31 May Spanner Works: JP du Plessis

A regular feature by senior workshop technician JP du Plessis outlining the activities of FMM’s workshop personnel who are responsible for repairing, renovating, refurbishing and restoring the museum’s large and varied collection of vehicles. This month, JP’s attention is drawn to one of the more exotic cars in the collection, one that struck a Cord with him…  

It is rather special when a car that was produced for only two years has so many unique attributes and innovative design features that make it, in a sense, timeless. Between 1936 and 1937, The Auburn Automobile Company produced such a special car under their Cord Automobile division. The Cord 810 and 812 models were virtually the same, the only difference being that in 1937 a supercharger was added to the 810 and the model was renamed 812.

The styling, designed by Gordon Buehrig, included revolutionary concealed hinges, fuel filler and headlamps (operated by cable winders from the dashboard), no running boards (as was the flavour of those days), and a coffin-shaped nose with a chrome-trimmed, wraparound grille. To add to its pioneering character, the Cord also made use of a semi-automatic, front-wheel-drive transaxle drivetrain – a first for American production vehicles.

In 1936 there were four body types, namely Westchester Sedan, Beverly Sedan, Sportsman and Phaeton convertibles. While the museum owns three of these different body styles, the car in this edition of Spanner Works is the majestic 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton that, although essentially dormant, has been regularly displayed over the years in Hall A. While it has been off display and in storage awaiting its next turn on the display floor, JP du Plessis couldn’t keep himself from wondering how he might get it running…

Work started by visiting the car in storage and studying the condition of the components and reading up as much as is available on the World Wide Web. First, the spark plugs were removed and the engine was turned by hand to see whether it turns freely and that there were no untoward sounds emanating from the rotating assembly. Then, whenever there was a gap between other tasks, attention was given to prepare the Cord for its first start in years. After priming the fuel and swinging the starter motor a few times, the 125 hp (93 kW) normally-aspirated Lycoming V8 roared into action and settled into a deep burbling idle. The gauges and engine bay were monitored closely while the engine reached operating temperature.

After the first start, the semi-automatic gears were to be tested, but to do that, the car would need to be on axle stands, as the condition of the vacuum-electric pre-selector system was unknown. Once on the stands, the gear selection was tested. Now, to select a gear, one has to place the little pre-selector shifter that is located next to the steering wheel into the desired gear, then only depress the clutch pedal and let it return smoothly. The gear is then selected and the drive is transferred to the front wheels. However, this particular gearbox would select all the gears, except first. So, with some more testing and adjustment of the selector lever arm at the front of the gearbox, first gear was successfully engaged and could repeatedly be selected.

With the Cord’s engine firing and the gears selecting, it was time to work on the brakes, which had deteriorated as a result of long-term inactivity.  The system was disassembled, cleaned up and sent away for refurbishment. While the master and wheel cylinders were away being overhauled, the steel coolant pipes were also sent away to be remanufactured. Once back, the coolant pipes were polished to shine, as is characteristic of any Cord engine bay. The newly refurbished components were then fitted and the system bled through to get a firm brake pedal. Then, the car was given a service with fresh lubricants and spark plugs.

It was time to test drive and wow, what an amazing driving experience! Considering the year the car was made, the pioneering technology used in it, the hand-crafted interior, incredibly sleek design and the torquey V8 engine, it can be forgiven for its finicky gear selection. One just has to keep one’s hand on it…