This is Sad

[S2DSteve]

Went to a show yesterday. About 400 cars and, as usual, only 2 or 3 Studebakers. I noticed a customized '55 hartop pulling in a few rows down, and went over to check it out. It was what I would call a "traditional" custom-flames, lake pipes, mag wheels, dummy spots, nosed and decked, tuck & roll, modified dash and a smallblock Chevy. It was relatively low tech-still had drum brakes, stock steering, suspension, original frame etc.

The sad part is it was a genuine '55 President SPEEDSTER. The owner proudly informed me it was a very rare model, and went on to tell me it was for sale ($23,000). He also told me he junked the Studebaker "boat anchor" motor and pointed out the "customized" (no longer engine turned) dash. Obviously I'm not a purist and the fact is a lot of Studebakers are actually worth more when modified, but not this one. It still had most of the original chrome and stainless, and it all looked very good. I elected not to tell him it could be worth twice as much if properly restored. Oh well.



Steve Hudson
The Dalles, Oregon
1949 "GMOBaker" 1-T Dually (workhorse)
1953 Commander Convertible (show & go)
1953 Champion Starliner (custom/rod project)
1954 Champion Coupe (daily driver)
1960 Hawk (future project?)

[StudeDave57]

quote:Originally posted by S2DSteve


I elected not to tell him it could be worth twice as much if properly restored. Oh well.

I would've~ then I'd have handed him a tissue...

[:0] [}] [)] [^]



StudeDave [8D]
San Diego, Ca.
San Diego County SDC

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

'54 Commander Regal 4dr 'Ruby'
'57 Parkview 'Betsy' (she's a 2dr wagon...)
'57 Commander DeLuxe 2dr 'Baby'
'57 Champion Custom 2dr 'Jewel'
'58 Packard sedan 'Cleo'
'65 Cruiser 'Sweet Pea'

Part owner of the one and only
'55 PROTOTYPE panel van

[mbstude]

At the Daytona Rod Run last year, there was a '55 Speedster that showed up. Much like you described, even had the Chevy motor.

I remember an R3 Avanti owner just shaking his head saying, "That's just sacrilege". [V]

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[showbizkid]

That is sad. And not common just to Stude-dom... Fans of almost every marque are continually fighting dudes who want to pull out native power and shove in a bowtie 400. It's epidemic, almost.


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[wmsteve]

Yup, I sympathize with you.

You can paint a mustache on the "Mona Lisa" and, without a Historical Perspective, it can be: funny, interesting or sad...

I think that they just don't know; (or care) about the past generations who've created what we've got...

I agree, it's sad... to me...

[Mark57]

Sad for us Studebaker enthusiasts perhaps, but if someone pays him $23K for it as he is asking, I doubt he will be sad! [}][:0]

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island

Are you planning to attend the NW Overdrive Tour in Parksville, BC
May 23-25, 2009?</h5>

[studeclunker]

judging by what's described above, this fellow won't get his price. Studebakers really appeal to a small percentage of the market. Then again, maybe he'll get lucky... I hope not, it's a lesson that needs to be learned.


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[bams50]

This is exactly the debate discussed by Patrick Foster recently in Hemmings Classic Car; see this thread started by BP:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19845

I don't get that excited about customs as a rule. Every time I see one I think about all the work that went into modifying it, for a limited customer base should he want to sell it; which is why you see them at auctions selling for sometimes 30 cents on the dollar. Crazy to throw that kind of money away, no matter how rich one is.

Case in point: I was watching Boyd's show a couple years ago. Rich guy wants Boyd to build him "something"- no real idea what he wanted. So Boyd ends up finding an always-garaged, low mileage, near mint 59 Bel Air 2dsd. Little old lady's car, but running and driving perfect, maybe a wash away from show car- a true survivor/time capsule. He takes it to the shop, where the guys gather around and make fun of it, laugh while Boyd burns the rear tire awhile, then rip it apart[V] They cut off the top and toss it, toss the rear seat, lengthen the dash and mount a pair of aftermarket buckets back a foot, and throw in a crate motor[xx(] Without seeing it the buyer decides he wants "something to go with it", so Boyd builds a bike with a body modeled after it.

So the car is done. The finished car and bike are revealed for the first time to the buyer, who grins for the camera with his much younger plastic wife, says that's nice, has Boyd take him for a ride, and off to the auction it goes...

