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My recently purchased 1963 Studebaker Daytona from St. Charles, IL (Long post)

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  • My recently purchased 1963 Studebaker Daytona from St. Charles, IL (Long post)

    It's been awhile, but I believe this part of the story on the C/L car warrants putting some detail and finality on the story. The vehicle in question is a 1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop. It started about this time last year. I had taken notice that my daily driven 1964 Studebaker Commander R2 was starting to show its age. The car had been driven by me since 1999, when I got it as a junior in high school. It had taken me through high school, community college, university, and graduate school. In that time, the car had been driven through literally everything; sun, rain, snow, salt, you name it. The vehicle was my primary transportation. If it broke, which like any regular antique vehicle, would do on occasion, I used one of family's backup vehicles, which we had in the event one of the main vehicles broke. I'm the only one who would regularly drive a car this old, and as such, it was subject to old car problems, particularly Midwestern rust. Anyway, last February I began looking for another body to transplant the drivetrain into. A few months prior, my bumper mounts on the frame had rusted completely through, which upon discovering the problem at the gas station, warranted in what should be a five mile drive back to the house at 60 mph, became a five mile limp back to the house at 30 mph, so as not to make it any worse. But more on that later.....

    The owner who had the vehicle was mainly a Brand X parts vendor. We knew him well, and we would see him at the shows. He transported cars around the region, and he sold transmission and transmission yokes at the shows up here around Chicago. Well, last year I was at one of the regular shows up here at Kane County Fairgrounds, and I had mentioned the ailments on the car, and he said he had a Lark that he'd like to sell. Originally, he wanted to make a gasser out of it, but over the year we would ask him about the car, and it finally culminated into that he needed to sell it, because he needed the space. There was some more back and forth over the next few months, until last month he said he'd bring it up here to St. Charles, IL because it was stored in Freeport, IL. Great, I'd be able to see it in February. Well about a week before, the C/L ad showed up. That wasn't a problem, because all we had to do was contact the owner for photos of the car. We got the photos, looked them over real good. I then made the judgement call to get the vehicle, and we set up a time where he could drop it off at the house. Well, a couple evenings ago, he pulled into the driveway, my Dad and I went out there and looked it all over with our flashlights, paid him, received the title, and he unloaded it.

    The way he had acquired the car was rather admirable. The story with the Daytona is that it was in the care of someone else before he got it. The man was having the car restored, so the body was at one shop, and the engine w/trans was at another place. Well, the original owner had died, just like that, no warning, nothing. So the widow, not knowing where all of the pieces of the car had went, had the car go to the scrapper. Now I don't blame her for that, I mean if my significant other just died, leaving me with this "thing" in my lap, without giving any knowledge of where the vehicle went, or how many pieces it was in, and I didn't know anything about it, I'd do the same thing, that's just the way the world works. Anyway, when the car at the scrapper arrived, our buddy had seen this car come into the yard. He knew what it was, so he flagged the scrapman down and said that he'd purchase the vehicle, and the title. The scrapper agreed, so he purchased it, and had it for a couple years before I got it.

    About the car itself: The vehicle, although appearing solid, does need some work, which I knew would be a necessity when I got it. It is missing some trim pieces and other bits aside from the engine and transmission. It was also a Midwest car after all. It appears to have a solid frame, which is what I was looking for, and does have SOME solid floors and trunk. It will need some rocker panels, floorpans replaced, trunk floorpans replaced, a fascia, a driver's front fender, and maybe another trunk lid. It is Rosemist with Rose colored split bench seats. After all of that, the car will need to be repainted. I'd like to mix up some new Rose Mist, and see about locating some other Rose colored seats and interior panels, but that's going to be awhile yet. The body needs to be tended to first. The car may have had a 259 w/Flightomatic column shift, and it has a Dana 23. The car was sold through Audrain dealership in Mexico, MO and had spent a great deal of time in Missouri. It has also had a tire replaced at some point, as I have the tire receipt sticker for a Foremost bias ply from March 1970, through a JC Penny outlet. The car also appears to have 83,000 miles on the clock, although that might also be 183,000 miles, so like my own Commander, I may never know the story on that. The car will be stripped down, the metal will be repaired, and all of the R2 parts, interior, wiring and anything else that's good from the Commander will be transferred over, as I have been without a driver for at least six months or more.

    Here's some more indepth photos of the car itself. Those of you that know my '64 Commander, it's sitting behind the Daytona.























