Sitting In The Rain: 1936 Cord Sportsman
On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey barreled ashore along the middle Texas coast as a major hurricane. Then, uncharacteristically, it stalled out and began dumping amazing amounts of water over eastern Texas. This rainfall combined with decades of overbuilding in the Houston area to create flooding over a massive area. Those that were still in the path could not get out, nor could they remove their most precious belongings. Many of those items were automobiles, and the storm did not spare classics or collectibles. One of the victims was this 1936 Cord Sportsman convertible coupe. Being sold on Copart, an insurance damaged car clearing house, this stunning full classic has a $20,800 bid listed with the sale date marked simply as future. Sadly, this stunning automobile appears to be waiting at the Texas World Speedway with its top firmly packed away.
Why do I say that? Let’s look at the clues presented in the photographs. First off, Copart photos are for documentation. It would be illogical for them to retract the top on an unknown car to frame up a glamour shot. Second, take a look at the condensation on the car. The whole car, inside and out is covered with moisture.
In the photo above, we can see there is further evidence of this. The metal top boot is soaked as well, and the fogging on the door glass backs up the claim. A careful analysis shows that this car looks to be a fairly fresh restoration. The paint looks well maintained, the tires are in good shape, and the chrome is pit and rust free.
A look from the front leads us to the same conclusion. The gaps around the retractable headlights are near perfect, the wheels and hubcaps look a simple shine away from the show field, and the only thing out of place is the single cowl vent left in the open position.
If you look at the picture above very carefully, you can see the water line. The highest point appears to be from 2″-3″ inches above the bottom of the door. Of course the floor of the car probably got a good soaking. However, antique car floors at this time usually had holes in them for a variety of reasons. These holes would allow the water to both enter into the interior and leave from it. One could optimistically hope that the water drained as the flood receded. It would still leave you with soaked carpets and insulation, but at least standing water didn’t likely bathtub up in the car.
A look at the door sills gives us some hope that flood waters did not make it into the car from this direction. Even if it survived the flood with minimal damage, the real horror seems to have been waiting for it at the insurance lot. Look carefully at the leather seats in the car. The darker portions appear to be water logged. Was the passenger side hastily wiped, or has that section dried up somehow? I don’t want to throw these people under the bus, but who at Copart is in charge of vehicles such as this?
No damage is evident in the trunk, but we have no idea what lurks under the trunk mat. There is probably a spare tire under there, and it would be resting in a recessed well in the floor. Was the spare ever removed to check for water? I don’t see any mold in the trunk, so I wonder if the floodwaters ever made it into that area.
The engine compartment looks to be in fine shape. The whole engine is finely detailed, telling us that this was a well restored car. A closer look at the lower areas don’t show any evidence of flooding. Still, if I were magically able to afford this car, every component that held fluid would be drained and flushed to drive out any chance of water.
I hope I am wrong about this poor Cord. However, the car’s presence at this vast storage facility leads us to questions about how the situation could be improved. Disasters are terrible and unpreventable, but they can be learning experiences. Perhaps a reassessment of how insurers handled collectible and classic cars could be studied and improved on. Insurance companies might make more money on the resale of damaged cars if they were sent to a facility that could quickly remediate any negatives and properly store the cars before sale. While I doubt that leaving this Cord in the rain will destroy it, the likelihood that a full restoration will be needed again are getting higher by the day.
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Comments
What a shame about as collectible as a cord gets, only a supercharged version has more panache!
Drive that down the street and maybe one out of hundred people would even care if it was the super charged version of not.
I realize my comment is just a bit over two months early, but what do you call the long wheelbase version of this car??
Why, an Extension Cord of course . . .
I see you found an outlet for your sense of humor.
It could have used a storm surge protector.
I know I’ll get a lot of resistance to this, but if you keep it up you’ll all be grounded!
Ah, c’mon, be Positive!
@brakeservo that joke is so bad i have to give you a thumbs up.
If you thought this Cord has confused Copart, an extension Cord would really trip up a breaker! (Breaker being UK slang for a junkyard….)
Potentially a great deal!
If this Cord makes a “bounce back” into use, would then be a “bungee Cord”?
