Postwar Studebakers

uplanderguy · November 2020

The Lark has optional overdrive; the handle under the dash is visible to the left of the steering column. Overdrive was not available on Chevy II; don't know about the other domestic compacts.

bhill2 · November 2020

I think that the only other compact you could get overdrive on was the Rambler. It may have been a selling point for the original buyer, since he obviously was looking for a combination of stylishness and economy.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Non-pushbutton radio with rear-seat speaker on that Lark; unusual combination too.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Someone on the S.D.C. forum pointed out that the car still has its original spark plug wires. That's kinda cool.

The person bought new, a 1961 Lark Cruiser and a 1964 Daytona Wagonaire.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Auction has "ended". Apparently the seller did not get his asking price--no big shock there.

I still like the car. Very roomy inside for a compact-size wheelbase, and I really like the red vinyl seating with white inserts.

uplanderguy · November 2020

The last Studebaker built in South Bend, Indiana--a 1963 one-ton Diesel sold to the U.S. government (GSO or GSA, can't recall the correct acronym). Photo taken Dec. 27, 1963--employee photo sent to the South Bend Tribune.

No one else was building a one-ton diesel at the time. The rounded styling was old-hat by that time, but I always liked the white fiberglass grilles on these trucks.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Looking back wistfully at Hershey a couple years ago, sigh. Watching the cars drive onto the show field is a unique pleasure. The cars have to be driven onto the field.

This '64 Daytona Hardtop made me weak in the knees--compact dimensions, with supercharger and 4-speed and I love the repro Halibrand wheels, which were a '64 Stude option only through the dealer's parts departments for some reason. The whitewalls against a wheel seems outdated now, but I remember seeing Corvettes and Jags with whitewalls against wheels--even wide whites on some early-sixties Jags.

The engine compartment is a thing of beauty IMHO, and nice, functional instrument panel.

The Avanti was very stock-looking there that year, too. I have to assume that Tempo was lost, LOL.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Halibrands add a lot to the Avanti IMO:

fintail · November 2020

Never seen those wheels on a Stude in person (unless there was one at the museum), but I can see why one would do it.

Whitewalls and wheels was a thing on some cars into the 80s, I think.

uplanderguy · November 2020

I've seen old pics where they were a rough finish, but I've read they were available in that finish or polished, as in the repros. Why would anyone choose a rough finish, LOL?

fintail · November 2020

I wonder if the rough finish was that kind of porous surface Ford used in the 80s and 90s.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Here's a pic I found after doing a quick search online. Frankly, I think these rough-finish wheels look like hell, LOL.

fintail · November 2020

Those have more of a 70s look, somehow.

uplanderguy · November 2020

Here's the president of Studebaker's own Avanti with Halibrands, that sold at Mecum in 2009 for $75K. It's an R3 (one of only ten installed on the line in South Bend, although others were sold as complete engines afterwards by Studebaker). I'd say with the provenance, for someone who cares, this was a pretty good price. Sherwood Egbert actually took it with him to CA when he left Studebaker and sold it in 1968.

I'm sure I've posted this before, but Egbert, for production, specified Avanti mufflers "as loud as legal", LOL. Funny to see build sheets that specify the option "SILENT MUFFLERS".

uplanderguy · December 2020

imidazol97 · December 2020

Is anyone else seeing a photobucket watermark on the picture?

kyfdx · December 2020

imidazol97 said:
Is anyone else seeing a photobucket watermark on the picture?

I do

ab348 · December 2020

Yes, it's watermarked. I don't know what's going on with Photobucket. I used to have a free account there but after it got sold the new owners changed the rules and if you didn't have a pay account they wouldn't let you link to your photos any more, giving just a nasty image to that effect. They sent me constant messages saying they were going to delete my pictures, so I just downloaded them all and walked away from it. But lately I'm seeing photos watermarked like that one popping up everywhere. Do you have a paid account there?

ab348 · December 2020

Test Photobucket post:

Pic 1: didn't work

Pic 2: also didn't work

Given the above results, I assume you have a paid account. I'd be pretty P.O.'ed if so seeing those watermarks.

imidazol97 · December 2020

I was wondering this photo was from a paid account?

