What's Not "Factory Stanley"

When the cars were in production they were often upgraded by the factory or a factory dealer from the way they had originally left the factory.  An excellent example is Stanley's that left the factory before 1913 that were configured with the burner operating from gasoline.  In mid-1913 Stanley changed to kerosene fuel for the burner with gasoline still used for the pilot.  Kerosene is safer to use and it has more heat content per gallon than gasoline.  Many Stanley owners having cars earlier than 1913 had their cars reconfigured for kerosene burner operation.  Thus many Stanleys existing today are not as they left the factory originally but can be considered original since they were reconfigured by the factory.

Often a Stanley model was changed after a few months or years of production.  The Stanley Model 735s entered the market in 1918 with 14" high boilers however later Stanley increased the boiler height to 18".  Thus a 1918 car that in later years needed a replacement boiler might have had the taller 18" boiler installed as the 14" boilers weren't being made.

Along a similar vein there were numerous aftermarket providers of components for steam cars.  Cruban Machine and Tool company manufactured a series of Empire burners which were installed on Stanley cars not only while Stanley was still in business but also after Stanley Motor Carriage Company closed.

An important consideration in the restoration is how available a replacement part is.  For example the 1918 Model 735 left the factory with 35"x 4-1/2" Firestone tires.  While the maker of the tire is perhaps not important, the tire's size is.  A review of antique tire manufacturers will reveal that 35"x 4-1/2" tires are not available.  The choices are 34"x4" or 36"x5" both of which will fit the original 26" OD wheel and rim.

A consideration in restoring a Stanley is what the intended use will be for the car.  Any car that is being restored for museum display and won't be operated will most likely be restored as true to how it left the factory as possible.  A car that is to be driven occasionally may be restored as it once left the factory but will have changes made often related to safety (installation of hydraulic brakes is an excellent example).  Someone wanting a Stanley to drive and enjoy will most likely be less interested in a historically accurate restoration and more interested in making the car reliable and roadworthy.

Another consideration is if the car is intended to participate in car shows were it will be judged.  A well known problem with entering a Stanley in a judged show is that Stanleys are somewhat rare and were handmade with subtle variations in each that left the factory.  Thus those judging the vehicle are often less knowledgeable about the vehicle than the owner or other owners of Stanleys.  There is perhaps at most only two or three actual experts in Stanley Models and these individuals generally do not judge at national car shows.

The listings below detail what is "non-factory" as related to the car's restoration.  The listing is divided into two categories.  The first category are those things that were changed from "factory standard" by others.  Many of these changes made by previous owners of the car and are categorized as "As Purchased Non-Stanley Changes".  The second category, "Restoration Non-Stanley Changes" are changes made during the present restoration.  With each change listed is a brief discussion detailing what the change is with insight as to why the change was made.

The restoration was done with the intention that the car was going to be driven and enjoyed.  Making the car reliable and road worthy played heavily in decision making during restoration.  Many of the changes listed were implemented for safety and reliability.  Secondary to this objective was the desire to have the car look like it did when it left the factory in 1918.  All changes done to the car were done with the intent that the Model 735B have the general appearance of a custom ordered Stanley as it rolled out of the Stanley factory in early 1918. 

During the 1952 restoration the car was painted a single color ~ gunmetal gray.  The top was changed to Tan and the wire wheels (which were a $100 option) were painted red (from the factory the wire wheel colors were white or black).

Wanting the car to be distinctive, the color combination finally decided upon during restoration started with the basic Stanley paint scheme.  Wheel fenders and running boards were returned to the standard Stanley gloss black.  With the dark red color selected for the wire wheels (dark red will show the steam oil residue less than a light color) it was decided that the splash guard between the running boards and the body would also be painted the same darker red.  Instead of the probably black highlight color around the top perimeter of the body the same dark red used for the wheels was used for the highlight band that circles the top of the body.  In addition, the top panels of the hood were also changed to the dark red color to contrast the lighter red of the hood's louvered side panels and the car's body.  The windshield returned to gloss black as Stanley would have probably provided it.