Or if you put a hitch on it and tow a trailer, would it be a “Pull Cord”?
Thank you…Thank you…..I’m here all week…be sure to try the veal….my next show is in 15 minutes…
But if they just let it die, will it be a R.I.P. Cord??
I got a charge out of it.
At least nobody’s been re-VOLTed by it yet!
Ohm my, no. Its great that a group of strangers get sparked by a passionate topic and no one gets amped up.
It’s time for all of us to get grounded on this subject, unless you were Navy, like me, then it’ll be a floating ground
Glad you’re keeping us current. Wire we’re at it, let’s figure out watts with this Cord.
Flood car out of Houston…been watching it for months…has been bid up pretty high before….just like many an EBay ad….list and list again…..
there are no bargains on these flood cars. people get caught up in the bidding and pay too much thinking they are getting a good deal. just like a federal marshall’s seizure sale.
@george – You are so right. I used to be a Class 1 firearms dealer, and thought I’d attend one of those auctions in an attempt to get some bargain-priced inventory. Boy, did I learn a lesson… I would NEVER have asked anywhere near the kind of money that people were absolutely fighting with each other to pay, for mostly junk guns!
I walked away at the end of that day, both wiser and a little disgusted.
Or maybe an insurance scam?
If the water line is really just above the door sill, the engine is probably fine. I would still inspect everything twice, but this would be a great project for someone who knows what they are getting into and what they are doing.
This car should be covered at least. The salvage price is amazing and the car looks salvageable.
It’s amazing how insurance companies don’t whether this was a rare Cord or a lowly Honda. I have a rare ’94 Mercedes 320CE AMG/Sportline Cabriolet with a hand-stitched AMG/Recaro interior in matching red that I purchase right after Sandy in 2012 and the Insurance photos are nearly identical to these of the Cord. Actually my Cab is rarer than the Cord but because it was simply a ‘used’ car to the insurance company it was cheaper to pay out and scrap it than restore it. And yes, it was expensive to restore. Even though the water went no higher than the level on the Cord, Mercede’s cabriolets have all the body electronics on the floor and thus all needed to be replaced. If the car had been a standard base E320 cabriolet, I wouldn’t have bothered. But because of its extreme rarity it would have been a greater sin to allow it to be crushed.
re: Rick – Of course insurance companies don’t care about the “rarity” of a car. Their role and their interest is purely financial and they have a fiduciary responsibility to their policyholders and/or stockholders to pay what they owe. It may be hard for the general public to believe but an insurance company sees it’s role to pay what it owes, neither pay too much, nor pay too little. If a total loss settlement on a Cord roadster or Mercedes convertible or a Kia Rio makes more financial sense than a probably doomed restoration, it is their absolute duty to handle the claim as a total loss. On a personal level, I’m glad that there are guys who will buy these significant cars and repair/restore them even when it makes no “economic” sense.
I’m guessing the condensation in the pictures is dew. It looks like photos were taken at night. I don’t know how copart typically does business, but my experience is they want to turn vehicles around as quick as possible for the insurance company. They really don’t give a crap what they are selling.
I have bought more than 200 cars from Copart in the past and you have to be very careful. They will clean up some cars to make them appear better than they really are.
I also hauled cars for them for a short time, as soon as cars come in, they remove all trash from inside them. Sometimes they move cars from one site to another.
I’d much rather this as a ‘flood car” project than anything produced since the 1980s.
It is interesting that Copart has no idea what this car is worth.
On the listing it says the car is worth $1000 USD. Funny.
Gee, we never heard that about Copart before…..
Have we? I don’t follow Copart auctions.
I think that this is the car that was used in the movie Seabiscuit when George the Ice Man was brought in to ride. The car and colors match exactly.
No, George was driving a replica Auburn Speedster in that movie.
Everything ever said about don’t buy a flood car may be true, but I don’t care. I want this one.
Pre electronic cars are pretty straight forward. The garage I worked for did several flood older flood cars back in the 70’s and 80’s.If they had computers we shyed away. Computers and sensors don’t lend themselves to well to water and moisture.
