Where is your FIRST Studebaker?

[BobPalma]

This ought to be a fun survey.

Do you know the whereabouts of your FIRST Studebaker? Maybe you still own it...maybe you know for sure it was parted out ...or that it was ultimately restored by someone else or???? ?

OK, I'll start the sequence. My first Stude was a 1955 Champion Regal Coupe, purchased in 1963 at age 17. 'Sold it in 1972. It was almost used up by subsequent owners but not quite: It resides today, in poor condition, in a barn near Kirklin IN. I know the current owner, but have not seen the car in over 30 years.

Here it is in 1970 with future wife Cari on what was her first date to a Studebaker Club Meeting in Noblesville Indiana's Forest Park:



Anybody else? Braggin's OK for you folks who have carefully cared for your Stude for many years...or even just a few if you're a "newbie." I'll bet there's some good stories out there. (Everyone has permission to pop a cold one and pretend we're standing around in the Omaha parking lot at 11PM.) BP

[rockne10]

I got my 62 Lark VI Regal four door when my Grandfather died back in 1971. Drove it and started loving Studebakers. Acquired a lot of NOS sheetmetal when it was cheap and available. Then totalled it one Saturday night in 1975[V]. Totalled but still driveable until the police gave me 48 hours to get a windshield in it. Couldn't do that with the bent roof, cowl, smashed door, etc.
Took the front fenders, OD transmission and a few other parts to fit in to my second Studebaker, a 1960 Convertible. The remainder of a perfectly running Lark went to the salvage yard. I got $35 for my Grandfather's car.[V]

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
33 Rockne 10
51 Commander Starlight
53 Commander Starlight

previously: 63 Cruiser, 62 Regal VI, 60 VI convertible, 50 LandCruiser

[rockne10]

I got my 62 Lark VI Regal four door when my Grandfather died back in 1971. Drove it and started loving Studebakers. Acquired a lot of NOS sheetmetal when it was cheap and available. Then totalled it one Saturday night in 1975[V]. Totalled but still driveable until the police gave me 48 hours to get a windshield in it. Couldn't do that with the bent roof, cowl, smashed door, etc.
Took the front fenders, OD transmission and a few other parts to fit in to my second Studebaker, a 1960 Convertible. The remainder of a perfectly running Lark went to the salvage yard. I got $35 for my Grandfather's car.[V]

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
33 Rockne 10
51 Commander Starlight
53 Commander Starlight

previously: 63 Cruiser, 62 Regal VI, 60 VI convertible, 50 LandCruiser

[Studenut65]

My first Stude was/is a 1965 Commander V-8 Automatic. As of right now, it better be sitting at home in my garage looking pretty...haha! I bought the one-owner car about 7 years ago when I was 15. Besides two minor spots of rust on the front fenders, the car was in great shape. She still wears 95% of her original paint job. Her interior was a real find - it is perfect thanks to the seat covers the original owner used. So thats my first Stude, not to mention my FIRST car ever. Keep the stories coming!

Nate

[Studenut65]

My first Stude was/is a 1965 Commander V-8 Automatic. As of right now, it better be sitting at home in my garage looking pretty...haha! I bought the one-owner car about 7 years ago when I was 15. Besides two minor spots of rust on the front fenders, the car was in great shape. She still wears 95% of her original paint job. Her interior was a real find - it is perfect thanks to the seat covers the original owner used. So thats my first Stude, not to mention my FIRST car ever. Keep the stories coming!

Nate

[Studedude1961]

My first Studebaker, a 1951 Land Cruiser, can be seen at www.caroholic.com.

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[Studedude1961]

My first Studebaker, a 1951 Land Cruiser, can be seen at www.caroholic.com.

Studedude1961
--1963 Cruiser

[mapman]

my first was a '64 cruiser that I got our of a field where it had been sitting for a year or so. That was about 1975 I think. It started and drove quite well. I drove it around for a while, did some minor work on it including brakes, then drove it down to Los Angeles area from N. Idaho. My cousins drove it for several years. It has quite a bit of rust but I believe it is still in my uncles back yard with several companions.
Rob

[mapman]

my first was a '64 cruiser that I got our of a field where it had been sitting for a year or so. That was about 1975 I think. It started and drove quite well. I drove it around for a while, did some minor work on it including brakes, then drove it down to Los Angeles area from N. Idaho. My cousins drove it for several years. It has quite a bit of rust but I believe it is still in my uncles back yard with several companions.
Rob

[8E45E]

[quote]Originally posted by BobPalma

This ought to be a fun survey.

Do you know the whereabouts of your FIRST Studebaker?

Indeed, I still own my first Studebaker I got in 1976. I bought my Astra white '64 Daytona from a neighbor up the road from me who also owned an Astra white '65 Daytona Wagonaire as well. I moved in the neighborhood in August, 1967 when they were still relatively new, and they sure looked striking parked next to each other in the driveway!!

[8E45E]

[quote]Originally posted by BobPalma

This ought to be a fun survey.

Do you know the whereabouts of your FIRST Studebaker?

Indeed, I still own my first Studebaker I got in 1976. I bought my Astra white '64 Daytona from a neighbor up the road from me who also owned an Astra white '65 Daytona Wagonaire as well. I moved in the neighborhood in August, 1967 when they were still relatively new, and they sure looked striking parked next to each other in the driveway!!

