When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I just purchased my first Oldsmobile - a 1927 5-Passenger Sedan. I will pick it up next week when it quits raining. The odometer has 12345 miles on it and it has it original interior with no rips or tears on the seats. It is rusty, mostly surface rust with one spot on the roof edge that has a 6" rot out area. No dents. I will put in a welded-patch as soon as I can. It runs and has four good (new) tires. That is the sum of my knowledge of the car. Oh wait a minute - Yes, it was bought from a little old lady who was the original owner.
I am going to need a lot of good advice from knowledgeable people. I am not an expert on any subject. I just like old cars and flathead motorcycles. I look forward to making this car my daily driver.
Try not to make too much fun of me. In return, I will try to keep my mouth shut in discussions of subjects that require some modicum of intelligence.
Welcome, Well Jim with my wealth of ignorance on early Oldsmobile's I doubt I would venture any levity towards you. About the only thing I might contribute would be my concern on the wood door frames roof pieces.Oldsmobile didn't use steel till the mid 30's and cost to rebuild those wood pieces get expensive quickly We would sure like to see some pictures...... Lost in the fifties..... Tedd
See if you can get a copy of the November 2019 issue of Runabouts to Rockets which is the monthly magazine of The National Antique Oldsmobile Club. It features Gene Crowdis's 1927 Olds Landau. It is an impeccable car that he restored. I just scanned the article and was going to attach it but the file is too big. Send me a PM with your email and I will send it to you,
Love the ration sticker! Somehow preserve that for sure! I think daily driver is very ambitious and will take a lot of patience, both building, but also driving it day to day... unless you're just going to make a hot rod out of it, then it's a lot easier and driving it every day is no big deal. I of course would love to see it remain stock, but do as you see fit. Welcome to the forums!
Love the ration sticker! Somehow preserve that for sure! I think daily driver is very ambitious and will take a lot of patience, both building, but also driving it day to day... unless you're just going to make a hot rod out of it, then it's a lot easier and driving it every day is no big deal. I of course would love to see it remain stock, but do as you see fit. Welcome to the forums!
I would respectfully agree with this statement .. I would also concur that you should read Gene's article in the "Runabouts to Rockets". He has been through the gamut with this particular model. A wealth of knowledge and always eager to speak Olds.
I missed the part about the daily driver. The only way this could be a daily driver if you are driving to the end of the driveway to get the mail. It will only run about 45 and it has mechanical brakes. One other tip I got from Gene is to haul it backwards if you have an open trailer. Otherwise you run the risk of ripping the sun visor off at 65 mph. These old car are geared really low so they are slow.
I just purchased my first Oldsmobile - a 1927 5-Passenger Sedan. I will pick it up next week when it quits raining. The odometer has 12345 miles on it and it has it original interior with no rips or tears on the seats. It is rusty, mostly surface rust with one spot on the roof edge that has a 6" rot out area. No dents. I will put in a welded-patch as soon as I can. It runs and has four good (new) tires. That is the sum of my knowledge of the car. Oh wait a minute - Yes, it was bought from a little old lady who was the original owner.
I am going to need a lot of good advice from knowledgeable people. I am not an expert on any subject. I just like old cars and flathead motorcycles. I look forward to making this car my daily driver.
Try not to make too much fun of me. In return, I will try to keep my mouth shut in discussions of subjects that require some modicum of intelligence.
Jim Tarleton
Hi Jim,
It looks like an excellent project. My vote would be to keep it as original as possible.
That little old lady, the original owner, that you bought it from must have been quite a senior considering that the car is 92 years old. I wonder how old she was when she bought it new in 1927. In some places a person had to be an adult to register a motor vehicle. 92 + 21
In any case, congratulations. The forum is a good source of information, though most of the members likely concentrate on slightly newer vintages.
This may be a little bit of thread creep, but I think it's still related- There are people who drive mostly stock Model A Fords as daily drivers and tour the country in them. I believe there is a national club dedicated to the concept. Most of these drivers do make some modifications to their cars to make them more reliable, a little safer and last longer. I ran across a caravan of them this summer near me on a club outting, so I got to check their cars out as they stopped for lunch where I had. Long distance and daily driving is challenge, but doable as long as you're not in a hurry. No freeways.
If a person a person really wanted to take on the challenge of driving a '20s car on a daily basis, I would highly recommend starting with the Ford Model A. The type is incredibly well supported for parts advice, technical info and even aftermarket products. If the Ford gets boring and too easy, then maybe try something like this Oldsmobile. Even if you really don't want a Model A, talking to these people will give you a good idea of what they experience and what you'd be up against.