I would fear for the condition of the pre-selector shifter after being exposed to moisture as well… Not easy to sort in a good day without the help of a food
And what is the best food for sorting out a pre-selector? Maybe spaghetti as it will remind you of the wiring diagram??
Would this not be a 6 figure car, how can this be a write off? There does not appear to be any body or paint damage so why would it need a full resto? The interior looks to me like it could be dismantled and dried out, maybe some item will need to be replaced but I don’t think that the entire interior is a total loss. The sheet metal under the carpet will be fine if it was properly covered with sealers and paint the carpets once out could be cleaned and dried. Even if the engine took a bath it’s not going to take thousands of dollars to drain and flush the oil. Even if it took 10k to get this looked after I still don’t see it as a write off. Someone is going to get a bargain on this one, if it were mine there would be no way I’d have let it go to the salvage yard. If it were mine there would be no way I’d have left it stored in a low lieing area where potential flooding could get to it. These weather events come with plenty of warning ( days worth ) so why was this car left out where it was voulnerable? If you could afford this car you could afford to store it safely or get it moved out of path of the storm. I guess there is no cure for stupid. JMHO.
Flood water typically carries lots of silt and contaminants. Simply flushing and changing the oil in an engine or transmission will not get rid of the silt. Furthermore it gets into the wheel bearings, suspension bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, leaf springs etc – absolutely everything! So, an unethical person can change the oil and other fluids and wipe away the exterior indications of immersion in a flood, but once the car starts being used, it begins to wear itself out very quickly. Depending on how high the water got, the silt will even get into the door hinges, steering column, switches, you name it. No, a flood immersed car is a dead car, even if it doesn’t look like it. Were it not so, the insurance companies wouldn’t “total” them.
Basic servicing of all things involving lubrcation will be adiquate and sure won’t cost enough to write off a 6 figure car. As a mechanic I can assure you that going through the mechanics on this car will only take a few days and even if you had to drop the pan to get to said silt, ( which I believe will exit when you dump the oil) it still is not a reason to write this off. Wheel bearings could be cleaned and repacked in a matter of hours writing this off because the water got 3″ up the door likely never got into mechanical parts in the first place. Lastly if seal can hold fluids in don’t you think that they can hold water and silt out I’m not buying into the silt theory to much. Further more if the service work is done before any attempt to restart, how are the mechanical parts adversely affected? Lastly if seals were able to let water in so easily don’t you think driving through a puddle would be a real concern? PS insurance brokers typically don’t know one end of a wrench from the other and are just looking to cut there losses and get out, they are not mechanics!
Why? Why do people torch there own buildings or have their cars mysteriously stolen yet torched within hours?
Well said, Canadian Mark. Given the age and all the things that could and did need fixing over 70+ years, this is not a insurmountable project.
Re: Canadian Mark S. Eh! & Meetoo: Oh, if it were really that simple, every insurance company would so love it! But the observable scientific facts are that flood water damages cars in ways a simple observation does not account for, so as much as we want to think it’s so simple to save these cars, it just is not economically viable. Of course, one might argue that the dire consequences are only true for “daily drivers” which are expected to rack up considerable miles over their lifetime and a full classic such as this Cord might not ever be driven more than one or two thousand miles a year again so the greatly accelerated wear and damage might somehow seem “acceptable.” Acceptable to everyone except the owner I suspect who can no longer enjoy driving a “ticking time bomb” not knowing what part or component is going to fail prematurely next. Just like climate change is a fact of scientific life we don’t like, so too is the damage that flood water inflicts, even if we don’t see it immediately. And ignoring the facts won’t change the outcome. Personally I suspect the Cord is savable, but only to the guy who will completely disassemble the entire car, but even if it were given to you for free, your ultimate cost will exceed it’s market value for such an effort. I hope someone saves it nonetheless anyway. My 40 plus years in the insurance industry have taught me that an insurance company won’t needlessly “total” a car, classic or not, if it can be economically repaired. But flood cars, no. It just doesn’t work out.
