Some of you will remember this story from when I first wrote it and posted it to the old newsgroup. I'd all but forgotten about it even tho I still do drive past this place and the fence mentioned is still there.
The older fella I dealt with that day is still there and he always waves when he sees Pete go by. I've never stopped to see if he ever sold the vehicle. It might still be settin' there! It took place in 2001.......
Yesterday afternoon found me on a mission of mercy. I had made a run to the local UPS depot to expedite a tube full of Hawk trim to Studebaker nut, Lark Parker. Warm day, worthy cause, what more could I want?
On the return trip I took a road I've traveled MANY times over the years. At one intersection, there's a bunch of acreage that was a wrecking yard until about 13 years ago. In fact there's still lots of car parts and other scrap metal junk lyin' around there.
What used to be the yard-operators home and office all in one has recently been revamped into a pretty nice home by some family heirs. I've watched the remodeling progress over the last year or so.
Next door to the revamped place is another little house that was in the same family for years. Along one side of the driveway is an interesting fence made out of old car wheels that have been welded together. This house had been occupied until sometime last year. So while trying not to look TOO obvious, I'd sometimes slow down just to take a gander at that fairly unique fence. What really piqued my interest in that fence was the hubcaps that these wheels wore. Most had some really nice caps from the 50s and earlier.
There were some nice trim rings too! Some were readily identifiable as Stude caps. Of course, THAT point made me look each time I drove by.
Anyway, that residence has been vacant for awhile now and I've wondered about the fate of those caps and rings. So when I spotted someone cleaning up the driveway there yesterday, I decided to stop and inquire about the caps. As I drove up in the Transtar, the fella looked up and started to chuckle........"No.......I ain't sellin' no parts off it."
Of course, I couldn't fathom just what it was he was talkin' about. I
mean, I hadn't even uttered a word at that point.
I said:" I don't follow. What do you think I want?"
"OH.." he said. "I thought you was wantin' to know if I'd sell any parts off that Stude truck sittin' over by the fence."
I was without a clue as to what he was talkin' about. "What Stude truck? Where???"
"Right over there. Up against that wooden fence. C'mon, I'll show ya." And we started off towards the road's edge.
There, backed up against a high section of wood fence, set a 3/4ton 2R11 truck. Geesh! I'd driven within 8 feet of this thing for a dozen years and never had a clue it was sitting there!
We took a look inside it, It was all there save for a horn button.
Further, it had a rare optional radio in it. There were boxes of car parts of all kinds and description on the seat and floors of the thing. Next we managed to get the badly bent hood up and this revealed a non-stock (to 2R trucks anyway) Stude V8. A real quick check of the fenders and doors didn't reveal any rustout or even bubbles where such are common. It sported a homemade camper, sort of thing instead of having an original bed. It was ugly. But still........
The guy and I talked for over an hour about days gone by when they had whole ROWS of Studebaker cars and trucks in the yard! He said his father-in-law (the fella who started the yard in the late 40s) had accumulated 52 bullet-nosed Studes by the mid-70s. 52 JUST bullet-noses!!! But when the price of scrap metal shot uparound '76 or so, they smashed ALL the older Studes and just retained a few late model ones. Then when the old guy's health was failing in the mid-80s, they cleaned out the yard and shut down the business.
Somehow, the old 2R and an M5 (which has since been cusstomized) escaped the crusher. They'd actually like to find a buyer for the 2R now. He press
The older fella I dealt with that day is still there and he always waves when he sees Pete go by. I've never stopped to see if he ever sold the vehicle. It might still be settin' there! It took place in 2001.......
Yesterday afternoon found me on a mission of mercy. I had made a run to the local UPS depot to expedite a tube full of Hawk trim to Studebaker nut, Lark Parker. Warm day, worthy cause, what more could I want?
On the return trip I took a road I've traveled MANY times over the years. At one intersection, there's a bunch of acreage that was a wrecking yard until about 13 years ago. In fact there's still lots of car parts and other scrap metal junk lyin' around there.
What used to be the yard-operators home and office all in one has recently been revamped into a pretty nice home by some family heirs. I've watched the remodeling progress over the last year or so.
Next door to the revamped place is another little house that was in the same family for years. Along one side of the driveway is an interesting fence made out of old car wheels that have been welded together. This house had been occupied until sometime last year. So while trying not to look TOO obvious, I'd sometimes slow down just to take a gander at that fairly unique fence. What really piqued my interest in that fence was the hubcaps that these wheels wore. Most had some really nice caps from the 50s and earlier.
There were some nice trim rings too! Some were readily identifiable as Stude caps. Of course, THAT point made me look each time I drove by.
Anyway, that residence has been vacant for awhile now and I've wondered about the fate of those caps and rings. So when I spotted someone cleaning up the driveway there yesterday, I decided to stop and inquire about the caps. As I drove up in the Transtar, the fella looked up and started to chuckle........"No.......I ain't sellin' no parts off it."
Of course, I couldn't fathom just what it was he was talkin' about. I
mean, I hadn't even uttered a word at that point.
I said:" I don't follow. What do you think I want?"
"OH.." he said. "I thought you was wantin' to know if I'd sell any parts off that Stude truck sittin' over by the fence."
I was without a clue as to what he was talkin' about. "What Stude truck? Where???"
"Right over there. Up against that wooden fence. C'mon, I'll show ya." And we started off towards the road's edge.
There, backed up against a high section of wood fence, set a 3/4ton 2R11 truck. Geesh! I'd driven within 8 feet of this thing for a dozen years and never had a clue it was sitting there!
We took a look inside it, It was all there save for a horn button.
Further, it had a rare optional radio in it. There were boxes of car parts of all kinds and description on the seat and floors of the thing. Next we managed to get the badly bent hood up and this revealed a non-stock (to 2R trucks anyway) Stude V8. A real quick check of the fenders and doors didn't reveal any rustout or even bubbles where such are common. It sported a homemade camper, sort of thing instead of having an original bed. It was ugly. But still........
The guy and I talked for over an hour about days gone by when they had whole ROWS of Studebaker cars and trucks in the yard! He said his father-in-law (the fella who started the yard in the late 40s) had accumulated 52 bullet-nosed Studes by the mid-70s. 52 JUST bullet-noses!!! But when the price of scrap metal shot uparound '76 or so, they smashed ALL the older Studes and just retained a few late model ones. Then when the old guy's health was failing in the mid-80s, they cleaned out the yard and shut down the business.
Somehow, the old 2R and an M5 (which has since been cusstomized) escaped the crusher. They'd actually like to find a buyer for the 2R now. He press
Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful" and real Studebaker horsepower lives
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] Just how bad off was the thing?[}
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