It is unknown if Stanley ever applied pin striping to the car.  While they did for all of the non-condensing models they may have discontinued it by the time they made condensing cars or at least severely limited how much was done.  During restoration the car was pin-striped (with paint and not tape) in a buckskin tan color.

Sometime in the past someone came up with an idea of placing a thermocouple in the vicinity of the pilot and placing an indicator on the dash to indicate that the pilot was lit.  While non-Stanley in origins this indicator was maintained during the restoration.

The 1918 Stanleys came equipped with a 14" high by 23" diameter boiler.  A few years later Stanley started installing 18" high boilers in their cars.  Based on information from other Stanley condensing car owners who had experienced 20-horsepower cars with 14", 16", and 18" high boilers, the general consensus was that the 16" high boiler was optimum for steaming capability verses weight.  The taller the boiler the more weight involved and steam reserve but the weight penalty outweighs the steam reserve and thus the car is more sluggish to drive.  The shorter the boiler the less steam reserve available but the boiler also weighs less and you end up with a snappy responding vehicle with limited reserves.  The 16" tall boiler seems to be an optimum of boiler weight and steam reserve for the 735 Model.

The original Stanley 23" diameter boilers included 31/64" OD (outside diameter) flues.  Not a tubing size readily available today, 1/2" OD by 0.049 wall, high-pressure, seamless, steel, hydraulic tubing was used.  As a result the spacing between flues was changed to allow for the bigger diameter.  Thus the boiler went from having over 700 flue tubes to having 636 flue tubes.

Stanley boilers originally used 3/16" thick steel for the circular side wall and 1/4" thick steel for the top and bottom flue sheets.  The new boiler was fabricated of 5/16" certified boiler steel for the side wall and 3/8" certified boiler steel for the flue sheets.  Additionally the piano wire wrapped in three layers around the circumference of the boiler drum was increased to 0.054" diameter phosphate music wire, 302,000/322,000 tensile strength (Stanley used 0.046" diameter music wire).

The original Stanley boilers included a pair of blow down valves.  As blowing down the boiler is intended to remove sediment from the bottom of the boiler two additional blow down valves were added providing a total of four valves with which to blow down the boiler.  Additionally, as a safety measure an additional blow down valve was added that included a 3" stand pipe inside the boiler.  The purpose of this blow down is two-fold.  When blowing down, any matter on the water surface inside the boiler will come in contact with the end of the stand pipe and hopefully be drawn off.  Additionally if there is any question as to the amount of water in the boiler the opening of this blow down will indicate if at least 3" of water remains in the boiler (water will be blown out when the valve is opened) or if the water level is dangerously lower than 3" (indicated by steam blowing out when the valve is opened).

Asbestos insulation has been replaced with "refractory ceramic fiber". This form of insulation is spun from Alumina (Al₂O₃) and Silica (SiO₂) and is available in various forms including blankets, felt, and paper.

Stanley originally used wallpaper paste to adhere the asbestos insulation to the boiler and various steam pipes.  For the restoration a 50-50 mix of standard wallpaper paste and vinyl wallpaper paste was blended together and used.

As part of the restoration the car's water tank was replaced.  The replacement water tank was fabricated of galvanized sheetmetal to match the original tank.

The car's kerosene fuel tank wept fuel even though it had been repaired with fuel tank epoxy.  The tank was replaced with a tank of similar appearance made of stainless steel instead of steel.  The gooseneck brass fill tube and liquid level indicator from the original were reused on the replacement tank.  The original tank was hammer forged as two identical halves that were slipped together and soldered circumferentially at the center of the tank.  The replacement tank was constructed by welding concave ends into a metal tube formed to match the original tank.  The only difference in construction is that the center circumference seam is not provided on the replacement tank. 

