What a sh*tty morning

[Bill Pressler]

This morning, I decided to look myself at what was causing what I thought was an exhaust vibration in the right rear of my car at idle in drive (stopped). I finally realized it was the rumble of my duals not hitting anything under the car, but causing my old, warped cardboard rear package shelf to vibrate loudly. It would stop when I touched it.

We have an inclined driveway. One last time, I put the Lark in drive with the emergency brake on. I've done this before, no problem. I got out. It then rolled backwards into my six-week old Chevy Cobalt and due to the way I had the wheels of the Daytona turned, it ended up in my front yard instead of the street. $3,100 damage to my Cobalt...driver's door, rear door, quarter panel, and one wheel cover. The Stude needs a RF winguard, RF headlamp rim, and grille panel and paint for the grille panel. All readily available, but what a p*sser.

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1

[Studewannabe]

Bill,
I almost know how you feel.
This weekend i was trying to hitch a trailer to my wife's Condor
and it rolled forward over a lump in the grass,
and ended up against the rear door.
Nasty dent.
So far i kept it to myself!?
I feel bad for both of us.

Good luck for the rest of the year.

Regards
Peet

[mbstude]

I feel for ya, Bill. [V]

On the bright side, it could have been worse!



Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[52-fan]

I feel a little sick just reading about this. For my part I've never trusted parking brakes to hold a car in reverse. The brake never seems to hold as well with the car trying to roll backwards.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

[55s]

I also trusted a parking brake when my 1955 transmission pawl broke off. (they are delicate for the DG250).

I parked on some major hills in Kingston, and roads that led into Lake Ontario. I ended up at the hotel parking lot, unscathed, and the parking brake held for about an hour. At that point, things probably cooled down, parking brake failed. The car grazed a pole, jumped a curb damaging rocker panel other side, did an abrupt turn and backed into (slammed into) a concrete abutment right beside the hotel's pool. (If the car had gone stright, it would have been in the deep end.) Damage to three sides of my car, fortunately nothing major, but engine broke off mounts. No people or other cars hit (Thank goodness!)

Many thanks to Bill for his assistance in getting the new engine mounts in, so that I could continue to Ottawa, then back to Toronto.

Fixed the transmission, redid the car - that was about 10 years ago.

Parking Brakes - use with caution, especially in reverse. I now use the transmission, the parking brake AND a brick or 2. (Warning: Don't get in any arguments with me - they are in my trunk!)

Paul

[Bill Pressler]

Matthew, you are right...thanks for the reminder.

Paul, my car was in drive with the parking brake on, and I still rolled backwards!

My wife is being restrained. I have given her good-natured ribbing about doing significant damage to two of our daily drivers in the past about-fourteen years. One was her fault; the other wasn't; nobody was hurt in either.

Very frustrating, but yes, no one was hurt. My two kids (14 and 11)and their two cousins from Kentucky, up for the week, were in the front yard weeding and witnessed the whole thing!

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1

quote:Originally posted by 55s

I also trusted a parking brake when my 1955 transmission pawl broke off. (they are delicate for the DG250).

I parked on some major hills in Kingston, and roads that led into Lake Ontario. I ended up at the hotel parking lot, unscathed, and the parking brake held for about an hour. At that point, things probably cooled down, parking brake failed. The car grazed a pole, jumped a curb damaging rocker panel other side, did an abrupt turn and backed into (slammed into) a concrete abutment right beside the hotel's pool. (If the car had gone stright, it would have been in the deep end.) Damage to three sides of my car, fortunately nothing major, but engine broke off mounts. No people or other cars hit (Thank goodness!)

Many thanks to Bill for his assistance in getting the new engine mounts in, so that I could continue to Ottawa, then back to Toronto.

Fixed the transmission, redid the car - that was about 10 years ago.

Parking Brakes - use with caution, especially in reverse. I now use the transmission, the parking brake AND a brick or 2. (Warning: Don't get in any arguments with me - they are in my trunk!)

