Postwar Studebakers

fintail · October 2017

Early fintails were sold by Studebaker in the US, so it is on topic here

It is a 64, which is kind of a sweet spot for the cars.

All fintails are identical in body and suspension relative to their chassis code (W110/111/112), but there were some minor changes over time. Production started in the late summer of 1959. ~1962 saw the 4-speed automatic offered - early cars could be fitted with Hydrak, but I have heard of only a couple survivors, and have never seen one in person. 1963 saw the introduction of dual circuit brakes. 1964 was the last model year where wide whites were offered. In the summer of 1965, higher trim fintails migrated to the new W108/109 chassis, and middle to lower cars remained as fintails (until 1968). All of the fuel injected cars, like mine, moved to to W108/109 at that time. The only real body or trim change was the introduction of bullet style front turn signal lenses, I think in late 1961, and the side mirror moved from the fender to the door in 1962, I believe.

sda said:

Fintail, I should know this by now. What year is your fintail?

uplanderguy · October 2017

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

uplanderguy · October 2017

With the money spent on the repairs/maintenance, and having to pay for storage this winter, guilt set in and my wife and I bought a chair, sofa, and kitchen table and chairs today, LOL.

berri · October 2017

Can't get something for nothing

uplanderguy · October 2017

It's funny--my Dad was a thrifty guy but it seemed that whenever he'd buy a new car, he'd buy Mom a new appliance.

uplanderguy · October 2017

My friend broke off a carburetor stud from the manifold taking the carb off--said it was rusty. I am not thrilled with it having only three bolts holding it on--and his drilling to get the old stud out (not successfully) resulted in a vacuum leak which for the time being he covered with a small brass bolt and some goop--but the car is running well. Eventually I'll want to get the manifold fixed and new studs put in, probably a new fuel pump installed (I have the part; two local shops turned me down for the repair, at least for now), and I'm told the car could probably use motor mounts. The repair needs have been a downer on such a nice car, but I guess I can spread them out some. I've told myself and my wife that I'm in this car for the long run so if it needs something, I'll just do it.

uplanderguy · October 2017

I might've mentioned it already, but the Studebaker National Museum told me it was the last new Studebaker sold by the dealer in Grand Junction, CO. I thought it might be, as it was delivered 4/16/66, a month after the last Studebaker was built. Only 8,947 of all model Studebakers--two-and four-door sedans and station wagons; Commander, Daytona, and Cruiser trim levels--were built in that final model year.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2017

Was the manifold damaged or do you just need to get the stud out?

uplanderguy · October 2017

I believe the stud just needs to come out, although his saying there was a vacuum leak concerns me some.

uplanderguy · October 2017

Got my packet of info on the car from the Studebaker National Museum yesterday. The owner traded in a '53 Studebaker on the car. For a guy to buy a new '66 Studebaker a month after production stopped, I figured he'd be a Studebaker guy, but I didn't expect his trade-in to be that old.

The card filled out by the dealer has a space for the purchaser's occupation, but it was left blank in this instance. I guess the dealer probably knew there'd be no more future corporate marketing efforts going on.

uplanderguy · November 2017

On CBS Sunday Morning this past Sunday; a segment on Raymond Loewy. At around 1:55 in, Jane Pauley ends the segment standing next to an Avanti II. She is an Indiana girl.

https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/almanac-designer-raymond-loewy/

omarman · November 2017

I recall watching the Morley Safer interview with Loewy referenced in that segment. One of the best parts of that old interview was when Safer asked Lowey to do a little "window shopping" to point out good+bad designs for everyday living.

There was a very funny part where they came across a digital clock that only lit up when you clapped your hands together - like a clap-on, clap-off light! Loewy didn't like that digital clock even though the film crew seemed to find it amusing.

I remember that Loewy pointed out a simple but still-classic design wall clock with a legible face and traditional hour, minute and second hands. And I wonder what Loewy would have to say about our tech obsession with everything now.

uplanderguy · November 2017

That is interesting! I hadn't seen, or don't remember, the Safer interview referenced.

In the Studebaker world, he was known somewhat for taking credit for his underlings' work, but that's OK--I have to believe he approved whatever was done below him. Besides the Avanti, his studios were responsible for the '53 Studebaker coupes, and also the '47 Studebaker line, which of course were in very direct contrast to everything else being built domestically at the time.

The '53 and the Avanti were especially non-mainstream, probably generally not a good thing in making money, but for the '64 model year Studebaker tried to capitalize on all that by making their slogan "Different...by Design". I like that, but it did them no good for U.S. survival of course.

