Driver's Club or Vistor's Club

[jg61hawk]

Here's a long story made into a quick story that probably should be in Turning Wheels but.......... Two years ago I drove from NJ to Sturbridge Mass. I drove my 2004 Ford pickup to see the the show (North East Zone Meet). I was looking at Hawk just like mine except mine was home in the garage and this one was at the show. The owner (Wes Burge) noticed I kept looking at his car and also I was asking him a lot of questions. He eventually said to me, " Hey you looking to buy this car or steal it, why are you so interested in my car?" ( This is his sense of humor). I told him I had one like it. He asked where it was. I told him it was home. To make a long story short he made it very clear to me that apparently it was OK for him to drive HIS car a long distance to entertain me, but I should not have to drive MY car to entertain him. He asked me the following: How much fun would any of these shows be if we all decided to drive our Ford trucks with air conditioning to look at other people's Studebakers? That's right......No Studebakers just a bunch of Studebaker enthusiats. So I did drive to Gettysburg and to Rutland. Yeah I was worried, scared if you will, but I told myself I have been worried and scared in the past over much bigger matters. I strongly recommend to all of you just drive the damn thing just drive it. It was WELL WORTH IT. I could write more and expand or expound ( for you critical guys) but read between the lines and YOU FILL the blanks.

[BobPalma]

Well, Jim, there is a third option that many people pursue today for a variety of reasons: Keep the Ford truck with air conditioning and buy a new $2,500 (or good used $1,200) car trailer and trailer your car to the meet.

Problem solved; it's there to see and be seen, and you have the air conditioning and comfort you desire.

OK, many people will now jump in about SDC being a drivers club and such, and I don't seek to diminish their valid points. I am merely addressing the specific matter you brought up; no more, no less. BP

[jg61hawk]

I agree the main thing is just get them there. I spoke to many people who own Studes that are home. I think the whole DRIVERS CLUB thing is overblown (OH BOY). These are not old pieces of crap any more. We have weathered the storm. We had foresight to see the value, beauty, and worth of a marque that was once laughed at. My Hawk was at onetime driven as a daily driver with ZERO insurance other than liability. Now it is restrored and a part of the family and heavily insured. I agree the point is get these to our shows by driving, trailer, or hook or by crook. Truth be told...driving it was fun but very risky in the sense of what you are up against: Other drivers, no shoulders, construction, break downs etc. A lot of work can be lost in seconds and not by your own hands.

[David56j]

I agree. That is why we will be driving the 62 Hawk to
South Bend.

[Milaca]

I regularly drive my Studebakers within 100 miles of home but I am considering trailering a Studebaker the 600+ miles to South Bend this summer. Having my trailer-towing pickup there would also give me cargo space for hauling newly acquired parts back to my home.

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

A buddy said it best.
If you DON'T drive them they forget they're cars. They start thinking that they are doilys or a tea set or something.
Bring them out for an afternoon tea and then put them back.
At least so far no one has come out and said they aren't reliable or that parts aren't available.
That's a bunch of hogwash.

[Samjoe]

Just drive it. If you want an investment buy bonds. Then join the stocks and bonds club and see how much fun that one is.
And when they put you in the ground, you can say,"Boy that was fun to drive that old car all over the place".
And when people talk about you, they can say,"He sure had a nice Studebaker,and he drove it everywhere".
And when they will sell it at your Estate Sale and divide up the money,that will be that. But at least you had fun with it.
Happy Studebakering.

[rockinhawk]

i understand the fear of driving an old car. In 1970 I was 21years old living in the suburbs of Jacksonville Fla. I had a 62 lark and a 40 Commander. The Lark was daily transportation. The 40 was my OLD car. I enjoyed driving it around the neighborhood but was scared to get it out on the busy streets. NO WAY would I drive it 5 miles to the beach. Why this car was made from 30 year old metal. Anything could break at any time. After all it was 30 years old!

Fast forward to 1987. The Lark and the 40 were both gone and we had moved to So. Ga. The family ride was a Chevy custom Van and the old car was a 57 Silver Hawk.
Decided to go to the beach one Sat morning. We jumped in the Hawk and headed out to Jacksonville Beach. A 300 mile round trip. As we were blasting down US 1, 70 mph without a care in the world,it dawned on me,"This car is 30 years old!" When the 40 was 30,I was afraid to drive it further than I wanted walk back. Now I was 100 miles away from home in a 30 year old car and not worried about anything.
I had owned the Hawk for 8 years and knew it's mechanical's pretty well so I had plenty of confidence in it. Still do and it's now 55 years old.
I look back and realize how much fun I missed out on because of being afraid to drive my 40 like I wanted to.

