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Any Advice for Future Cord Owner about Quirks and Upgrades?
- TatraMan
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- Ric Simpson
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Ric Simpson,
2001 Niagara Parkway,
Fort Erie, Ontario,
Canada. L2A 5M4
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- Auburn/Cord Parts
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MICHAEL S SMITH wrote: SINCE NOBODY ELSE HAS STEPPED UP, HERE GOES.
I THINK(PRETTY SURE) THAT IS A TATRA, FROM THE DEEP RECESSES, REAR ENGINE AIR COOLED, CZECH BUILT. THIS INFO IS AS USUAL TOTALLY UNRELIABLE.
You are right:
www.tatra.demon.nl/
www.team.net/www/ktud/Tatra.html
home.att.net/~mikekiley/
Stan
Auburn/Cord Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 547 1400 N. "A" St. Wellington, KS 67152 (620) 326-7751
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- MICHAEL S SMITH
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SINCE NOBODY ELSE HAS STEPPED UP, HERE GOES.
I THINK(PRETTY SURE) THAT IS A TATRA, FROM THE DEEP RECESSES, REAR ENGINE AIR COOLED, CZECH BUILT. THIS INFO IS AS USUAL TOTALLY UNRELIABLE.
MICHAEL S SMITH ACD LIFE MEMBER #40
851 auburn phaeton
851 auburn sedan
810 cord westchester
812 cord phaeton(ex Tressler Swiss)
812 cord custom s/c beverly
812 cord s/c cabriolet
812 cord s/c beverly
80 866 speedster (pray factory built)
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- Bill Hummel
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TatraMan wrote: I am a new member of the ACD club
Welcome aboard! You will find some very knowledgable Cord enthusiasts on this Website. Hopefully you won't make too many expensive mistakes.
What kind of car is that? I am looking at your ICON for TatraMan. It looks almost like a tadpole or something with that fin on the back.
What is it?
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- Auburn/Cord Parts
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Yes, they are good drivers and will run with modern traffic. They do need a lot of tinkering and driven often. I think a Cord that sits in the garage mostly unused starts to see what it can do to get even with the owner for the neglect. "Lets not shift or maybe the water pump can pee on the throwout bearing again or just let the ampmeter fall on a negative output level until the owner buys a new battery and cleans the comutator on our generator, etc." I agree that they are complicated and take understanding of their quirky systems. Not all mechanics have the "right stuff" to service or work on Cords! We run into this every day. When we get the call that "I'm so & so's buddy and I'm going to get it shifting right." then he says "Oh, by the way, it should be a snap. I'm an electrical engineer." Ok, this is one Cord that will likely never move under it's own power again.
Most Cords that do give trouble are not restored or just have a cosmetic restoration. We have several that are driven regularly and on long trips. They are well prepared and maintained.
Cordially,
Stan
Auburn/Cord Parts, Inc. P.O. Box 547 1400 N. "A" St. Wellington, KS 67152 (620) 326-7751
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- MICHAEL S SMITH
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READING BETWEEN THE LINES, IF YOU ARE THINKING YOU WILL BUY AN ORIGINAL CORD, MAKE A FEW MODERN UPGRADES, AND HAVE A TOTALLY RELIABLE CAR TO DRIVE OFTEN IN MODERN TRAFFIC, NO!
DO NOT GET ME WRONG A GOOD CORD IS A WONDERFUL CAR TO DRIVE AND ENJOY, BUT THEY ARE VERY COMPLICATED MECHANICALLY, AND IF YOU ARE NOT MECHANICALLY ADEPT, EVEN A SMALL PROBLEM WILL QUICKLY OVERWHELM YOU.
AS AN EXAMPLE THE SHIFTING MECHANISM IS A COMBINATION OF MANY ELECTRICAL AND VACUUM COMPONENTS, AND A SMALL PROBLEM IN ANY ONE OF THEM CAN CAUSE LOSS OF ANY SHIFTING CAPABILITY.
TO SUM UP IF YOU PLAN TO DRIVE A CORD REGULARLY, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LEARN HOW ALL THESE SYSTEMS OPERATE, HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT THEM, AND BE A GOOD ENOUGH MECHANIC TO FIX THEM.
A CORD IS NOT A CAR YOU CAN HAND SOMEBODY THE KEYS TO AND SAY GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT FOR A SPIN. THEY EACH HAVE A PERSONALITY OF THEIR OWN, AND NEED A DRIVER WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THEIR ECENTRICITIES, AND OPERATION.
MICHAEL S SMITH ACD LIFE MEMBER #40
851 auburn phaeton
851 auburn sedan
810 cord westchester
812 cord phaeton(ex Tressler Swiss)
812 cord custom s/c beverly
812 cord s/c cabriolet
812 cord s/c beverly
80 866 speedster (pray factory built)
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- cbs
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Based on what I've seen, be sure you know the condition of the critical bearings (esp. front wheel) and that wear and play in everything (esp. hubs, trans. synch.) is known to you and your advisor, ie you'll want to have an expert go through the car once you've gotten it. Ship it off to one of the Cord experts and you can be sure they'll spot anything that could cause trouble.
A turn signal switch for the tail lamps and an outside rear view mirror are about all I'd do to modernize it.
There's bound to be more advice but they run fine just as they were built as long as you realize their limitations.
Cort
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- TatraMan
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In the future I am planning to purchase a Cord sedan and would want to drive it on a regular basis. I have heard that Cords, like any old car, has its share of quirks. Before I buy one, I would like to know what to expect.
For instance, I have heard about wheels breaking off because of early weak wheels (or was it brake drums / wheel hubs?). Also I have heard that they have overheating problems. And that the transmission selector sometimes does not work when you want. What problems do Cord owners live with no matter how perfect their car is?
I am also curious to know what types of ?upgrades? can be done to improve the drive-ability of a Cord while keeping its original appearance. As an example, I have heard that there are better than original water pumps and heads available to help with engine cooling. And that there may be some upgrades for the velocity joints. In other words, if I want a reliable Cord to drive as often as desired, what types of upgrades would you recommend as ?must do?s? and what should I expect to spend for these parts?
I am also interested to know what parts on these cars are impossible to locate/replace/rebuild. What parts should I pay particular attention to their condition before purchasing a car?
Thanks,
Hampton
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