My brother 1st Stude

[Jim Beard]

My brother bought his first Stude truck today....it is in Ga. and he will have it transported to Austin, Tx....red E7

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Studebaker-Champ-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ290584942288

Now I gotta get him to join SDC, and the Hill Country Chapter
Jim

[old digger]

Sweet looking rig Jim, hope he has many fun filled years ahead is this cool truck.

[mbstude]

Hey, I know that truck well. Recently had a complete cosmetic redo by the owner. One thing's for certain, it's mechanically dependable and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere. The seller is a good friend, as is the guy he bought the truck from a few years ago. Sorry to see it leave the Southeast but looks like it'll have a good home.

[StudeRich]

Very nice looking Truck, the very first thing I would do though, is get rid of that Ill fitting "R" series front bumper.

[Bob Andrews]

That one caught my eye last night, especially for that BIN. IMO he did well!

[T-Bone]

1964 Studebaker Pick-up

I've owned (and worked hard on) other old vehicles: MGs, Austin-Healey, Mercedes, etc. This is my first Studebaker. I was especially pleased with the comments made by mbstude as to the condition of the truck. Looking forward to its arrival soon.

Stan

[55champion]

Looks like you got a winner... enjoy the ride....

[mbstude]

I've owned (and worked hard on) other old vehicles: MGs, Austin-Healey, Mercedes, etc. This is my first Studebaker. I was especially pleased with the comments made by mbstude as to the condition of the truck. Looking forward to its arrival soon.

Stan

My friend George Klutkowski, who Warren bought the truck from, just emailed me this. Thought you might like to know a little more history.

I first saw that truck about thirty years ago.. The owner, Andy (last name long forgotten) worked at FSU (never did know exactly what...perfesser? Groundskeeper?) and commuted back and forth to his home in that truck. He lived about 25 miles one way from FSU. He passed by my shop twice a day until one day he noticed my 57 GH parked on the side of the building... He then stopped in. The truck was garnet and gold then; FSU colors. In pretty decent shape. Turns out he was a Stude nut that had many others laying around in his yard in his small coastal town. He also had a 61 Hawk that evidently he had since new and had traveled the world with him while he was in the service. He was a jovial 'round' guy who was probably in his late fifties then. He had taken the Hawk apart to re-do it but never got it back together. He had a new cloverleaf 289 short block that he did manage to put the heads on and 'set' in the car. The doghouse was off it and he sat the hood on top...that is the way it stayed for years... He used to stop by on Friday afternoons and yak with us while we usually had beer and pizza...those were the days...I ended up visiting his place several times over the years and he had about ten or so cars and trucks in the 'yard'. He wanted me to 'finish' the Hawk but always thought my prices (ME?) too high...
Time goes by, the visits to Andy got fewer and soon I hadn't been there in a long time. I had sold the building and moved on and he had retired. One day I went there only to find his unfinished house (another project he had while living in an Airstream on the property) with a sign on it and the 'stuff' (cars included) gone. Years go by...I see an ad for what had to be the truck in the paper...not far from where he lived. I went to investigate and sure as poop it was the truck. The new owner said he had bought all the stuff (land and house included) after the old man had a stroke and was institutionalized...his asking price for the tuck was too much for me. Years go by...I am driving through 'downtown' in a small town in what is now the county I live in and notice the truck in the rear of a large lot attached to a repair shop. Stopped in to ask and found out it now belonged to a local bank... Inside the bed was a trove of NOS Stude stuff but it was now getting rained on and going fast.
I went to the bank and talked to the president (don't ya just love small towns) and found out that the truck was part of the stuff 'called in' when the owner defaulted on a 'sweetie' loan that the banker had given him..they were 'ol high school buddies...the owner had fallen into the depths of drugs (in his late forties..) and lost all he had.
I made an offer and got it.
It hadn't run in years...but I soon had it running and it sat in the corner of my shop until Warren couldn't stand it any more and bought it. He had me do the brakes and several other things and he used it to commute the 40+ miles one way to his job as a Life Flight helicopter pilot...for about two years...
Warren used the thing all the time after he retired and now has sold it to make way for his next project; a 55 Commander K with low miles that is truly a barn find. He has had it for years..
So now the old truck begins yet another new life....
Sidenotes...the parts in the bed of the truck were sold mostly on ebay and took care of most of what I paid the bank for the truck. A couple years after Warren got the truck, the guy who lost it to the bank was let out of prison (where he had finally landed) and contacted me about the REST of the cars and trucks 'ol Andy had..he had 'squirreled them away' on some wooded property belonging to a relative... I bought the stuff and soon after the poor fellow was once again in jail..some never learn...
I still have the Hawk and a couple others from that 'stash' and have 'glommed' many parts over the years. Crushed a couple that were skeletons a few years back when scrap prices were high. The cars and trucks were stored on property in a coastal area and didn't fare well..
The Hawk (what's left of it) still sits in the yard...the engine was never fired after Andy 'set it in' but the oil pan rusted thru and caused some damage...I have the block and crank and such sitting in a corner waiting for some time...it is bored and ready to be a 299 with semi dish pistons and parts from Phil Harris The Hawk was a strange deal...Andy had 'de finned' it and added a Pontiac Lemans interior that fit like a glove...door panels and all! The "Lemans" on the panels was strange, though... 55 big sedan rear light assemblies were on the rear along with a vinyl roof...I recon he was trying to make it look like a GT Hawk way back when...
One more note...the bank in all this mess was notorious for it's 'sweetie loans' and went under last year....they were the owners of the motel and country club where we held the Florida state SDC meet...the announcement came two weeks before the meet and we were scared to death that the doors would close any minute...they didn't...the FDIC knew the place would be worthless if they shut it down, so we made it...

