New guy , heres my new ride

[goatboy]

Well im new to here just starting to learn about the joys of studes, this is my new car that was a one owner till i got it !!! This ol girl has 0 rust anywhere and the paint will likely buff up to a beautiful shine. Its a 1938 commander statesman and everything works even the trunk light ! Its running now and should be able
to drive by the weekend its been sitting for over half its life in a dark garage under a cover so she should enjoy andrive soon ! Any others on here like mine ?

[r1lark]

Todd, let me be the first to say a big WELCOME to the SDC forum!!

Good looking car. Those late '30s Commanders were high quality, high class cars. Looking forward to more pictures!

[ndynis]

Welcome Great car!!!
Be sure and join the Studebaker Drivers Club and your local chapter, they will be a big help. http://studebakerdriversclub.com/index.asp
Amazing that cars such as yours are still out there. Congratulations on a great find. Love to see more pictures of inside, engine, etc. We love pictures on the Forum!
Nick

[showbizkid]

Great car indeed! Thanks for sharing!

[Buzzard]

Congrats Todd and a BIG WELCOME to the best car club anywhere. Do Nick's suggestions so you have the most assistance available anywhere. And don't forget more pics!!
Cheers, Bill

[Commander Eddie]

I'll chime in here too. Looks like you scored a honey. Get involved with the Studebaker club and enjoy the fun and camaraderie. These are great cars and a well kept secret from the high end collectors. Most parts are readily available as is lots of help and advice.
Welcome aboard!

[jclary]

Hey "goatboy!"...for some odd reason, I like the forum name you have chosen. Some of us collect all sorts of things...
Studebaker(s), tractors, wheelbarrows, and even a goat or two.

There was a fellow (from Pennsylvania?) who used to drive one of those beautiful '38's on long trips south to attend gatherings. It was painted green. I liked his custom tag on the front. It read, "I MAY BE OLD...BUT I STILL GET HOT!"

WELCOME, join up, and hang around. I hope your time with our motley bunch is time well spent.

[mbstude]

An unrestored '38 Commander State wearing its original paint.. I'm a fan, but I might be biased.

This one belonged to the founder of the Studebaker Drivers Club, Harry Barnes, about 5 decades ago.

[SN-60]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]65554[/ATTACH]Well im new to here just starting to learn about the joys of studes, this is my new car that was a one owner till i got it !!! This ol girl has 0 rust anywhere and the paint will likely buff up to a beautiful shine. Its a 1938 commander statesman and everything works even the trunk light ! Its running now and should be able
to drive by the weekend its been sitting for over half its life in a dark garage under a cover so she should enjoy andrive soon ! Any others on here like mine ?

Even the trunk light still works??....VERY COOL!!.....I love the look of senior '38's, Can't beat those headlights!!

[goatboy]

well first off my name, it was given to me by a friend at a carshow years ago. I used to restore Pontiac GTO's and had 3 , a 65,66,67 models, loved them and I was known as "the boy with the goats" so they turned it around and wallah "goatboy" was born.
as for the car, this is a one owner car owned by a man I called grandpa and we used to go to supper in it when I was a kid, always loved this car, and 40 yrs later it became my turn to "keep it in the family' it needs no restoration just freshened up a bit, the paint will all sand and buff out very well. I painted and restored cars for 34 yrs so I think I can turn this paint around to look amazing.
I have found the headlights have some troubles but I will get it figured out, only one side works so work to do.
as for a local branch of a stude club ? I have the only one in town, I don't even know of one within 50 miles of here, so prolly not much luck in that.
thanks for letting me hang out here, I will try and post some neat stuff
todd

[dannyo]

Todd, i always have liked the 38 s the head lights are the best , art deco , i live in spfd. mo , i dont have any thing for a 38, but i sell parts for later cars larks& hawks, been at it for 50 yrs , sence i was a kid with my dad & unkle, who had the dealer ship here in the 30 s , i was born to late on those cars not till 1949 , but you have a heck of a find there good luck on it dannyo.

[jclary]

well first off my name, it was given to me by a friend at a carshow years ago. I used to restore Pontiac GTO's and had 3 , a 65,66,67 models, loved them and I was known as "the boy with the goats" so they turned it around and wallah "goatboy" was born.
as for the car, this is a one owner car owned by a man I called grandpa and we used to go to supper in it when I was a kid, always loved this car, and 40 yrs later it became my turn to "keep it in the family' it needs no restoration just freshened up a bit, the paint will all sand and buff out very well. I painted and restored cars for 34 yrs so I think I can turn this paint around to look amazing.
I have found the headlights have some troubles but I will get it figured out, only one side works so work to do.
as for a local branch of a stude club ? I have the only one in town, I don't even know of one within 50 miles of here, so prolly not much luck in that.
thanks for letting me hang out here, I will try and post some neat stuff
todd

I figured your name really GTO/JUDGE related, but since I had the pic with the goat in the vintage wheelbarrow, I seized the opportunity to post it. Two ton "muscle cars" can be rather intimidating.

Addressing your headlights. One thing I recall from talking with the owner of the '38, mentioned in my earlier post, was that he had trouble keeping those headlights sealed. Moisture in those light buckets can cause the contacts to become corroded. Cosmetically, I have always thought that the '38 headlights was its most distinctive feature. Other makes had a similar design, but I suppose the development, and standardization of sealed beam lights doomed them to being just a short-lived "footnote" of a design feature.

If your car is still sporting its original wiring, you should look at buying or building a complete wiring harness. I have heard that electricians have been known to say "cloth insulated wiring is OK, as long as you don't touch it." Well, this mostly comes from old house wiring, but how much worse is it for an automobile? With the vibration of operation, road bumps, and carrying around a tank of explosive gasoline to make it exciting! I can't think of anything more dangerous for a vintage car than brittle, flaky, old wires. For my own vehicles, I have purchased one new harness, and built two others. Also, there are companies that offer a "vintage look" cloth wire with safer insulation under the cloth. They cost more, so I have used contemporary wire with no apologies to the purists.

Again, welcome to our Studebaker family. Looking forward to updates on your progress, and hope to see those headlights shining bright soon.

[pinehurstbob]

Welcome aboard! You join the club for the cars and stay because of the people. My annual membership is the best money spent and my best friends are also members. Neet car....keep on cruizin.
Bob

[t walgamuth]

Lovely car! Welcome!

I used to not like the 38 cathedral headlights much but they are growing on me. I like the way they echo the grill shape.

[62champ]

Looks like a great car. Local Studebaker owner has the same model - and it is his only car... Photo below from a local "cars and coffee" gathering back on July 1st.