What is this goop? Restored 1932 Victoria

[rackops]

I'm a Model A guy, but ran across these photos on BAT of a 1932 Victoria. The car itself appears to be flawless...really, really well restored. I've actually toyed with the idea of going all-in on it.

However, under the driver's feet, there's this yellow-tan-colored goop under the protective plastic cover.

To me, it looks like someone tried to put construction adhesive under the plastic. However, I have been assured in the auction questions that this is supposed to be there.

I don't have a copy of judging standards for the post-Model A Fords, but I'm hard-pressed to think that something so "goopy" and runny (for lack of better terms) is supposed to be there on what appears to be a fine point car.

Since I'm starting to think I'm the crazy one, I'd appreciate hearing other opinions. Is this proper for a 1932 Ford??

Thanks in advance!

[rackops]

Since the forum tends to shrink photos, here are some closeups. I'm not a fine point judge for V8 Fords, but have done it for Model As. I can't ever think of a time when something that looked like this was considered "fine point" or "supposed to be there".

[rackops]

A few more, just for gp...

[Seth Swoboda]

I think its just some sticky stuff to hold the protective plastic cover down.

It has a reserve. A good friend of mine told me what it recently sold for on an auction. It will take $70,000 plus to buy it, perhaps over $80,000.

[DavidG]

Originally on those '32 deluxe body types with carpeting rather than rubber mats, there was a taupe-colored heel pad and escutcheons around the foot rest and starter motor switch push rod. I looks like that Victoria once had that pad and those escutcheons, but all that is left is the glue that held them in place on the carpet. Very few sets of those rubber parts were ever reproduced and removing that glue without leaving a trace would be a challenge.

The photo below is of original examples of those rubber items in place.

[petehoovie]

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Originally Posted by DavidG

Originally on those '32 deluxe body types with carpeting rather than rubber mats, there was a taupe-colored heel pad and escutcheons around the foot rest and starter motor switch push rod. I looks like that Victoria once had that pad and those escutcheons, but all that is left is the glue that held them in place on the carpet. Very few sets of those rubber parts were ever reproduced and removing that glue without leaving a trace would be a challenge.

The photo below is of original examples of those rubber items in place.

[DavidG]

The car in question is the Gene Hetland (RIP) Victoria, a Mike McKennett restoration. Someone who has had the car since the Deuce Heaven auction at Mecum removed the rubber mat and the two escutcheons. That speaks volumes as to the scarcity of the few sets of reproductions that were made and also to the character of one of the owners of the car since the auction.

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by DavidG

The car in question is the Gene Hetland (RIP) Victoria, a Mike McKennett restoration. Someone who has had the car since the Deuce Heaven auction at Mecum removed the rubber mat and the two escutcheons. That speaks volumes as to the scarcity of the few sets of reproductions that were made and also to the character of one of the owners of the car since the auction.

AND If you watch the video on the auction site, the driver speaks to a "well sorted" car as the ammeter is bouncing quite drastically at different points as well as settling on what appears to be a quite "high" charge AND a speedometer that doesn't work. I didn't know Gene but would expect that not to be his MO

[petehoovie]

[Seth Swoboda]

David, thanks for the additional information. It does speak volumes about the current seller and their motives. Whenever I see a car on BAT being sold by a dealer, I'm usually weary. I can think of an acronym for BAT.

[itslow]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Originally on those '32 deluxe body types with carpeting rather than rubber mats, there was a taupe-colored heel pad and escutcheons around the foot rest and starter motor switch push rod. I looks like that Victoria once had that pad and those escutcheons, but all that is left is the glue that held them in place on the carpet. Very few sets of those rubber parts were ever reproduced and removing that glue without leaving a trace would be a challenge.

The photo below is of original examples of those rubber items in place.

This car did have the pads in the photos for the original Mecum auction.

Another possibility might be that an incompatibility between the adhesive on the protective sheeting and the pads, which in turned caused the pads to "melt" into the "goop" seen in the BAT photos.

Originally Posted by rockfla

AND If you watch the video on the auction site, the driver speaks to a "well sorted" car as the ammeter is bouncing quite drastically at different points as well as settling on what appears to be a quite "high" charge AND a speedometer that doesn't work. I didn't know Gene but would expect that not to be his MO

IIRC, Gene had this Victoria parked in his basement when I visited in the winter of 2020. I suspect it didn't see much run time and subsequently may have had some deferred maintenance about which the subsequent owner(s) have not been knowledgeable.

Overall it probably is a "well sorted" car, though.

[DavidG]

Based on a comment on the auction website, itslow may have hit the nail on the head. Supposedly that's not remnant glue, but the original rubber pieces deteriorated to near liquid form. I have a couple of sets of those very limited reproductions, likely from the same batch, and they do not show any signs of deterioration, but who knows what adhesive was used in the case of those in this Victoria. (One would think that the seller would clean up the carpet or replace it before offering it for sale.)

[deuce_roadster]

I really hate it when people buy high point cars and part them out or install an orange engine in it because it's the cheapest way to get a high-quality street rod. Sad, I'm sure Mike McKennett is disappointed when he sees his work being degraded. I always talk with him at the Portland Swap Meet and will see.

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster

I really hate it when people buy high point cars and part them out or install an orange engine in it because it's the cheapest way to get a high-quality street rod. Sad, I'm sure Mike McKennett is disappointed when he sees his work being degraded. I always talk with him at the Portland Swap Meet and will see.

Huh???

Looks like someone thought they were protecting the carpet and a set of rare, very few produced, mat and escutcheon sets that were ever made. No doubt his intentions were good and there was no way anyone could have expected those rare parts to literally melt.
And I wonder how you draw a parallel between parting a car out or installing an orange engine to what happened in this instance.

[DavidG]

$77K plus in May, 2021, $52.5 K plus today; times are a chang'n.

[itslow]

Originally Posted by DavidG

$77K plus in May, 2021, $52.5 K plus today; times are a chang'n.

Different venues with different audiences and different levels of marketing. BaT doesn't really cater to what would be considered "antique" American automobiles.

The collection auction brought elevated bids across almost all (or possibly all) the cars, with some really being above market value.

[35fordtn]

In my opinion some of the hetland cars sold to those whom assumed a profit could be made. Remarkable cars but they haven’t kept up with inflation over the years. In my opinion only two cars at that auction sold at a below value price.

For someone wanting a nice example of a Victoria in stock form you couldn’t restore one for what the seller likely wants for this one. But the buyers just aren’t there…. It seems

I know BAT caters more to broncos and exotics but many of us prewar v-8er’s still scope it out.

Heck at the Hershey Mecum auction a 32 roadster brought only $32k and a 35 roadster around the same or slightly less