I was totally offended by how photobucket handled everything. IIRC they reduced the size of your uploaded picture so you couldn't download the picture at the same resolution it had when I uploaded it.

I went through deleted a whole bunch. Downloaded a few I wanted to keep. What I resent even more is that for the H-body GM forums there were many pictures uploaded to PB as part of instructions on how to do certain things with those cars (Bonnevilles and leSabres, along with STS and Aurora). Those help topics no longer have pictures because PB blocked them.

uplanderguy · December 2020

I don't have a Photobucket account. With my work computer, I copied this image from online to here.

uplanderguy · December 2020

Facebook memory pic came up today. I've posted it here before, but my favorite pic of my first Stude, '63 Lark Daytona Skytop with factory Avanti R1 power, factory air, tinted glass in all windows, Twin Traction, reclining front seats. Built with Firestone 500's, known then as somewhat of a performance tire. Fourteen 1963 Studebakers were built with the combination of an 'Avanti' engine, and Skytop sunroof, which Stude buffs considered the two most desirable options. This is the first serial number.

I think the '64 styling seems more modern in the American idiom, but I do like the Euro-flavored styling of the '63 too. I think Larks of this era seem bigger than other compacts, probably due to the bigger wheel openings, 15 inch wheels and four headlights, and taller roofs through '63, but they're not really any bigger outside and were priced right with them.

sda · December 2020

uplanderguy said:
Facebook memory pic came up today. I've posted it here before, but my favorite pic of my first Stude, '63 Lark Daytona Skytop with factory Avanti R1 power, factory air, tinted glass in all windows, Twin Traction, reclining front seats. Built with Firestone 500's, known then as somewhat of a performance tire. Fourteen 1963 Studebakers were built with the combination of an 'Avanti' engine, and Skytop sunroof. This is the first serial number.

I think the '64 styling seems more modern in the American idiom, but I do like the Euro-flavored styling of the '63 too. I think Larks of this era seem bigger than other compacts, probably due to the bigger wheel openings, 15 inch wheels and four headlights, and taller roofs through '63, but they're not really any bigger outside and were priced right with them.

That is such a sharp car. I really liked your picture of the car with the before/after with the original owner.

fintail · December 2020

As you call it, the "Mercedes Bends". That one went to Oz, right? You'll never get over that one.

uplanderguy · December 2020

I'd like to take credit for "Mercedes bends", but it's from "Hotel California"! Yeah, it's in Oz. I miss the car. It was starting to need some stuff. It was huffing a fair amount of blue upon startup. But at large Stude meets it was a star.

I always felt bad that I sold it not terribly long after telling the original owner it wasn't for sale. But he hadn't owned a hobby car in a long time, and wanted it as a daily driver in Phoenix. I told him, and still believe, he'd have been not happy with the car as a daily driver, especially out there. With the R1's 10.25 compression ratio, it required premium gas, the A/C didn't work, and it was an old car with over 100K miles. Needless to say, he was an older gentleman.

If that black '63 Cruiser sedan with the Skytop and red broadcloth interior I posted here a year or so ago, came up for sale, I'd be plotting some way to acquire it even if it meant selling my '66.

fintail · December 2020

Oh yeah, that song, not one of my faves lol. I am sure that car would have been well worth the engine work. My old car is similar - the engine isn't exactly new, and sooner or later it will need work. I'll have to bite the bullet and do it, not going to junk the car over something repairable.

