Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

My neighbor, Bob Headmon of Headmon Hedders is working on another neighbor's '26 and '28 Pierce Arrow Cars. It is hard to believe the items on these vehicles that did not come on other cars for years later. On the '26 there is a turn signal that operates off the floor shift that turns on a turn indicator located on the driver's side rear fender. The fuel system uses a vacuum pump to pull gas from the tank then gravity fed to the carburator that was made by Pierce Arrow. THe headlights on the '26 have turned purple. Bob has been getting these vehicles running like tops.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

I met a big Pierce-Arrow collector back in the late 60's and he said the Pierce-Arrow was the best built classic car of the 20's and 30's. He supposedly had a collection of over 600 cars scattered around in private warehouses. Occasionally I would drive by his house and besides the 3 or 4 big Pierce sedans under his carport. He would have his early 30's
Auburn boat tail speedster there too. I was told he put a diesel engine
in the Auburn for the fun of it.:eek: He was the owner of the Kenworth truck dealership for the area so I guess he could do that.:)

Bob-A:D

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

Pics?

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

http://theoldmotor.com/wp-content/up...rce-Arrow2.jpg

If you are interested we have many Pierce-Arrow photos that you can see on The Old Motor.

http://theoldmotor.com/wp-content/up...9776356954.jpg

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

Pics would be great. I saw a 29 Pierce Arrow earlier this year - beautiful car with free wheeling and adjustable ride via adjusting the shock absorbers with cables. Amazing machine. I offered to trade my 30 Coupe even but the Pierce owner didn't bite - surprisingly.

Dick

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

The only car that put out more HP in the early 30's was the Duesenberg..... pretty much.
The "fender headlights" started in 1913 to promote and distinguish the car, though one could always buy the "separate" headlights for a fee, when ordering.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

George (?) Pierce started out in business manufacturing bird-cages, then bicycles ( highly regarded ) before getting into the automobile business.

Pierces were often described as "America's Rolls-Royce", and were in the top-five of American Luxury marques, including Locomobile, Cunningham (Rochester, NY), Packard, and McFarlan.

They also built heavy trucks under the Pierce and Fleet-Arrow names.

As to the the headlights prouting from the fenders, this was a Pierce innovation and characteristic from 1913 to their end in 1938. However, they were supposedly outlawed in New York, because of the wide stance, which supposedly could cause an oncoming driver to think he was approaching two bicyclists or motorcyclists riding side-by-side, and try to drive between them... if true, this story would be ironic for an automobile made in Buffalo, NY...

Pierces were available with conventionally-mounted headlights; I have seen a few of these at Hershey, and find them very attractive.

The "purpling" of headlamp lenses / other old glass is suppsoedly due to lead content in the glass, which darkens the glass as it ages. I don't know if there is a way to reverse it. Certain mid-century coated camera lenses tend to yellow during storage - this can be reversed by exposing the glass to sunlight...

I would love to have a big, Brass Pierce.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

They were a heck of a Buffalo NY company and built really neat stuff. When I was a kid a nearby extremely successful orchard and farm used Pierce exclusively, cars, trucks and if I remember correctly even tractors.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

Will go up to Bob's later today and take some pictures of the '26.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

Pierce Arrow was chosen as the manufacturer to provide buses for Pikes Peak as they climbed the hill the best and easiest of all that attempted. They did that for many years.

Re: Not Model A, Old Pierce Arrows
 

BEAUTIFUL cars P.S. I remember seeing them in person last year on one of the private tours. The open tourer looks to have been completed. Very nice collection and thank you for sharing!