I've never driven one. They are stunning in looks, but there's at least one person on this forum who has told me they are the worst things to drive. I'm sure he'll be here soon.

Take a virtual nighttime drive in one here:

West PetersonApr 18, 2023

I've never driven one. They are stunning in looks, but there's at least one person on this forum who has told me they are the worst things to drive. I'm sure he'll be here soon.

Hopefully that is not me.   I always wanted one and my dad would yell at me and tell me to go drive one first.   I have never done that so I can't speak first person.    He was an 810/812 snob which is a fantastic car once sorted.    "Sorted" being the important word.

John,  supposedly the last year model had a bigger engine and a little more power.   I do love the looks.    Chrysler seems to have stolen the styling with the 31 CG so maybe one of those is a better choice with the 385.

Well,40 plus years ago I drove an L-29, it was a very, very nice unrestored cabriolet.

My forgetter works overtime these days, but here’s my recollection.

Somehow I remember a slightly awkward seating position, like one was too low in the car.

Shifting is also awkward the first time, reach to top of dash, twist, pull, and/or push to change gears.

Now, this car, unrestored, may have had some wear, but I remember steering being heavy, I don’t care for  term “trucky” but that might apply here. Went down road fine, though as mentioned shifting takes a little getting used to.

I was later offered the car for a then (1980s) reasonable price, passed on it, though I bought a couple of other cars from then owner.

But man, good looking cars! And one of the few cars which Woodlites look good on….

8E45EApr 18, 2023

Take a virtual nighttime drive in one here:

I have seen Hemi Joel’s roadster and it is drop dead gorgeous. 
 

and I to always think of the L 29 when I think of woodlites, They look good on them.

alsancleApr 18, 2023

Hopefully that is not me.   I always wanted one and my dad would yell at me and tell me to go drive one first.   I have never done that so I can't speak first person.    He was an 810/812 snob which is a fantastic car once sorted.    "Sorted" being the important word.

John,  supposedly the last year model had a bigger engine and a little more power.   I do love the looks.    Chrysler seems to have stolen the styling with the 31 CG so maybe one of those is a better choice with the 385.

I am easily impressed with good looks. Many times, to a fault.

i’ve also noticed the not too subtle copying by those early 30 Chrysler’s. What do they say? Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery?

what a flash in the pan. Did production only last for 18 months?  
 

I am so much more familiar with the 810/812. I’d love to hear from owners of L29’s and photos of their cars if they would be willing to share.

The L 29 is one car that seems to be able to pull off some of the more extravagant color schemes that you would see of the era. I see some cars that look clownish, but the L 29 might be able to pull those colors off.

I was at that Tampa Auto Museum earlier this year. That had this L29 Brougham. 
a very handsome car. 
 

as for the comments about the woodlites, notice the Ruxton behind it with woodlites
 

John BloomApr 18, 2023

I was at that Tampa Auto Museum earlier this year. That had this L29 Brougham. 
a very handsome car. 
 

as for the comments about the woodlites, notice the Ruxton behind it with woodlites
 

I'll take the 812 to the right of it.   If you go on to the ACD club forum and ask this question you will probably get a lot more responses.  There is one guy in particular that has driven his car all across the US.

alsancleApr 18, 2023

I'll take the 812 to the right of it.   If you go on to the ACD club forum and ask this question you will probably get a lot more responses.  There is one guy in particular that has driven his car all across the US.

I have been to the ACD forum over there quite a bit, just silently reading posts over the last couple months. I was hoping a larger crowd over here might lead to more photographs and pictures and activity. Maybe it’s time to join the ACD. 

I'm willing to share my thoughts on the L29. I suppose I've driven my car about a thousand miles since I bought it 3 years ago.
I love the car so much, it is  hard to be objective but I'll do my best. Some of the reasons for my affection are of course the styling. There seriously is not one square inch of the car that is not styled. Look one over closely. Everything has a stylistic touch. And the other thing is the engineering. Advanced engineering impresses me and the front drive system definitely was ahead of its time. And then there is the story. The whole E.L. Cord story fascinates me. 

I think one of the issues when people are driving old Classics from the 1920s, is that the driver is used to a more modern car. A car from the '50s or newer with independent suspension, power steering, etc is obviously going to compare favorably in most cases. The other thing is comparing the steering effort of a Classic that weighs 4,500 lb or more to a lightweight, nimble car from the lower price classes. And then finally a lot of cars have excessive wear in the steering and suspension, the clutch linkage, everywhere else, that definitely affects the driving experience.
My car is a 1929 cabriolet, Mark Clayton bought it about 25 years ago with the restoration in progress. The chassis was done at the time that he bought it and we don't have a record of what was done. But it seems like they did a pretty good, complete job from what I have been able to see. Mark finished the restoration with the paint, body, Chrome, assembly, etc.
My impressions as a driver of the car:
When I bought the car it was kind of a hard starter. But with a good tune-up, a new battery, and buffing all of the pertinent electrical connections, it starts very easily with just a pull of the starter knob, which manually activates a switch on the starter via cable. As per usual, the manual choke and the spark retard needs to be operated if the engine is cold, and on this car you have to be really careful not to overdo it on the choke or it will flood.
Sitting in the car, one needs to familiarize himself with the controls. Besides the start knob, there's a choke knob, a throttle knob, and a spark knob. In the center of the steering wheel is the horn button, surrounded by a ring that operates the high beam, low beam, and cowl lights.
The car has complete instrumentation with speedometer, coolant temp, and oil pressure gauges directly in front of the driver, and fuel level, ammeter, and oil level gauges over on the passenger side. Those three are difficult to read from the driver's position.
There is a switch on the dash that turns on backlighting to the gauges which works very well to see them at night.

The seating position is pretty upright. I am 6'2, and the non-adjustable seat seems to be set up for somebody who is about 5'2. So I'm really jammed in when I drive it. But I can do it. I can actually be somewhat comfortable. But trying to operate the clutch and brake pedals results in my knees hitting the big steering wheel. I plan to move the rear seat cushion as far rearward as possible in the near future. Entering The car with the suicide doors is a little bit different. I basically have to open the door, duck my head, swing my hind end in and plop down on the seat. To avoid stepping on the running board and scratching it, I hoist my legs in one at a time with my hands under my knees pulling the legs up over the running boards and compacting my body enough to get them past the front of the door opening and on to the floor.
The cockpit is narrow, and I can easily reach to roll up and down the window on the other side from the driver's seat, and all of the knobs and controls.
There's a big knob on a chrome shaft protruding through the dashboard, and that is the shifter. It's unusual in its operation, but once you get used to it, it is no more difficult to operate than any other non-synchromesh transmission. It operates by twisting it from side to side and pulling it in and out. Twist it to the left and push it forward for first gear. Pull it out and twist it right, and you will find second gear. Keep it twisted to the right and push it forward for third. Reverse is twisted to the left and all the way back. I double clutch all of the shifts.
The engine is very smooth, it doesn't bog or falter, and at 125 hp its performance compares well to most cars of 1929.
A disclaimer / excuse on driving my car. When I first bought the car, it was almost undrivable. It wanted to go from side to side and sawing the steering wheel back and forth, it was almost impossible to keep it in the lane. I knew something was wrong. But I also knew that whatever it is, I can fix it.
So I put my caster camber gauge on it and found that it had about 9° of negative caster. It should be somewhere between 0 and 1° positive. Too much negative caster creates that type of instability. The front end of the car is a DeDion setup that has four quarter elliptic springs with the thick ends clamped to the frame, and the thin ends pointing forward. There is a T-shaped forging on the front of each spring. That T-shaped tip of each spring fits into a corresponding cast pocket that is attached to the axle. Two above the axle, two below. There is a rubber bushing that cushions the spring from the axle pocket. The procedure for setting the caster is to loosen the clamps on the rear of the springs, and turn an adjusting screw to move the spring forward or rearward, which moves the axle, changing the caster.
When I attempted to adjust, in a series of adjust, measure, adjust, measure moves, I ended up moving the springs all the way to their limit and still had a couple of degrees of negative caster. What I then discovered is that the rubber bushings have disintegrated and moving the spring is not moving the axle to the proper position.