When strapped to the rear of the car a pair of wooden blocks spaced the kerosene tank from the car's frame.  The blocks were replaced with black Delrin equivalents.

The stack blower consists of a valve on the steam supply that controls steam flow to a pipe in the exhaust duct leading from the top of the boiler.  When the stack blower valve is opened the steam rushing from the pipe in the exhaust duct causes air to be drawn in the mixing tube, through the burner grate, through the boiler flues, and out the exhaust duct.  This increased flow of air is generally sufficient to suck the fire out of the mixing tube(s) and extinguish it as it flows into the flues of the boiler thus putting out the fire and reducing any damage that might occur to the burner and/or boiler.  The negative side of using a stack blower is that the air being drawn in is cool and it is hitting the hot burner grate and boiler and can cause undue stresses and even cracking of the burner grate and/or leaking of the boiler flues.  It is important to use the stack blower sparingly so as not to damage the burner and/or boiler. 

The stack blower also comes in handy if the car has been sitting for a while and the burner vaporizer has cooled.  Cracking the stack blower valve slightly starts a gentle flow of air through the burner and boiler and when the firing-up valve is opened the fuel is drawn into the burner and tend to light faster and no back-fire into the mixing tubes.  Once the burner has ignited the stack blower valve is closed.

In addition a check valve has been added between the water automatic and the condenser.  When shutting down the car the boiler is blown down to remove all water in the boiler for the purpose of removing any sediment at the bottom of the boiler.  As the boiler cools the steam in the boiler cools and condenses to water leaving a vacuum.  This vacuum draws water from the water tank into the boiler to fill the boiler provided the water automatic bypass valve is closed.  As it is easy to forget to close the water automatic bypass valve, air is drawn into the boiler through the water automatic to water tank return line instead of water being drawn into the boiler from the water tank through the two water pumps.  The installation of the check valve should eliminate air from being drawn into the boiler if the water automatic bypass valve is not closed after blowing down the boiler.

The door panels used a hidem-strip tacked in place with metal corners.  It is unknown if this was used originally by Stanley or was put in place during the 1950-1952 restoration.  As identical replacement material and metal corners was available, the rotted hidem was  replaced.

The leather panels covering the doors and sides of the interior of the car were originally held in place with short tacks.  The front seat back as well as the rear seat back and the top were also held in place using hundreds of tacks.  Today's technology makes use of pneumatic staplers for such work.  An advantage of the pneumatic stapler is that it "pops" the staple in the wood and eliminates the need to hammer tacks into the framework of the car.  Additionally the original frame pieces of the car had experienced two sessions of tacking ~ the original session when the car was manufactured and again when it was restored in 1950-1952.  This meant that the wood was already full of holes and some deterioration of the wood had occurred.  In order to insure the material being stapled would stay it was necessary to drive the staples slightly deeper thus insuring they were holding in good wood.  Use of the pneumatic stapler allowed longer staples to be used insuring that the stapled material would remain in position and not pull loose over time.

What was changed was the padding and stuffing that was placed between the spring units and the leather seat covers.  Originally a loose padding of jute or hemp was laid over the spring units and held in place with either burlap or canvas.  As the animals that had taken up residence in the seats had rearranged the padding to meet their needs much of it was no longer available.  Finding a replacement proved difficult so heavy gray industrial felting covered with a heavy duck cloth was substituted.  By covering both sides of the gray felt with duck cloth it also allowed the felt to be sewn to the springs and spring frame easier and should improve the wearability of the seats over time.

The seats and seat backs of the two jump-seats were trimmed using a thin strip of hidem.  The nails holding the hidem in place were simply driven through the hidem.  To improve the look of the seats the leather coverings were installed such that the staples holding the leather in place would fall under carpet or some other covering such that hidem would not be required.  In the case of the seat back a Masonite panel was cut and covered with leather and then held in place with half-spherical black upholstery nails.  This provided a cleaner look to the back of the jump-seats.