New owner needs to make a decision...

[new2drive]

I was wondering if you guys could help me?
I have recently come into ownership of a 1940 4 door Commander lime green and a 1949 commander black (2 door I think). I like the look of the 40, but do not know which to try and build, vs which to use otherwise.

I was told the 49 could be used for parts for the 40, but obviously not body parts.
Both cars are very sound. The 49 has a blown engine, but the 40 was driven and put into storage in 1960 and hasn’t been moved or turned over since. I was told that all the 40 needed was a good solid cleaning and tune up (drain and replace all fluids, etc…) and it should start right up. I know hoses and such would need replacing and I should really check the compression rings on the pistons, but otherwise.. after the initial work, the engine should be solid. The bodies are quite clean as they have been stored side by side in an old Studebaker dealership, concrete floor, not exposed to light or moisture, etc… I have not checked out the interiors yet, but through the windows, they seem pretty solid.

Both cars are all original parts and I am not seeing any outer rust. I have not had them on a lift yet or checked the suspensions.

I really like the 1940 look and suicide doors and initially I planned to restore the 40 and unload the 49 to cover restoration costs for the 40. Haven’t taken pictures yet, but plan on it this Saturday.

Originally, the cars were my brother-in-laws, but since he moved down south, he really won't be getting to them anytime soon. We talked and now I am purchasing them (my father-in-law is getting the titles together). He agreed to sell them to me as long as I restore one and keep it in the family so to speak.

I just don’t know what to do…. your page seemed like a good place to start.

I want to add, the cars have been in my wife's family as my father-in-law currently owns a part store run out of the original Studebaker dealership. His father owned the place and operated it as a Studebaker dealership until it closed.

Thanks in advance for any help!
I am not a motor head, but I have always wanted to restore an old car... this seems to fit the bill.

[Michidan]

Opinion:
Both are great cars!
By you're own admission you are not a motor head. Work on the 40. If it's complete you have what you need to get it running, it just needs your time and effort. Don't think the car needs big modifications in order to enjoy and drive it. It doesn't.
If you have storage, hang on to the 49. Now is not a great time to sell a car anyway. You might decide at some point you prefer that one, and want to tinker with it.

[new2drive]

Michidan,
Thanks! I do like the look of the 40 so much and after a lot of discussions, I think that is the route I will take. I would love to fix both, finances allowing. I am in no hurry to get rid fo the 49 either so it will be kept. I am still a bit confused that the parts form the 49 would fit the 40, but my father-in-law says a lot of the internals are the same. I trust him completely.
I hope to stay active on this site too. My friend already agreed to help me make a web site where I will document my work from ground zero to completion. I just pray I have the patience, time and money to do it right.
I hope to be able to talk to people here on the boards when I have questions and also, they might be able to help point me t the right parts if I need them.

[studegary]

I owned a 1940 President. That was a straight eight. The 1940 Commander is a fairly large (226 cu.in.) flathead six. The 1949 Commander is also a fairly large (246 cu.in.) flathead six. The engines have the same base and some parts will interchange, or the whole engine. If the cars are reasonably complete and good, I can't see using either for parts. Just buy parts that you may need and keep both cars intact.

[jclary]

Welcome to the forum! (first things first) This forum is a good place to hang out and share information. However, it is miniscule in comparison to the big picture of the overall Studebaker experience. I am guessing you are a relatively young person. If you have not done so, please join the Studebaker Drivers Club. Then find your state chapter, and join it. (some states have multiple chapters) The reason I said the forum is relatively small is that lots of our membership is made up of folks who are more familiar with magazines, newspapers, phones on the wall, and mailboxes, rather than computers, i phones, and blackberries. The connection to a former Studebaker dealer family, and the cars you have are the stuff most of us can only dream about.

It would be helpful if you would let us know where you are. There are probably SDC members in your area that could be very resourceful and helpful to you. In fact, you might just find that getting at least one of the cars roadworthy could be much less daunting than you think with some friendly, knowledgable assistance.

Again, welcome and we will be looking forward to the pictures and following your progress.