My best man worked for Avanti after it moved to Youngstown, OH in the late '80's. Loewy's wife Viola used to call them from France to order parts.

omarman · November 2017

uplanderguy said:
My best man worked for Avanti when it moved to Youngstown, OH in the late '80's. Loewy's wife Viola used to call them from France to order parts.

That must have been an interesting experience! "How can we help you today Mrs. Loewy?" Wow.

Loewy was the right guy in the right place and time (post WWII America) to influence the most people. Whether it was Loewy's non-mainstream design approach or GM's mainstream success in the 60's, the results speak for itself.

Seems like today's car designs are looped into a perpetual 1958 loss of direction.

uplanderguy · November 2017

LOL. Hey, it may have been tested 5,000 times, but...it's mechanical/electrical--it will glitch.

I seem to remember my friend saying that when one word, "Viola", was spoken, everybody knew who she was.

PF_Flyer · November 2017

That right there is the reason I have never tested "your power windows will not shut on an object" in our Versa Note.

Mr_Shiftright · November 2017

berri · November 2017

Up - Virgil Exner of Chrysler fame was heavily involved in some of those earlier Studebakers before going over to Chrysler.

uplanderguy · November 2017

Yes, and I seem to remember hearing that he and Loewy bumped heads.

I heard Virgil Exner, Jr., speak at the Studebaker National Museum probably close to a decade ago. He had worked on Studebaker design for awhile a decade after his father. He said it was no accident that a '59 Lark grille and a '60 Valiant grille were similar.

fintail · November 2017

I definitely think we are in 1958 in terms of automotive overstyling. Luckily for people then, things turned around pretty fast, and the in-between years were interesting . I suspect it won't be so interesting this time around.

uplanderguy · November 2017

I'm seeing some front-end designs that remind me of '60 and '61 Plymouths. I know they're flamboyant, but to my eyes....yeesh.

berri · November 2017

Japan Inc. may be the worst offender right now

uplanderguy · November 2017

Just came across, online, this particular autumn photo/angle of my former '63 Lark Daytona which I hadn't seen in a long time. Nice photo even if you aren't wild about the car--I credit my friend, the photographer, for the set up.

Only one of fourteen 1963 Larks built with both a Skytop sunroof and Avanti power. Owned it 23 years and I do miss it. Although I complain about white being too common, I do like it with the red vinyl interior.

http://www.studebakerskytop.com/billpresslerpics1.jpg

berri · November 2017

Sunroof, HT coupe and all; that's a bit unusual, which makes it interesting.

uplanderguy · November 2017

It was often a star at a Studebaker meet, as most folks had never seen one with either of those options yet both. I know I hadn't seen one before I went to look at it. I paid $2,600 for it in 1988 and had it restored as a driver by Westmoreland Restorations (at that time, 'Westmoreland Studebaker') in Blairsville, PA. They're good folks there and did a really nice job within my parameters ($)

To my eyes, the '63 Larks had the biggest similarities with--or maybe better, 'reminders' of--Studebaker being the U.S. distributors of M-B at that time. I think there are a couple 'Mercedes bends' here and there.

fintail · November 2017

Hey uplander, you are from Greenville PA, right? I am in Germany right now, and today went to a big museum. They have a thing for fire trucks, including American fire trucks (fire trucks are a big deal in Germany, a hobby for people, there are even magazines for them), and one had old PA plates:

It appears to be from Greenville:

They had numerous other American rigs, not surprising as they are cheap and often unwanted at home, yet exotic and cool to those in the hobby here. I saw the town name, and knew I had seen it somewhere.

uplanderguy · November 2017

That is unbelievable! My hometown is not a suburb of anything, either...population was never more than 10K (although there are rural townships surrounding it who sort-of consider themselves "Greenville").

The Buick-Olds dealer in town, Stevenson Motor Co., was also a Mack dealer as I can remember the lighted sign in their window!

Thanks so much for posting this!

uplanderguy · November 2017

I actually think I remember that truck. The fire station was at a pretty busy corner, W. Main and S. Water streets, right next to the Chevy-Cadillac dealer. On summer evenings the fire engines would often be pulled out front, being washed and/or polished. Good memories.

fintail · November 2017

Small world, pretty cool. They had some interesting old cars, one with a detail that might be irksome (gotta dig out the pics), but no Studes. Some old cars had Ohio plates, too. Someone at the museum might have went on a buying trip to that region. The old truck is being appreciated now.

berri · November 2017

Whenever I see those old open cab fire trucks I can't stop thinking "where are the Three Stooges".

uplanderguy · November 2017

I know this is bragging, but despite some lean times due to industries leaving twenty to thirty years ago, the six-degrees-of-separation Greenville, PA has to famous people or events is fairly amazing. I will not bore anyone here with that but I could list a bunch of them.