One thing that gave me the confidence to get out on the road with an old car was a car buddie that had moved from Jax to Tenn. about the same time I moved to Ga.
He and his wife came down for a visit in a 64 Corvair! I made up my mind then and there if Perry could Drive a CORVAIR all over the place, surly I could go anywhere I wanted in a Studebaker.

[2R5]

I can understand trailering the Studebakers that can't go as fast as the hyway traffic but to trailer the ones that can be driven with no problem just baffles me ! Far as I'm concerned , a trailer is for something that is broke.
Thats half the fun at going places , we usually talk to more people along the way to and from meets.

[DEEPNHOCK]

I do both... (Drive it and trailer it)...
Makes no never mind to me how you get to where you want to be.....with your Stude.....
I will say this... I have done more damage loading, unloading and trailering...than driving.
Trailering adds as many new complications as just driving.
Trailering removes a lot of the joy in driving (the Stude).
Trailering removes some of the anxiety of driving (the Stude)
Both have their place.
Both have their drawbacks.
But to not get your Stude someplace... That's the lost opportunity of adventure.
Some of my more memorable 'stories' involve something that either happened to, or something I did to...the Stude.
If it was at home without me..... No stories...no memories...
That would be the shame of it.
We are all only here for a short while.
Let's share our joy of the hobby by bringing our toys out for others to enjoy, too.
Just one opinion...
Jeff

[JoeHall]

For years, I have put a bumper sticker on all Studes, "Keep America Beautiful, Drive a Studebaker". But have also considered another one, "If You See This Car On A Trailer Call 911. It's Been Stolen!"

I respect other's interests in having a 400 point car, and trailering it to car shows. But I also don't give a darn when someone tries to tell me something is "incorrect" on mine, or otherwise looks down their nose. If a Stude is sitting in the parking lot, versus show lot, it should automatically get 300 points just for where it is sitting and how it got there.

[swvalcon]

Trailers are nice but then that reminds me of a story a freind of mine told me about Strugis. He met some guys at the bar with his Honda and they were going to take their harly's to sturgis in the back of their pickup. Yea!! He said those harly's are just like a german shepherd. They like to ride in the back of pick-ups.

[plwindish]

I put a good amount of work and money into my 76 Avanti to make it a reliable driver. The main thing that scares me about driving is the idiots behind the wheel that need to talk on the phone, text, read, put on make-up, etc. There should be a ticket for DD, Distracted Driving. These drivers are more of a threat to our modern and classic cars than anything else on the road today. Now if we can create an alarm for the car to detect distracted drivers....

[Pat Dilling]

I am for driving them too. I make every effort to make mine as reliable as possible, after all our parents and beyond drove cars like these all over the country. Compare it to the 75 year old that is in good shape and is able to get out and enjoy life travelling or playing with the grand kids, or the ones that sit in the recliner watching TV all day. Both are alive, but who is living? Our car is well insured, maybe even for more than it is worth, I carry a AAA card with lots of towing mileage. If it breaks, or gets hit it can be repaired. Now mine is extensively modified and has many of the comforts of a modern car, so as I drive down the road with the AC and cruise control on it's easy for me to say I drive mine. That said I certainly understand someone choosing to trailer an old car and then drive it around once it gets to the destination. Given that the vintage of many of us exceeds that of our cars, I understand wanting to have AC and comfortable seats in the middle of summer. This is especially true if we want our spouses to come along. I am really looking forward to the trip to South Bend this summer. Driving it across country will check off a bucket list item for me. I will admit I am also a little nervous, but that is part of the excitement too. Everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way, but I encourage folks to get them out on the road, however you are able to do it.

Jeff's comments about trailering accidents rings true for several of my friends. I want one of JoeHall's bumper stickers.

Pat

[R_David]

I spent some time talking to jg61hawk at the Northeast Zone meet this weekend and he (among others) helped me to make up my mind about a new paint job I have been considering. I have decided not to pain Dorothy right now. For those of you who don't know my car, she is a 'ten footer'. She still polishes up good and looks nice from a distance but there are a lot of flaws that would probably be typical of a thirty year old minor restoration. After talking to Jim I realized that I really enjoy driving my Hawk, and I don't worry much at all about new paint chip flakes or dirt that gets on her from driving. If I painted her now, I would most likely be hesitant to drive her to work two or three days a week during the summer, or to run errands on the weekends with her. She is no show queen and will never win any awards, but she is still quite good looking and gets the smiles and 'thumbs ups' that I like.

Thanks to Jim and others who helped me make this decision. I am not giving credit here to the other guy because I can't remember his name, but there was a guy there with a hawk that was pretty beat up body wise. But had a brand new looking blown motor that he obviously enjoyed very much. What a character that guy was.