[Pat Dilling]

Welcome to the Forum and the Studebaker Drivers Club. One of the first things I recommend you do is to Join the Studebaker Drivers Club. Consider it part of your restoration costs which will be returned many times from the advice and information you will get from your new found friends. The next step would be to locate the local chapter in your area. Again this will be a great resource of technical knowledge, encouragement and good fellowship. It sounds like you have a couple of great cars to work with and though 1940 to 1949 sounds like a stretch for inter change of parts remember that during World War II there was no civilian car production and even once it started again many of the parts from previous years were still in use. Although Studebaker claimed to be the "First by Far with a post war car" there were still many shared components underneath. Aside from the items you mentioned regarding the motor, be sure to go through the brakes before you try to drive them. They surely haev dried out over 40 years of non-use.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Pat

[rockne10]

Cannot overstate the value of getting to know your local SDC members. Go here to find your local club:

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/localchapters.asp

Obviously you will want to invest in the Body, Chassis and Shop Manuals, all available from our vendors.

http://www.studebakervendors.com/

You should also read this article from our Tech Tips page:

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/tech_things2do.asp

[studeclunker]

Well, new2drive, welcome to the family! Or should I say, welcome back? The fact these cars are sitting in an old Studebaker Dealership, are still owned by the dealer's family and have been 'in the family', are all going to be incredibly interesting to the local club chapter. Get ready for a lot of interest, LOL!

Parts won't be a problem. We have a wide variety of vendors who make reproduction parts and offer an even wider variety of New Old Stock. In fact, two of our largest vendors, Studebaker Autoparts Supply Company and Studebaker International just merged. So, the opportunity for getting these cars up and running quickly should be quite ripe. One thing you and your Father-in-law might want to do is squirt a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders. Your F.I.L. will know what it is. He just might have an idea or two also.

As to the '40: Be prepared for stuck clutch, brakes, and other parts from sitting so long. Granted, they've been in a premium enviornment, however both cars will still have deteriorated just from sitting. Still, that should be very minor compared to what most people have to deal with. It also depends upon how long they've been inside.

My congratulations for a wonderful opportunity. Please post some pictures so that this envy ridden old man can droo... um, ahem... admire your find.

[Anne F. Goodman]

WElcome new2drive first off where are you located please put that info in your about me . I drive a 1949 Champion as a daily driver so a Commander would be great too. The 1940 Seems to be the fastest to get on the road. There are alot of great folks on this forum to answer your questions and steer you in the right direction. Please join the SDC the magazine will be your best friend. on the bottom of this page is a linnk to the SDC home page. You can check it out. You can join from there. There is also a list of the local chapters. So check that out also.
WElcome again and keep in touch we like pictures too.

[CHUCKLTD]

I'd say restore the 40 first, then worry about the 49. What you'd learn from the 40 will go a long way in making the other seem less daunting. Either way, it's a great find.

[new2drive]

Well, first off, thanks for the warm reception!
I am not quite young anymore, but far form old I guess either... I turn 40 in October.

Anyway, I first saw the cars about 10 years ago when my wife and I started dating, since then we have married and have a family. I moved to her home town and now live about 4 blocks form the garage. Her family has a loooong history in cars, but surprising enough, no actual interest in restoration. My father-in-law is a great guy and said he would help and I think he is glad to see something being done with the cars. Originally, they were family cars and eventually got handed down to my wife's older brother. He now lives in SC and so has finally come to terms with realizing he probably won't be moving them down south on a flatbed to fix, so he opted to sell them and keep them in the family, at least that is the deal I had to make.

The business is now called S&W motors and is located in Cambridge Springs PA. I am not sure what the original name of the dealership was. It is currently a parts store. With that said, CS in basically in NW PA, between Erie and Pittsburgh. We have plenty of car shows and such, so I am sure I will find other Studebaker people here.

