High winds and Stude hoods

[PackardV8]

Greetings, SDCers.

Fifty years of Studebaker ownership and still getting ambushed by those darned big hoods! My first hard lesson was in 1962. My '56 Flight Hawk, built with what we now know to be a criminally unsafe latch design, unlatched on a hard bump at speed and folded the hood back over the roof. Under the wrong circumstances, that could have been fatal. Fortunately, it was a country road with no other traffic and I was able to keep my wits about me and brake hard without turning the wheel.

My most recent lesson learned was with my '55 pickup. Getting it ready for spring driving, I rolled it out, changed the oil and put the battery on the charger. The hood was naturally open on the prop rod while the oil was draining and the battery was charging. A gust of wind lifted the heavy hood enough to raise the prop rod out of the hole in the radiator core support. The hood then dropped onto the battery charger, putting a small ding in the heretofore pristine paint. I would have much rather it had fallen on my head. [xx(]

Moral of the story - Don't spit into the wind and don't park your Studes facing into the wind with the hoods raised, either!

thnx, jack vines.

PackardV8

[curt]

Yesterday I drove my 1955 Persident from Seminole,OK to Liberal KS ,a distance of 345 miles. Wimds were, I bet 35 to 45 mph. They were cross winds on a two lane higkway with a speed limit of 65mph. I drove 60 mph. When the big cattle trucks coming towards me passed, they were doing all of 65mph. One time I think the car was 'blown on' so hard I could see the hood try to lift , the fenders and roof seemed to move. The Studebaker just kept going straight ahead with a little stearing adjustment. I did notice a loose piece of chrome after the run, it's not loose any more. The hood latch held yesterday in extreme winds.High yesterday was 91 degrees with a low of 46 this AM.

[62champ]

quote:Originally posted by PackardV8


A gust of wind lifted the heavy hood enough to raise the prop rod out of the hole in the radiator core support. The hood then dropped onto the battery charger, putting a small ding in the heretofore pristine paint. I would have much rather it had fallen on my head. [xx(]

thnx, jack vines.

PackardV8

I have heard of a similar incident, but when the hood came down on the Studebaker pickup, the prop rod punched a hole in the core of the radiator [:0]



<div align="left">1960 Lark VI</div id="left"> <div align="right">1962 7E7-122</div id="right">
[img=left]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/8b0ac4c6.jpg[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l163/62champ/car/DSC02237.jpg[/img=right]

[OzarkPetunia]

So... being the proud new owner of a '56 Flight Hawk (with a criminally unsafe hood latch) that's within a week or so of being roadworthy again, does anyone have a decent picture or a super-detailed description of the cotter pin "fix" to secure the hood?

THANKS!
Rose

Fayetteville, AR

[DEEPNHOCK]

I have a new Ford 500.
The hood does a 'flutter' every time I pass a semi.
You'd think it was going to rip loose and fly open.
(It's also held up with a prop rod)..
So, if you are going to lay the criminal part on the old Stude designers,
be aware that they have served their term, and are out in public again.
Jeff[8D]

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[61hawk]

quote:Originally posted by OzarkPetunia

So... being the proud new owner of a '56 Flight Hawk (with a criminally unsafe hood latch) that's within a week or so of being roadworthy again, does anyone have a decent picture or a super-detailed description of the cotter pin "fix" to secure the hood?

THANKS!
Rose

Fayetteville, AR

I don't have pictures handy, but it is pretty simple if I remember the steps correctly:
1: Raise hood
2: Push the spring around the hood pin up above the triangle shaped tip.
3: Clamp a vice grip on the pin to hold the spring above the triangle shaped tip.
4: Drill a hole through the center portion of the tip from side-to-side.
5: Remove vice grip, close hood, and insert clip.

We used a piece of vinyl covered cable to keep the clip connected to the car for the times when the hood is up.

Lee

[blackhawk61]

Here You go !


1961 Hawk 4BC,4-SPEED,TT

Ken Byrd
Lewisville,NC

[DEEPNHOCK]

And I thought nose rings in chick's were ugly[:0]
But... If it works!
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by blackhawk61

Here You go !

[61hawk]

quote:Originally posted by DEEPNHOCK

And I thought nose rings in chick's were ugly[:0]
But... If it works!
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by blackhawk61

Here You go !

Yeah but to see this you either have to be laying down or in the process of getting run over by the car to see it. It's like having ugly mufflers on the car.

[OzarkPetunia]

Thanks for the instructions AND picture! Another "to do" added to the list.



Fayetteville, AR

[Chucks Stude]

That pin is in stock at Tractor Supply. Works like a charm.

[Guido]

quote:Originally posted by Chucks Stude

That pin is in stock at Tractor Supply.

They are called lynch pins.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful" and real Studebaker horsepower lives

See pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

[56H-Y6]

Hi
This applies to the C-K and Hawk models, is it also necessary to do this modification to the '53-'58 sedans? I don't recall the '57 President I had having any problem with the hood staying stable in high winds.
Steve

[sals54]

I've been driving my 54 Coupe for over 30 years and have always used a secondary safety catch on my hood. I've come home a few times to find that the hood had sprung from the stock latch only to be caught by the safety catch. A few times over 30 years has probably saved me from having to buy a couple of hoods over the years.
Rewind to last summer. Ugh. I had shown a friend something under my hood and dropped it closed. We went on to other stuff. The next day I went out for an evening of cruising. I had been out for an hour or so and made a U turn to go home. I got on it a bit to really feel the burn through the gears. Just as I hit about 65mph...WHAM!!!, the hood shot up so fast I thought I was auditioning for Tommy Boy. I was so mad, it was all I could do to not jump up and down on the hood. I had to pace up and down the sidewalk for a half hour before I could even try to figure out how to close the hood and get it home. I used a piece of concrete to smash the hood into some vague appearance of its former self just to get it to close. I had finally stopped my cursing rampage enough to allow myself to drive home. My wife had already called me and I could not even talk to her. Well, I found that I had neglected to engage the safety catch on the hood the evening before. What a dufus. One hood in over 30 years, is OK I guess. As I had a primo extra hood at the time was a little bit of consolation. Now the only replacement I have is fiberglass. Better than nothing though. USE A SECONDARY SAFETY CATCH ON ALL COUPES AND HARDTOPS.! ! ! ! ! !

[rodnutrandy]

Please advise me! Is this a problem with M series pickups? My hood is in body shop right now getting straightened and painted. I would be a little more than upset if hood folded over cab after spending nearly 7 years to get the truck on the road. And if pin is needed, how could you reach it with a m truck? THANKS for any Info!!!!!

Randy Wilkin
1946 M5 Streetrod
Hillsboro,Ohio 45133