Advice on buying...

Scan as many as you like and put them out on AACA or start a new file or files and put "period photos" in title in addition to X in title if possible (allows finding them later): I have been collecting ACD photos here this year and did pretty well: forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-imag...s/page/230/#comments

I made a few mistakes doing cuts and pastes to the AACA site and a lot of photos were lost in updating verses doing a proper file attachment download through use of the download tab, otherwise it would probably have been the finest collection of ACD photos out there in any spot. Eventually, the goal is to collect them and load onto this site when a storage spot/"data dump"/etc. for them becomes better available.

FYI: I went through Dad's photos and pulled the ones of Auburns, including the one you remembered of the phaeton in the air.
Let me know if you'd like anything scanned.

Congratulations !!!

I have to apologize to Randy, my old man filter got broken. To be clear no hazing in the ACD Club. The cars are a big part of the Club, but friendships are the glue.
CORDiallyMike

Ohhhhhhhhhh Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

If you are on the west coast Randy is the leader of the HAZING SQUAD.
CORDiallyMike

I was planning on attending the West Coast meet, but sadly it was canceled a second time.
I paid my dues and got my card a couple months ago...
Is there some clandestine initiation or grueling hazing I need to undergo to be official?

Yes that is a good looking automobile. R

Very nice lines on the car and the lights work , a good sign, Congratulations. Hope to see you at Club events. If you have not joined , please do so. It will be to your advantage.
CORDiallyMike

"Happy happy "
And so you should be!!!
That is a fine looking car.
Pete

Happy happy

Chrome wire wheels are not really a problem - a good wire wheel restoration company (such as Dayton Wire Wheel - which has been making wire wheels since the beginning of wire wheels) will replace spokes with stainless and ...

Where people get into problems is "penny pinching" or they expect junk to be restored to perfection (you need a pretty nice wheel to start with to chrome/re-chrome) and for example Duesenberg owners have been know to have problems via restoring their wire wheels multiple times and expecting perfection to win at shows (ie you cannot grind the rims down to nothing, re-plate time and time again, and ...). Also, replacement rims and reproduction lock rings (and sometimes whole reproduction wheels) over time have unfortunately had metallurgy issues too.

Hello. Yes chrome wire wheels were available in 1931 and for fifty dollars you could get any period color you wanted. R

In 34-36 Auburns the factory would paint the car any color the buyer wanted for an additional $32.50. Wasn't that true for the 31-33 cars?

Thanks much; this helps me judge its originality. I really like the look of wire wheels and may prefer to have them (and their problems) than staying original. I'm disappointed to learn that isn't a stock color scheme, however, because it would definitely not have been my choice if not dictated by originality.

I believe that for 1931, model 8-98 or 8-98A, chrome wheels were not offered by Auburn, neither full nor partial chrome. Chrome wheels came in the following year. I looked into this pretty thoroughly when I needed to rebuild the wheels on my 8-98A, which came to me with chromed wire wheels. And on this point, check the wheels carefully, chroming old wire wheels causes brittle spokes; replacing spokes and rebuilding wheels is very expensive and it's hard to get them done right (ask me how I know!). Black and red is not a 1931 Auburn color scheme, but people don't seem to care about that (for me, original colors are nice).

These responses are exactly what I was hoping for. Please keep them coming. Thanks much,

Randy was just curious and I appreciate that...

Sidenote: Randy keeps a data base of serial numbers and is an incredible source of information about a cars history - always worth shooting him a quick note when buying an expensive car.


Gary Parsons[/quote]

The car has 4 over-sized tires on the ground (they help a lot in looks though as original sized tires were a little on small side), but yet the side-mount tires are probably original size and mis-matched in tire brand (probably needs 2 Bedford tires for sidemounts). When friends and I restored the 1931 Phaeton, we actually enlarged the side-mount fender well so the car could take an oversized tire (but I think we still only went up 1/2 inch verses a whole inch in width - ex- like a 6:00 x 18 to a 6:50 x 18 verses a 7:00 or 7:50 - or somthing like that as it was 1980's when we restored the Silver/Black one that show up at ACD Festival regularly). Also has great looking wheels, but I believe the option was all chrome verses partial chrome.

The luggage trunk is period correct, but not what I would consider a style generally accepted for an Auburn of era.

The seats were not pleated like that, they were pleated, but also had a bolster. Strikes me as a few other misplaced seams, but also that needs your homework. And, I do believe vinyl on door panels and leather on seats and door pockets is correct.

We did not have any exposed top snaps either and we had a chrome in welt bead up the C-Pillar.

I am not sure a numbers matching engine is as critical on a 31-33 Phaeton, but certainly is on a 1935-36 open car or a boattail speedster of any year, but obviously if it has one then all the better.

Also, do your homework as to if a correct carburetor or not - sorry it has been too long and had the right one so I never paid attention much, but you want the right thing.

Car is not pinstriped yet.

Overall - VERY NICE AUTOMOBILE and great "LOOKS"

mikespeed35 wrote: All bets are off if it is new data plate.
CORDiallyMike

Mike I agree and disagree at the same time with this statement. If the seller can show you the original data plate but they have a new plate on the car. I see nothing wrong with that.. But you make a great point. A new data plate would cause me to suspect something too. I keep my Cord data plate far away with my car as its being restored. To my best knowledge only two club members have ever seen it.That would be Henry Portz and Randy Ema. Both were here looking at my car some time back. I traded Henry parts for parts.Now I wish I had those traded parts back.... That was nearly 40 years ago. Randy was just curious and I appreciate that...


Gary Parsons

All bets are off if it is new data plate.
CORDiallyMike

Find out if the frame # and engine number match the dataplate #

I've requested the VIN and will report back. Thanks!

Get the serial number of the car and call Auburn tech and history guys in the Club and ask questions. Don't ever trust what a auction Co. or owner tells you. Might be correct but it is up to you to verify. Don't buy sight unseen.
CORDiallyMike.

Has the car been judged at an ACD meet recently?

Hi Everyone,
As a youth I took this photo in the '70s when my father took me to visit Randy Ema in Oxnard. My father, Doug Craig, loved Auburn 12s and through my childhood had hung on to a couple of rusted hulks and a myriad of parts.

Nostalgia has now prompted me to obtain a 1931-1933 Auburn, and I would appreciate any advice. Most recently I'm looking to bid on the '31 phaeton at Lucky Car Auction in WA the end of this month.

Does anyone see anything about this car in particular that would significantly affect its value? Thank you in advance, and I hope to meet some of you at the West Coast meet.