[ddub]

The first Stude I bought was a '50 Champ 2dr sedan in 1958. I drove it several years, ran it into the back of a Nash Metropolitan. Totaled the Nash. I needed a new left front fender. The only one I could find was yellow and the car was green, a little like a Speedster I guess. I bought a '53 Commander K and my dad took the Champ for his work car for several years. Eventually it threw a rod and dad got $5 for it at the junk yard, as auto recyclers were then known.

Don Wilson
53 Commander Hardtop
64 Champ 1/2 ton
Centralia, WA

[ddub]

The first Stude I bought was a '50 Champ 2dr sedan in 1958. I drove it several years, ran it into the back of a Nash Metropolitan. Totaled the Nash. I needed a new left front fender. The only one I could find was yellow and the car was green, a little like a Speedster I guess. I bought a '53 Commander K and my dad took the Champ for his work car for several years. Eventually it threw a rod and dad got $5 for it at the junk yard, as auto recyclers were then known.

Don Wilson
53 Commander Hardtop
64 Champ 1/2 ton
Centralia, WA

[Transtar56]

My first Stude was a 1929 Commander I think,(might have been a Dictator)it had a BIG flat head six. My Dad was collecting and restoring old cars and had quite a number on the go,a 1930 Essex,a 1929 Desoto,and two Model A's. He brought the Studebaker home from P.E.I where it had sat in a feild for years. The soft roof had gone out,allowing all the wooden body frame to rot,and the body had pretty much collapsed in a heap,I remember the door posts were tied together with rope.
Since he had to many projects on the go he deemed the old Stude to rough to restore. I was about 10 or 11 at the time and remember helping him do several things to the engine and the old six roared to life. It ran so well that Dad decided we should make a tractor out of it. We removed the remains of the body and I remember sawing the big frame in two with a hack saw. We shortened the drive shaft,welded the frame back together so the rear wheels were right behind the seat,put some big snow tires with chains on the rear,and he turned me loose with her. She still had the cowl and dash,the top sections of the hood,and the inner part of the front fenders.
I grew up on the Tantramar marshes,on the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,where my parents still live. Ducks unlimited had just spent years building a dyke system to flood more of the marsh for duck habitat. These dykes made excellent roads,I could drive my Stude many miles on them,and into Nova Scotia where there was a good set of woods roads that ran for miles. I burned up many barrels of tractor gas exploring the back country,hunting ducks,rabbits,etc,and that old Stude never sent me home walking once. We also used her to mow hay,plow fields,pull wagons,and all kinds of farm tractor tasks. I don't remember her ever falling short of what we put here through. Dad was very impressed in how reliable,how strong the big six was,and I got the impression right away that Studebakers were very fine cars. Years later Dad would say "I wish we had of restored that car,what a great car it was".
About twenty some years later,after Id aquired a 1947 Champion and a 1966 Commander and was a member of the SDC,a guy in our chapter ,an undertaker, said he had a 1928 or 9 Studebaker hearse that he wanted to restore,but was missing the powertrain. I think we sold him our old Stude for 200 bucks. Its probaly still on the road. I have at least several pictures of her when we were running her,Ive posted them on the other NG before. I remember someone commenting on the STP stickers on the cowl. At the time I didn't even know there was a connection between Studebaker and STP,I just got the stickers some where and stuck them on.
Oh yea,we used two bucket seats out of a Mustang I think for seating accomidations. What a great car!

[Transtar56]

My first Stude was a 1929 Commander I think,(might have been a Dictator)it had a BIG flat head six. My Dad was collecting and restoring old cars and had quite a number on the go,a 1930 Essex,a 1929 Desoto,and two Model A's. He brought the Studebaker home from P.E.I where it had sat in a feild for years. The soft roof had gone out,allowing all the wooden body frame to rot,and the body had pretty much collapsed in a heap,I remember the door posts were tied together with rope.
Since he had to many projects on the go he deemed the old Stude to rough to restore. I was about 10 or 11 at the time and remember helping him do several things to the engine and the old six roared to life. It ran so well that Dad decided we should make a tractor out of it. We removed the remains of the body and I remember sawing the big frame in two with a hack saw. We shortened the drive shaft,welded the frame back together so the rear wheels were right behind the seat,put some big snow tires with chains on the rear,and he turned me loose with her. She still had the cowl and dash,the top sections of the hood,and the inner part of the front fenders.
I grew up on the Tantramar marshes,on the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,where my parents still live. Ducks unlimited had just spent years building a dyke system to flood more of the marsh for duck habitat. These dykes made excellent roads,I could drive my Stude many miles on them,and into Nova Scotia where there was a good set of woods roads that ran for miles. I burned up many barrels of tractor gas exploring the back country,hunting ducks,rabbits,etc,and that old Stude never sent me home walking once. We also used her to mow hay,plow fields,pull wagons,and all kinds of farm tractor tasks. I don't remember her ever falling short of what we put here through. Dad was very impressed in how reliable,how strong the big six was,and I got the impression right away that Studebakers were very fine cars. Years later Dad would say "I wish we had of restored that car,what a great car it was".
About twenty some years later,after Id aquired a 1947 Champion and a 1966 Commander and was a member of the SDC,a guy in our chapter ,an undertaker, said he had a 1928 or 9 Studebaker hearse that he wanted to restore,but was missing the powertrain. I think we sold him our old Stude for 200 bucks. Its probaly still on the road. I have at least several pictures of her when we were running her,Ive posted them on the other NG before. I remember someone commenting on the STP stickers on the cowl. At the time I didn't even know there was a connection between Studebaker and STP,I just got the stickers some where and stuck them on.
Oh yea,we used two bucket seats out of a Mustang I think for seating accomidations. What a great car!