I root for my old hometown, as I think anyone does.

fintail · November 2017

Here's another from the same museum, uplander. I know this is a car you like, but something just isn't right (as far as I know):

uplanderguy · November 2017

I love '62 Corvettes but that one...meh.

There were no factory two-tones (coves) in '62.

Thanks for posting though!

I've posted the link to show the fire engine to some folks I know back there. Most are surprised. Someone must know how it ended up there!

fintail · November 2017

Yep, I rolled my eyes a little when I saw those coves, just isn't right.

I suspect that fire engine was sold as surplus maybe 20-something years ago and somehow ended up going across the pond. And now it sits in a big technical museum (site here) with some fellow expats and many Euro oddities.

uplanderguy · November 2017

OK, I was reminded this morning that Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's first U.S. appearance was in Greenville, PA, at Thiel College--verified by their Wikipedia page as well as local stories (hey, I was only 13 then, LOL). I find that amazing. Thiel doesn't have even 1,000 students and I don't believe it did in 1971 either.

berri · November 2017

Oh what a "Lucky Man" you were

omarman · November 2017

berri said:
Oh what a "Lucky Man" you were

From The Beginning

uplanderguy · November 2017

Like "Lucky Man" but LOVE "From the Beginning"!

berri · November 2017

Totally agree - best song they put out!

uplanderguy · December 2017

Just struttin' a little bit--I belong to the closed Facebook group "Compact Classics", 2857 members, and the head guy yesterday put a pic I took of my '66 Cruiser as the cover photo for the group.

berri · December 2017

I know those Studebaker Cruiser's were based off of the Lark, which was a compact. But for some reason I always had though they had stretched the Lark a bit for the latter model Studebaker's?

uplanderguy · December 2017

The '61 Lark Cruiser added four inches to the wheelbase to make it 113". From '62-66 all four-door Studebakers were on a 113" wheelbase. Two-door Studebakers (except the Hawk) were on a 109" wheelbase from '62-66.

berri · December 2017

You know, I'm always learning stuff here. I thought the latter Studebaker's were stretched a bit, but I never realized it happened with the 61 Lark so soon after intro. IIRC it was introduced in 59 along with the Rambler American as the beginning of the popular compact class (small cars weren't all that popular in North America before). I think the more angular lines of the latter Studebaker made it appear larger, as well as I recall it being a somewhat tall car.

uplanderguy · December 2017

Due to necessity, but sort of ahead-of-its-time, the Larks had the same full-size Stude interior of earlier Studes (though narrower than the wide Big Three full-size cars), but were trimmer outside. One thing I like about Studes, although it probably wasn't a sales plus in the fifties anyway, was that I'm hard-pressed to think of a Studebaker that looks fat.:)

berri · December 2017

I believe the Rambler American roots go back even further than the Lark, to the early 50's Rambler (as well as Lois Lane and Superman

) Many cars back in the old days had frames for a long time despite the frequent body styling changes.

uplanderguy · December 2017

Oh yes. The American as sold through the 1960 model year was the car that came out in 1950. It was really the 1955 model, with front wheel openings, reintroduced for 1958 after being discontinued for three model years.

uplanderguy · December 2017

Sold for $42K today on Bring a Trailer:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-studebaker-lark-daytona-r/

Desirable among the Stude faithful, but at that price I'd expect it to be drop-dead authentic; e.g., "LARK" lettering on front fenders, bumper winguards (wraparound pieces), solid red vinyl interior.... These are all small-dollar things. The winguards should be available cheaply NOS (they were for my '63 in 1993) and the letters were available cheaply as reproductions.

berri · December 2017

That Studebaker coupe greenhouse reminds me of the coupe look on Mercedes back in that era. Personally though, while I like that coupe, I actually think the 4 dr carried the Studebaker lines better. Maybe because of the squared off, formal styling lines on them.

berri · December 2017

I was looking at the February Hemming's Classic car magazine. There is an article about a guy who restored a 56 Studebaker wagon. Seems his father owned one when he was a kid and then as the tin worm was striking let his teenage son beat around in it after the dad bought a replacement 61 Pontiac (see Uplander, not just the Studebaker that reminded me of you

). I always liked station wagons and the Studebaker had a bit of an unique look, as did IH trucks.

uplanderguy · December 2017

I very-much-like the '63 Lark four-door roofline. In fact, in coupes I like the '64 body better, but in four-doors I like the '63 better. And I own a '66 and I'll still say that.

Postwar Studebakers

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