Studebaker Horse Buggy for $300

[Commander Eddie]

It seems to me the important thing is to save these. There are not many left and they represent a piece of history, both Studebaker and American. Let's hope both of these examples find new homes where they will be treasured and cared for.

[8E45E]

It seems to me the important thing is to save these. There are not many left and they represent a piece of history, both Studebaker and American. Let's hope both of these examples find new homes where they will be treasured and cared for.

At one time, people gave these old horse-drawns away. For years, almost any restaurant with an 'Old West' theme always had one parked on the lawn in front of the premises, and in some cases, inside the dining room if they had the space. I wouldn't be surprised if a business specializing in a western theme, be it a clothing store or a restaurant snaps that one up for that price!!

Craig

[STEWDI]

l just sold my buggy on Tuesday this week.

lt went to a new owner who really wanted it and had "lost" a previous purchase of another buggy. So he's happy.

l bot mine 28 years ago from a couple in Noblesville, Indiana on a warm but very rainy first weekend in November. Leaving the US during a very heavy rain, the customs agent, who did NOT want go outside to look at a disassembled, unrestored buggy. He was very happy to stamp the paperwork INDOORS when we agreed the the artifact could possibly be 100 years old, and therefore it could exit the US as an antique or something, without further inspection!

Only two things were done to it - repairing the original upholstery, and a preservation paint job in all the 28 years that l owned it. But having to buy a shed to house it and a make a custom trailer to transport it was expensive too.

l lost money on it and the trailer, but now have a shed to house Stude parts that take up too much room in the garage!

It's weird that altho the subject of horse drawn Studes understandably comes up seldom on the forum, it came up just AFTER my buggy's sale.

Now l have to change my list of Stude vehicles below my forum name. It was neat to own, and was displayed a few times at Stude meets, but it was a logistical problem for a city dweller who did not have a big enuff family/living/rec room to put it indoors. l'm about a 2 (maybe 3) out of 10 sad-wise to see it go.

[Studedude]

For years, almost any restaurant with an 'Old West' theme always had one parked on the lawn in front of the premises, and in some cases, inside the dining room if they had the space. I wouldn't be surprised if a business specializing in a western theme, be it a clothing store or a restaurant snaps that one up for that price!!Craig

This one is at a restaurant in Perkins, OK USA:

[studeclunker]

I could use those top bows on one of mine...

Witmer's Coach Supply has them. Part No: 31-232 less than ten bucks each. The Witmers are really nice people. The shop is run by family and the grandchildren often answer the phone. Fun place to visit too.

Witmer Coach Supply
1070 W. Main St.
New Holland Pa. 17557
717-656-3411

Actually three hundred dollars is a good price for this even if the whole of the vehicle isn't sound. It would make a great display in a protected area (as in under a roof).

Oh yes, and Witmer's has a kit to cover the top on this buggy as well.

[studeclunker]

This one is at a restaurant in Perkins, OK USA:

Breaks my heart to see this kind of thing. This is usually the ruination of a perfectly good antique. I wish people like this would buy a new wagon and ruin it instead. They could have the whole thing fibreglassed and it would last twice as long.

[Studedude]

Breaks my heart to see this kind of thing. This is usually the ruination of a perfectly good antique. I wish people like this would buy a new wagon and ruin it instead. They could have the whole thing fibreglassed and it would last twice as long.

Yep, it's kinda like folks that have two or three classic Studes sitting around on their property, suffering from neglect and ruination.

[studegary]

Yep, it's kinda like folks that have two or three classic Studes sitting around on their property, suffering from neglect and ruination.

All may not get it, but I do - well done.

[Guido]

Yep, it's kinda like folks that have two or three classic Studes sitting around on their property, suffering from neglect and ruination.

Do I get extra credit if I have 8 or 10???

[Studedude]

Do I get extra credit if I have 8 or 10???

You'd have to ask, "People like that."

[Jerry Forrester]

Yep, it's kinda like folks that have two or three classic Studes sitting around on their property, suffering from neglect and ruination.

I know you're not talking about me. I spent the last two days fabricating a simple alternator mount and adjusting bracket for Buttercup.

[Studedude]

I know you're not talking about me. I spent the last two days fabricating a simple alternator mount and adjusting bracket for Buttercup.

Nah, I would never say that about you. You're slow, but you're on it.

[8E45E]

Breaks my heart to see this kind of thing. This is usually the ruination of a perfectly good antique. I wish people like this would buy a new wagon and ruin it instead. They could have the whole thing fibreglassed and it would last twice as long.

Then someone might accuse them they wouldn't be serving 'real authentic Western Cuisine'!

Craig.

[studeclunker]

This looks like a better deal to me.
https://greenbay.craigslist.org/grd/...640970220.html

Not really. Both are in comparable condition. If you look carefully at the floor in several pics you can see dry-rotted floorboards. This means you can put your weight on a step and it will fail, likely causing you to do a face-plant on the vehicle. The dash should have new Patent-leather on it and doesn't. Thank heavens they didn't recover it with that awful vinyl on the seat (as is so commonly done)! Nice top. They claim " Completely refinished", Reeeeally?? Uh huh. Quite a shine on that new paint, isn't there?

However, this vehicle has (what looks to be) a newly reupholstered seat and a very nicely done top. Hence it is well worth the price difference as the top alone is worth the asking price.

This will ride considerably better than the first vehicle and I find the springing fascinating (Looks like something Studebaker would have done as they weren't afraid to experiment)! Usually there was only the fully elliptic spring:

[studeclunker]

Yep, it's kinda like folks that have two or three classic Studes sitting around on their property, suffering from neglect and ruination.

Excuse me! I resemble that in-cinner-ation!

However, the automobile is made of metal and closes up against the elements. Have you ever left wood untreated in your back yard? Would you leave antique furniture in your backyard? A wagon or carriage are largely built of wood with metal parts. Leave them out in the elements and they return to the earth in record time! Where it takes thirty to forty years from parking a car to it's ruination, reduce that time frame by a factor of nearly ten for a wooden vehicle. Ask any Antique Studebaker collector about the condition of their wooden parts when they acquired a project. Besides, there are very few hundred-year-old Auto-Mobiles still around. Would you decorate your garden with, say, a Studebaker electric wagon? It has been done you know.

By the by, has anyone around here ever heard of Danielle Steele (the Author)? Her late husband John Traina had an estate in Napa Ca. He lined his driveway with horsedrawn carriages he had collected. Among these carriages were several Studebakers, a circus wagon, a Mc Laughlin Surrey (an anniversary present to Danielle) several Gigs (high end two-wheeled carts), and a little Russian pony troika phaeton. The majority of these vehicles came to Mr Traina in perfect, restored condition. His hired help was sloppy about putting the vehicles back in the barn after a party and often would leave them out in the weather if it happened to be raining. Many of his wagons were literally collapsing in advanced deterioration. He had several hundred thousand dollars invested in these vehicles and they were all going o wrack and ruin due to neglect. I bought several and use one of them regularly. The rest are so bad as to likely never be behind a horse again. That Circus wagon nearly disintegrated when pulled up onto a trailer. I seriously doubt the poor thing made it home intact. My guess is that he made about a penny on the dollar to the potential value of the vehicles and had no one but himself to blame for it.