So what occured was another excellent example that should have been saved for posterity in a museum or lovingly maintained and enjoyed, turned into an oddball, impractical car that barely represents what it was, built for uninterested rich person who has no interest beyond the 2-hour ego stroke he got, set to gather dust and deteriorate in some other rich guy's airplane hangar. That's a far cry from those of us who sweat, skin knuckles, and work till we're sore buiding a car we love, and repeat the process over and over maintaining it.

Customize vs. not customize is a very gray area to me- I have no problem with customs built from junkers that otherwise would have been scrapped, but hate to see nice examples cut up for ego's sake. I also have no problem with modifications that can easily be changed back, and don't destroy the original design (wheels, color, upholstery, etc.).

In the end, it's a free country, and if one owns a car they can do as they choose- I'm not going to let myself get too upset over a car.

But you can't make me like it



Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by S2DSteve

Went to a show yesterday. About 400 cars and, as usual, only 2 or 3 Studebakers. I noticed a customized '55 hartop pulling in a few rows down, and went over to check it out.

The sad part is it was a genuine '55 President SPEEDSTER. The owner proudly informed me it was a very rare model, and went on to tell me it was for sale ($23,000). He also told me he junked the Studebaker "boat anchor" motor and pointed out the "customized" (no longer engine turned) dash. Obviously I'm not a purist and the fact is a lot of Studebakers are actually worth more when modified, but not this one. It still had most of the original chrome and stainless, and it all looked very good. I elected not to tell him it could be worth twice as much if properly restored. Oh well.

Don't feel bad! A few of these, which had a production total that was less than a Speedster didn't escape the customizers, either.

http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Brg13a1a.htm

http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Brg13a1.htm

Craig

[Avantidon]

Well here goes as I am not toally a purist as I have a nicely modified Avanti R-2 but when someone does to a Speedster or as a matter of fact any other rare car like the Graham that Pat Foster referreed to too I do get upset. I feel that one must do their "homework" before they start to destroy a rare car regardless of what it is. I guess you can say I believe in "Conserve" rather than "Restore" or "Rod". It is a difficult decision but research will tell you what to do but so many people are in a hurry and just do their thing. I personally would have probably made the guymad by telling him what he lost in destroying one of only 2215 or so built.

[Guest]

I was among the Stude gang at a Father's Day car show in our neck of the woods and saw three Willys all around 1940 vintage and all 3 looked the same. Remember that AMT model we bought 40 years ago? Big block, raised manifold, scoop intake thru the hood, slicks...
-yawn-

I wouldn't know what a stock '40 Willy looked like. I've never seen one!

Western Washington, USA

[Dick Steinkamp]

I can't believe this comes up every week...and the same points are made (and remade) every week .

If you ONLY want a car (or all cars) "done" in a way that is acceptable to you, BUY it (or them). It's the only way to insure you will be unable to complain when somebody does something different to it than you would do.

It's a hobby. It's supposed to be fun. If it makes you angry, mad, sad, to see a car that is not exactly like you would do it, you might need a different hobby.

It gets tougher and tougher to participate here for the few of us that might consider painting a car a different color than stock, or upgrading the brakes, or putting in a stereo, or maybe even changing the power plant or doing a few body mods.

EVERYBODY has their favorites. But do others favorites really need to be condemned?

[Dick Steinkamp]

I can't believe this comes up every week...and the same points are made (and remade) every week .

If you ONLY want a car (or all cars) "done" in a way that is acceptable to you, BUY it (or them). It's the only way to insure you will be unable to complain when somebody does something different to it than you would do.

It's a hobby. It's supposed to be fun. If it makes you angry, mad, sad, to see a car that is not exactly like you would do it, you might need a different hobby.

It gets tougher and tougher to participate here for the few of us that might consider painting a car a different color than stock, or upgrading the brakes, or putting in a stereo, or maybe even changing the power plant or doing a few body mods.

EVERYBODY has their favorites. But do others favorites really need to be condemned?

[JDP]

As both a seller and a fan of the Studebaker marque, I'd prefer my sales go to a restorer. Having said that, I won't take a big hit in the wallet to accept a low ball offer from a purist.


JDP/Maryland

[JDP]

As both a seller and a fan of the Studebaker marque, I'd prefer my sales go to a restorer. Having said that, I won't take a big hit in the wallet to accept a low ball offer from a purist.


JDP/Maryland