17,000 HARD Miles

[345 DeSoto]

Well, FINALLY after all the months in FL, we're home and I'm starting to dig into the Sky Hawk. It's only got 17,000 miles on it alright, but it's been rode hard and put away wet. Everything is in like new condition, but the entire car is CHOKED in mud and dust. I've never seen so much in any car I've ever built. The trunk is/was caked in dust. The undercarriage is caked with mud...even the tail lights are full of dust. The front and rear pans are COVERED with stone chips in the paint. The inner fenders are packed with caked mud and tar covered gravel. I was going to wait until I got the engine running, before I ran it outside, but I think I'll take a chance and push it out and pressure was it down
At least I'm home and can get my hands on it....

[swvalcon]

sure it wasn't in a flood?

[StudeRich]

This would be very hard to authenticate as 17,000 Miles after 60 Years, much more likely 117,000 Miles or some unknown number with the Speedo or Cable broken or replaced.

[r1lark]

we're home and I'm starting to dig into the Sky Hawk. It's only got 17,000 miles on it alright, but it's been rode hard and put away wet.

What convinces you, despite the stone chips and mud, that the car only has 17,000 miles on it?

I'm sure you have been really chomping at the bit to get started on that car, bet it's been hard to resist going back home early!

[345 DeSoto]

R1LARK - NO wear on the clutch and brake pedal, original spotless interior (but filthy), minimal surface rust on the under carriage and brake drums, I pulled both heads today and there is NO ridge what so ever on the cylinder walls. Valves/seats are all perfect. NO sludge/varnish anywhere. ALL the chrome/stainless, under the grunge, is like new. I found one pimple on one of the side trim "V's" on one side only. All the nuts and bolts I've removed so far have come apart easily, with none even close to breaking....and the speedo cable looks to be the original and isn't broken.
It appears that the entire car needs to be disassembled, cleaned/refurbished, re oiled/greased and all the rubber EVERYTHINGS need replaceing. The "perfect" seats are as hard as a rock, and the seams split where ever I sat. As an aside, it would appear that I have 5 out of 8 stuck pistons.

STUDERICH - According to the old woman I purchased it from, the Hawk had almost 16,000 miles on it when her husband bought it. What can I say...

[sweetolbob]

I don't think it matters if it has 17K, 117K or 17MM miles on it. It's your's, it's home and you are about to embark on a endeavor that will bring you frustration, joy and interaction with a group of folks that know and like these cars no matter how they appear on the surface.

Keep posting progress and enjoy a great way to invest time and money.

Avanti, Bob

[345 DeSoto]

If I can't get the pistons freed up, then it's off to the Machine Shop for .060 over and flat top pistons...to boost compression for a bit more pep...

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

I picked up a 56 sedan that had most of the underside, the suspension pieces and inner fenders caked with hardened tar covered gravel, like asphalt.
To the point you couldn't see the shape of the suspension pieces.
I had to chip it off with a chisel and hammer to begin to clean it.

[BILT4ME]

My 59 Lark lived in rural Iowa for the first 22 years and 28K miles before I bought it. It also burned a lot of oil (#7 would constantly oil foul the spark plug), the rear end had the spider gears broken, and there was evidence of a hitch welded on and ripped off of the rear part of the frame, the rearmost crossmember was cracked due to a misplaced bumper jack, and the bottom part of the grille surround was ripped off by a misplaced chain to pull out the car. (not by me)

I still lived on the farm for another 3 years until I parked it for the next 31 years. So, the first 25 years and 82K miles was on a gravel road. Every inch of the car inside and out is covered in thick sticky dust. The bottom of the car has almost 1/2" of oil-soaked caked dirt stuck to the frame and between body panels. The interior of the door panels has a very fine dry dust covering everything and wears out moving parts.

I would call the first 28K miles "hard" miles. It was the life of all cars then. The next 60K miles were better for the car because it has constantly improved sine I have owned it in the last 35 years. We now drive it almost every day.

If it was rusted out, beat in on all four corners, burned lots of oil, and had lots of leaks, then I would say it was "hard" miles.

Make its life better and drive it every day!

[JoeHall]

I can identify with buying Studes with undercarriages hopelessly caked with mud and tar asphalt. The first time rebuilding a front end, or anything underneath is a real PITA; clean up is the biggest part of the job. Once all that stuff is removed though, its like working on a modern car, and will stay that way for decades. I agree, the dusty roads back then sure makes working on them a challenge in the here and now, at least at first.

A similar situation exists when working on a motor that was last in use when non-detergent oil and leaded gas were the norms. The gunk that accumulates inside is unbelievable. Once done, it will stay clean as a modern car, long as detergent oil is used. When I last tore down a 352 after 90,000+ miles, last rebuilt in the late 1990s, it was still clean as a pin inside. It saw nothing but Mobil 1 after breakin, and stayed clean.