It will be my daily driver. I live on a small farm just outside a very small town. Round trip to town is about 6-miles. Every afternoon I take my dog "Boo" for his ride. I drive down a very scenic road and back. Round trip is 17-miles. The old girl will do that. I will keep her running until I croak. I rode a Flathead 80 as my daily for many years (late 60's and early 70's). I even converted one to electric start - still got it. That was in the days when parts were almost non-existent. The car runs as is, and is driveable. Mechanical brakes are just fine. I used them for years with no problems. The 1st time I drove a car with power brakes and power steering was 1965 (a Chevy). I drive slowly due to the constant presence of deers on my road. Many deers. I look forward to my first ride down the road. I will video it and post it just for grins.
By the way, I will keep it original in every respect. If I want to blow my hair back, I have a blown fuel Harley KHK (1954) that fills that need. I do all my own work. No where to farm it out around here. The last flood destroyed my shop, and I had to build another one. Still finding and cleaning up my tools and equipment. I had to disassemble my lathe to clean the crud out. I have too many projects going at one time, but it keeps me from getting bored.
Anyone know of a good source of parts for a '27 Olds?
It will be my daily driver. I live on a small farm just outside a very small town. Round trip to town is about 6-miles. Every afternoon I take my dog "Boo" for his ride. I drive down a very scenic road and back. Round trip is 17-miles. The old girl will do that. I will keep her running until I croak. I rode a Flathead 80 as my daily for many years (late 60's and early 70's). I even converted one to electric start - still got it. That was in the days when parts were almost non-existent. The car runs as is, and is driveable. Mechanical brakes are just fine. I used them for years with no problems. The 1st time I drove a car with power brakes and power steering was 1965 (a Chevy). I drive slowly due to the constant presence of deers on my road. Many deers. I look forward to my first ride down the road. I will video it and post it just for grins.
By the way, I will keep it original in every respect. If I want to blow my hair back, I have a blown fuel Harley KHK (1954) that fills that need. I do all my own work. No where to farm it out around here. The last flood destroyed my shop, and I had to build another one. Still finding and cleaning up my tools and equipment. I had to disassemble my lathe to clean the crud out. I have too many projects going at one time, but it keeps me from getting bored.
Anyone know of a good source of parts for a '27 Olds?
Jim
Excellent! Sounds like it will be perfect as a daily driver and folks will love seeing it. That flood sounds horrific! Hope that doesn't happen again any time soon.
Are you planning to restore it to new condition, or just get it road worthy and drive it as is?
It actually looks to be very solid with not much body work to get it painted. Most of the Model A's I've played with were all beat to crap and had to spend hours and hours with a hammer and dolly to straighten fenders and panels. Luckily you have all the parts you need there on the car. Check the wiring, as the cloth covered wire is usually all deteriorated and in need to be replaced. I know that the Model A's have a great aftermarket following and every part is available. This probably not so much.
Your goal of it being a daily is very realistic with this car.
Most of those Model A's you see touring have overdrive transmissions and hydraulic brakes at a minimum. Many have later model 4 cylinder engines like a Pinto engine. I always wanted a Model A but that is never going to happen. Maybe one day I will at least get to drive one.
Anyone know of a good source of parts for a '27 Olds?
I doubt even Fusick will have any parts for a 27. Kanter might have a few. That engine has babbit rods and mains in it. The article I sent you talks about that. It is a good thing you have a lathe and do you own work. It is not going to be an easy restoration due to the lack of parts.
Excellent! Sounds like it will be perfect as a daily driver and folks will love seeing it. That flood sounds horrific! Hope that doesn't happen again any time soon.
Are you planning to restore it to new condition, or just get it road worthy and drive it as is?
I will not restore it to new condition. Having said that, I will repair every flaw I can find to "original" condition. I will convert the lights to 12v, as my afternoon drive is usually in the dark this time of year. Turn signals are probably a good idea also. I can use two 6v batteries in series and run dual voltages. I do that with my 1950 Buick 43D Sedanette (original mileage - 54,250 miles or so). I have a spray I make that removes rust (a few minutes) without damaging paint or metal. I'll spray those doors and take a few pictures of the process. It makes the old paint stand out. I will probably wind up painting it to control rust. I figure a two tone pale Baby Blue over a dark violet shaded blue (fenders, running boards, etc). Probably a Navy Blue vinyl top. I am not looking forward to replacing that vinyl top, as it is a tuff job for one man.
First will be the mechanics. New fluids, greasing, repacking of bearings, check brakes, etc.
I wonder if I have to install safety belts? Probably a good idea anyway. No inspection required on this puppy in this state. I just realized that I don't remember seeing a heater of any sort. I do happen to have a heater designed for a 1937 Chevy pickup I used to own. If no fittings exist, I could put a tee in the outlet radiator hose for a heater feed, with the discharge on a tee in the supply radiator hose.