Well Brakeservo its been my experience in my 35 years as a licences auto mechanic slash licensed weld and industrial fabricator that with all due respect I think your full of road apples dropped out of the anus of a horse. If this were a modern car with computerized electronics I’d agree with you as they are quite friable in the presents of water. This car is simple by today’s standards. So let’s break it down I’ll start with ball joints or king pins. These are designed to use fresh grease being pumped in one side to displace wear metals and old gears out the other side where the boot lifts and and out come the contaminated materials. All greasable joints on this car can be cleared out with a tube of grease and about 20 minutes of time. Next wheel bearings which is yearly maintenance anyway. Pull off the wheels take off the dust cap undo the lock nut remove the bearings. And seal, if you know what your doing the seal will come out with out damage. After this you wash in solvent, repack the bearings and reassemble. This will take about an hour a side. now let’s look at the rear axle about 3 hours needed hear you’d first remove the wheels and drums followed by the axle shaft anchor bolt now the differential bolts and drive shaft will need to be removed. Now using an air gun that also sprays varsol the inside the axle housing can be pressure cleaned and dried. Axle bearing and pumpkin bearings can be cleaned the same way. Now lots of new grease to reassemble followed by refilling the oil we are now up to 5.5 hours so let’s talk about the transmission it to can be cleaned in the same fashion as the axle especially if it has a sidecover again compressed air and varsol followed by drying it out. Now back on with the cover and refill with new oil I’m going to be generous here and say 4 hours now onto the engine drain the oil pan if there is water in there it will run out first if it isn’t there it never got in if it is there and you want to go all out remove the oil pan clean it up again with the varsol and air gun spray down all internal parts then spray oil through the varsol gun to ready it for running. now change the filter and reinstall the pan and new oil now depending on the car I give this a 2 to 6 hour task so now we’re up to 15.5 hours so even at $200.00 per hour we are at $3200.00 plus fluids the streering gear and brakes are sealed systems and will likely be ok know for switches the few that these old cars have are six volt ( so heavy wiring ) are not air tight and a susceptible to dust anyway. Dust / silt hmm. Very similar ones wet ones dry this is easy to correct you guessed it more compressed air. Now for the money part replacing all water damage interior parts let’s call it 10k although I believe it can be done for less. So I see this car back on the road for under 15k this whole insurance thing reminds me of how the insurance company wrote off my older car for needing a tail light a plastic panel used parts would have run about $200.00. The problem with most of you appraisers is your not mechanics or body men and you base your write offs on new parts and unnecessary parts replacements do max hours. So Brakservo I’m not buying in on what your saying.
re: Canadian Mark S. Eh! – I’m sharing what I know and will admit I missed a crucial factor, that makes my initial comments not only appropriate, but not severe enough! I failed to note this was exposed to SALT WATER! So maybe you’re correct, upon initial exposure to silty, sewage contaminated salt water, a re-greasing of every single piece fitted with a zerk fitting might have alleviated a lot of damage to those components only, fact is we have no way of knowing it was done, in fact it is far more likely it wasn’t done then and hasn’t been done now. So if you have no idea what the corrosive effects of salt water can be, well I can’t say anything that you’d apparently understand but by now no amount of greasing, flushing or other hocus-pocus is going to undo the corrosion that’s undoubtedly started.
Now, when you go on and say “The problem with most of you appraisers is your(sic) not mechanics or body men and you base your write offs on new parts and unnecessary parts replacements do(sic) max hours . . . ” well I’m willing to wager I’m a much more experienced and better mechanic than you are a speller or writer. And my claims experience is such that I also know a good adjuster won’t just needlessly throw money away on a procedure that won’t work or make the customer happy. On a personal level, I’ve probably spent just as many hours rebuilding Bentley and Rolls-Royce motorcars as I’ve spent negotiating physical damage claims and settlements.
I guess I’ve entered into a pissing contest with you and for that I’m sorry. I know I’m no writer and my mistakes are many. I don’t know your storey, but you don’t know mine either. So I’m not going to take that any further as for salt water your right I’m not experienced in that but I live in an cold climate where salt is spread in large quantities on our roads and I do know the affect that has on cars. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be dealt with. With maintenance and corrective action. This I will say if I had the money to spare I’d be bidding on this car. And I’d still be driving it 15 years from now in nice weather of course. So I hope some one else sees the diamond in the rough that is presented here. Enough said.
