Dumb Question?????

[drnittler]

Dumb question: Has anybody ever driven a pretty original Lark long distance..ie 1400 miles? I am looking into the idea of driving my 61 Lark from Texas to the meet in Southbend for 2012. I know this is a driver's club and I do not have a trailor...Any thoughts , stories, advise? Thanks.

[52-fan]

If the car is in good driving condition it should be able to go farther than that. I drove my mostly original 52 Champion over 3,000 miles on one trip years back. You have lots of time to take the car out on shorter trips to check out all the systems before its time to go to South Bend for the international meet.
If you plan out a route and talk it up on the forum, you might be able to get some other cars to fall in along the route and caravan together. Safety in numbers you know. A group of Arkansas members, along with some other Studes we ran across, traveled to Irving, Texas in 1975 for the international meet. It was fun watching heads turn as we passed. That was my first long distance trip driving a Studebaker. After I made that trip I was ready to go anywhere in my Stude.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Why not?
Prepare the car. Prepare a driving plan. Prepare for contingencies.
Notice the operative word is prepare.
Tires, tuneup, lube, brakes, wheel bearings, SDC roster, cell phone, AAA coverage (including long tow option)....
Just get ready, and go!

Dumb question: Has anybody ever driven a pretty original Lark long distance..ie 1400 miles? I am looking into the idea of driving my 61 Lark from Texas to the meet in Southbend for 2012. I know this is a driver's club and I do not have a trailor...Any thoughts , stories, advise? Thanks.

[2R5]

We drove our 60 Champ from the Niagara area to Texas and up to the Omaha meet then back home to Ontario , just a great trip , everyone should try it at least once in their lives.

[tbirdtbird]

Deepnhock covered some good points. I'll add,
1) try to determine the condition of the water pump. This is hard to do. Maybe bring a spare. I did 1500 mi in my original '50 Willys Jeepster and had the water pump shaft seal leak 1/2 way thru. Was able to get a replacement and change it out on the trip. It was a blast of a trip, tho
2) Generator bearings. Many of the generators of that era could be oiled manually, if so do it. o/w maybe consider changing out the bearings before you leave, which is what I did. It is easy enough to do
3) Def. get some lead substitute and use it at each fill-up, since the motor is orig, those valves need lube esp. on a long trip
4) Today's gas is so poor, it is very 'dry' and again we are all lacking any decent top end lubrication, at least not as good as it was in the old days. I add about a shot-glass of Rislone or Mystery Oil to every 10 gals to help my valves. You will never see any smoke out the tailpipe from this, it is too minimal amount to do this. The old-timers will tell you about rubbing real gasoline between their fingers...it felt 'slippery'...not so with the crapahol we are stuck with now
5) A good trick to remember should you experience any type of cooling system leak along the way: back the rad. cap off to the first notch. This will unpressurize the system, but still keep the coolant in the rad without it blowing out the top. You can go for miles like this until you are able to reach a repair location. Cooling systems weren't always pressurized, this started in the ?40s. A pressurized system only allows the engine to run hotter w/o boiling over. But if you have a leak somewhere, pressure is the last thing you want. I have done this on many occasions. I always toss a gallon jug of water in the trunk just in case
6) Your roster is so you can contact a fellow member along the way in case you have a breakdown. Contacting people ahead is a great idea to see if you can caravan, which is the best way to go, but I have done solo, too

As stated above, planning is the key, and have a blast!!!

[JRoberts]

Not a dumb question at all. I, too, would say go for your trip. At least two of us from southeastern North Carolina are planning to drive our Studebakers to South Bend. One way it will be about 870 miles. The trip to South Bend will include mostly non-Interstate highways. We hope this will give us a chance to see the real countryside through which will be traveling. The return trip will probably be the quicker, if more sterile, Interstate system. The list of supplies already mentioned are good ideas. Advance preparation is everything. Have fun!

[kmac530]

I would not hesitate to drive an old car a long distance as you have prepared for it. As Deepnhock said.
I had not really thought of on key factor he said, but the SDC roster is a great idea. Maybe call ahead to the SDC local chapters and say hello, let them know your plan, so if you do by chance need some help you will already have met them, at least on the phone before.

