FIRST UPDATE- I've had inquiries about the Zip Van I am rehabbing for use on my rural mail delivery route. I haven't done much since I brought it home; just pushed it into the garage and occasionally hit the switches and moving parts with Deep Creep. The last couple months have been consumed with the racing team off-season work: getting the cars stripped, engines out to the engine shop, build and replace a couple front stubs. We're well ahead of the game, so things on that front have shut down, at least till after the holidays
.So, I've spent a little time in my shop. The engine in the van turns, but the has line has been cut, as well as the battery cables. It also shows no coolant or oil on the dipstick. My plan is to fill with fluids, install cables, clean the points, run a hotwire, fill the float bowl on the carb, and see what she does. If it runs and shows oil pressure, rig up a fuel tank and let it warm up, then go from there.
Of course, the engine is at this point a crap shoot. So, I decided to hold off on that for a bit. For some time I have owned a '64 Commander. It was my first Studebaker, bought 10 years ago from a local mechanic. Short version of history, he rebuilt the engine and put on a new SS exhaust. Then the town was getting on him about havng too many cars, and he was afraid he might have to send them to the crusher, including this car. It was rusty and ugly, but started right up and purred like a kitten. He begged me to buy it, because he had been trying to sell it for several months and nobody wanted it. Being a sucker for old cars, I paid too much and took it home. I drove it for about a month until reverse went out of it. Back then, I thought I'd replace the floors and rockers and fix the cowl, and redo the interior, rebuild the trans. and make it a decent driver.
Well, time marched on, and I got to know Studes better, and it became clear that it would make no sense putting all that work into a car with almost no market value. So, I moved on to other Studes, thinking someday I'd find a more worthy candidate for the fresh engine, with less than 200 miles on it. So since then, it's been sitting out back.Fast-forward to the Zip Van. If its engine is bad, this would be the perfect place for the Commander's engine. But, the winters are long here. So I decided to fetch the Commander up to the garage and get the engine out, and get the remains out back before we get snowed in. That's where I am as of this writing; the engine/trans. is on the floor, and the rest is out of sight.
Here is the old girl:
I carefully unbolted everything, except the batwing-to-frame bolts, which I cut with the torch. I saved every nut, bolt, washer, clip, and cotter pin.
I pulled the engine and trans. together. I was surprised at how easily everything came apart. The SS exhaust was easily separated by simply removing the clamps, heating the connections red hot, and wiggling and twisting apart.
For a few years, the car has been used as storage for various and sundry Studebaker parts. Two year ago when I crushed a bunch of cars, I took some stuff out of them and crammed it in this car. Now I have added move parts from this engine removal.Next up will be doing some cleanup of the shop, then getting on the Zip. The Commander engine is stuck, but I'm not too concerned about it. I've got the plugs out, with a good dose of Deep Creep in the cylinders. I'll leave the trans. and starter on for now and give it an occasional try. If it doesn't come loose soon, I'll go with the ATF/Acetone treatment and keep trying it as I work on the van. If it comes to a point where I determine I will definitely need to use it, I will get serious at that time. But most importantly, it's out of the car and in the garage.More updates as anything of siginificance occurs.
.So, I've spent a little time in my shop. The engine in the van turns, but the has line has been cut, as well as the battery cables. It also shows no coolant or oil on the dipstick. My plan is to fill with fluids, install cables, clean the points, run a hotwire, fill the float bowl on the carb, and see what she does. If it runs and shows oil pressure, rig up a fuel tank and let it warm up, then go from there.
Of course, the engine is at this point a crap shoot. So, I decided to hold off on that for a bit. For some time I have owned a '64 Commander. It was my first Studebaker, bought 10 years ago from a local mechanic. Short version of history, he rebuilt the engine and put on a new SS exhaust. Then the town was getting on him about havng too many cars, and he was afraid he might have to send them to the crusher, including this car. It was rusty and ugly, but started right up and purred like a kitten. He begged me to buy it, because he had been trying to sell it for several months and nobody wanted it. Being a sucker for old cars, I paid too much and took it home. I drove it for about a month until reverse went out of it. Back then, I thought I'd replace the floors and rockers and fix the cowl, and redo the interior, rebuild the trans. and make it a decent driver.
Well, time marched on, and I got to know Studes better, and it became clear that it would make no sense putting all that work into a car with almost no market value. So, I moved on to other Studes, thinking someday I'd find a more worthy candidate for the fresh engine, with less than 200 miles on it. So since then, it's been sitting out back.Fast-forward to the Zip Van. If its engine is bad, this would be the perfect place for the Commander's engine. But, the winters are long here. So I decided to fetch the Commander up to the garage and get the engine out, and get the remains out back before we get snowed in. That's where I am as of this writing; the engine/trans. is on the floor, and the rest is out of sight.
Here is the old girl:
I carefully unbolted everything, except the batwing-to-frame bolts, which I cut with the torch. I saved every nut, bolt, washer, clip, and cotter pin.
I pulled the engine and trans. together. I was surprised at how easily everything came apart. The SS exhaust was easily separated by simply removing the clamps, heating the connections red hot, and wiggling and twisting apart.
For a few years, the car has been used as storage for various and sundry Studebaker parts. Two year ago when I crushed a bunch of cars, I took some stuff out of them and crammed it in this car. Now I have added move parts from this engine removal.Next up will be doing some cleanup of the shop, then getting on the Zip. The Commander engine is stuck, but I'm not too concerned about it. I've got the plugs out, with a good dose of Deep Creep in the cylinders. I'll leave the trans. and starter on for now and give it an occasional try. If it doesn't come loose soon, I'll go with the ATF/Acetone treatment and keep trying it as I work on the van. If it comes to a point where I determine I will definitely need to use it, I will get serious at that time. But most importantly, it's out of the car and in the garage.More updates as anything of siginificance occurs.
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