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New Dog Hauler - '55 Commander Conestoga

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  • #61
    Originally posted by 63t-cab View Post
    Matt, when You say new do You mean n.o.s. dare any one to find these n.o.s. now a Days.
    Those wheel covers were in reproduction then, and there was a receipt in the glove box. They’ve been unavailable for a while though and even the repro’s are scarce now.

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    • #62
      Yesterday I removed the front seat, and trashed what was left of the original rubber floor mat. The front floorboard has the typical scaly surface rust that always happens with rubber mats, but aside from a few small pin holes, it's still solid. I cleaned it up and put POR15 where the surface rust is. Once it dries it's time for carpeting.

      I loaded up the front seat and dropped it off at a local upholstery shop to be redone. I should have it back within a month.



      I also found some NOS clear fog (driving) light bulbs on ebay, and got them installed.

      Last edited by mbstude; 12-29-2017, 01:37 PM.

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      • #63
        I always wanted to put Speedster side trim on it when i had it and President emblems then show up at a Stude meet. It'd drive the purist nuts.
        101st Airborne Div. 326 Engineers Ft Campbell Ky.

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        • #64
          A little more progress today. Since I took the seat cushions to the upholstery shop, I thought it'd be a good idea to go ahead and get the seat frame cleaned up and the tracks loosened up and lubricated. With that done, I went ahead and installed the new carpet, which came from here: http://www.automotiveinteriors.com/c...kers/stude.htm

          It's the exact same carpeting from the exact same supplier that John Poulos used to sell. While I wouldn't use it in a show car, it's pretty nice for the price and the fit isn't as bad as I expected. A few days in the sun and I think it'll fit a little better, but overall, it's good enough for this car and I'm happy with it.

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          • #65
            I love the way the Fog/Driving Lights look mounted inboard and with No Bumper Guards, instead of the "overdone look" the Presidents had Speedsters had.

            Good Job! That Conestoga will always be the ONLY one of it's kind, at any Car Show!
            StudeRich
            Second Generation Stude Driver,
            Proud '54 Starliner Owner
            SDC Member Since 1967

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            • #66
              Picked up the front seat cushions from the local upholstery shop this morning. The cushions were stripped down to nothing, the frames/springs cleaned and painted, and completely rebuilt as new. The guys there were able to find materials that were a dead-on match for the originals. It looks correct, it's comfortable to sit on, and no more dried out foam falling onto the carpet.

              Now I have to dye the rear seat and door panels to match since the front seat shows how much the rest has faded after 6+ decades.





              Last edited by mbstude; 01-12-2018, 03:19 PM.

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              • #67
                Great looking and fast service! Lucky you!
                Nick

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                • #68
                  Wow! That looks like a great job.
                  Don Wilson, Centralia, WA

                  40 Champion 4 door*
                  50 Champion 2 door*
                  53 Commander K Auto*
                  53 Commander K overdrive*
                  55 President Speedster
                  62 GT 4Speed*
                  63 Avanti R1*
                  64 Champ 1/2 ton

                  * Formerly owned

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                  • #69
                    Looks pretty nice Matt.

                    Amazing that some of the upholstery lasts as long as it does... I remember my uncle saying that if a vehicle was a daily driver, the seats would easily be showing their age within a couple of years. My dad said his '53 coupe interior was in pretty bad shape when he bought it with 100k miles on it in 1961. He said he could have had everything fixed but for a fraction of that amount, he stripped a complete interior out of a 59 or 60 Hawk that was in a wrecking yard...

                    With modern material and decent upkeep, your interior will look that nice in another 60 years.

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                    • #70
                      Originally posted by 62champ View Post
                      Looks pretty nice Matt.

                      Amazing that some of the upholstery lasts as long as it does... I remember my uncle saying that if a vehicle was a daily driver, the seats would easily be showing their age within a couple of years. My dad said his '53 coupe interior was in pretty bad shape when he bought it with 100k miles on it in 1961. He said he could have had everything fixed but for a fraction of that amount, he stripped a complete interior out of a 59 or 60 Hawk that was in a wrecking yard...

                      With modern material and decent upkeep, your interior will look that nice in another 60 years.
                      There was a great variation in Studebakers in regard to this. It depended a lot on what seat material and what year. I have had more than 20 year old 1953 Starliners with vinyl seats that were in good condition (perhaps a small repair on the bolster where you enter). The vinyl seats in 1962 Hawks rarely lasted a year. The vinyl seats in 1963-1964 Hawks lasted almost forever (decades and well over 100K miles). If you are referring to cloth, climate, sun and storage are big factors in their survival.
                      Gary L.
                      Wappinger, NY

                      SDC member since 1968
                      Studebaker enthusiast much longer

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                      • #71
                        Originally posted by 62champ View Post

                        Amazing that some of the upholstery lasts as long as it does...
                        I took a sample of the new front seat material to the paint store this morning and had some SEM vinyl dye mixed up. I sprayed the door panels, rear seat cushions, and an NOS pair of sun visors this evening. The rear cushions had remnants of those 50's era clear plastic covers still on them. No idea when they were pulled off, but that's likely what saved the back seat.

                        I dyed the lighter tan color, but still have to do the darker colored portions. I'll post pics once it's all done.

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                        • #72
                          The Seat came out great, look'in Good!

                          Is the darker "Brown" really a reddish Brown like Oxblood Color Matt?

                          In the Camera/PC Monitor Pictures, it totally appears to be a kind of Mauve purple color which I am sure they would not have used with Tan in 1955.
                          Last edited by StudeRich; 01-13-2018, 06:14 PM.
                          StudeRich
                          Second Generation Stude Driver,
                          Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                          SDC Member Since 1967

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                          • #73
                            Originally posted by StudeRich View Post
                            The Seat came out great, look'in Good!

                            Is the darker "Brown" really a reddish Brown like Oxblood Color Matt?

                            In the Camera/PC Monitor Pictures, it totally appears to be a kind of Mauve purple color which I am sure they would not have used with Tan in 1955.
                            It’s maroon/burgundy/oxblood or something along those lines. I’m partially colorblind so I don’t know what to call it.

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                            • #74
                              The paint store wasn't open today so I couldn't get more vinyl dye, so I went ahead and installed the carpeting in the cargo area. I bought an extra 5 yards when I ordered the front carpet set, and that was more than enough. I still need to do the insert on the inside of the tailgate, but that can wait for another day. I've got enough left over that I think I'll replace the cardboard kick panels with carpet too.

                              I think it looks a little nicer than before.



                              Last edited by mbstude; 01-14-2018, 03:20 PM.

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                              • #75
                                It looks nicer, but I would have stayed with the practical rubber mats and cleaned them up (maybe re-coloring). Then it is your wagon and not mine, so do as you wish (unless the plan is to prep for sale).
                                Gary L.
                                Wappinger, NY

                                SDC member since 1968
                                Studebaker enthusiast much longer

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