The biggest thing I think of on a long trip is cooling system. Once all of your fluids and tune n lube is done, those things are what they are. A A/T can decide to go at any time even with fresh fluid whether you are down the street or in South Bend, all you can do is service it and hope for the best, that is ANY car. But the cooling system on an older car is definately a place that you can insure success with, or almost be assured of failure on a long trip without propper preparation. JMHO.

PS: notice 2R5's signature line....for smiles-do miles...good thought

[drnittler]

Thanks one and all for the advise. I believe I will go for it. Where do I geta Studebaker rouster?

[pdrnec]

I bought a 64 Cruiser from Lee DeLaBarre in 2004 and drove it from Ft Wayne back to Los Angeles in 4 days. Had to replace a U-Joint in Albuquerque but that was the only problem. I had a ball visiting folks along the way. As for original, it was a bone stock survivor - even had original paint.

Do the basic prep and go for it. Bring a shop manual and parts book just in case, many parts are available through NAPA, etc.

[StudeDave57]

Thanks one and all for the advise. I believe I will go for it. Where do I geta Studebaker rouster?

Yes indeed- do go for it. I've made two cross country trips in my '57 Commander, and more long distance trips in my '65 Cruiser then I can count- including two cross-country towing a U-Haul. TONS OF FUN!!!

StudeTrips are a blast when properly planned for- follow the above advice and you'll be fine. Bring along a camera to document it all, and maybe write a story for your local club's newsletter and/or Turning Wheels.

I can't seem to find the ad in TW, but I'm pretty sure you can get the roster from SDC's Club Store. Someone will be along shortly to correct me if I'm wrong...

[Dick Clemens]

New roster is available from Cornerstone($12.90) phone 763-420-7829.

If you feel comfortable in driving around town you should not have any reason not to take a long trip with all the advise received here.
A lot of people know of my excursion in 07 driving my Baby fom Minn. to South Bend and then to home in Arkansas. I had an altenator go out in Sikeston Mo., but was able to get it repaired very reasonably.


studedick from the lower Ozarks

[Jim B PEI]

I drove my 57 W4 Champion automatic from Toronto ON to home a couple of years ago. About 1,000 miles or so

One thing to add is to have the right tools to do the basic repairs--and that in an old Studebaker, one thing that might also go bad is an old thermostat. On mine, it gradually failed into the 'closed' as if cold position, so that the engine ran hot.

[jclary]

Around 1980, I bought a little tan colored frumpy four door V8 1960 Lark. I slapped a tin patch or two over the holes in the floor, did a back yard overhaul on the engine, put on a set of P195-R-15 radial tires, installed an aftermarket air conditioner, rebuilt the brakes, lubricated everything, topped off the automatic transmission fluid, and the fun was on!

At that time, I was the owner of a one man Independent Manufacturer's Rep Agency, selling industrial supplies and equipment in three states. The little Lark became my main transportation until 1988. Over that time, more than 40,000 miles in business and personal driving. In all those years and miles, the only time I recall having a problem was while I was eating breakfast at a fast food restaurant. It wouldn't fire...I raised the hood and found gas squirting out of the breather hole in the fuel pump. I popped the trunk open, removed my spare fuel pump and bag of tools, and in little over half an hour, was on my way. (Try that with an "in gas tank pump!")

This spring, (after the car had sat in the back of my man cave for over 16 years) I put a new battery in the Lark, new set of points, and it fired right up.) That same fuel pump, from the parking lot repair so many years ago, is still pumping gas.

If you take care of the essentials, carry spares for the "soft - expendable" parts, you should be good to go. Surely, in the days of the "cell phone," it shouldn't be the risk it once was.

[avantilover]

Proper preparation prevents poor performance. I hope all goes well with the car, when they were new they would easily do such a trip. Best wishes with it.

[52 Ragtop]

Carry a spare water pump, fuel pump, and rebuilt distributor, anything esle and it'll need to go home on a trailer. make sure you have some extra oil in the trunk, and check it and the radiator often.
I drove my 57 Golden hawk from LA to the International Meet in Cincinnati back in 1977, then went on to New York and back to LA. Other than a fan blade breaking in Chicago (at rush hour of course) I had no problems.

Jim