This 1925 Flint is certainly unusual and perhaps even rare, but could it really be worth anything near the $19,000 the seller is asking for it here on craigslist? It is said to be very complete and only has 3080 original miles after being stored for 60 years. This car is probably not worth the cost of restoring it, but as an original car, perhaps it could be returned to running condition and have some value. What do you suppose it might be worth restored or as a running and driving original car? Running cars from the 1920s typically go for around $20,000, but would this Flint be worth that?
You may never heard of The Flint auto or even the Durant motorcar company. As was the case with many auto companies of the day, companies were started and failed, the men who started them moved on when they failed and started new companies. Henry Ford started 4 companies. Billy Durant started General Motors in 1921 and a number of other companies, including Durant Motorcars after his second time around at General Motors, the manufacturer of the Flint, as well as Locomobile and then the assets of the Willys Corporation. In the Willys factory they found a technically advanced 6 cylinder prototype car Willys had been developing. It became the basis of the Flint, introduced in 1923. For example hydraulic brakes were introduced in the 1925 Flint, while other companies like Ford retained mechanical brakes for years afterward. The engine is a Continental. Isn’t it interesting that a water pump drives the water pump.
I would suspect the 3080 miles may not be correct. There is alot of wear to the paint on the dash where the push pull switch is and although I can not see them very well, the pedals look worn a bit. With mileage it’s up to the seller to prove it’s authentic not the buyer to prove that it isn’t. Could be a fun car just cleaned up, but I would suspect any number over $10,000 to be alot and a money pit to restore especially if you gave anywhere near the asking price.
Looks fantastic. Clean it, and just get it running. They’re only original once.
There are some Crazeeee prices some pipples are asking ! Nuff Said !
Neat, and I would like to have 8t, but pretty much useless. Not a common enough make to be of much interest to anyone. I really wonder what will happen to cars like this. The owners with memories of them are fading fast. Will they all just become parade cars and museum pieces?
Tagged for educational purposes!
Very original and tidy, IMHO. The water pump is not “driven by a water pump”, it’s driven from the tail shaft of the starter/generator, a la Dodge. The thing that’s really too bad about this car though, is that the original touring car top was replaced by an aftermarket hard top. Bummer. You can see that the rear of the body has the touring car up-sweep and the tops of the doors are capped with wood… no windows! At the time, open cars were the cheapest models – oposite of today’s market. Too expensive by at least 10 thousand. :(
Looks to me that the distributor also drives off of the same unit.
And, there are side windows, they slide forward from behind, hung on rails in the roof. Look closely at the first two photos in the CL ad, and you’ll see multiple panes hanging there. Partially closed in the 7th photo.
The pull-down window shades are a nice touch, eh? Give me some privacy!
I also am a bit skeptical regarding the claimed mileage.
But everyone has to admit that the speedometer is COOL! (Does anyone think this car could have ever been to 75 mph?
I did a websearch on the 1925 Flint and found one that was already restored and they were asking $47, 500. Another that looked good was priced at $29k.
Hard to believe the car has just over 3000 miles. That interior looks rough for a car stored 60 years. Worth about 50% of what he’s asking in my opinion.
Way way too much wear on the pedals for 3k miles. On the other hand, if it is 103,080 miles then it was very well cared for during those miles.
The fact that someone spent the money for the fixed top to enclose this car suggests they were not “skin Flints” (cue rim shot).
There are also some finish issues on the dash around the speedometer/odometer that are different from the rest of the gauges.
Looks like that to me too.
Reference to Cory’s comment ‘Not a common enough make to be of much interest to anyone.’ Personally, I find the uncommons (Anderson, Jordan, list goes on) to be much more interesting than the commons (Ford, Chevrolet, that list also goes on). Agree, however, that as the WWII generation passes away that the interest in uncommons or commons of prewar examples is generally waning. Except for the lunatic fringe (myself included) and speculators.
I did some research into Flint cars & unusual auto “hard top” conversions. What this car has is an original “California style top”, except that this one appears to have been constructed as part of the actual body when new. Close examination of the pics suggests this was an actual “closed body” with sliding windows, built this way when new, and not a converted open tourer. These special tops were common in areas where the winters were mild, but needed protection from rain. When not cold or raining, the windows were slid back into the rear quarter area.
Think about it for a moment; With only minimal changes to the rear beltline of the open touring body, they could construct a fully enclosed body, adding a small triangular section to each side of the windshield. This meant they could use the same windshield, doors, center post, and lower rear body panel. Typical “cost cutting” idea that Billy Durant was known for.
This top was not intended to be removed for summer months. The main drawback that kept these types of tops from being a success was the fact that before opening any door, you had to first slide the window rearward, then open the door. I understand the windows also rattled like crazy!
As for the mileage, it was normal for repair garages to set the odometer back to zero after rebuilding the engine. Used car dealers would “recondition” a car and reset the odometer to zero. This was legal until 1968!
This is a rare car, with an even rarer body type, possibly the only surviving example. It belongs in a collection or museum, kept original, not restored.