Judging A Cord

Thanks for the great information on judging. I'm really interested in getting a copy of this new information. It certainly will help when the time comes to buy the correct parts in restoration. At this time I have 2 original honeycomb radiators. One is original to the car and the other is an restored radiator.

Hello Gary....

Judging totals for Cord 810/812 cars have been 1,000 points for many years now. The breakdown of the pre-2014 points and specific areas are in the back of the ACD Membership Directory. It's anticipated that the new 810/812 Judging Guidelines will be published in the upcoming 2015-2016 directory soon to be completed.

A major departure from previous rules will in fact be the release of the actual scoring results to the owner of the automobile. I think this is a great step forward. It will immeasuably help the owner/restorer understand what's right or wrong with his or her vehicle when it comes to authenticity. This step should practically eliminate the moving target aspect of restoring or perfecting a Cord for show outings.

On individual items such as spark plugs, we are following the guidelines as were agreed upon thus far. As I mentioned on previous occasions, as new and properly vetted research becomes available that modifies this understanding, so will the judging guidelines evolve. Ultimately, we will end up with a standard that will be the benchmark of authenticity for these cars for generations to come of ACD enthusiasts.

Looking at that item specifically, the Judging Standard calls out a black base Champion H-10 plug. With that being as specific as the standard gets for now, both three and five rib versions would be acceptable.

Another area of great interest will be the radiator. Up until now, only the Jamestown Radiator core has been deemed proper for show purposes. Prior to his passing, Josh Malks discovered that the Fin and Tube style core had been approved by the Cord engineering department and ordered to replace the Jamestown cores on future production cars and service replacements. Unfortunately, the cores were not received until after the ACD Company's close in 1937. These new cores were undoubtedly forwarded to Dallas Winslow and subsequently sold as service parts. With these facts in mind, it might now make sense to accept the Fin and Tube design with proper tanks and hardware as acceptable since they were an approved version by the Cord company. The good news for owners who drive their cars is that the Fin and Tube version is known for easier maintenance and superior cooling.

Show standards are meant to reflect the details on how these cars left the factory. Sometimes adhering faithfully to these details can be a grueling and expensive excercise. On the other hand, nothing about our cars has ever been easy. It is why being part of this great organization is so critical. A diverse group of people with the common goal of protecting the history of three incredible American automotive marques.

I have been reading as much as I can about how a car is judged. I have always been under the impression a car.. no matter what type can only reach 100 points. Now in this forum I'm reading the possibility of 400 points and higher. I also have been finding a car thats judged NEVER gets the tally sheets known to the owner. Why is that? If I knew before hand I was going to get a mandatory deduction for fiberglass fenders of 25 points I sure would be happier going in. But what points are taken off for Champion H10 plugs instead of the coveted J9 beer bottle Champions. Or does it really matter what type just as long as they are black and not cad plated bodies. I have seen J9 in both 2 rib beer bottle and 5 rib with black bodies. I'm some time away from even thinking about having my car judged but why install the wrong parts when a friendly tip could save time hunting for the correct part. If the plug type is not a problem but it MUST be black I understand Josh used the Autolites 216 plugs. They replaced the H10 and are black bodies. So can anyone shed some light on this plug subject.