As for the cars, I will be posting pics throughout the project, starting with this weekend. To me, this looks like a very daunting project and I am very intimidated. It is great to know that there are parts available and a great group of people to offer advice! After my assesment this weekend, I weill have a much more realistic view on the work it will take. I know I am very fortunate in that the cars have been kept out of bright light, dry and in a relative climate comtrolled garage for the last 50 years.

I think my main goal is family bonding with my son (15) and father-in-law. If it becomes finaincially possible to fix both, I would love to do so. That way, I could get one down to my brother-in-law as he is a very generous man too. He offered the cars at a very low price and like I said... mostly to keep them in the family. I also told my son, for all of his help... he will be that much closer to getting a truck. By helping me, he will be earning money to put down on his first vehicle. So, in essence, the cars will be mine, but they will also be the family's since I couldn't get to where I need to go without their help and patience!

I will be joining the organizations soon I am guessing, the cost isn't great, but I want to realize the commitment in time and $$$ before I jump in head first, because once I do commit to a full and proper restoration... a lot of other hobby stuff will be put on the shelf until this job is done.

[jackb]

both cars will need engine rebuilds unless you plan on driving only in parades and very short jaunts....Unfortunately, the amount of time sitting, tho it may have allowed for some rewards to body and finish, will not be so dear to the inner working of the engine. You have babbit-lined bearings in the 40' and, given the history, those bearings will be shot and your oil pressure will suffer so excessive oil consumption..at the least will be an issue. Look for a fiber gear camshaft gear to go south very soon leaving you stranded on the road. You'll need to rebuild all brake, & exhaust systems too....go get it !!!!

[studeclunker]

As you say, this weekend will tell you how much work needs doing. If these cars have been so carefully preserved, I would imagine they were well cared for whilst driving. If that's so, they might not need 'full and total restoration.' In fact, that might not be a good idea. Get in touch with your local chapter. They can advise you here.

Just keep in mind that there will be a lot of issues to deal with. Have patience, and most importantly, have fun, you lucky dog!

[jclary]

both cars will need engine rebuilds unless you plan on driving only in parades and very short jaunts....Unfortunately, the amount of time sitting, tho it may have allowed for some rewards to body and finish, will not be so dear to the inner working of the engine. You have babbit-lined bearings in the 40' and, given the history, those bearings will be shot and your oil pressure will suffer so excessive oil consumption..at the least will be an issue. Look for a fiber gear camshaft gear to go south very soon leaving you stranded on the road. You'll need to rebuild all brake, & exhaust systems too....go get it !!!!

Dang Jack, I know all these things need to be checked, but I don't see how you could be so matter of fact pessimistic without examining the cars. As far as bearings, I thought that Studebaker had made the switch to "insert" bearings as far back as 1937.

I have a 51 Land Cruiser that sat for about 30 years. New oil, seals, oil pan gasket, fuel pump, tune up, brake job, battery, and tires and that's it. I have blown the doors off many new cigar shaped sissy cars while going uphill on the interstate!

[new2drive]

In this case I would rather be pessimistic than overly hopeful. I have a lot of experience with old equipment and breakdowns, not cars of course, but other things with pressure and moving parts, so I understand completely. I already know the brakes and everything associated will need to be replaced.
I do anticipate that this will be a LOT of work. It will be no "jump in and turn the key", but I have one advantage.... this is somehting I ALWAYS have wanted to do. I almost bought a 53 (I think) Studebaker when I was in highschool... too much work, no money... all of the time in the world.

I am in no hurry.

I do have a question though.... this weekend I will be cleaning the cars off (very dusty and dirty). Should I be overly concerned about what type of soap I use to wash them/clean them up?

Also, can Armor-All products be used on the interriors? I think the fabric looks solid, but that doesn't mean a thing until I open the doors.

My first task is to clean them off and up and move them apart so I can start to work on them.
I just hope my wife doesn't want to kill me after a while because with a 20 month old in the house.... I don't know how much time she will give me to play and I have a very addictive personality. I like to see things move foreward and get done... even one slow step at a time.

Oh, jackb, and by rebuilds? You do mean just taken apart piece for piece and cleaned, calipered and reassembled, or should I be anticipating any serious engine damage form sitting?