You have to love original interiors for easy maintenance. I

Apr 28

You have to love original interiors for easy maintenance. I haven’t cleaned it since before a concours back on Labor Day weekend and it really didn’t show. Gave it a quick vacuum, wiped down the dash and sills, and it still looks like tired old upholstery.

I figure I’ll sneak up on cleaning the outside so as not to tempt the weather gods for Sunday’s show. It’s a 60 mile drive each way, which will be the longest run that I’ve given it since I’ve owned it, so I gave everything under the hood a once over. Definitely had to top off the oil. Shall we start a pool as to how many quarts it drinks on the drive?

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Apr 28, 2026

Reply to Hupp31…

Replies (12)

· Apr 28

Mohair?

· Apr 28

@ShawnG Yes, but it’s going on “Nohair” in a few places.

· Apr 28

Travis the car looks great. I appreciate unmmolested cars more and more every day. 30 - 40 years ago most guys didn't get it and a lot of nice cars were runined by unecessary restoration.

· Apr 28

@alsancle Thanks. I’d be perfectly happy having only unrestored cars for the rest of my life. A car always loses a bit of its soul when it’s restored.

· Apr 28

Here are some pictures of my 1929 Stearns Knight J8-90 including one of it at the Commodore Hotel for the 29 NY Salon. Largely original. It is nice to see every little doo dad and fastener still in place.

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· Apr 28

@alsancle I love that steering wheel! That’s a surprisingly spartan instrument panel for such a grand car.

· Apr 28

@Hupp31 Production cars were $5,500 to 6,500 and this one was $10,000. I agree with you about the dash. Wood grain on the production cars makes it look fancier.

· Apr 28

@alsancle Yes, that’s more what I would have expected. Certainly a clean look without the wood but I just would have pictured something more over the top.

· Apr 28

Unrestored cars is where you arrive when your car hobby tastes have fully matured.

· Apr 28

We are 75% going Saturday Travis unless we are needed for grandchild supervision in which case we will go Sunday. Which I wouldn' t mind will message you and woukd love to see the car.

Gotta connect for a cruise in NW corner, Western MA - whatever now that it's driving season.

Great Upstate NY back roads leading up to Rhinebeck. The year we pre-registered our other Packard it poured... Weather looks perfect for old cars both days this weekend!

· Apr 28

@SteveMackCT Steve, the Benny 500 is in western Mass the 2nd to last week in June. I have borrowed the attached Buick to use.

https://www.bennettautofoundation.org/tour

· Apr 28

@SteveMackCT Steve, definitely let me know if you do end up going Sunday, we’ll keep an eye out for you. It is a great old car-friendly ride out that way. Nice that we’re finally getting some good weather for Rhinebeck.