So the reason I'm going through this whole story is to tell you that I am driving a car that has two degrees of negative caster which should have a little bit of positive caster, and that affects the steering. So I cannot yet give you an accurate description on the precision/feel of the steering when it is properly adjusted. I do still have to correct more than I would like, moving the steering wheel from side to side to keep it between the lines but it's not too bad. I did buy some new bushings but I have not yet installed them.
The steering effort is heavy when the car is at rest or barely moving. But as soon as you hit about 5 mph it's actually pretty easy. As you can see in my video, I can drive it with one hand, except when I had to shift, I needed to use both hands so I shut the camera off. Weight on the front end definitely has a bearing on the low speed steering. I did scale the car. It's actually well balanced. 51% front, 49% rear, total 4578 lb. If you have normal upper body strength and can drive any other non-power steering car of similar weight, you will be fine in a Cord L29. If your strength has greatly diminished due to age or injury, this may not be the car for you.
A thing that I am very impressed with on this car, is how flat and stable it corners. And I'm not exaggerating on this. You can go around corners at 10 to 15 miles an hour over the speeds posted on the warning signs and it goes around like it's on rails. No wallowing, no buggy bouncing feel, it feels like driving a modern high performance car in that regard.
The ride quality is firm but smooth. Again like a modern high performance car in my opinion, especially compared to other older cars I have driven. It absorbs bumps well and I would never describe its ride as "trucky". Perhaps this is all because the front suspension was copied over from the Miller front drive race cars by CW Van Ranst, an engineer that EL Cord borrowed from Miller.
The brakes are excellent. Four wheel hydraulics with big drums, mounted inboard on the front. The old saying, it will stop on a dime, applies here especially when comparing with cars of that era. I was on a tour where we were on one of those annoying roads where we're going 50 miles an hour and there's a stoplight about every half mile and it seems like I hit every one of them on yellow so I had to repeatedly stop rapidly from 50. After about a half dozen of those, I did feel some pulsing in the brakes. But that was working them unusually hard, and they still had no problem stopping the car. Once they cooled, it recovered. Also there is a very strong handbrake just in case. 
Visibility is good to the front, not too bad to the sides. The windshield frame is very slender so there is no obstruction of view from that. But the view rearward is not so good. If I have to back out of a parking space, or the garage or something like that, I have to carefully survey my surroundings before I get in the car, gauge the distances from side to side to the garage door edges and any other obstructions, then backing is half way based on current visual and halfway based on remembering exactly what it looked like before I got in the car. I can't see the two back corners of the car from the driver's position, but I have gotten used to it and pretty much know where they are when I'm backing. It's about the same on some of my modern cars now too.

Regarding speed, it is my understanding that these cars were geared pretty low when they were new to avoid excessive shifting in city driving. Get it in high gear, and don't shift again until you stop and have to start again. The engine is plenty smooth and torquey for lugging out of slow corners in high. But my car does not have the original ring and pinion. Mark Clayton informed me that the previous owners had swapped in highway gears. But he didn't know the ratio, and neither do I. I have driven it as fast as 70, but I don't like going that fast in it. Especially when I haven't got the steering completely dialed in yet. And considering there are no seat belts and the tires are probably 25 years old. The engine starts to sound kind of busy too but I think a lot of it is fan noise. I'm very comfortable driving it at right around 55 mph. When I've been on a tour and other people are going 60, or I get caught at a red light and have to catch up, I'll lean on it harder and it does the job. I don't know what it would be like if it had the original, really deep gears in it.
I have read that when these cars were new, the unusual lubrication requirements of the front drive system caused a lot of them to suffer from improper lubrication and rapid wear. I have the factory service manual and it explains the process, so I am following the lubrication schedule.
I can't think of anything else to say about it right now, but if anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Here are some pics just for fun.   Joel

I always wanted a L29, and then was given a chance to spend a few hours behind the wheel……….They are neat, but not for me. I have now driven three different ones, and when they are not right, they aren’t much fun to drive. Then again, that applies to almost any car. I’m a bigger fan of the later Cords. They are underrated and very nice drivers. 

All I can tell you about an L29 Cabriolet is that we rewooded one for another resto shop years ago and there were 103 pieces of wood in the body, not including the doors or rumble lid.

Hemi JoelApr 19, 2023

I'm willing to share my thoughts on the L29. I suppose I've driven my car about a thousand miles since I bought it 3 years ago.
I love the car so much, it is  hard to be objective but I'll do my best. Some of the reasons for my affection are of course the styling. There seriously is not one square inch of the car that is not styled. Look one over closely. Everything has a stylistic touch. And the other thing is the engineering. Advanced engineering impresses me and the front drive system definitely was ahead of its time. And then there is the story. The whole E.L. Cord story fascinates me. 

I think one of the issues when people are driving old Classics from the 1920s, is that the driver is used to a more modern car. A car from the '50s or newer with independent suspension, power steering, etc is obviously going to compare favorably in most cases. The other thing is comparing the steering effort of a Classic that weighs 4,500 lb or more to a lightweight, nimble car from the lower price classes. And then finally a lot of cars have excessive wear in the steering and suspension, the clutch linkage, everywhere else, that definitely affects the driving experience.
My car is a 1929 cabriolet, Mark Clayton bought it about 25 years ago with the restoration in progress. The chassis was done at the time that he bought it and we don't have a record of what was done. But it seems like they did a pretty good, complete job from what I have been able to see. Mark finished the restoration with the paint, body, Chrome, assembly, etc.
My impressions as a driver of the car:
When I bought the car it was kind of a hard starter. But with a good tune-up, a new battery, and buffing all of the pertinent electrical connections, it starts very easily with just a pull of the starter knob, which manually activates a switch on the starter via cable. As per usual, the manual choke and the spark retard needs to be operated if the engine is cold, and on this car you have to be really careful not to overdo it on the choke or it will flood.
Sitting in the car, one needs to familiarize himself with the controls. Besides the start knob, there's a choke knob, a throttle knob, and a spark knob. In the center of the steering wheel is the horn button, surrounded by a ring that operates the high beam, low beam, and cowl lights.
The car has complete instrumentation with speedometer, coolant temp, and oil pressure gauges directly in front of the driver, and fuel level, ammeter, and oil level gauges over on the passenger side. Those three are difficult to read from the driver's position.
There is a switch on the dash that turns on backlighting to the gauges which works very well to see them at night.