Well Canadian Mark, thank you for your comment, and I too need to remember these are just old cars and the point is to have fun and not hurt each other’s feelings. I was just sharing what I knew from an insurance standpoint. But to AMCFAN’s latest post, sometimes people don’t realize – an insurance policy covers stupidity. Yes, if you accidentally do something really stupid and the car is damaged, the insurance company is obligated to pay. It’s when you do something deliberate to cause damage such as torch the car, or as in a famous case of several years ago, if you deliberately drive the car into a salt water marsh and it can be proven to a jury’s satisfaction that you did it on purpose, then there’s not only no coverage, but the guy making the claim might wind up in jail as was the infamous Texas case a few years ago with the Bugatti Veyron which was filmed being driven off the road into a salt water marsh. Because it was obvious enough to a jury that guy was acting deliberately, he not only lost his Bugatti, but he went to jail as well!
I have a great deal of respect for how Canadian and Brake Servo resolved their differences in a civil manner. We can all learn a lot from this resolution.
I can see both sides of this debate, and I suspect that who the ultimate user is, would have a bearing on which approach is correct.
An insurance company cannot risk the possibility of the owner experiencing additional problems in the future, so it is not worth the risk of repairing a car that has this type of water exposure because other complications may appear down the road after corrosion or contamination issues develop, so it is easier and less risky to total the car and sell it to a salvage buyer who accepts all future risk in a manner that the original insured is not willing to accept.
From a salvage buyers point of view, Canadian’s opinion makes a world of sense in that most of the exposure items can be addressed relatively easily, and if another complication develops, you simply go back in and repair that issue at a later date. This is possible because the buyer has purchased the car at salvage value, which is far lower than market value less repair costs, especially if you can do the work yourself.
If I was an insurer, I would agree completely with Brake Servo, and I would never advise my company to take the risk of repairing this car.
If I was a bidder, I would agree completely with Canadian that this is not an insurmountable task, and that with some sweat equity, you could score a really cool and valuable car for way under market value.
My only disagreement with Canadian involves his reference to the rear axle and the rebuild of the pumpkin, differential and axles. And that is only because a Cord is front wheel drive!
Chas
Flood cars are a no go. I bought a Mercedes that came from a flood and by all reasoning you wouldn’t know it except that the trunk stank overtime there was a rise in humidity.
I have been reading and laughing inside. This may seem tempting and does.Not only does water contain silt this was salt water. The owner of this car sold it to the insurance company. He obviously had a stated value policy. Maybe he had it displayed or parked in the garage which is enough for anyone. Can’t fault the owner for putting in harms way as we know many roofs were damaged and properties destroyed altogether. On the other side of the coin the owner had a chance to purchase it back. Here it is at Copart. That says a lot. Given the time the damage happened the salt has had time to work where you can’t see it. From the day the insurance company paid off it will carry a salvage title designation. Is it worth risking my 401K? No thanks.
It’s possible the previous owner “accidentally on purpose” left his valuable classic in harm’s way because he knew the insurance company would pay more than a collector’s auction would in the current market. Especially if his coverage was one of those “you-name-its-value” sort of plans they have for seldom-driven classics. Hate to think such things happen, but I have seen worse.
Doesn’t work that way. You can’t pull it out of the garage in a rain storm with the top down. Insurance companies WILL do an investigation. Especially with this amount of money on the line.
So the 60 people they found dead in homes and cars a month after the Hurriciane Matthew in Lumberton, NC. came through had plenty of time and money to get their car out of the flood zone? 25 houses in my neighborhood flooded out along with some cars. I’m 25 feet higher than they were. We had 3 major damns break during that storm. That all went down hill to Lumberton no one could have for seen that happening before the storm. Had that water gone even higher, I would have had no way to move the 8 vehicles I own. Just the one I would have hauled ass in. Whoever owned that car may have jumped into their 4 x 4 and took off to higher ground. They knew they had good insurance.
I don’t mean to sound harsh but maybe those souls chose to stay. I live in western Canada and even I know about your huicanes a week before they hit land. It literally gives you time to walk out if you had to. Sorry that you folks have lost do much.