Wow, welcome to the forum. Looks like you have picked up a really complete and original car and that itself is a huge bonus as tracking down parts in this period isn't that easy. In the 20's Olds ran the 30 Series from the 30.A in '23 to the 30.E in late '27. Timing of release wasn't linked to a year (that started in '28). Your's looks to be a 30.E which ran through '26 & '27 and there was a mid model change to front wheel brakes which took place on Jan 1st 1927 so from the photos your car appears to be a rear wheel brake 30.E - so probably produced in '26.
You'll find the engine number will be stamped on a pad above the water pump and from memory it probably has a serial number tag nailed to the right side front seat frame. The chassis number as strange as this sounds was stamped into the front face of the front axle but I can't recall which side.
If you run into any challenges then PM me, I'm in Australia but we have many of that period Olds here. Good luck with the project.
Cheers
Rohan
I know that Gene had to have a lot of his parts fabricated as parts are scarce. Strangely I’ve seen these show up from time to time on C/L and are always green. If I owned one and could store a second, I might consider having the donor. Gene did some trading and mutually beneficial work with a guy in Australia but I’m unaware of other parts sources. One thing you will need to pay particular attention to are the wood spoke wheels. They do get loose with age/temperature cycles and moisture exposure. Gene has a source for having them rebuilt. He also had his radiator rebuilt with the correct honeycomb core at a great expense only to have the water pump fail and released the fan to auger into it.. Back to repair. They are very beautiful and unique cars though. I would suppose that is the price we pay for riding in style
Last edited by Funkwagon455; November 17th, 2019 at 06:26 AM.
Wow, welcome to the forum. Looks like you have picked up a really complete and original car and that itself is a huge bonus as tracking down parts in this period isn't that easy. In the 20's Olds ran the 30 Series from the 30.A in '23 to the 30.E in late '27. Timing of release wasn't linked to a year (that started in '28). Your's looks to be a 30.E which ran through '26 & '27 and there was a mid model change to front wheel brakes which took place on Jan 1st 1927 so from the photos your car appears to be a rear wheel brake 30.E - so probably produced in '26.
You'll find the engine number will be stamped on a pad above the water pump and from memory it probably has a serial number tag nailed to the right side front seat frame. The chassis number as strange as this sounds was stamped into the front face of the front axle but I can't recall which side.
If you run into any challenges then PM me, I'm in Australia but we have many of that period Olds here. Good luck with the project.
Cheers
Rohan
The lack of front brakes is the biggest negative for this car. That's about 70% loss in braking power, and adding front wheel brakes may not be an option. Thank you for the information, which I needed. My first challenge will be learning to drive the car. Did you see the string and wire throttle cable? My first hurdle will be cleaning the fuel tank. I recently had to throw away a tank that sat for 50+ years half-full. What that fuel became sitting in that tank was frightening. It is a sludge that is part rust, part light grey solids, and part dark gray solids with very little free liquid. I don't relish having to make a new tank for this beauty.
I came close to moving to Adelaide in the early '90's. I was going to operate an acid leach mine north of Adelaide. The company I worked for had recently been acquired by another company that had holdings in Australia. Problem was that I didn't trust the new company. They lied on a regular basis, hid toxic spills, and had zero regard for the land and the people that lived on it. Their (hidden) intent from the beginning was to operate with no concern about any future cleanup, as they would claim bankruptcy and walk away from any mess they created. I decided my integrity was more valuable than their money and I quit. No Adelaide for me.
Sorry about the side track. I am sitting here planning exactly what I need to do when the old girl arrives. I am making up a check list, and fluid changes and lubrication are at the top of the list. I will inspect internal cavities and the bores with a bore scope, although I admit I sometimes have a tad bit of difficulty comprehending exactly what I am seeing with it. Still, it has value. Wiring inspection will come next, followed by trying to comprehend what each device actually does. I don't know what to think of the odometer reading. It's either 12,345 miles or 112,345 miles, and I doubt both.
There is much to look forward to, and I hope it is an "E" ride.
I know that Gene had to have a lot of his parts fabricated as parts are scarce. Strangely I’ve seen these show up from time to time on C/L and are always green. If I owned one and could store a second, I might consider having the donor. Gene did some trading and mutually beneficial work with a guy in Australia but I’m unaware of other parts sources. One thing you will need to pay particular attention to are the wood spoke wheels. They do get loose with age/temperature cycles and moisture exposure. Gene has a source for having them rebuilt. He also had his radiator rebuilt with the correct honeycomb core at a great expense only to have the water pump fail and released the fan to auger into it.. Back to repair. They are very beautiful and unique cars though. I would suppose that is the price we pay for riding in style
I like that car. Someone signed some serious checks. That is a $10,000 paint job around these parts, if not more. Beautifully done. But I suspect my effort is more along the operational side.
