Postwar Studebakers

Mr_Shiftright

uplanderguy said:

Funny, I'm already called a vendor about a single exhaust for the car as I've been told the original exhaust is going. He said, "I've made one of those Studebaker single-exhausts for a 283 and I won't make another". He said that there was some twisty engineering (my words, not his) to get an exhaust on that Chevy V8 to make it fit the Studebaker chassis/body. I thought his might look original and be cut "as original", but some place will just have to make one up I guess.

Ah, the old crank A good hot rod shop would have no trouble with that.

sda

uplanderguy said:

That car does have the factory '66 FM radio though, of which I'm jealous.

It would be neat if you could find a working '66 OE FM radio and replace the AM in your new ride.

berri

sda - you can find plenty of mid 70 Olds that came from the factory with Chevy engines - they were called Chevymobiles and cost GM some serious coin after the lawsuits

I imagine that other than some pretty upscale cars, it is hard to find an FM receiver for a car in those days. Weren't a lot of FM stations and they tended to focus on stuff like classical music and show tunes back in the day. But they probably did have a CONELRAD station indicator on the tuner!

sda

berri said:

sda - you can find plenty of mid 70 Olds that came from the factory with Chevy engines - they were called Chevymobiles and cost GM some serious coin after the lawsuits

I imagine that other than some pretty upscale cars, it is hard to find an FM receiver for a car in those days. Weren't a lot of FM stations and they tended to focus on stuff like classical music and show tunes back in the day. But they probably did have a CONELRAD station indicator on the tuner!

Berri, you are correct. I clearly remember when it was discovered that many '77 Olds with a 350 ended up with a Chevy 350 engine instead of the Olds 350 and the stink the media made of it.

berri

Back in that era I had a 76 Cutlass that actually had the Olds 350 4bbl and my wife had a 75 Malibu with a 2bbl Chevy 350. The Olds was a nice highway cruiser, but in town it had some hesitation problems and the Chevy was actually nicer to drive in our opinions at least. So maybe I would have been better off if the Olds had the Chevy engine and I got a $500 check back because of that fraud. Wouldn't you know...

sda

berri said:

Back in that era I had a 76 Cutlass that actually had the Olds 350 4bbl and my wife had a 75 Malibu with a 2bbl Chevy 350. The Olds was a nice highway cruiser, but in town it had some hesitation problems and the Chevy was actually nicer to drive in our opinions at least. So maybe I would have been better off if the Olds had the Chevy engine and I got a $500 check back because of that fraud. Wouldn't you know...

I don't mean to hijack the Studebaker forum, so I can take this to another..
We had a '76 Cutlass Supreme wagon in forest green, a deep beautiful color which this picture does not do justice. Other than after a cold start and the choke was engaged, it always drove beautifully. It was heavy and not all that quick with the 2.73 axle. It was a 350 4bbl. IIRC it would shift 1-2 at 55 at full throttle. My teenage antics which my parents may have been suspect but never said anything. I was lucky, no tickets or accidents.

berri

My 76 was a white Colonade (however they spelled that name for their coupe) with red velour interior. I think a fair number of cars actually had vacuum leak issues back then that a carb adjustment wouldn't necessarily fix. But tracing the leak was time consuming, so dealers often didn't fix them right. Cold or warm, I could often (but of course not always) count to 3 before it moved out in city traffic.

Back to Studebaker, had a neighbor across the street as a kid who had a second hand propeller coupe with that kind of different looking wrap around window panes across the rear of the greenhouse. Was that "starlight" - I don't recall what they called it. Several friend's mom's drove later maybe 54-55 Studebakers. What I remember about them was their fresh air vent was actually two vents, one on each side. Funny the drivel you remember.

isellhondas

Colonade? That sounds like an unpleasant medical procedure that I am due for again in a few years!

berri

Oh, cr*p

uplanderguy

That is a nice Cutlass Supreme wagon; three-seater since it has the vent windows way in the back.

uplanderguy

Studebaker cop car - just doesn't have the right look for that application unless you are in South Bend. Not a whole lot of 66 cars had an FM radio.

I've seen the dealer newspaper that showed cities around the country with '62 and later Stude police cars. They did have a police package for the cars.

I would love a factory FM radio for my car!

I know that when it's your car, you can do whatever you want with it, but I don't know why somebody would convert a Cruiser into a police car replica, clone, whatever. I can tell you that Stude's police package didn't include Cruiser interior trim, LOL!

sda

uplanderguy said:

That is a nice Cutlass Supreme wagon; three-seater since it has the vent windows way in the back.

