Bill Pressler: Look what I found!

[BobPalma]

'Looking for something else today, I ran across a package of old photos I had taken on the way back home from the 1973 SDC National Meet in Colorado Springs. (That's my 1963 First Place-at-Colorado Springs Hawk in the background of one photo...when was the last time you heard of a first-place car being driven halfway across the country and back to a National Meet?)

Anyway, I forget where in Colorado I saw this Ermine White, R-powered 1963 Daytona hardtop with Red & White interior, but here it is:



Those were current Colorado plates on it at the time (IIRC) and, of course, it was only 10 years old, so no apparent rust in that climate. Bill Pressler always wished his similar car, but with sunroof, had a two-tone interior, so now you know what it would have looked like, Bill. (That's not a blemish on the seat cushion; there was some residue on the old photo I dared not try to clean off, lest it damage the photo.)

(I'm sure Nelson Bove will tell us all about it...he may even own it, knowing him!) BP

[HAWK64]

Bob, Colorado Springs was our first International Meet & still have vivid memories. Also met Dick Quinn for the first time & purchased some of his vendor items plus some from Carl Thompson, last South Bend employee.

[Green 53]

Colorado Springs 1973 was my first International as well. Met George Krem and Ron Hall. I remember the gas shortage and my complaining that premium fuel had gone up to $.45 per gallon along I-80 on the 4th of July.

Denny L

[Bill Pressler]

What a nice car! And the "Avanti Powered" badge is in the right place, not just a half-a**** guess by the installer, too!

I do like the white inserts.

I don't have the issue of TW that discusses numbers, but I'm thinking there were only 222 Avanti-powered (R1 and R2 combined) '63 Lark Daytona Hardtops.

Hopefully this car survives somewhere.

I could like another '63. I like the '64 two-doors better but the '63's definitely have their charms.

[nels]

Boy, those were the days. No I don't own that one but then again I'm surprised you weren't knocking on the door getting more ino at the time, Bob. With the price of Studebakers back then, you probably could have owned it for a couple hundred bucks, especially with premium fuel at 45 cents/gallon.

[BobPalma]

Boy, those were the days. No I don't own that one but then again I'm surprised you weren't knocking on the door getting more info at the time, Bob. With the price of Studebakers back then, you probably could have owned it for a couple hundred bucks, especially with premium fuel at 45 cents/gallon.

Yeah, Nels; I think they wanted $450 for it and wouldn't budge. I only had $460 left and still had to buy gas out of that to get home. (No credit cards or anything either. Oh, well....<GGG>) BP

[BobPalma]

What a nice car! And the "Avanti Powered" badge is in the right place, not just a half-a**** guess by the installer, too!

I do like the white inserts.

I don't have the issue of TW that discusses numbers, but I'm thinking there were only 222 Avanti-powered (R1 and R2 combined) '63 Lark Daytona Hardtops.

Hopefully this car survives somewhere.

I could like another '63. I like the '64 two-doors better but the '63's definitely have their charms.

'Glad you were able to see the Studebaker, Bill.

Knowing your attraction to them, I was afraid you'd zero in on the 1965 Impala in the background and miss the Daytona hardtop altogether! BP

[studefan]

I noticed that there appears to be the typical V8 grille badge on this R-Series Lark.

[sasquatch]

Is that a Zip Van in the first picture?

[Bill Pressler]

I noticed that there appears to be the typical V8 grille badge on this R-Series Lark.

That's correct for an R-series car that didn't have the complete Super package.

[BobPalma]

That's correct for an R-series car that didn't have the complete Super package.

What Bill said, Jeff.

If that had been a full-package car, it would have had bucket seats. As we can see, it had a standard-issue bench front seat. BP

[BobPalma]

Is that a Zip Van in the first picture?

'Could be, Rick, now that you mention it. They built ZIP vans on into 1964, so it would not have been all that old. BP

[studegary]

In the 1970s and 1980s, many first place cars were driven 1500 miles or more for a RT to an SDC International and most of them were more than ten year old cars. The first that comes to mind is a Senior First Packard Hawk that not only drove but also pulled a trailer full of parts for the swap meet. We had to remove the front bumper to get enough air flow. That was in the 1970s.
I drove various Studebakers to Internationals, but none got a First Place (remember, in those days there were not multiple First Place awards). I did get a First Place with an Avanti that I drove (Best of Division went to a closed trailered Avanti that beat me by one or two points).

EDIT: Now I do not own a car that is less than 15 years old. I thought of this when I realized that my 1963 Daytona Wagonaire was only eight/nine years old when I drove it to South Bend in 1971/1972. After that, I drove my 1953 Commander Starliner which was more than 20 years old.

[daytonadave]

Speaking of 1973, I scanned the Classified Ads from Feb 1973 Turning Wheels, lots of 4-speed cars for sale, cheap by today's standards.

[pinehurstbob]

In 2003 I drove my 64 Daytona to Sacramento for the International Meet. I towed a trailer with the 64. Still have the car and its pictured in my signature line. Had the car judged and missed a first by 1 point. Great trip, meet and memories.