Stearns Knight

This is the coupe version which lives in NY currently.  My understanding is that there are actually 3 of these know although I have never seen any pictures of the other two.

8-cylinder, 385 cubic-inch sleeve valve engine produced 120 horsepower

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Here is a 29 6cyl model sport coupe I pulled from a 50 year plus slumber last year. Ive known about the car about 15 years but things changed with the family that they decided to sell. Its in great original condition and the motor isn't stuck. The tool roll was still under the seat. It was last on the road in 1948. The car has landau irons in the rumble seat area  that had been removed  as well the bumpers.

When I was a kid ,45 years ago my dad dragged me around to bring home these cars. The garages and barns still had cars ...great cars , not rotted out Fords and Whippets but desirable antique cars. Today these garage finds are getting few and far between. I have my eye on a original 41 Cad convertible coupe that I haven't been able to make a deal on but Ill keep trying.

That is really cool Mike!  Have you been able to get it running?

Is it a Phillips body like the H8-90 I posted?  They look very similar.

No I never tried to start it . I never had time to get the oil pan off to clean out the sump.so left it alone Its either a Phillips  or Murray body, I don't remember . It has a badge on the cowl .  I think Murray ................ Ill check,

The whitewalls don't bother me but the landau irons appear to be installed upside down. Now that really bugs me.

Interesting.  The S curve matches but the break looks to be on the opposite side of the original pictures.

From the Hershey show field 2013

Hi AJ

I copied these photos of a 1929 J8-90 seven passenger sedan offered on eBay a few years ago.  Presumably it was their factory sedan body, the maker wasn't identified.   Someone should have photos of the Brunn convertible Victoria bodied J8-90 that has been featured in various articles including Special Interest Autos magazine at one time.

Steve

I think the gray long wheelbase sedan was back on eBay not too long ago.   Here is the Brunn.

I'm wondering if the mesh grill was an accessory or something added later?  The period photos do not show it.

One of my dad's very first employees (a good friend and avid model railroader too), Dave Bell, drove a 1929 Stearns Knight 6 Cylinder Coupe - I believe it had a Robbins body and was very similar to the green 6 cyl coupe pictured above (excepting wooden wheels and a rear mount spare).  The body was mostly aluminum.  And, it was maroon with black fenders and natural wood  wheels - original interior.  Black long grain top - with landau irons. He drove the car everywhere and it was weekend regular in our driveway in the late 60's and early 70's.

John,  any pictures?   I would assume the car is still around since it made it into the 70s.

Hey John, back in the mid 1990's on one of my many visits to Bob Agle's farm he had a Sterns Knight 6 coupe there once.  I thought it was brown in color.  It wasn't his, but he was trying to get it running better for the owner who I believe was a woman.  The fuel line was plugged up and it wasn't getting enough gas to the carb.  We disconnected the fuel line at the vacuum tank and I blew in it while Bob held his ear to the gas cap opening to listen for the gas bubbling.  We reconnected the fuel line and the car ran great.  Bob then took me on an hour long drive in the car and drove it hard like he did all his cars.   Who's car was that and where is it now?   Maybe it's the same car you just mentioned.    

OK, I found a couple pictures of it.  I believe John & I are talking about the same car.   The one I rode in was dark maroon after all.   These photos were taken in the summer of 1996.  These are pictures of pictures, so forgive me for the poor quality.   Digital cameras weren't available in 1996.    

Nice. Looks very similar to the car Mike has.  Seems like most Sterns have the single horn under the left headlight.

Jason, that is the car-  Bob Agle was getting it running for Ann Bell (Dave's Wife) after Dave's death.  Dave was like glue for the Willys Overland Knight Registry - President for years and also held all the factory drawings, plus a host of cutaway display engines.  And when he died also had a 1925 Touring (yellow an black) and an incomplete/project yet spectacular 1929 Stearns Knight 8 Cylinder Murphy Boattail Speedster (a match in body to several surviving Duesenbergs).  The Coupe was a Dark Maroon that could have been easily mistaken for a very rich brown.  The Coupe was from Los Angeles and pretty outstanding original car.   He was very fortunate that he had a second engine for it - this Coupe was and one of the most successfully driven Stearns Knight cars known.  Ann Bell sold it and I have no idea where it is now, nor the 1925.  

Dave Bell also had a 1930 145 Series Franklin Sedan and a 1931 153 Series Franklin Sedan - aka why we had the 1930 147 Dietrich Speedster 4 Door Convertible Sedan.  And, Dad and I took Bob Agle to his first Franklin meet - I am thinking 1979.

By the way, Dad will always speak of thew quests for alcohol based antifreeze for the Coupe (allowed evaporation if leaked into cylinders) and I remember a few late evening engine disassembly/reassembly, as well as many a rumble seat ride.  Polished it a few times too.