You are observant! It was a three seater. I still have the window sticker, nicely equipped but with radio delete it was $6700. Dad had the Delco Am/fm 8 track 4 speaker installed, not sure what that cost. It had a two tone beige interior with a split bench upfront, power locks, cruise, tilt, ac, light package. It was the first new car dad had ever purchased.

uplanderguy

Radio delete? Did he order it that way?

sda

uplanderguy said:

Radio delete? Did he order it that way?

Dad normally buys used cars but we had just moved back from France and he didn't have time to really shop. The Cutlass was in stock at a small Olds/Honda dealer in Charlottesville, Va. They were looking at a Delta 88 Royale 4dr hardtop and the wagon. The kids wanted the wagon so we'd have some room to spread out. Though it was a nice car dad never really liked it because he didn't like 'wagons', but it served us well.

uplanderguy

My friend who will be delivering my '66 Cruiser to me in a couple weeks emailed to say that the air filter element has a Studebaker part number on it. Most likely OEM or put in by a Studebaker dealer somewhere along the line.

I think that's pretty cool, although he is replacing it and giving me the old one.

uplanderguy

My friend emailed me the new-car-delivery paperwork with the original owners' names. They were from Grand Junction, CO. First thing that popped up when I googled both of them together, was them in the 1940 census! Husband was born in 1905 and wife in 1906; one son, born 1935. The internet is an amazing thing.

sda

I wonder if you can contact the son and get some history as well as share with him the good news that the car is in great condition and will be kept that way. The son would be my dad's age, 81ish.

uplanderguy

I did post on a Grand Junction, CO Facebook page about the car and the story. I would like knowing my Dad's car was being enjoyed by someone. I know, though, that most people aren't car people.

The car was delivered on April 16, 1966, surprisingly, nearly a month after the last Studebaker was built. I have to believe the price was right and the owner probably wanted one last new one. The car was built in Nov. '65 so it sat in dealer inventory several months. Ironically, the last new car retailed by my hometown Studebaker dealer was also a Timberline Turquoise '66 Cruiser, but with white vinyl interior instead of turquoise cloth like mine. It was also sold in April '66. I wonder if mine might've been the last new Studebaker that Osborne Motors in Grand Junction sold.

I'm going to see if the Studebaker Museum archives has the retail sale card for mine--they should, if the dealer filled one out. It shows what was traded in, if any. The fellow who bought the last Studebaker in my hometown after the shutdown traded in a '60 Lark.

fintail

That's pretty cool. Maybe they retired to Florida, and that's how the car ended up there.

uplanderguy

Just saw this online today. Nice Avanti with no outside mirror. Like the look but of course impractical.

http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week/car-week-1963-studebaker-avanti?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=ocw-mep-nl-170406&utm_content=934226_EDT_OC170406&utm_medium=email

uplanderguy

One day in, I am absolutely delighted with my '66. It looks like someone just took it out of storage for 40 years. It needs an exhaust, as it's the original we believe, but other than that, worst thing I can say about it is it has a faint mothball odor inside. I'm working on that.

fintail

I wonder if Febreze or something would help.

Can't wait to see pics

uplanderguy

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?100433-Bill-Pressler-FINALLY-gets-his-new-Cruiser

sda

uplanderguy said:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?100433-Bill-Pressler-FINALLY-gets-his-new-Cruiser

Excellent! You found a gem and am delighted for you. Enjoy

fintail

Awesome, the color looks great. I like the comment about it being the best original 66 Cruiser known (and also the FINALLY bit )

Also interesting about the black car linked at the Stude club site, being relatively local to me.

uplanderguy

I'd have considered that car for sure if I lived out that way!

berri

I like the color too. Isn't that kind of like the one that the actress who played Aunt Bea on Mayberry owned in real life?

uplanderguy

She had a two-door 1966 Daytona Sports Sedan, Algonquin (pea!) Green with black vinyl top. But you're right--the same year.

berri

Nice looking vehicles really, especially when you consider the financial constraints Studebaker was under. I always felt that had those later Studebakers not had the fixed cost overhang, or been part of GM or Ford, they would have sold quite a few more.

uplanderguy

I like them in profile, especially--the '64-66 models.

uplanderguy

Thanks for the nice comments, too.

uplanderguy

The rear seat is impressive (size-wise and plushness) for a car of this size and time period I think. I have to figure a way to get a pic posted here.

berri

I always found it interesting back in those days how Studebaker and Rambler were so much more space efficient than D3.

uplanderguy

I'd agree with that. This is the first four-door Studebaker I've had. The wheelbase is four inches longer than the two-doors and it appears to be all in the back seat.

isellhondas

My. look what just showed up on Craigslist!

