VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1927 4dr Landau Sedan

Currently looking at a 27' 4dr Landau Sedan to restore. It is in original condition and been in storage 45yrs when restoration was going to be started. It was bought over 35yrs ago, started, driven, then parked again to continue the restoration.

I believe the price is right and the car is complete other than the door glass that was removed and not included when the current owner got the car. It does need the top side wood and I will check with Classic tomorrow if they do wood for the Landau model. I spoke with Jim from Autowood and he told me to call them. I didn't know until later tonight that it was the landau, not the plain 4dr sedan. Other than the top wood the car is pretty nice though apart some. Fenders, hood, lights are off. Can someone tell me the make up of the running boards. Are they steel w/rubber, wood w/rubber, etc. Original interior is very good condition with headliner in place but it looks worn. Seats and door panels are decent. Almost all metal is straight and rust free with 1/2 of the original paint (?) still in place. Black lower, grey upper. The numbers on the tag are: Job # 7240, Body # 5254. Do these numbers sound right and how rare is the 4dr Landau? Any opinions on the whole thing are appreciated.
Thanks, Ted

I can at least tell you that the running boards are wood, with rubber mat covers. Normally a single board, not quite 1" thick.

Thanks for that. The owner told me they looked like a laminated ply and I didn't know if that was correct. He said it looked like rubber was on them also. Another thing I'm confused about. I see pictures of 27' landau cars with 6 windows and some with 8. The car I'm looking at has the eight with window shades like my 31' special sedan. I then looked on Hampton Coach's site and it lists the 4dr landau with two windows so I'm assuming the "two windows" means the quarter windows in the 8 window car. I call Scott tomorrow and ask him.

There are three different '27 four door sedans. One was called a Sedan, another Landau Sedan and final Imperial Landau Sedan. The latter Imperial had a lower top profile, same windshield as the Cabriolet and without small quarter windows.

This one does have the quarter windows. Where can I find the job numbers for 27'? I've been looking on the web and can't find anything as of yet. Job is 7240.

Job #7240 is a 5-Passenger Landau Sedan.

Thank you

Bought the 27 Landau today. Need to go back and pick it up. Get it home and try to get it running. It is a definite barn find. Has been stored for 45+ years. Mostly complete. It is missing the damn gas tank though. He can't find it? Think he might have used it in a hot rod at one time! Also missing rear window garnish, one landau knob, and driver side rear door hinge half. Some small parts. Both front fenders where they meet with the running boards were cut off I assume because or rot. Some rot along the pass side cowl and the pass side rear tire inner well. The wood though appears fine in those areas. No windshield regulator and a wiper motor was added from the inside. Interior is original with door panels rough on pass sides but seats are actually in very good condition. Chassis has some surface rust but nothing appears to deep pitted at all. Metal floor pans are all in good shape with just light surface rust. Rear fenders and hood are very good with just surface rust, not even one ping dent. Motor is a 27 single exhaust port. Vac fuel pump is apart and there are spare parts in a box. Original coil was said to work. Upper wood on the sides is need or replacement and so are the front door pillars because of the bottom 2". Sills are fine with no area showing any soft spots with the ice pick. Rear driver side pillar is also broken at top where it bolted to the roof. All tags are intact and legible. Not sure if I'm going to restore or take to Hershey and look for a buyer. Might take it anyway and if it doesn't sell, bring it back to work on.
ID plate on passenger side of front seat# 12AA 33086
Motor serial# 3256919
Motor build: D 5 7 (April 5th, of 1927 if I'm correct on that)
Pictures in members area soon

Chistech, I have a 1927 and a 1930 {both are coaches}. I really enjoy both of them but they are very different cars. The 27 has 2 wheel brakes and the 4 cylinder vibrates as it runs. The 27 has less power and in my case it feels best at about 35mph. The 30 is much smoother and feels best at about 40-45mph. I take the 27 if I am running with Model Ts and the 30 does better with Model As. I really like both of them and put a lot of miles on each one every year.

Thank you for that info 27 Coach. I figured it was basically like a model T. When I was younger we had a model T so I am familiar. I have a 31 and know there is and will be a big difference.

Started some preliminary work on the 27' this week. Pulled out the driver's side front hinge pillar and worked at getting the motor running. I had lubed up the valve train and had poured some diesel fuel down each cyl. Starter didn't want to turn it over so after I blew out the cylinders of all oil after I rotated the motor with the hand crank. I took out the starter to find the housing full of chipmunk nestings which had clogged up the ring gear teeth and was causing the starter to bind. While I had the starter out I decided to try and start it with the crank. After making sure all wiring to the coil was working, I cleaned the points, rotor, and cap. Put the parts back on and pulled the crank and saw a nice spark on a plug I had out. Sprayed a syringe of gas in each cylinder, put the plugs back in, and hooked up the wire. I had already cleaned the vac fuel feed tank and had it half full of gas. Pulled the choke, turned on the ignition, and pulled it over. On the third pull it fired and then started right up! Couldn't believe it. Opened the choke and it ran really nice but I quickly shut it down as I have no water in it as of yet. Turned the key back on and a tiny flip of the crank and she was off again. Put the starter back it after I blew and vaccummed out the chipmunk debris and now it fires up so easy I can't believe it. Tomorrow I will put a heater hose on the two fittings to connect them together so I can fill the radiator. This car had a heater added at one time. I will be putting it up for sale in the "for sale" section. It's a nice car and a great candidate for restoration to at least a nice driver. Price will go up as the restoration progresses.

Based on your above statement it sounds like you are going to completely restore the car.

Basically wanted to see what it needed so I can realistically list it for sale and people know. If's its sitting in the garage I will continue to do more on it to make it a reliable driver. Put new wood, check mechanics, repair fenders correctly but enough to assemble, put a new roof on, etc. As we discussed Dog, it's not feasible to try and sell with a full bore restoration done to it. I'm gaining wood working experience with it and how the framing process was done so a hands on education is worth breaking even when it's sold I believe. It's a super nice little car that starts with a flick of the hand crank or barely a touch of the starter. It really surprised me on easy and nice it starts/runs. I'm thinking road worthy with the above done about $6,500 range. Then someone else can continue on with it if they want.
Have a quick question. Looking at the valve train I assume the top oiler pad is oiled before every driving session and that is the only way to oil the rockers. Is that correct?

Looks like an interesting project. Hopefully it will continued to be restored by yourself or next owner.

Best to saturate the pad, then add a little more oil every 100 miles or so.

Thanks Chipper, that was a fast answer. It is a nice project and nice to find in such an unmolested condition with all tags present/legible. Even the old prehistoric coil (sorry, never seen one like it before, looks like an old dry cell with a disk on top) works like a charm. Now to put some water to it and see how things look from there.

There is real satisfaction in bringing an old Chevy back to life. Even more when you drive down a street and get thumbs up from people of all ages. We are preserving history for others to learn from and enjoy.

Removed the in-line thermostat arrangement for the top radiator hose and replaced with just a length of hose. I didn't have a piece to replace the other heater tap in the lower hose but was able to get the shut off to move and close it off enough to put water in the radiator. Fired it up and drove it around the yard today. It shifts great, stops great, and the radiator has no leaks! Even the stop light came on when I stepped on the brakes. Generator is putting out about 8-9 amps, 18# oil pressure. Man, I still can't believe this car. Now I'm going to rebuild the the RAJX and get the DR-O off of it. Anybody need a carb for a 28 Pontiac? LOL