Something like that definitely isn't a DD, especially in that climate - modern traffic and the sun would probably ruin it by themselves. You might have saved it by sending to a careful home. You know, it's not that hard to add on to a garage or build a new one

uplanderguy · December 2020

I can't nitpick a single authenticity thing, in or out, on this '64 Daytona Wagonaire on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1964-studebaker-daytona-wagon-3/?fbclid=IwAR360Do_I6tiokICwbRE7SC2Rt5foWv_Qle9TUiyxfeoQqYYiDH5PHUFfMo

ab348 · December 2020

Interesting tidbit in the comments with the picture of the red dash instrument lighting being standard from the factory. Never knew that.

fintail · December 2020

It's like a 1:1 version of the Matchbox Wagonaire:

uplanderguy · December 2020

When I was a kid, the Wagonaire was my favorite Matchbox. Carried that weird love with me all these decades later!

Red instrument lights--I rather like that, just because it's different. That was an idea cribbed from the Avanti which also had them. Funny, by '66, the dash which was essentially the same, no longer had the red lighting.

uplanderguy · December 2020

Sold for $21,900, wow.

The red instrument lighting is a bit of a jolt.

fintail · December 2020

It'd probably cost 2-3x that to restore a problem case - if you love those cars, that's the way to go. Interesting vehicle for not a lot of money in terms of vintage cars.

uplanderguy · December 2020

The complete story has not been published yet (will be in the monthly club magazine for Feb.), but these silver trophies that Studebaker had won over the years, for mileage and endurance events mostly, had disappeared after the South Bend shutdown and assumed melted down, reappeared far-away and were just given to the Studebaker National Museum. Pretty cool story I think and I'm glad they're where they should be. Don't know if anybody else can see the pic in this link or not:

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/filedata/fetch?id=1870095

ab348 · December 2020

Quite visible, and quite the collection!

fintail · December 2020

Yep, works for me. Looks like a lot of early 20th century material. Looks like someone saved them from scrap.

uplanderguy · December 2020

Posted yesterday by the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA. I have to wonder if this is the same car in the pic I posted above, a week or so ago, from the Hershey meet. The car is bone-stock.

He's accurate, although supposedly it is a myth that the car was not ready to go for Indy 1962. They had one or two Avantis there, there are photos--but the Lark Daytona convertible was the pace car. Pace cars were virtually always convertibles at that time.

I hate the way the car looks unfinished under the front bumper, particularly a white car, although you don't notice this standing near the car. Mid-year '63, Studebaker starting installing a grille there.

https://www.facebook.com/AACAMuseum/videos/403078464357832

uplanderguy · December 2020

Ah, the previous link's video is pretty long. Too late to delete, LOL.

Here's another pic of Egbert's '64 Avanti I saw elsewhere today. The car was photographed in pics here a week or two ago, and on the 'obscure classic car' Edmunds page in a pic of it sitting in front of the Studebaker Administration Building in South Bend in late summer '63:

The "E2" plate is interesting. I wonder what car had an "E1" plate?

fintail · December 2020

What does the "71" to the left of the E2 signify?

kyfdx · December 2020

fintail said:
What does the "71" to the left of the E2 signify?

If it's an Indiana plate, it signifies the county. (I think alphabetically numbered up from A)

kyfdx · December 2020

fintail said:
What does the "71" to the left of the E2 signify?

That’s St Joseph County, which makes sense, as that is South Bend’s county.

fintail · December 2020

Today I learned Indiana has 92 counties, nutty.

kyfdx said:

That’s St Joseph County, which makes sense, as that is South Bend’s county.

Michaell · December 2020

fintail said:
Today I learned Indiana has 92 counties, nutty.

kyfdx said:

That’s St Joseph County, which makes sense, as that is South Bend’s county.

Only 64 in Colorado, which is almost 300% the size (36,000 vs. 104,000 square miles)

uplanderguy · December 2020

Thanks, I did not know any of this.

I do wonder if the 'E' signified 'Egbert'.

Rumor has always been that he did not enamor himself to the Indiana State Police, as he lived in what was called the Proving Ground Mansion on Route 2 about fifteen miles west of town and was perpetually being stopped for speeding in his Avanti, once at 130 it's often told.