George

[rockinhawk]

I had made plans to buy that truck from George, but due to my foot dragging, Warren beat me to it. Oh Well, win some ,lose some ! Congrats on the buy. You got a good truck.

[Jim Beard]

Great to have a story with a Stude.
Thanks .
Jim

[railway]

Hey I have a nice front bumper (chrome) that belong on the truck, I'll make a trade.

[Jim Beard]

T-Bone now owns a T-Cab
Jim

[Jim Beard]

My friend George Klutkowski, who Warren bought the truck from, just emailed me this. Thought you might like to know a little more history.

I first saw that truck about thirty years ago.. The owner, Andy (last name long forgotten) worked at FSU (never did know exactly what...perfesser? Groundskeeper?) and commuted back and forth to his home in that truck. He lived about 25 miles one way from FSU. He passed by my shop twice a day until one day he noticed my 57 GH parked on the side of the building... He then stopped in. The truck was garnet and gold then; FSU colors. In pretty decent shape. Turns out he was a Stude nut that had many others laying around in his yard in his small coastal town. He also had a 61 Hawk that evidently he had since new and had traveled the world with him while he was in the service. He was a jovial 'round' guy who was probably in his late fifties then. He had taken the Hawk apart to re-do it but never got it back together. He had a new cloverleaf 289 short block that he did manage to put the heads on and 'set' in the car. The doghouse was off it and he sat the hood on top...that is the way it stayed for years... He used to stop by on Friday afternoons and yak with us while we usually had beer and pizza...those were the days...I ended up visiting his place several times over the years and he had about ten or so cars and trucks in the 'yard'. He wanted me to 'finish' the Hawk but always thought my prices (ME?) too high...
Time goes by, the visits to Andy got fewer and soon I hadn't been there in a long time. I had sold the building and moved on and he had retired. One day I went there only to find his unfinished house (another project he had while living in an Airstream on the property) with a sign on it and the 'stuff' (cars included) gone. Years go by...I see an ad for what had to be the truck in the paper...not far from where he lived. I went to investigate and sure as poop it was the truck. The new owner said he had bought all the stuff (land and house included) after the old man had a stroke and was institutionalized...his asking price for the tuck was too much for me. Years go by...I am driving through 'downtown' in a small town in what is now the county I live in and notice the truck in the rear of a large lot attached to a repair shop. Stopped in to ask and found out it now belonged to a local bank... Inside the bed was a trove of NOS Stude stuff but it was now getting rained on and going fast.
I went to the bank and talked to the president (don't ya just love small towns) and found out that the truck was part of the stuff 'called in' when the owner defaulted on a 'sweetie' loan that the banker had given him..they were 'ol high school buddies...the owner had fallen into the depths of drugs (in his late forties..) and lost all he had.
I made an offer and got it.
It hadn't run in years...but I soon had it running and it sat in the corner of my shop until Warren couldn't stand it any more and bought it. He had me do the brakes and several other things and he used it to commute the 40+ miles one way to his job as a Life Flight helicopter pilot...for about two years...
Warren used the thing all the time after he retired and now has sold it to make way for his next project; a 55 Commander K with low miles that is truly a barn find. He has had it for years..
So now the old truck begins yet another new life....
Sidenotes...the parts in the bed of the truck were sold mostly on ebay and took care of most of what I paid the bank for the truck. A couple years after Warren got the truck, the guy who lost it to the bank was let out of prison (where he had finally landed) and contacted me about the REST of the cars and trucks 'ol Andy had..he had 'squirreled them away' on some wooded property belonging to a relative... I bought the stuff and soon after the poor fellow was once again in jail..some never learn...
I still have the Hawk and a couple others from that 'stash' and have 'glommed' many parts over the years. Crushed a couple that were skeletons a few years back when scrap prices were high. The cars and trucks were stored on property in a coastal area and didn't fare well..
The Hawk (what's left of it) still sits in the yard...the engine was never fired after Andy 'set it in' but the oil pan rusted thru and caused some damage...I have the block and crank and such sitting in a corner waiting for some time...it is bored and ready to be a 299 with semi dish pistons and parts from Phil Harris The Hawk was a strange deal...Andy had 'de finned' it and added a Pontiac Lemans interior that fit like a glove...door panels and all! The "Lemans" on the panels was strange, though... 55 big sedan rear light assemblies were on the rear along with a vinyl roof...I recon he was trying to make it look like a GT Hawk way back when...
One more note...the bank in all this mess was notorious for it's 'sweetie loans' and went under last year....they were the owners of the motel and country club where we held the Florida state SDC meet...the announcement came two weeks before the meet and we were scared to death that the doors would close any minute...they didn't...the FDIC knew the place would be worthless if they shut it down, so we made it...

George

George,
My brother , Stan Beard, died Nov. 11 at 65. Good a day as any for a Veteran to die. The truck will have a new home with me back in Chappell Hill, Texas not far from our old dairy where we grew up. In the barn between my 63 and 65 Cruisers and our Grandpa's 62 GT. Thank you again for the history of this truck.
Jim Beard

[JEWELL]

Jim, sorry to hear that Stan died, 65 is way to young. I pass thru Chappell Hill on my way to our ranch in near Snook, TX. Always some interesting cars to see in Chappell Hill.

Mark