    This was the tire receipt for the Foremost bias ply, which was affixed under the trunklid.


    Now why all the hubbub for this car? It's because of the state of the Commander. Remember, before I had found this car, the Commander's bumper mounts came apart. Well, I can't afford another car, so out came the MIG welder, and I patched the frame back together. I did both sides, and that lasted about a year. I had to keep the car together, because it was my only transportation, until my employment situation was resolved, and I could get a much more modern vehicle. That didn't last, because last August I had to pull apart my passenger brake drum because of an incessant clinking noise. The pivot block that positions the drums had split in half, and part of it was lying at the bottom of the drum. The drum was good, but it was replaced with another one from our spare parts brake pile. While I had the drum off, I also replaced the shoes, because the shoes on that side were not replaced yet. I did the driver's side a couple years back, but never did the passenger side, so I finished the job. When I had completed it, and I cleaned the drum off and painted it, I decided to inspect my work on the frame. Everything was still holding together, until I felt around the bushing that goes the inner frame rail. There was no frame there! It had rusted that area out! At that point, I buttoned the car back up, and said the car is unusable now. After 10 years of daily driving, the Chicago salt had killed the car. It ran just fine, but the body and frame were in bad shape now. A critical structural component that affixed the suspension to the chassis wass now comprised, and any further driving may result in the suspension coming apart, putting me or other motorists at risk. So it was parked, until another car could be located, which currently is now the Daytona. Here's a few pictures of the Commander's rearmost shackle bushing. To this end, I say, there's rust (eww surface rust) and then there's structural compromising Midwest RUST, which can also be defined as "scary rust".

    Here's the driver side bumper mount:


    Here's the passenger side bumper mount:


    Finally, here's the culprit that sidelined the car, the rear passenger shackle bushing, and whatever's left of the inner framerail. If you look at the left side of the picture, you can see that there's no more metal around the bushing, so the only thing now holding the rear part of the leaf spring in place, and preventing the axle and suspension from parting from the body, is the outer framerail. I can repair alot of things with a welder, but since I don't trust the tensile strength of my own welds on a critical mechanism like this, or repair ships hulls, I'm not going to mess with it.



    And that, is the rest of the story.......
    1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
    1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop with no engine or transmission
    1950 Studebaker 2R5 w/170 six cylinder and 3spd OD
    1955 Studebaker Commander Hardtop w/289 and 3spd OD and Megasquirt port fuel injection(among other things)

  • #2
    'Sounds like a good plan, John, and that you have a firm grip on reality. Go for it! BP
    We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

    G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

    Comment


    • #3
      Excellent score. I saw this car and liked it, too. Glad it went to someone I know. Now get to work and drive it to SB in may!
      61 lark cruiser
      64 daytona 2dr hardtop

      Comment


      • #4
        Just curious...what condition was your 64 frame and body before your 10 years of driving in salt? Was it a midwestern car or from out west? 10 years of daily use is pretty darn admirable.

        Comment


        • #5
          Good going, dude. I remember you telling me about the '64's new fate in South Bend last summer. Glad to see you've finally scored a worthy car of the R2 engine. Good stuff!

          Comment


          • #6
            Wonderful, that 63 looks like a great candidate for a fun car! And with an R2 it will be fun!
            Bez Auto Alchemy
            573-318-8948
            http://bezautoalchemy.com


            "Don't believe every internet quote" Abe Lincoln

            Comment


            • #7
              The condition of the frame on the Commander when we purchased it, was in far better shape than it is now. At the time we bought it, I was looking for a car to drive to high school with. It didn't have as much rust now, except some developing bubbles in the rear of the front fenders. According to the production record(if I ever find it again around here), the car was dropped off in Rutherford, NJ, and then somehow the car ended up in Chicago, that was being driven back and forth to Florida every year before being parked in Florida in 1967. There it remained until the early 90's before it was brought back here by a previous owner, it's six cylinder(it was a six cylinder car), pulled out, and the R2 drivetrain from a rolled package Hawk was dropped in. The engine itself has a history all of it's own, as it was originally in a Hawk, then another Daytona, before ending up in the Commander, so it's outlasted the cars by a wide margin. Anyway, for most of it's life, the Commander lived either on the East Coast, or here in Chicago. When I got it, I drove all over the planet up here, including to South Bend twice(2002 and 2007), it's Proving Grounds, the Zone Meets here, and one Zone Meet in Chippewa Falls, so I've gotten quite a bit of use out it for a 40 year old vehicle.