What is that black canister hanging off the firewall with all those copper tubes running to and fro? I notice the lines pierce the firewall - for what purpose? That AC air cartridge filter is cool. I will need one as mine is missing. Beautiful car.
What is that black canister hanging off the firewall with all those copper tubes running to and fro? I notice the lines pierce the firewall - for what purpose? That AC air cartridge filter is cool. I will need one as mine is missing. Beautiful car.
Jim
I'm going to guess that the black canister is a vacuum tank. I believe these cars were available with a vacuum powered windshield wiper. I could be wrong though.
On second inspection, I think the black canister may also serve as sort of a fuel pump. It may also have a filtering component. I think it may use vacuum from the manifold to suck gas from the tank to that canister, then the gas flows down to the carb. It needs to have some capacity for starting purposes and once the engine is running, it replenishes the supply. I suspect it is tapped and also runs the windshield wiper. Again, I'm just guessing, but that's what it kind of looks like here.
On second inspection, I think the black canister may also serve as sort of a fuel pump. It may also have a filtering component. I think it may use vacuum from the manifold to suck gas from the tank to that canister, then the gas flows down to the carb. It needs to have some capacity for starting purposes and once the engine is running, it replenishes the supply. I suspect it is tapped and also runs the windshield wiper. Again, I'm just guessing, but that's what it kind of looks like here.
You guessed right . It is a vacuum operated "fuel pump " .
It will probably be one of the most difficult items to repair in the restoration .
It may have to be replaced with an electric pump .
National Antique Olds Club membership for sure. Gene and others have the 27-28 cars so there's a small parts and info network.
One of the guys on AACA forums lives in western Canada and uses a 1930 Pontiac as his daily (and I think ONLY) driver. It can be done, you just have to be a little more aware and careful. And keep spares of everything on hand!
You guessed right . It is a vacuum operated "fuel pump " .
It will probably be one of the most difficult items to repair in the restoration .
It may have to be replaced with an electric pump .
Was I right about the wiper too? If you did have to go electric, it ought to be pretty easy to hide one inside that canister and have it still look stock.
I have already found a guy who restores the vacuum canisters with a 2-year warranty. I am getting ready for the worst case scenarios. Also helps to form some kind of a budget. I know these canister seals and diaphrams cannot hold up to the oxygenated ethanol fuels we have today. I will run non-ethanol premium gas available here locally, but I can imagine there will be times I will need fuel when nothing is available but ethanol. I hate the stuff. My farm equipment has suffered from ethanol use. I rebuild carburetors on a regular basis. I invest heavily in Sea Foam and Sta-Bil. Both work well, but I prefer Sta-Bil. I am hoping the rest of the fuel system is in good shape. The car was driven to its current location. There is some support for hope.
I picked up the car, which was only 1 1/2 Hours from my farm. The seller was a super nice guy about my own age. As for as I can tell, the car is complete except for one door handle (it fell off on the way home, but a replacement has been found and ordered), a jack, the tool to remove the wheel hubs, and whatever covered the floorboards. Included in the sale were 6-new tires, 3-extra wheels with brake covers, 2-new wheel liners, and 2-sets of door latches and handles. It has the usual little dings and bumps in the fenders, but has no rust holes. The metal is solid, but covered in what I call surface rust. Everything works. It cranks and runs, but I want to do some maintenance before any drive-bys. The owner had the brake shoes relined and conditioned, but they were not installed. Whoever did the work was a pro. They look new as they were refinished. The wood in the steering wheel has no cracks or dings. All glass was present and uncracked or discolored. The roof vinyl is history. It needs replacing very soon. The carb air filter (as such) was in the rear tool box, as were various tools, jack handle, the starting arm-breaker, an extra set of spark plugs, and various light bulbs. Oh yes, it has a set of keys in the ignition switch. The wood is solid, but a lot of loose screws, which I can repair. The seats are in great condition, as is the headliner, which is intact with no stains.
Towing it home was an experience. People would appear out of nowhere to look at the car every time I stopped. Old people. They seemed to connect with the old girl. I am very pleased with what I have. I am trying to find a source of parts with little success. Ignition components is my first concern. Any assistance in this area would be nice.
It will be a slow process, as I only work when I feel like it, which isn't every day. I will enjoy putting her in good running condition, and a paint job is in the near future. By the way, it has its original paint, dark blue over light blue. The radiator cover is off to the chromers next week. The radiator is absent any damage whatsoever. I feel lucky right now.
November 15th, 2019, 07:27 PM
27 Sedan
.
