What do you "forget" about your Studebaker?

[BobPalma]

Most of us don't drive a Studebaker every day as a daily driver. Climate and contemporary gasoline have as much to do with it as anything, especially in hostile climates like anything north of the Mason-Dixon line!

So when you get in your Studebaker and drive it, what do you forget momentarily, if anything?

Yesterday and today were get the collector cars winterized days; all seven of them. I had not driven my 4-speed 1964 Daytona hardtop this year, but always get every car out and drive each one once a year minimum so nothing gets stuck, seized, etc.

So I put a hot battery in the hardtop and it fired right up, whereupon I drove it out of the Morton storage building and over to the other side of our property to the "working" garage for service. When I backed it out to go for a little drive and get fresh gasoline after servicing it, I had to stop at the end of the drive to let traffic pass before backing out.

There's a slight incline at the end of our drive. I stopped on the incline. When I took my foot off the brake with the clutch depressed, I expected the car to roll backward toward the street. But it didn't; it stayed put. Rats! 'Must have a sticking wheel cylinder and/or dragging brake shoe on one wheel, right?

Wrong. The car has a Hill Holder and it was just doing what it is supposed to do; work! I was embarrased when I remembered that, having entertained an -ahem- unkind thought toward the car when considering a dragging brake; another needed repair. <GGG>

Anybody else have a surprise, a characteristic of our old iron that you forget when going from your daily driver to your Studebaker (or any other collector vehicle, for that matter)? BP

[rockinhawk]

I rarely drive a car other than a Studebaker. Most of my common vehicles are trucks with a manuel trans. and a stick coming up out of the floor. Even my wife's Chrysler has the auto shifter on th floor. Many times when I get into my Silverhawk with 3 on the tree, I forget where the shifter is.

[starliner62]

I almost always forget where the ignition switch is.

[kmac530]

I was gonna tell you something that I forget....but I forgot it.

I forgot that a previous owner had used some improper wrench on my rear axle bearing jamb nuts and turned the edge into a steel razor blade so that when I took it off I sliced my finger wide open, Then I forgot, and put it back on today and sliced my same finger open again....

[Kurt]

Pulling the transmission lever down one notch and expecting reverse! I drive mine somewhat regular, but find my self revving the engine in neutral expecting to back up.

[aarrggh]

Nothing when driving it . . but when working on it i forget the lug nuts turn the opposite way on one side of car , ( what up with that ! ) . yup and i snap em off before i figure out what i did wrong . ( down to two lugs on one wheel " doh ! ") ........

[Mark57]

Overdrive

Due to the fact that my truck's 3 spd. OD tranny was converted to a top shifter many years ago without the benefit of Gord Richmond's "inventiveness", you have to disengage the OD before reverse gear works.
It's amazing (or maybe not) how often I can forget to pull out that handle!

[BobPalma]

I was gonna tell you something that I forget....but I forgot it.

I forgot that a previous owner had used some improper wrench on my rear axle bearing jamb nuts and turned the edge into a steel razor blade so that when I took it off I sliced my finger wide open, Then I forgot, and put it back on today and sliced my same finger open again....

OUCH! Man, that's painful to read about, much less experience...twice! Be careful! BP

[irish]

OUCH! Man, that's painful to read about, much less experience...twice! Be careful! BP

My thoughts exactly! I had a major cut to my left thumb a few years ago (nearly lost the thumb but it works surprisingly well now) so anytime I read/hear about someone cutting a finger I cringe. kmac530...you might try using a file to knock-off the sharp edges on the nut.

Joe

[rockne10]

Direction of window crank!

[BobPalma]

I rarely drive a car other than a Studebaker. Most of my common vehicles are trucks with a manuel trans. and a stick coming up out of the floor. Even my wife's Chrysler has the auto shifter on th floor. Many times when I get into my Silverhawk with 3 on the tree, I forget where the shifter is.

That's good, Neil. Geeze, 50 years ago when you got in any car (not truck), you wouldn't have looked for the shift lever anywhere else except on the steering column!

Now it's gone full circle; the more things change, the more they stay the same, eh?

(Geeze, to get the column shift we wanted on our new 2008 Impala, we had to pay $195 extra for what they call "split bench front seat!" That got the shifter off the floor and onto the column.) BP

[mbstude]

I'm a little surprised that my granddad forgets where the shifter is in his '57. He's only had that car since 1979.

[STEWDI]

Most often when I go somewhere in my M5, it has been at least a couple of weeks since it's been last driven. In order to be kind to my little truck "Jeannie", I turn the engine over for a few seconds, usually twice, pausing appropriately in between. This, I tell myself, is to help build a little oil pressure, as well as encourage gasoline to be pumped down the fuel line to replace the fuel that inevitably leaked down while she has sat in the garage. This is done with the ignition key off (M5 starter switches are activated by fully depressing the clutch pedal). But do you think I'd remember to turn the key to the "on" position when I want to actually start the engine? Noooooo!!! (My neighbors must think "that old truck is REALLY hard to start". But, believe me, it starts as fast as a Stude V8 when you do it RIGHT!)

[jclary]

Sometimes, it is easy to forget what IS NOT there. For example, I have often found myself clawing over my left sholder for a safety belt that was never in my Studebakers. And then...there is that embarrassing moment when you find yourself walking away and pointing your key ring at your Studebaker and wondering why the horn don't beep letting you know it has locked like your late model car does. At least I have reached the age that I can now claim...a "senior moment!"

[Jim B PEI]

-wrong way window cranks
-forgetting to 'set the choke'
-forgetting the door locks aren't automatic
-expecting it to start first touch of the key after sitting a few days
-expecting heated seats (LOL)
-with the tube radio cars, expecting sound right when I turn the key on