BP, Remember This Letter? (July '62 Car Life)

[2R2]

Here is a letter from Bob Palma which appeared in the July 1962 issue of Car Life. Bob was obviously the world's ultimate Studebaker cheerleader even back then!


by the way, I believe the Hawk in question, tested in an earlier issue of the magazine, had the optional aero-strut wheelcovers.

Bob, I think the world of you ,and you know I live and breath Larks, but even I have to question you last sentence, which you state a '62 Lark could make a Corvette appear sick!

Back to the July '62 issue of Car Life - this issue had a prototype Avanti on the cover and featured inside.

[BobPalma]

Well, please give me a little youthful editorial slack, Eric ...after all, as you say, it was published in the July 1962 Car Life.

That issue was probably paged up in late April and went to press sometime in May, so I could have written the letter after I turned 16 on February 11, 1962...but, given their editorial lead time, I more likely wrote it in January, when I was still 15! BP

[Milaca]

Very well written for a 15 or 16 year old chap. That magazine probably received several hundered letters that month and they chose to publish your letter. Good job Bob!

[JimC]

I know you were young at the time, but I'm surprised you hadn't come to the conclusion that dawned on me. The Battery hold down must have come loose in that GT they tested, and with the battery sliding all over under that hood there'd be no way it could perform at full potential!

[GThawkwind]

hey maybe that last sentence was a little off, but mere months later they were making lark wagons that could make a 62 vette wish it hadn't left the garage, way to throw down the gaunlet BP show those chevy guys whats up!!

[BobPalma]

I know you were young at the time, but I'm surprised you hadn't come to the conclusion that dawned on me. The Battery hold down must have come loose in that GT they tested, and with the battery sliding all over under that hood there'd be no way it could perform at full potential!

Thanks, Jim; I hadn't even thought of that!

I should go back and revisit their under-hood photos...perhaps the positive cable was pulling so hard on the starter solenoid terminal that it was intermittently creating an open during acceleration, kind of like an overdrive kickdown switch momentarily opens the ignition circuit, "killing" the engine so the overdrive solenoid can pull the pawl back out without being under load. BP