The seating position is pretty upright. I am 6'2, and the non-adjustable seat seems to be set up for somebody who is about 5'2. So I'm really jammed in when I drive it. But I can do it. I can actually be somewhat comfortable. But trying to operate the clutch and brake pedals results in my knees hitting the big steering wheel. I plan to move the rear seat cushion as far rearward as possible in the near future. Entering The car with the suicide doors is a little bit different. I basically have to open the door, duck my head, swing my hind end in and plop down on the seat. To avoid stepping on the running board and scratching it, I hoist my legs in one at a time with my hands under my knees pulling the legs up over the running boards and compacting my body enough to get them past the front of the door opening and on to the floor.
The cockpit is narrow, and I can easily reach to roll up and down the window on the other side from the driver's seat, and all of the knobs and controls.
There's a big knob on a chrome shaft protruding through the dashboard, and that is the shifter. It's unusual in its operation, but once you get used to it, it is no more difficult to operate than any other non-synchromesh transmission. It operates by twisting it from side to side and pulling it in and out. Twist it to the left and push it forward his first gear. Pull it out and twist it right, and you will find second gear. Keep it twisted to the right and push it forward for third. Reverse is twisted to the left and all the way back. I double clutch all of the shifts.
The engine is very smooth, it doesn't bog or falter, and at 125 hp its performance compares well to most cars of 1929.
A disclaimer / excuse on driving my car. When I first bought the car, it was almost undrivable. It wanted to go from side to side and sawing the steering wheel back and forth, it was almost impossible to keep it in the lane. I knew something was wrong. But I also knew that whatever it is, I can fix it.
So I put my caster camber gauge on it and found that it had about 9° of negative caster. It should be somewhere between 0 and 1° positive. Too much negative caster creates that type of instability. The front end of the car is a DeDion setup that has four quarter elliptic springs with the thick ends clamped to the frame, and the thin ends pointing forward. There is a T-shaped forging on the front of each spring. That T-shaped tip of each spring fits into a corresponding cast pocket that is attached to the axle. Two above the axle, two below. There is a rubber bushing that cushions the spring from the axle pocket. The procedure for setting the caster is to loosen the clamps on the rear of the springs, and turn an adjusting screw to move the spring forward or rearward, which moves the axle, changing the caster.
When I attempted to adjust, in a series of adjust, measure, adjust, measure moves, I ended up moving the springs all the way to their limit and still had a couple of degrees of negative caster. What I then discovered is that the rubber bushings have disintegrated and moving the spring is not moving the axle to the proper position.

So the reason I'm going through this whole story is to tell you that I am driving a car that has two degrees of negative caster which should have a little bit of positive caster, and that affects the steering. So I cannot yet give you an accurate description on the precision/feel of the steering when it is properly adjusted. I do still have to correct more than I would like, moving the steering wheel from side to side to keep it between the lines but it's not too bad. I did buy some new bushings but I have not yet installed them.
The steering effort is heavy when the car is at rest or barely moving. But as soon as you hit about 5 mph it's actually pretty easy. As you can see in my video, I can drive it with one hand, except when I had to make a corner at about 3 mph, I needed to use both hands so I shut the camera off. Weight on the front end definitely has a bearing on the low speed steering. I did scale the car. It's actually well balanced. 51% front, 49% rear, total 4578 lb. If you have normal upper body strength and can drive any other non-power steering car of similar weight, you will be fine in a Cord L29. If your strength has greatly diminished due to age or injury, this may not be the car for you.
A thing that I am very impressed with on this car, is how flat and stable it corners. And I'm not exaggerating on this. You can go around corners at 10 to 15 miles an hour over the speeds posted on the warning signs and it goes around like it's on rails. No wallowing, no buggy bouncing feel, it feels like driving a modern high performance car in that regard.
The ride quality is firm but smooth. Again like a modern high performance car in my opinion, especially compared to other older cars I have driven. It absorbs bumps well and I would never describe its ride as "trucky". Perhaps this is all because the front suspension was copied over from the Miller front drive race cars by CW Van Ranst, an engineer that EL Cord borrowed from Miller.
The brakes are excellent. Four wheel hydraulics with big drums, mounted inboard on the front. The old saying, it will stop on a dime, applies here especially when comparing with cars of that era. I was on a tour where we were on one of those annoying roads where we're going 50 miles an hour and there's a stoplight about every half mile and it seems like I hit every one of them on yellow so I had to repeatedly stop rapidly from 50. After about a half dozen of those, I did feel some pulsing in the brakes. But that was working them unusually hard, and they still had no problem stopping the car. Once they cooled, it recovered. Also there is a very strong handbrake just in case. 
Visibility is good to the front, not too bad to the sides. The windshield frame is very slender so there is no obstruction of view from that. But the view rearward is not so good. If I have to back out of a parking space, or the garage or something like that, I have to carefully survey my surroundings before I get in the car, gauge the distances from side to side to the garage door edges and any other obstructions, then backing is half way based on current visual and halfway based on remembering exactly what it looked like before I got in the car. I can't see the two back corners of the car from the driver's position, but I have gotten used to it and pretty much know where they are when I'm backing. It's about the same on some of my modern cars now too.

Regarding speed, it is my understanding that these cars were geared pretty low when they were new to avoid excessive shifting in city driving. Get it in high gear, and don't shift again until you stop and have to start again. The engine is plenty smooth and torquey for lugging out of slow corners in high. But my car does not have the original ring and pinion. Mark Clayton informed me that the previous owners had swapped in highway gears. But he didn't know the ratio, and neither do I. I have driven it as fast as 70, but I don't like going that fast in it. Especially when I haven't got the steering completely dialed in yet. And considering there are no seat belts and the tires are probably 25 years old. The engine starts to sound kind of busy too but I think a lot of it is fan noise. I'm very comfortable driving it at right around 55 mph. When I've been on a tour and other people are going 60, or I get caught at a red light and have to catch up, I'll lean on it harder and it does the job. I don't know what it would be like if it had the original, really deep gears in it.
I have read that when these cars were new, the unusual lubrication requirements of the front drive system caused a lot of them to suffer from improper lubrication and rapid wear. I have the factory service manual and it explains the process, so I am following the lubrication schedule.
I can't think of anything else to say about it right now, but if anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Here are some pics just for fun.   Joel

Joel, your car looks perfect from every angle.  Thanks for the detailed overview you gave us.  I am struck again that when describing these almost 100 year cars, it can't be a description like you'd read on a new model of (fill in the blank.....Toyota, Buick.......).  Any description must take into account the inevitable work, restoration, neglect, quality/poor repairs....etc.  

You mentioned the style and looks.  That is why i started this thread.  They are just stunning cars.   They seem "different" than other things offered in that era, when many other cars seem to be slight variations of the same design.  These L29's are beautiful cars and clearly that was the goal of the designers.  

Were you looking for one three years ago when you bought this one or was it more of a spontaneous "fell in my lap" experience?  Do you have much correspondence/dialogue/contact with other L29 owners?

Cord sure knew how to do a Dash.........as evidenced by both the L29 and the 810/812.

I am very grateful to you Joel for you frank and honest comments.  At 6' 1' tall I too am "challenged " to fit comfortably behind the wheel of a pre war car that has a fixed front bench seat. I had two wonderful cars that I sold because of what you mention - banging ones knees against the bottom of the steering wheel when shifting gears,, and the vertical back rest cushion  A 1927 RR Phantom I Trouville town car and a 1937 Packard Super 8 limousine. Loved the cars . Both were totally restored mechanically, but for the years I did own and drive them I was in denial that it was a "good fit for me" . I have long legs , and that can be a major hindrance  for drivers of old cars.

edinmassApr 19, 2023

I always wanted a L29, and then was given a chance to spend a few hours behind the wheel……….They are neat, but not for me. I have now driven three different ones, and when they are not right, they aren’t much fun to drive. Then again, that applies to almost any car. I’m a bigger fan of the later Cords. They are underrated and very nice drivers. 

Ed, considering the stuff you drive everyday, who can blame you?

John BloomApr 19, 2023

...Were you looking for one three years ago when you bought this one or was it more of a spontaneous "fell in my lap" experience?  Do you have much correspondence/dialogue/contact with other L29 owners?...

John, I have had a long-term goal to acquire a Duesenberg convertible coupe, an Auburn boat tail speedster, and a Cord L29 cabriolet. But the Cord L29 was going to be last on the list. So I wasn't actively looking when I came upon this car. What happened was I was on vacation in Florida, and attended the Auburn Cord Duesenberg club citrus meet. This car was in one of the collections that we toured. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and raved about how great it was to the owner, and listened to his story of the car and that Mark Clayton had restored it 20 years prior. He never mentioned that he would consider selling it, and I was hoping he would, but I did not ask. I figured I'd dropped enough hints that he would say something if he wanted to part with it.

