have this car. I'd even trade plus $.
The 'was for sale for 3 months' is dumb, the car was NOT for sale, it was posted without a price. :rolleyes:

*update* at 45K I'm not interested in any of it.
it is a shame, but when you overpay for something and get 'mad' that you made a bad decision...

well, he 'showed me' <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->

Fellow Club Members,

Many of you have probably seen the 8-98A Brougham listed at Significant Cars and recently on ebay. Apparently the car is being purchased and the new owner will be parting it out to build a rod. I know this may not be the most PC post but I am heartbroken that this may happen. Here is the current conversation about it:

forums.aaca.org/f156/1931-898-au ... 44010.html

Here is the sale ad at Significant Cars:

www.significantcars.com/cars/1931auburn3/

I don't know if there is anything that can be done at this point but it sure is sad to see. This is obviously a former club member's car as it has the ACD club logo on the front.

Justin