              Yeah, the Daytona gonna's be another multiyear project like my '55 is. Odds are, I may be coming to the May meet to look for parts and body panels to replace the ones that are rusted out. Initially, after tearing it down, what I'd like to do is get out my wire wheel brushes, clean up the frame, and apply copious amounts of POR-15 to the frame and undercarriage.
              1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
              1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop with no engine or transmission
              1950 Studebaker 2R5 w/170 six cylinder and 3spd OD
              1955 Studebaker Commander Hardtop w/289 and 3spd OD and Megasquirt port fuel injection(among other things)

              Comment


              • #8
                I'll donate the front fender stainless moldings and driver's door molding that are missing in the pics, if you don't already have them.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I'll donate the front fender stainless moldings and driver's door molding that are missing in the pics, if you don't already have them.


                  I'd love to have them! Yes, I'm missing the front fender trim pieces, the driver's door upper piece, and the L-A-R-K on both fenders, and the T-D-E-K on the back of the trunk.
                  ​ They'll probably get squirreled away for the moment with the other trim pieces, but I'd be happy to take donations! I'll shoot you an email for where you can send them!

                  I know there's going to be alot more when this is all said and done, but it's a start!
                  1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
                  1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop with no engine or transmission
                  1950 Studebaker 2R5 w/170 six cylinder and 3spd OD
                  1955 Studebaker Commander Hardtop w/289 and 3spd OD and Megasquirt port fuel injection(among other things)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Great find! I was especially interested in the Audrain Dealership in Mexico, Mo. I went to grade school in Mexico and went through there just last summer on out way to the SB International meet. I know of another 63 HT from the same dealership in Mexico. I have been trying to find out information on the dealer, but have little luck. Thanks to you I now know the name of the dealership. Never knew before. Here are pictures of the other Mexico car for inspiration. The blue Cruiser is my daily driver.

                    Mark
                    Attached Files
                    Last edited by Bullet; 02-15-2013, 10:36 AM. Reason: added detail pictures of Mexico windo decal/car

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Nice!!
                      1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
                      1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop with no engine or transmission
                      1950 Studebaker 2R5 w/170 six cylinder and 3spd OD
                      1955 Studebaker Commander Hardtop w/289 and 3spd OD and Megasquirt port fuel injection(among other things)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I still say get it running then build it as you drive it. that is the most fun way.
                        61 lark cruiser
                        64 daytona 2dr hardtop

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          There's some additional detail that I had left out for those that are into the historical bits, it's nothing really major though .....

                          As stated, the car appears to have been a 259/w Flightomatic column shift and Dana 23 axle. I presuming it was a 259, as a 289 or higher may have shredded it something fierce. The car is also non power steering, which means I'll have to remove the power steering stuff from the engine on the Commander, and has non power brakes, but has a split master cylinder on the firewall. It appeared to have seatbelts in the front, but no seatbelts in the back, and has a full on lighted Vanity glove compartment(but the dash is started to crack), and the mirror is missing. The steering wheel has the Deluxe trim ring like my Commander does. The floors at one time had brown carpeting from the interior panels, and the interior panels themselves are Rose colored over white. There is no carpeting in there, nor is there a headliner, as that was cut a few inches behind the windshield. In short, this might have been a low buck Daytona when it was sold, but I guess the P.O would be a little more insightful on these things.
                          1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
                          1963 Studebaker Daytona Hardtop with no engine or transmission
                          1950 Studebaker 2R5 w/170 six cylinder and 3spd OD
                          1955 Studebaker Commander Hardtop w/289 and 3spd OD and Megasquirt port fuel injection(among other things)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Well, it's a pretty looking car now, doing what you say - slowly stripping and repairing as necessary will see you with a great car, all the best with it.
                            John Clements
                            Christchurch, New Zealand

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Mark, re the Audrain dealership in Mexico Mo. I have shelves and parts from that dealership. They had lots of shelves with little drawers. I bought them all from a good friend, Don Crow, whom had bought them out of the dealership originally. Don owned the phone company in Farber which is close to Mexico and had a love for Studebakers. I really do not know anything else about it.
                              Milt

                              1947 Champion (owned since 1967)
                              1961 Hawk 4-speed
                              1967 Avanti
                              1961 Lark 2 door
                              1988 Avanti Convertible

                              Member of SDC since 1973

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