Just Wondering

[Washtubman]

On the 57 Hawk (and I assume others), Why did Studebaker put the access for checking the master cylinder and auto transmission in the floorboard under the carpet????? Were the engineers hitting the bottle those days?

[PackardV8]

Because the hole in the floor was the least expensive way to do it. CASO started at the factory and continued from there.

jack vines

[SN-60]

With the 'through the floor' brake pedal, the brake master cylinder ended up in that position. (Although Stude offered a kit, similar to what's found on a '63-'64 disc brake Hawk) to alleviate this.

[Corley]

I prefer to look at it as: Because the '56 C/K was that way, and it was that way because the '55 was that way, and it was that way because the '54 was that way, and it was that way because the '53 was that way, and with that all new body, that is where the CASO on that item started.

OR you could say, because that was industry standard in '53, when the C/K body was designed. (All C/K's after '54 were just a warm-over of the '53, getting progressivly worse, until the GTH went back to it's roots, introducing some clear new design elements. But even that could not match the simple clarity of design on the '53.)

JMHO of course...

[Skip Lackie]

Corley is correct. All cars and trucks had them under the floorboard until the 50s, because that's the only place it could be when the pedals went through the floor. And Stude never had the money to engineer the hanging pedals until the early 60s, and then only on the Larks.

[studegary]

Keep in mind that the original owners RARELY serviced or checked these items. When the car went in for its regular monthly and/or 1000 mile service intervals, these items were checked by the mechanics in the garage.

[brngarage]

I think the question was aimed at why didn't the carpet have a removable "cover", so you didn't have to lift the carpet to get to the rubber cover?

[warrlaw1]

My carpet on the 55K has holes and covers for both MC and tranny. Of course it's a replacement. I would assume the originals had the same.

[52-fan]

I think the question was aimed at why didn't the carpet have a removable "cover", so you didn't have to lift the carpet to get to the rubber cover?

That's what I wondered. Some of the cars had a rubber cover, similar in style to the pedal pads, that was removeable with the carpet in place. It was always a pain to fold back the rubber covering in my Champion and then keep bits of insulation from falling in the open master cylinder.

[E. Davis]

On the 57 Hawk (and I assume others), Why did Studebaker put the access for checking the master cylinder and auto transmission in the floorboard under the carpet????? Were the engineers hitting the bottle those days?

Seems like I read a story somewhere that the Stude engineers had a plan for pendulum pedals back in 1949 but the brass vetoed it over having to change the body mounting system on the assembly line or something like that. Maybe one of the historians has the story and can enlighten us.

[rockinhawk]

I once owned a truck(A Chevy,I think) that had the battery under the floor. Untill the bottom rusted out and the battery was on the ground.

[52hawk]

Seems like I read a story somewhere that the Stude engineers had a plan for pendulum pedals back in 1949 but the brass vetoed it over having to change the body mounting system on the assembly line or something like that. Maybe one of the historians has the story and can enlighten us.

I remember reading something like that too! I think it was in TW.

[52hawk]

I once owned a truck(A Chevy,I think) that had the battery under the floor. Untill the bottom rusted out and the battery was on the ground.

But the gas tank was safe and sound,INSIDE the cab behind the seat!?