WAHOO! A successful round trip!

[jclary]

250 mile round trip in a stock 1948 Business Coupe ain't too bad! Had a great time at the S E zone Meet. I am going to have to try to renew the worn components in the front suspension including king pins, A arm bushings, tie rod ends, and the steering sector. Then there is the little thing about spraying oil all over my Dodge truck that my wife was following in as we made our way down the interstate.

Other than those two minor irritations, we managed to average between 65 and 75 MPH on the Interstate. As usual, there were the tense moments when gawkers wanted to cruise along side and tend to wander into your lane as they looked the car over.

The great part of the meet was in getting to renew old friendships and make new acquaintances. Congratulations to Tom Elliott for bringing (with Matt's help of course) that stunning '51 Business coupe to the meet. I have never had so much fun loosing out to another car at an event. My winning moment came as I shifted my little champion into second gear to climb the hill up my drive way. It is always a win when you drive a 62-year-old car keeping up with modern traffic, maintaining great oil pressure, at normal temperatures, and arrive home under your own power.

Another good thing was winning an AMT 1963 Avanti model kit as a door prize at the awards banquet. Written on the box is, "from the Tom & Maureen Elliott collection." I will proudly place it in my display case as it is now...as an unopened kit.

Thanks to all who volunteered and worked to carry out the event. In addition to a fun Studebaker gathering, it was a successful fund-raising event on behalf of those suffering from ALS. The courage displayed by Tom and his wonderful wife, Maureen, is an inspiration to us all.

One thing I realized on the trip home was that I forgot to take "ANY" pictures. I had two cameras and was so caught up in enjoying the cars, parts, and people, that I forgot to take a single picture. So...if any of you wish to post some...have at it.

[rockinhawk]

John, you parked next to my Hawk that was spewing oil. I didn't know it was contageous. Sorry!!! NT

[jclary]

John, you parked next to my Hawk that was spewing oil. I didn't know it was contageous. Sorry!!! NT

Well Neal, If I thought it would be profitable to blame you for this...I'd be quick to give you the credit. However, if you have ever seen what was provided as bearing dust covers on Studebaker horse-drawn wagon wheels, you know the tradition dates well beyond either of us.

After leaving the car parked on my concrete driveway a couple of hours yesterday, a quick forensic study of the oil droppings indicate that the oil is coming from the rear driver's side of the engine. I have seen "blow-by" coming from the filler neck but it usually coats the firewall and rear underside of the hood. Mine is dry in that area. I was suspecting the draft-breather-tube but there were only a couple of tiny drops in that area. I suspect that it is from the front timing cover seal, oil pan gasket, or rear main seal. The only other suspected area would be the engine mount brackets where I think a couple of the bolt holes penetrate into an oil gallery. I don't think those are loose, but I will check.

We should all understand that where the oil drips from is not necessarily where it is leaking from. Air turbulence at speed does all kinds of funky things to oil as it escapes. If anyone has any other ideas I will check. For now, I just pulled the car back into the "man cave" for a well deserved rest.

[mbstude]

Glad you made it home okay, John. It was great talking to you and your wife, and that little coupe of yours is a beauty.

I had an eventful drive back in the '51. Bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta on I-75 was no fun at all and the brakes faded out rather quickly. I had the heater on full blast too as the temp gauge needle was getting way too close to the "H". Then I ran it out of gas about 3 miles short of Tom's house. Turns out the gas gauge sticks a little.

Aside from that, the Champion performed flawlessly and Tom fulfilled his 40 year dream of having his own Stude at an SDC event. The Best of Show trophy has already found its home on his fireplace mantle.

[jclary]

Glad you made it home okay, John. It was great talking to you and your wife, and that little coupe of yours is a beauty.

I had an eventful drive back in the '51. Bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta on I-75 was no fun at all and the brakes faded out rather quickly. I had the heater on full blast too as the temp gauge needle was getting way too close to the "H". Then I ran it out of gas about 3 miles short of Tom's house. Turns out the gas gauge sticks a little.

Aside from that, the Champion performed flawlessly and Tom fulfilled his 40 year dream of having his own Stude at an SDC event. The Best of Show trophy has already found its home on his fireplace mantle.

[rockinhawk]

Well Neal, If I thought it would be profitable to blame you for this...I'd be quick to give you the credit. However, if you have ever seen what was provided as bearing dust covers on Studebaker horse-drawn wagon wheels, you know the tradition dates well beyond either of us.

After leaving the car parked on my concrete driveway a couple of hours yesterday, a quick forensic study of the oil droppings indicate that the oil is coming from the rear driver's side of the engine. I have seen "blow-by" coming from the filler neck but it usually coats the firewall and rear underside of the hood. Mine is dry in that area. I was suspecting the draft-breather-tube but there were only a couple of tiny drops in that area. I suspect that it is from the front timing cover seal, oil pan gasket, or rear main seal. The only other suspected area would be the engine mount brackets where I think a couple of the bolt holes penetrate into an oil gallery. I don't think those are loose, but I will check.

We should all understand that where the oil drips from is not necessarily where it is leaking from. Air turbulence at speed does all kinds of funky things to oil as it escapes. If anyone has any other ideas I will check. For now, I just pulled the car back into the "man cave" for a well deserved rest.

It's not only Studebakers. We have a 4 bay carport which is occupied by a Chrysler Concord, a Chevy diesel dooly,and a Vulcan motorcycle. The 4th bay alternates with the GT, the Silverhawk,or the Avanti. All 4 bay floors boast equal oil spots. NT

[DEEPNHOCK]

Do you know what they call one lap of I-285 around Atlanta???

[rockinhawk]

Do you know what they call one lap of I-285 around Atlanta???

Pandemonium?

[mbstude]

If it's a lap in a '51 Champion Automatic, a deathwish. <G>

[DEEPNHOCK]

Not even (PC) close <lol>

Pandemonium?

[rockinhawk]

Last time I was on 285 I was driving a 2ton truck loaded with 9 tons of stone. I had 1 hand on the shifter,1 foot on the brake pedal, while holding my insurance card in my teeth.

My trip to Braselton was north on 441 to Watkinsville, then 53 into Braselton. No interstates and very little city traffic. NT

[jlmccuan]

Matt, if you had taken that car up anywhere near the speeds you drove at earlier in the day, you could have coasted that last 3 miles, lol.

[rockinhawk]

Not even (PC) close <lol>

Got your PM Jeff. I can relate and I fully agree!!

[jclary]

Funny how these threads tend to ramble off topic. However, the talk of Atlanta traffic reminded me...in 1969 I had been back from Vietnam only a few short months when I took a job with Ryder, jockeying trucks all over the country. One of my early assignments was to fly to Atlanta and pick up three brand new Ford W model tractors stacked piggyback and deliver them to the Greenville, S.C. terminal. Back then, there were nowhere near as many lanes of highway as they are now. I recall how intimidated and nervous I was in the bumper to bumper traffic. It took me one hour to go seven miles.

Now there are a gazillion lanes, and I don't see much improvement in the overall flow of traffic. It is as if some people are determined to figure out a way to block traffic no matter how many lanes are provided.