The following weekend I went to Amelia Island and Mark Clayton was there displaying  his freshly restored 37 Cord on the show field. I struck up a conversation with him and we talked about Cords. I did not tell him that I had just seen one last week, but I did mention that an L29 cabriolet was on my bucket list. He said he knew of one in Largo Florida that the owner was considering selling. Well that is where I had seen this car so I knew it was the one. I got a hold of the owner and went back over there and took a good look at it and after a few days of research and negotiating, a deal was struck. So there was a lot of luck involved. And being in the right place at the right time. 

(Hopefully now I can stumble on to an Auburn speedster!)

I have had conversations with a handful of other L29 owners. It's good to share information on these cars because there's really not a lot of that out there.

Walt GApr 19, 2023

I am very grateful to you Joel for you frank and honest comments.  At 6' 1' tall I too am "challenged " to fit comfortably behind the wheel of a pre war car that has a fixed front bench seat. I had two wonderful cars that I sold because of what you mention - banging ones knees against the bottom of the steering wheel when shifting gears,, and the vertical back rest cushion  A 1927 RR Phantom I Trouville town car and a 1937 Packard Super 8 limousine. Loved the cars . Both were totally restored mechanically, but for the years I did own and drive them I was in denial that it was a "good fit for me" . I have long legs , and that can be a major hindrance  for drivers of old cars.

Did chauffeurs have a standard, or 'preferred' height to be at one time?  I have read limousine front seats were most often non-adjustable and fixed in place, but I thought it was due to the partition window.

Craig

8E45EApr 19, 2023

Did chauffeurs have a standard, or 'preferred' height to be at one time?  I have read limousine front seats were most often non-adjustable and fixed in place, but I thought it was due to the partition window.

Craig

Walt may have a better answer,  but the seat is usually fixed in my experience when their is a partition.  Although you do see adjustable drivers backs on occasion.  I think the drivers compartments on these cars typically are too small for a couple of reasons.  1, people were a lot smaller 100 years ago.   2, any extra room went in the back.

Sometimes the bottom seat cushion was adjustable but that did not help any because of the fixed back rest cushion and as mentioned the division window where the standard . this was true of town cars as well as limousines. There were organized chauffeur's clubs in NY City that advertised to attract chauffeurs of assorted back grounds - German, Irish, Norwegian etc. this may have also occurred in other major eastern cities.

Look at this car and imagine you are 15 years old in 1930, it belongs to the bosses son, that your father is the chauffeur for the family. The CORD is in New York City and they want it driven to the country estate in Connecticut, a good hour and a half to two hour drive back then. "I don't have a drivers license." my father told them "We'll take care of any tickets." was the reply. Dad always said the shifting was a problem. The CORD was later traded in on a brand new 1933 Ford Cabriolet, the fastest pre WWII car Dad ever drove. I'd like to have one of both. Bob 

1937hd45Apr 19, 2023

Look at this car and imagine you are 15 years old in 1930, it belongs to the bosses son, that your father is the chauffeur for. The CORD is in New York City and they want it driven to the country estate in Connecticut, a good hour and a half to two hour drive back then. "I don't have a drivers license." my father told them "We'll take care of any tickets." was the reply. Dad always said the shifting was a problem. The CORD was later traded in on a brand new 1933 Ford Cabriolet, the fastest pre WWII car Dad ever drove. I'd like to have one of both. Bob 

Bob,  somebody make an overhead cam conversion for the L29 straight eight in period?  I'll try to find a picture.

alsancleApr 19, 2023

Bob,  you somebody make an overhead cam conversion for the L29 straight eight in period?  I'll try to find a picture.

Yes, Robert Roof, is this a challenge to see who posts the photo first? 

1937hd45Apr 19, 2023

Yes, Robert Roof, is this a challenge to see who posts the photo first? 

I think it is posted over on the HAMB.

alsancleApr 19, 2023

I think it is posted over on the HAMB.

I have the catalog in the file cabinet. If someone has a CORD and Model A Ford head gasket it would be interesting to see if the stud locations are close. Looks like Roof used two head castings for the CORD Overhead. 

That Roof head is cool! I wonder if any still exist? $450 was a lot of dough.

Hemi JoelApr 20, 2023

That Roof head is cool! I wonder if any still exist? $450 was a lot of dough.

None are known.

Did the Cord L29 typically have in house factory bodies, or was the chassis and drivetrain platform used with Coachbuilders?

John, they were mostly all factory built bodies. There was a very limited number of coach built cars.

There were a dozen or so coachbuilt cars.  They are all mostly spectacular.   I included the specials because they are cool.

alsancleApr 20, 2023

There were a dozen or so coachbuilt cars.  They are all mostly spectacular.   I included the specials because they are cool.

AJ, It was late last night when I got home after a meeting, so my brain was running on fumes.  But I asked that question about custom body's forgetting about one of my all time favorite cars, the L29 Hayes coupe styled by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.  Where is that car today?

John BloomApr 20, 2023

AJ, It was late last night when I got home after a meeting, so my brain was running on fumes.  But I asked that question about custom body's forgetting about one of my all time favorite cars, the L29 Hayes coupe styled by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.  Where is that car today?

In a deep, dark collection overseas where it will never return from.

alsancleApr 20, 2023

In a deep, dark collection overseas where it will never return from.

This is the response over in Europe when our friends over there muse.........."where is that Stearns Knight body by Brunn from the 1929 New York Auto Show?"

The cover story of the current (June 2023) issue of Hemmings Classic Car is about the restoration of a 1930 L 29 Brougham. To be continued next month. 

Thanks Tom. That was sitting in my “to be read” stack.

I just picked that one up last night right after work!  Have yet to read it, though!!

C raig

My understanding is that Lycoming 298.6 straight 8 engine was used in the top-of-the-line Auburn as well. Did any other Makes/offerings of that era use that specific engine?

alsancleApr 20, 2023

There were a dozen or so coachbuilt cars.  They are all mostly spectacular.   I included the specials because they are cool.

AJ, I was looking into some of those Coachbuilt examples you posted.  The Towncar with the Murphy body received quite a bit of acclaim.  Here is another photo of it with the original owner Actress Dolores Del Rio.  There is mention of it being on a longer wheelbase.  This photo may represent distortion, but I believe it based on this photo.  I think 137.5 was the standard wheelbase.  Anyone know what the longer ones were?

John BloomApr 23, 2023

AJ, I was looking into some of those Coachbuilt examples you posted.  The Towncar with the Murphy body received quite a bit of acclaim.  Here is another photo of it with the original owner Actress Dolores Del Rio.  There is mention of it being on a longer wheelbase.  This photo may represent distortion, but I believe it based on this photo.  I think 137.5 was the standard wheelbase.  Anyone know what the longer ones were?

152 1/2

I have seen the car in person. There are two if memory serves me. They are huge……probably 147-152 inches. With stunning Murphy coachwork, they are indeed special cars. Last one that sold at public auction smashed all estimates…..by double or triple. I would expect that the town cars feel under powered unless geared to the basement. For some reason I’m thinking it was a Franklin Hershey design. I’m certain others will chime in with exact details.

edinmassApr 23, 2023

I have seen the car in person. There are two if memory serves me. They are huge……probably 147-152 inches. With stunning Murphy coachwork, they are indeed special cars. Last one that sold at public auction smashed all estimates…..by double or triple. I would expect that the town cars feel under powered unless geared to the basement. For some reason I’m thinking it was a Franklin Hershey design. I’m certain others will chime in with exact details.