What do you guys think?

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/6071505244.html

berri

Believe it or not, I actually prefer the profile on the sedan Uplander bought. But that convertible may be a bit rare.

Mr_Shiftright

berri said:

Believe it or not, I actually prefer the profile on the sedan Uplander bought. But that convertible may be a bit rare.

Quite rare. It's got some nasty rust though. If you hit that with a grinder, it's going to explode.

Probably worth it to someone, but it's going to be a long road to "nice". I wonder if those convertible top gaskets are available.

uplanderguy

It has numerous...numerous...authenticity issues. Personally, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Much NOS sheetmetal (but not front fenders for a '63) is still available, and the trunk looks good to me--particularly the side panels with the three bolt holes, a common rusty area in Larks...but there are so many out there that are better to start with than that car IMHO. Fender patch panels specifically for Larks with rust in that area are available from a vendor, but of course that's still 'metal work' and involves paint.

Mr_Shiftright

Maybe $5000 bucks for it. But you know how it is with rare pieces--it's not like you can just find another one so easily. So if your heart were set on a '63 Lark convertible, there's not much to choose from. You'd have to pretty much tear this car apart, and then you're in way over your head.

Here's a '62 that looks quite bit nicer but it's not as rare.

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/730669/1962-studebaker-lark-for-sale-in-watertown-minnesota-55317

berri

I don't believe I ever saw a Studebaker in that shade of blue before. But back then the automakers had a ton of color options exterior and interior. I miss that!

uplanderguy

There was a turquoise in '62 but I think it wasn't that 'vivid'. That's a nice-looking car IMHO. One small thing that gets me, and this car is not alone, is that for '62 and '63's, the bumper guards here are one bolt hole in too close on each side! No big deal, but fixing that will probably leave marks on the bumper. I am always impressed when I see the "LARK" letters on the front fenders, and in the right place, like this '62.

'63 convertible production was 1,015. '62 was more, but the convertible was offered in two series, Regal and Daytona. Most people want the Daytona with buckets and console. This '62 is the lower-line Regal.

sda

uplanderguy said:

I like them in profile, especially--the '64-66 models.

I seem to remember electric, vacuum or electric wipers? Not sure when at least 2 speed, electric and washers became required. My '62 Galaxie and mom's '63 Olds had single speed electric wipers and no washers. Neither car had a driver's door review mirror or backup lights or seat belts. Mom did have seat belts installed in the front only when they bought the Olds in '65. The Galaxie was my first car that I bought from a friend for $100 in '77.

uplanderguy

My '63 (similar to '62) had two-speed electric wipers. I believe AMC continued with vacuum wipers on certain models through the end of that decade.

On the '66 Studebaker I just bought, it has front seat belts, but none in the back. On the build sheet, it actually says, "Omit Rear Seat Belts". That's a mystery to me.

fintail

I think rear belts might not have been mandatory until the 1968 regulations. My fintail also lacks rear belts (the prior owner added aftermarket ones, but I keep them hidden under the seat).

Mr_Shiftright

I like these if they are V8s, which this is:

uplanderguy

I love that car. Not a bad line on it IMHO.

isellhondas

Mr_Shiftright said:

berri said:

Believe it or not, I actually prefer the profile on the sedan Uplander bought. But that convertible may be a bit rare.

Quite rare. It's got some nasty rust though. If you hit that with a grinder, it's going to explode.

Probably worth it to someone, but it's going to be a long road to "nice". I wonder if those convertible top gaskets are available.

Oh, c'mon..." nasty rust? In the ad it said only a little, minor rust something like that. Aren't those ads usually
fairly accurate?

Mr_Shiftright

The camera doesn't lie in this case. One whack with a hammer and that metal will turn into pixie dust. Been there, done that.

Not that it isn't fixable---it's just very labor intensive and like Neil Young says: "Rust Never Sleeps".

uplanderguy

http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/history/studebaker-fans-will-roll-into-south-bend-ready-to-show/article_6495ad7e-2e5e-11e7-a3fe-4704ee5a7669.html

berri

Have fun UP