Paul

[BobPalma]

[8] OUCH! [8][xx(] Hopefully, that will be the worst thing that happens this <s>week,</s> <s>month,</s> <s>year,</s> oh, for the rest of your life, Bill!

And to think; this is before the girls started driving...or their dates started trying to quietly back out of the drive after a late-night drop-off! [:0]

Sorry indeed to hear of that.[xx(] Is the Cobalt still drivable? [8D] BP

[Scott]

All good reasons to move to North Dakota (at least eastern). Heck, you'll NEVER need brakes of any kind unless you're already moving. I've seen tables hillier than that part of the state.

[JDP]

Once scrapped a rust bucket 52 convert. The tow truck driver told me me a great story the next time I saw him. It seems he unhooked it next to the office at the top of a hill and put it in gear. He was not familiar with overdrives free wheeling feature and it took off down the hill into the yard. After picking up speed, it made a hard right into a then late model Chevy with a perfect front clip. When the dust cleared, he had two cars to send to the crusher.
I'm convinced the old Studebaker made that turn on it's own.

JDP/Maryland
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."

Thomas Jeffereson

[studegary]

Bill P. - Sorry for this happening to you/your vehicles.
If it rolled backwards into the Cobalt, I don't see how it only needs front end parts.
At least it is easier to repair/replace a Cobalt than a Skytop.


Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Bill Pressler]

The steering wheel on the Daytona was turned to the left, so it rolled backwards and to the left. The right front winguard is what did most of the damage to the Cobalt.

Thanks for everybody's concern, really. I knew here was a place I could get folks to commiserate with me!

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1

quote:Originally posted by studegary

Bill P. - Sorry for this happening to you/your vehicles.
If it rolled backwards into the Cobalt, I don't see how it only needs front end parts.
At least it is easier to repair/replace a Cobalt than a Skytop.


Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Bill Pressler]

Bob, yes the Cobalt is still driveable. Just really looks like hell and there is damage to the quarter panel, not just the door skins, unfortunately.

Geez, we've had so much rain, I hadn't even washed it once yet!

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma

[8] OUCH! [8][xx(] Hopefully, that will be the worst thing that happens this <s>week,</s> <s>month,</s> <s>year,</s> oh, for the rest of your life, Bill!

And to think; this is before the girls started driving...or their dates started trying to quietly back out of the drive after a late-night drop-off! [:0]

Sorry indeed to hear of that.[xx(] Is the Cobalt still drivable? [8D] BP

[JWW]

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeze, Bill! I'm sorry to read about this. I have to get my Daytona repaired also. I was attempting to put the top down when unbeknownst to me a nut on a bolt on the top mechanism had come loose and fallen off. As the top was at the topmost position and started downward, the bolt fell out and suddenly twisted the top pulling a rivet out also. Seeing it twist I stopped putting it down, but the top mechanism was already severely bent.[V]

I was able to coax it back up and latch it, but it is sticking up on the passenger side about the middle of the passenger window. I have had it looked at, and am told it can be fixed. Fortunately the top was not punctured.

Just be happy that no one was hurt in your case, and that repairs can be made.
JWW

[ROADRACELARK]

Bill, sorry to here about your "incident". Sheetmetal can be straightened and painted, glad no BODY was harmed. IIRC, a number of cars back in the 40's & 50's, furnished a chock in the trunk, as an added safety when changing a flat tire. As had been stated earlier, on these older cars, the emergency brakes are not as efficent (especially in keeping the car from rolling backwards) as the later model cars. Mabe we need to add a chock to the other "stuff" we carry in our trunks.

Dan Miller
Atlanta, GA

[img=left]http://static.flickr.com/57/228744729_7aff5f0118_m.jpg[/img=left]
Road Racers turn left AND right.

[Hippie]

Been there..... now I always use blocks or wheel chocks when doing anything like that.

Analog man in a digital world.