Very nice that you have seen it in person. There is nothing shy about that car. 
 

I’d like to find some photos of the interior. I’ll do some digging and searching for those and post them if I have any success. If others know of any, please go ahead share them with us.

Four were built. Three on a 152.5 inch chassis, one on a 137.5 inch chassis. It’s my understanding all four survive. I have seen two in person. While the power plant is rather uninspired, the coachwork and proportions elevate it into something exceptionally special……..last sale was 1.5M eight years ago. It was an unrestored car.

“Latin film star Dolores Del Rio’s elegance compliments this Cord, One of her many luxury cars”

Dolores knew how to roll.....

One can be seen in the Brumos collection in Jacksonville Florida.

Love the looks, as Joel is saying style is truly everywhere. Also I too am 6'2" and driving them is a rather dismal experience for me. The main top center bow is directly overhead. I constantly had to droop my head to avoid bumping it while driving. Steering is what you'd expect, that too was aptly described. Still even giving it some quarter for the most obvious things I found it to be the most dismal and disappointing Classic Car driving experience p e r i o d. Foot position, who in the Great Googly Moogly thought putting the gas pedal UNDER the brake pedal was a good idea? Sure you could get used to it but fast and fancy footwork isn't happening in anything over a size 7 . Power and speed, well the power is there, but both of the cabriolets I drove were pretty nervous at anything over 45, maybe 50. I had a Model A pickup at the time that wasn't happy below 40 and happier yet at 50. I dunno about y'all but I'd be mad as .... if someone passed my 6 figure L-29 with ease in a Model A. I understand it's a gearing/final drive ratio issue but

They're beautiful, I actually prefer the sedans or Broughams, and I've only driven cabriolets. To me they're a very sultry swanky lady, but when she talks...

George Jepson of Hillsdale NJ (an early President of the CCCA) had one of the L29 Murphy town cars.  George lived just a few miles from me and was in several ways responsible for my introduction to the hobby, I still have that same 1934 Packard Eight that I had when I first met George, that would have been in the late 1960s.  I don't recall whether his Murphy had sidemounts or rear-mount spare.  I had occasion to drive his L29 once, in a local July 4th parade while George drove on of his 734 Packard Speedsters.  Of course the driving was all at very low speeds and I do recall that, even as a 20 something fit young man, steering it was a considerable effort when the road had even a modest crown.   A fine gentleman was George, I was privileged to know him.

John BloomApr 21, 2023

My understanding is that Lycoming 298.6 straight 8 engine was used in the top-of-the-line Auburn as well. Did any other Makes/offerings of that era use that specific engine?

Lycoming supplied the 298.6 ci straight eight to the following concurrent with Auburn and Cord:

1926-'30 Elcar topline models

1927-'31 Gardner topline models

1929-'31 Kissel 8-126

1927-'29 Locomobile 80's

1927 Paige 8-85

1927-'29 Roamer

1928-'29 Velie 88

I might have forgotten one or two, but this is about it.  Notice how many were out of business very shortly thereafter.

Good reference for us. Thanks for posting that.   Is there a consensus about the reputation of that engine?

The front drive L29 engine is different than the other Lycomings though. Because contrary to popular belief, it is not a conventional 8 turned 180° in the chassis.   It has the provision to mount the flywheel and bellhousing on the front of the engine. But it still has the cam drive components on the front.

I own a 1930 L29 Cabriolet, the red Boat tail l29 Speedster that AJ posted, a 1932 Auburn boatail Speedster, a 1931 Auburn Coupe, a 1932 Auburn Cabriolet, and a 1935 Model J. My perspective of the L29 is that is is the worst car in the list to drive. The driver position, the floor hung pedals, and the extremely heavy front end make it a chore. Gear ratio also keeps your pm higher than you would like. It is very common for L29's to have overheating issues.that being said the styling of can not be beat. I, in a past life used to also own a Ruxton sedan. The Ruxton was a much nicer driving car.

For some reason though I am completely  smitten with the L 29. The concept of driving a car that all the local perceived car guys know nothing about is quite enjoyable. However my 32 Auburn Speedster is a total joy to drive. Light, responsive, brakes well, steers nicely. I would recomwnd a 8 cylinder Auburn every day. If you are looking to buy a L29 please find a car you can borrow for a few days first. 

My Speedster body was built In Canada about the end of the

vintagerodshopJun 26, 2023

I own a 1930 L29 Cabriolet, the red Boat tail l29 Speedster that AJ posted, a 1932 Auburn boatail Speedster, a 1931 Auburn Coupe, a 1932 Auburn Cabriolet, and a 1935 Model J. My perspective of the L29 is that is is the worst car in the list to drive. The driver position, the floor hung pedals, and the extremely heavy front end make it a chore. Gear ratio also keeps your pm higher than you would like. It is very common for L29's to have overheating issues.that being said the styling of can not be beat. I, in a past life used to also own a Ruxton sedan. The Ruxton was a much nicer driving car.

For some reason though I am completely  smitten with the L 29. The concept of driving a car that all the local perceived car guys know nothing about is quite enjoyable. However my 32 Auburn Speedster is a total joy to drive. Light, responsive, brakes well, steers nicely. I would recomwnd a 8 cylinder Auburn every day. If you are looking to buy a L29 please find a car you can borrow for a few days first. 

My Speedster body was built In Canada about the end of the

You need to finish that speedster before Pebble Beach has a pre-war speedster class.

alsancleJun 27, 2023

You need to finish that speedster before Pebble Beach has a pre-war speech to class.

Pebble Beach already had a boattail speedster class. I think it was around 2000. Time for it again, maybe

vintagerodshopJun 26, 2023

I own a 1930 L29 Cabriolet, the red Boat tail l29 Speedster that AJ posted, a 1932 Auburn boatail Speedster, a 1931 Auburn Coupe, a 1932 Auburn Cabriolet, and a 1935 Model J. My perspective of the L29 is that is is the worst car in the list to drive. The driver position, the floor hung pedals, and the extremely heavy front end make it a chore. Gear ratio also keeps your pm higher than you would like. It is very common for L29's to have overheating issues.that being said the styling of can not be beat. I, in a past life used to also own a Ruxton sedan. The Ruxton was a much nicer driving car.

For some reason though I am completely  smitten with the L 29. The concept of driving a car that all the local perceived car guys know nothing about is quite enjoyable. However my 32 Auburn Speedster is a total joy to drive. Light, responsive, brakes well, steers nicely. I would recomwnd a 8 cylinder Auburn every day. If you are looking to buy a L29 please find a car you can borrow for a few days first. 

My Speedster body was built In Canada about the end of the

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  I have never driven or even ridden in one.   As Rod Stewart summed it up......"the attraction is purely physical".   They are just so good looking.  

Interesting to hear your comparison to the other rides in your stable.   Don't hold back sharing more photos.......on any of them.  

John

https://www.broadarrowauctions.com/vehicles/jc23_101/1931-cord-l-29-cabriolet
 

There is some fabulous stuff being moved at this auction.   I’ll be curious to see what this sells for.
 

We rewooded an L29 Cabriolet.  I remember there were 103 individual pieces of wood in the body, not including the doors or the rumble lid.

I'm not totally sure how to take the above. I see it like enjoying a fine dessert but the chef hid a bug in the bottom, and you found it when you were nearly done. Packard: nothing finer, period. I've done a baker's dozen from the ground up and my opinion is immovable. L-29: I'll stand pat with what I said above. Model J Duesy: some day, maybe, I've driven 4, and language limits here don't allow me to really drive home the point. It doesn't do many things with total aplomb, except show up maybe. Power? Check. Style? Check, but there were some dogs. Handling? Just think about a lane change and add a bit of wt to that side of the wheel. I'd have a hard time staying out of it if I had one. Auburn: Light, simple compared to all the above, not hard nor easy to drive, an old car with all the wonderful charms of, well, an old car. Speedsters are self abuse at 6'2" and 240lbs. Cadillac: way more hits than misses. Their 12s and 16s run and drive like modern V8s, but heavy which is to be expected. 