The rental car companies are self insured. So their rule of thumb on current production cars. ( with all kinds of electronics under carpeting) Is that if the water made it to the lower portion of the dash. Then the vehicle will be written off. Below that, it is repaired. It would seem to me that an older vehicle would be a better bet for restoration. Just remember that things like transmissions and differentials have vents that will allow water access to the mechanical parts. ( older engines have draft tubes/vents also. Because flood water also contains sewage with who knows what chemicals. All electrical connections must be pulled apart and cleaned/sealed. We spent several days dismantling a Suburban that just had water over the rear luggage compartment. The electrical corrosion was amazing. The best way to check to check/verify for flood damage is to pull an inner door trim panel. That way you see the mud and the water line.
Been there, done that. And would only tackle that again on a vehicle older than about 1990.
I bet it would be a real Joule if all the unwanted moisture was properly removed! Thank you, ladies and germs, I’ll be here all weak! (but I wont quit my day job, and I’d advise others in this comment stream above to follow soot)
Hey, it’s a Cord with an automatic transmission, How good does it get..?
What happened to the Cord is a tragedy but a lot of interesting viewpoints on this post.
Buy it cheap. Dry it out. Document whats been done.
Take it to auction and double your dollars.
And please keep comments to three or four lines. Otherwise I lose interest in your post.
After a quick Google, someone paid $143,000 for this at Gooding and Co. in Amelia 2016.
Chassis # 2533F
It will get restored for sure.
And what happened with the comments posted about the Cord was a tragedy also!
Beautiful car, but at least in Texas it’s my understanding flooded vehicles get a flood title and can never be registered for use on Texas roads – even if restored. I could be wrong, but I believe most other states have similar laws. I get the intent of keeping people from being sold computer controlled cars with a bunch of electronics that will have all sorts of problems in short order. But, it’s a shame because there are a bunch awesome collectibles & hot rods that could easily be restored given the simple mechanical nature the parts. I drive by the storage at the Speedway quite a bit and have seen several nice tri-fives, a split window vette, a C1 vette, and a bunch of 60’s muscle cars and earlier hot rods. It’s just sad.
This thread of comments may be the most uninteresting I have ever seen on barn finds.
Just a few points, it is a Cabriolet, not the more commonly seen 5 passenger phaeton. As such it commands at least a 25% premium over the later. Assuming, complete, non-running, and needs a full restoration, it is still probably worth 65-75k.
Also, comparing a collectible car with flood damage to an every day driver with flood damage makes zero sense. If you are assuming full restoration, this is a much better starting point than most “barn finds”.
I’m shocked. You’d think this Cord, had a short in it.
Here we are in October of 2018. Over a year after Hurricane Harvey. I personally looked at the car in College Station at the Copart lot and then again when the car was moved to Houston to sell. The water line was at mid point of the rocker panels. I pulled the dip stick and to no surprise the oil was used but no water. The upholstery in very good condition. The engine compartment showed no water damage or rust on the lower areas. The car went to auction and someone in California supposedly bought it.
Guess what, it went back on Copart and was bid and bought October 2. I now own the 1936 Cord Sportsman Convertible. The car cleaned up exceptionally well. Runs great.
I too was sad to see the car sitting outside in the elements. Now it has its own place to enjoy a dry place of its own!!!
Thank you for saving this Cord!
Thank you! My pleasure!!
The 810 Sportsman is rare. Very few available and the history of the car is great. To find one in this good of condition was an awesome find. I am the 4th Owner of an 82 year old/young Cord 810 Sportsman.
Congratulations. They are great cars. One anal nit on my part, they are more properly called “Cabriolet”. Cord never called them “Sportsman”. That moniker was invented later, probably derived from an ad with that title.
Interested in this car if it can be found and bought.
Will pay a fair commission.
Chris Yent
941-330-7041
I bought this car from Copart. She is a great find!! Runs and drives perfect!
Best find of my life!
Any interest in selling for a good profit?
Good find. My favorite colors! Call if you wish.
Thanks.
Chris Yent
941-330-7041