Two of his daughters are known to attend national Avanti meets. They actually said they wondered at first how they might be received there, since Studebaker closed its U.S. assembly lines only three weeks after their father was ousted. But most Studebaker people admire Egbert. I know I think the product got more interesting under his tenure--Gran Turismo Hawk, Avanti, heavily-restyled Larks for '62 and '64 model years, high-performance engines, diesel trucks.

I did meet Egbert's secretary, Martha Fleenor, a couple times over a couple years. Very polished older lady; you got the vibe of very pleasant but the 'gatekeeper' variety, LOL. She later ended up marrying Lon Fleenor, who was part of the M-B end of Studebaker. She lived in CA in the '90's but travelled a couple times to Studebaker events in South Bend. I was at the old Stude Museum once and she walked in on the arm of a priest from Notre Dame, LOL.

Digressing again, I was in the old museum in South Bend once and looked up and Roger Ebert was standing next to me, looking at things for sale in a display case. My baritone-voiced buddy said "Hey! It's Roger Ebert!", and he then proceeded to step away from us, LOL.

kyfdx · December 2020

fintail said:
Today I learned Indiana has 92 counties, nutty.

kyfdx said:

That’s St Joseph County, which makes sense, as that is South Bend’s county.

88 in Ohio

120 in KY!!!

fintail · December 2020

39 in WA.

159 in GA - always amused me when I visited a friend who relocated to suburban Atlanta for a short time, and he'd point out that it seemed like every small town was in its own county, and each county has its own set of services and administration.

kyfdx said:

88 in Ohio

120 in KY!!!

fintail · December 2020

I can't see why Egbert would be hated either - seems like the writing was on the wall by the time he took over. He didn't hurt anything, at least.

LOL about Ebert.

uplanderguy said:
Thanks, I did not know any of this.

I do wonder if the 'E' signified 'Egbert'.

Rumor has always been that he did not enamor himself to the Indiana State Police, as he lived in what was called the Proving Ground Mansion on Route 2 about fifteen miles west of town and was perpetually being stopped for speeding in his Avanti, once at 130 it's often told.

Two of his daughters are known to attend national Avanti meets. They actually said they wondered at first how they might be received there, since Studebaker closed its U.S. assembly lines only three weeks after their father was ousted. But most Studebaker people admire Egbert. I know I think the product got more interesting under his tenure--Gran Turismo Hawk, Avanti, heavily-restyled Larks for '62 and '64 model years, high-performance engines, diesel trucks.

I did meet Egbert's secretary, Martha Fleenor, a couple times over a couple years. Very polished older lady; you got the vibe of very pleasant but the 'gatekeeper' variety, LOL. She later ended up marrying Lon Fleenor, who was part of the M-B end of Studebaker. She lived in CA in the '90's but travelled a couple times to Studebaker events in South Bend. I was at the old Stude Museum once and she walked in on the arm of a priest from Notre Dame, LOL.

Digressing again, I was in the old museum in South Bend once and looked up and Roger Ebert was standing next to me, looking at things for sale in a display case. My baritone-voiced buddy said "Hey! It's Roger Ebert!", and he then proceeded to step away from us, LOL.

Michaell · December 2020

fintail said:
39 in WA.

159 in GA - always amused me when I visited a friend who relocated to suburban Atlanta for a short time, and he'd point out that it seemed like every small town was in its own county, and each county has its own set of services and administration.

kyfdx said:

88 in Ohio

120 in KY!!!

CA has a county - San Bernadino - that is larger that some states (20,000 sq mi)

uplanderguy · December 2020

My daughter lives in San Luis Obispo, CA, which is the name of the county as well. She has said that it's one of the largest counties in CA as well.

Michaell · December 2020

uplanderguy said:
My daughter lives in San Luis Obispo, CA, which is the name of the county as well. She has said that it's one of the largest counties in CA as well.

Beautiful country up there, for sure.

fintail · December 2020

WA has a few city-named counties - I'm in one now. Around 2000 sq miles and ~500K people. Come to think of it, I don't think I have spotted any Studes (or Stude-era MBs) since I arrived, although most old cars are hibernating now.

Postwar Studebakers

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