The Ruxton was mentioned above, and I had the unique experience of both being involved in a body off resto, and also having an L-29 and Ruxton in the shop to compare. The Ruxton was a high school shop class project compared to the L-29. Having studied the history of New Era Motors (Ruxton) and what I noted along the way, I guess no surprises. I did a sedan, and the body was 3 years older than the car, unceremoniously chopped apart and "stuck together" with a silly amount of lead to try and correct. There's no floor, just wood atop the frame. The instrument panel is better suited to a beer truck. The shift mechanism really is shop class chic. The single kingpin is about the size of a medium impact socket, so no wonder they shed front wheels like a squirrel sheds walnut shells. Even the one I had a hand in had lost a front wheel in its past. If I was a billionaire there would not be one in my collection. An oddity at best, Ruxton was the product of a 20s era "Gordon Gecko" and it showed everywhere (the unhip might look up who that movie character was).

I've met very few Packard models I like less than others, and I never met an 1101 I didn't like. I freely admit my love and honor hits the brakes at 1948, unless I'm looking at her rather sexy rear profile, but then she turns around and is cross-eyed with a mouthful of gumballs. I've arrived at these experiences and opinions beginning at age 14 when dear ol Dad said "You drive..." our 1934 1101 Club Sedan. 14, driving a 34 Packard. That should explain it all quite well, no? 

This just in from the "Useless without pisc!" dept:

Frome here, Cord, Ruxton respectively. May continue below, big pics...

More:

So was I just being harsh or snobby? Or, can you see what I see. I was involved in the Ruxton from bare frame to finish and it came to my place after for some much needed correction. Kool? A little. Great car? Not in my book, but I tend to judge things based on experience and exposure. I hope you can see that it wasn't just sounds from the south side of a horse headed north. Enjoy...

I place the L29 and Ruxton in the "cool" and "interesting" category of cars I would not own. Rare and unusual, but for driving............they don't do it for me. Doesn't make me right........but uninspired power plants with relatively small displacement. I find the eight cylinder Stearns Knight twenty times more interesting and is a much better platform. 

" I did a sedan, and the body was 3 years older than the car, unceremoniously chopped apart and "stuck together" with a silly amount of lead to try and correct. There's no floor, just wood atop the frame."

Since you are intimately familiar with the sedan body, which was by Budd, have you determined what sedan body they recycled to create the 'stuck together" for Ruxton?  Dodge utilized Budd bodies at the time.

edinmassOct 30, 2023

I place the L29 and Ruxton in the "cool" and "interesting" category of cars I would not own. Rare and unusual, but for driving............they don't do it for me. Doesn't make me right........but uninspired power plants with relatively small displacement. I find the eight cylinder Stearns Knight twenty times more interesting and is a much better platform. 

I don't know that I would want to drag race the Stearns and a L29 but I put them in the same sort of group.  Very interesting to look at and maybe own, but not a blast to drive.   The L29 is much more visually attractive while the Stearns is a bigger wow when you open the hood.

Perhaps we need a thread on what 1929 cars are actually a blast to drive.   Subtract Bentley and Duesenberg and what do you have?

58L-Y8Oct 30, 2023

" I did a sedan, and the body was 3 years older than the car, unceremoniously chopped apart and "stuck together" with a silly amount of lead to try and correct. There's no floor, just wood atop the frame."

Since you are intimately familiar with the sedan body, which was by Budd, have you determined what sedan body they recycled to create the 'stuck together" for Ruxton?  Dodge utilized Budd bodies at the time.

The body was actually a British car called a Wolsley Messenger from 1927 They whacked the cowl, cut out the floor, and sectioned the rear like 4-5" with very large lead seams. Merciless.

Shagged from another AACA forum topic:

Somehow this escaped my attention.

https://listings.worldwideauctioneers.com/product/1929-cord-l-29-special-tourer/

alsancleNov 10, 2023

Not accurate on at least a couple things: they are not front heavy. Weight distribution is approximately 50/50. Also the CV joints don't wear out because the front is heavy. They support no weight. They wear out from lack of lubrication.

Thanks, Mr. Durante, for those clarifications.  You wonder how many L-29s, among others with marginal lube points here and there, would've survived with our recent black molybdenem/graphite grease instead of the orange fiber chassis grease used into the '70s.  My late friend mentioned above, the very young Pan Am wrench at the Alameda Naval Air Station during War II, who raved about the cornering ability of a well-tended L-29 on the sleeping Oakland streets either during or after the war, said a Chevron or Texaco engineer explained how the modern moly/graph a factor of eight times better than the orange fiber, and was originally designed for huge trucks in the hellish environment of stone quarries.

Nice pictures all, then and now, above.  That '29 L-29 special tourer minimalist job musta been fun to drive, reminds me of another '29 basic number, a Thompson-bodied (Los Angeles) Packard for a Lt.  J. R. Glasscock:

Hemi JoelNov 11, 2023

Not accurate on at least a couple things: they are not front heavy. Weight distribution is approximately 50/50. Also the CV joints don't wear out because the front is heavy. They support no weight. They wear out from lack of lubrication.

I would agree here. I'd say the idea of front heavy is intuitive vs true. My driving experiences bear that out too. The one that followed is superior in every way, he got that right. Another model year and we'd have had more than one brand while the rest of the industry tried to play catch up. They're quite sure footed at speed, have a very modern level of behind the wheel confidence, and with 4 speeds can stay up with traffic. Getting used to the select shift doesn't take long either. I've never driven a supercharged version but am told you know it when you drive it. Make mine a simple Westchester, blackwalls, supercharged, and a leather interior. And oh yeah, drip rails. They missed that. Am I wrong? Not if you look at the Hupp Skylark or Hollywood Graham, they have drip rails.

Hah, drip rails.  That's right.  A Cordite friend, earlier a blown '37 812 Phaeton, later with an unblown '37  Phaeton but with the outside pipes optional on Cords as they were on unblown Duesenberg Js,  takes his Ganges green '36 Westchester -- looks better than it sounds, everything Indian exotic in the '30s, with green optional leather interior -- to a local show.  It starts raining, really pouring, and when you get out,  a waterfall, you get drenched.  Woulda been hilarious if it hadn't been cold rain.  I'm vegan, so prefer heavy broadcloth, and optional whipcord in old prewar dropheads, Buicks, Cads, Packards; like sailcloth, wore like iron.  You don't get fried in summer, and a lot warmer in winter.

just an FYI, my L29 cabriolet on the 4 corner scales:

Highlander160Oct 29, 2023

....... Model J Duesy: some day, maybe, I've driven 4, and language limits here don't allow me to really drive home the point. It doesn't do many things with total aplomb, except show up maybe. Power? Check. Style? Check, but there were some dogs. Handling? Just think about a lane change and add a bit of wt to that side of the wheel. ....

I drove our Duesenberg, and felt the same way as you. I've learned since that the problem is that you and I have driven restored Duesenbergs with worn-out steering boxes (and probably other parts). They were restored to look pretty, but without the intention of being driven. Many people (maybe Ed included) tell me that when you drive a properly rebuilt Duesenberg, your assessment would change dramatically. Of course, it still won't compare to the 1934 Packard, but then, nothing before 1934 would compare with a 1934 Packard, and it got even better in 1937 (1935, for the Junior Packards).

Of course, one could always do this if they're not happy with their L-29. I don't recommend it, of course. This was done for Palm Beach "Classic Car" dealer John Staluppi (net worth $500 million). The first photo is the before shot, I kid you not. The entire frame and running gear is late-model Corvette.

Taste!   Everybody has it. Some good, some BAD. 

  Ben

If I expressed myself in the terms that I normally do, I would receive a permanent ban on this website. His junk shop….. excuse me, “museum”is only a couple miles from me. Knowing the kind of stuff he collects, I have never bothered to stop and see his stuff. In the world of Palm Beach he’s a popper. Having a few dollars doesn’t give you taste, class, or sophistication. It’s my understanding he made his money garbage in New Jersey. So it makes sense. That’s what he puts in his garage.  To each his own.

 

Based on the cheap-looking wheels alone, my only guess is that Hot Wheels is getting ready to roll out a new car, and this will be used during some Hot Wheels promotional tour. 

Not a bad start, but the whitewalls just have to go.

Lee HDec 29, 2023

Not a bad start, but the whitewalls just have to go.

This.  The tires ruin it.

Aw well, let's look at the bright [?] side.  He DID put some of his green into circulation.

  Ben

Ben Bruce aka First BornDec 29, 2023

Aw well, let's look at the bright [?] side.  He DID put some of his green into circulation.

  Ben

I'm all for supporting the working American craftsman........and he did the same thing to a 29 Pierce Arrow sedan........a very common car and it's no great loss, but cut up a L29 Cord convertible.........it's like buying a rare French masterwork painting and touching it up with crayons and chalk. It's his property....and he can do as he pleases. In the end it's all just vanity and ego. Part of the overpaid "look at me crowd" that is such a part of todays world. I certainly hope it doesn't show up at the Auburn meet. Someone should give the ACD boys a heads up that that thing will probably show up at the Labor Day meet looking for approval..........I think I know what kind of reception it will receive.  

It is depressing to see what happened to that roadster, but speaking about the L29 in general, it has such a great look, that I wish I could stumble on a scruffy (but still has it's dignity) L29 sedan.  It looks like something I'd enjoy playing with and when it is invariably "not running pending XYZ, etc...." I could still drink coffee and look at it in the garage.  Better yet, talk a friend who lives close by into buying one and then visit often.

West PetersonDec 29, 2023

I drove our Duesenberg, and felt the same way as you. I've learned since that the problem is that you and I have driven restored Duesenbergs with worn-out steering boxes (and probably other parts). They were restored to look pretty, but without the intention of being driven. Many people (maybe Ed included) tell me that when you drive a properly rebuilt Duesenberg, your assessment would change dramatically. Of course, it still won't compare to the 1934 Packard, but then, nothing before 1934 would compare with a 1934 Packard, and it got even better in 1937 (1935, for the Junior Packards).

I think I worded that wrong. What I was referring to is how easy and manageable it was, just ease on the steering wheel, no effort, quick. The overall feel of a Duesey belies what its actually doing. Keeping with traffic feels like you're just loafing along. Confident braking, easy clutch, but of course requires the art form of double clutching. NOTHING like a Packard to be sure. However, beer doesn't taste like Coca-Cola, and a 69 Caddy doesn't drive like a 69 Boss 302. I'd be hard pressed not to drive the wheels off a Duesy if I was of means to aquire one.

Highlander160Dec 29, 2023

I think I worded that wrong. What I was referring to is how easy and manageable it was, just ease on the steering wheel, no effort, quick. The overall feel of a Duesey belies what its actually doing. Keeping with traffic feels like you're just loafing along. Confident braking, easy clutch, but of course requires the art form of double clutching. NOTHING like a Packard to be sure. However, beer doesn't taste like Coca-Cola, and a 69 Caddy doesn't drive like a 69 Boss 302. I'd be hard pressed not to drive the wheels off a Duesy if I was of means to aquire one.

But you're comparing a Duesenberg (doesn't matter what year, they're all basically 1929 models), to a 1934 Packard. The Duesenberg, if restored properly, would very much compare with a Packard of 1929-1931.

John BloomDec 29, 2023

It is depressing to see what happened to that roadster, but speaking about the L29 in general, it has such a great look, that I wish I could stumble on a scruffy (but still has it's dignity) L29 sedan.  It looks like something I'd enjoy playing with and when it is invariably "not running pending XYZ, etc...." I could still drink coffee and look at it in the garage.  Better yet, talk a friend who lives close by into buying one and then visit often.

John I think you have enuff information to make a commitment. You have known all along that you want one, based on its beauty if nothing else. Now it is time to searching for the right car! (:

So, where did the discarded L-29 Cord chassis end up after the Visigoths built that atrocity?

Edinmass well sums the Pebble Beach cracker's abomination, the "look at me crowd,"  empty money; deep pockets but no depth.  Charm, history, the feel of the times, all lost.   It's bad enough to see old Fords, Chevies, prosaic fare retro rodded, Frankencars.   But when crate V-8s, Turbo HydraMatics dropped into L-29s, even what were once senior Packard 8s and V-12s,  all the more heartbreaking.  Automotive Covid.

 What's odd is we've heard some of the most active members of the Horseless Carriage Club of America, for pre-1916 cars,  are in their 20s, early 30s.  Yet these young folks are entrenched in not just preserving originality, but the spirit of the unaltered, carefully, authentically rebuilt cars.    Meanwhile, senior Packards of the '30s and L-29 Cords are butchered, become parodies.

 How do we cure this disease?  Our K-12 trails at least 16 other modern industrial democracies.  We don't see fine old cars in Europe, Britain, Scandinavia butchered, retro rodded.  

  Happy New Year and 10th day of Christmas.

58L-Y8Jan 3, 2024

So, where did the discarded L-29 Cord chassis end up after the Visigoths built that atrocity?

The owner of the car sold the chassis/engine. Don't know where it went.

West PetersonJan 5, 2024

The owner of the car sold the chassis/engine. Don't know where it went.

Yes, I was aware it was sold also.........no clue where it ended up. Should have donated it to the ACD Museum considering what a jerk he was with the car.

After all the opinions expressed, I will offer another.  If I were able to have the car , as it sets, I would install less noticeable wheels and try to drive them into the ground. No reason to ever raise the hood . My 2 cents.

  Ben

I agree that the wheels turn this into a ridiculous-looking custom build, and I would appreciate the end results much better if there was some better solution (aside from raping the car in the first place).

West PetersonJan 5, 2024

I agree that the wheels turn this into a ridiculous-looking custom build, and I would appreciate the end results much better if there was some better solution (aside from raping the car in the first place).

Once it has gone this far a set of true spokes from the 70s and vogue tires are not going to do much for this ahhh, personal expression.

I am surprised he did all of this and retained the stock paint scheme.  Metallic lime green with a dark green top, match the car to the wheels at this point.

Steve_Mack_CTJan 5, 2024

Once it has gone this far a set of true spokes from the 70s and vogue tires are not going to do much for this ahhh, personal expression.

I am surprised he did all of this and retained the stock paint scheme.  Metallic lime green with a dark green top, match the car to the wheels at this point.

Funny, I was thinking metallic lime green body with day-glo orange fenders and pink/beige metallic beltline and fender accents...all set off with faux leopard-print interior and top...now, that's good taste, said Laverne!

This looks interesting and I thought I’d link it to this thread on the L29

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf24/lots/r0079-1930-cord-l29-convertible-phaeton-sedan/

This Brougham is also offered at Hershey.

https://www.prewarcar.com/595107-1931-cord-l-29-brougham-rm-sotheby-s-hershey

John BloomSep 10, 2024

This looks interesting and I thought I’d link it to this thread on the L29

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf24/lots/r0079-1930-cord-l29-convertible-phaeton-sedan/

I see this car sold for 187K. Quite a bit above pre auction estimate. 
 

John BloomSep 10, 2024

This Brougham is also offered at Hershey.

https://www.prewarcar.com/595107-1931-cord-l-29-brougham-rm-sotheby-s-hershey

 And this one sold for 71.5K

just posting for historical reasons.

I continue to love the styling. I have seen a few but never ridden in or driven an L29.  I’ve read mixed reviews on the driving experience, and wonder how accurate those accountings are, or if the feedback is more reflective of the specific car driven and how well sorted and maintained it was. 

I put the avocado green Brougham in my garage and I just enjoy the heck out of it.  Starts easily and drives well.  I could not fit comfortably behind the non-adjustable seat of the L-29 Conv Pheaton.

Lovely, genuine car, the avocado green brougham above, especially with the blackwall tires and no bolted on nonsense, just a straight up, if slinky, quietly elegant old car ready for the road.  

28anutDec 7, 2024

I put the avocado green Brougham in my garage and I just enjoy the heck out of it.  Starts easily and drives well.  I could not fit comfortably behind the non-adjustable seat of the L-29 Conv Pheaton.

Brian, I liked the Brougham in the auction photos, but none of them show the cars real beauty like that one you shared of it in your drive.  Thanks so much for sharing.  Enjoy!

Brian, congrats on your acquisition, and welcome to the small group of L29 owners!  I'm sure that you will enjoy it very much.

28anutDec 7, 2024

I put the avocado green Brougham in my garage and I just enjoy the heck out of it.  Starts easily and drives well.  I could not fit comfortably behind the non-adjustable seat of the L-29 Conv Pheaton.

Tough to picture a better color combo on this Cord.  Enjoy and keep us posted on your adventures - sounds like you plan to drive it a lot!

I just noticed this and thought I'd post it.  Offerings of L29's come up, but it isn't like there are lots of them on the market at the same time.  

1929 Cord L-29 Brougham

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1929-cord-l-29-pinellas-park-fl-2853688

John BloomMar 2, 2025

I just noticed this and thought I'd post it.  Offerings of L29's come up, but it isn't like there are lots of them on the market at the same time.  

1929 Cord L-29 Brougham

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1929-cord-l-29-pinellas-park-fl-2853688

 

5 paragraphs of filler and one sentence about the car.

alsancleMar 2, 2025

5 paragraphs of filler and one sentence about the car.

Typical......  Makes you wonder who they are targeting to buy it.......some one who has never heard of Cord before and on impulse says "that looks cool and the history is so interesting, I think I'll buy it"?????

Right, both of you, John and Alsancle.  Someone's in for a rude surprise.  It may be sound mechanically as it looks cosmetically, tho' too bad about the garish resale red.   But it might have many mechanical needs, what old airplane friends dismissed as "a paint overhaul."  Too many ads like the above in recent years.  How often have we seen "this car was awarded 99.75 points at the..."  and it looks pristine?   But if they include pictures of the engine, it's obviously never been so much as wiped down, cleaned a little with a rag dipped in kerosene, in 20 years, at least;  rust on everything.

Su8overdriveMar 2, 2025

Right, both of you, John and Alsancle.  Someone's in for a rude surprise.  It may be sound mechanically as it looks cosmetically, tho' too bad about the garish resale red.   But it might have many mechanical needs, what old airplane friends dismissed as "a paint overhaul."  Too many ads like the above in recent years.  How often have we seen "this car was awarded 99.75 points at the..."  and it looks pristine?   But if they include pictures of the engine, it's obviously never been so much as wiped down, cleaned a little with a rag dipped in kerosene, in 20 years, at least;  rust on everything.

Point well taken….

any old car should be checked out in person by someone who knows the make and model……but an L29 should “Really” be checked out. 
 

i continue to be fascinated by them.   I have never driven or even ridden in one. 
 

I've only driven one L-29 and it was not a joy to drive. I'm not an expert on them so perhaps something was amiss but the steering was heavy and it did not feel very powerful when compared to an Auburn from the same era.

Shawn, assuming the L-29 you drove in sound shape, the reason for the heavy steering and feeling less powerful than a period Auburn 8 is because the L-29 has much more weight on the front wheels, and weighs over half a ton more than the same-engined Auburn.  I shared a synopsis of what i know of these cars a year and a half ago, 9/6/23, a third of the way down the second page of this thread.

Am I missing something - or do the bumpers look painted silver and not plated? The plates where they are fastened to the chassis are plated but the flat bumper bars seem to be the silver color on the sheet metal next to the shell. " Creative" history or just saving the co$t of plating.  I agree about the red color, would be more appropriate to the styling if a different choice or if a red color is desired then a deep maroon. 

I haven't ridden in many L-29 Cords but yes, the heavy weight at the front end does affect the ability to get down the road rapidly from a standing still start. 

The only anecdotal tidbit I can add is a now-late local collector/restorer of a number of Auburns took on the restoration of a Cord L-29 convertible coupe which was a largely complete although rundown western car.  In his words: "I could have restored three Auburns for the costs doing this L-29, and at half the frustration!  Everything is unique to these right down to small items, nothing interchanges with Auburns."

That was his take on these, plus he observed that other than the looks, found Auburns better driving cars. 

Walt GMar 3, 2025

Am I missing something - or do the bumpers look painted silver and not plated?

I call that "Arkansas Chrome".

On Page 1 of this thread...  John Bloom posted this photo - with this description:

And, as the car is sitting in the museum, there are lots of pictures of the car on Social Media, from many angles and under various lighting conditions.   Always best to see it in person, but, lots of pictures around if you take the time to look...

Just another angle and different lighting...

My guess is the photos on the Hemmings site were taken and/or 'manipulated' to achieve a marketing strategy - the photos actually taken in the museum are just regular-photo-enthusiast shots.   Bumpers in everyday shots look fine - bumpers in Hemmings listing look more AI-generated than real (IMO).  [My Edit: actually to be fair, the flash on the camera probably was reflecting in the chrome bumpers, so they 'manipulated' the photo to remove the reflections.   Very few photos in today's world can be trusted - unfortunately.]

West PetersonDec 29, 2023

Of course, one could always do this if they're not happy with their L-29. I don't recommend it, of course. This was done for Palm Beach "Classic Car" dealer John Staluppi (net worth $500 million). The first photo is the before shot, I kid you not. The entire frame and running gear is late-model Corvette.

Somebody get a rope!!

alsancleMar 2, 2025

5 paragraphs of filler and one sentence about the car.

Stupid AI. It's too obvious, and I hate it.

edinmassApr 23, 2023

I have seen the car in person. There are two if memory serves me. They are huge……probably 147-152 inches. With stunning Murphy coachwork, they are indeed special cars. Last one that sold at public auction smashed all estimates…..by double or triple. I would expect that the town cars feel under powered unless geared to the basement. For some reason I’m thinking it was a Franklin Hershey design. I’m certain others will chime in with exact details.

1930 Cord L-29 Town Car - On an extended 152.5" inches wheelbase. With Dual rear spares

ShawnGMar 2, 2025

I've only driven one L-29 and it was not a joy to drive. I'm not an expert on them so perhaps something was amiss but the steering was heavy and it did not feel very powerful when compared to an Auburn from the same era.

I'm sure I've said this already in here but I would have owned one of these 30 years ago but my dad slapped me around and said they are horrible to drive. Couple things: first he had an 812 which is a JOY to drive but not fair to compare 1929 to 1937. Second, I don't know if he actually ever drove one.

Would love to hear from the L29 guys. My 1929 Stearns Knight isn't exactly like driving around in a Model S Tesla. So maybe people are unfair?