Wedding night jitters

[showbizkid]

Today I got my starter, battery and fluids installed (no leaks!), verified nothing smoked when I turned the key to "ON", chucked my drill to the oil pump priming shaft and brought the pressure up to a nice 60 pounds... and got cold feet [B)]

All I had left to do was put on the plug wires and drop the distributor, and I chickened out. Just kept thinking, "What if it blows up? What if I break it? What if it won't go?" [:I]

Stupid, I know - just someone please tell me you've felt this way too! [V]


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[DEEPNHOCK]

Did'ja fire that puppy up?

Fired it (the wife's LeBaron) up at 2pm Sunday.
Ran smooth, but isn't/wasn't running perfect.
I had r&r'd the distributor.
Did not have time to set the timing with a timing light.
Had to pack up and head to West Palm Beach (where I am tonight)..
Sunny Florida?
Rained ALL the way down here.....
But... It's 80 degree's out, so I am still a happy boy.
Jeff[8D]


Yeah...sort of.
Wife's lil' LeBaron 4 cyil. popped a head gasket a while back.
So I gathered all the parts and let it set until today.
<snip>
(At least beat me.. I plan on finishing it up tomorrow)
Jeff[8D]

[kamzack]

Hey Clark,

I have a pretty good understanding of how ya feel. Back in 86 when I rebuilt the engine in my 63 Lark, I did much the same. It was my first studebaker rebuild and first restoration(started in 81). I did the oil prime as you described, then installed distributator, left coil wire off so I could see oil pressure on the gage as I spun the engine with the starter. It did what it was supposed to, and I chickened out. Turned the lights out and went to da house. Sat in da house and tried to watch tv, but kept back tracking in my mind to see where I might've missed something. I couldn't stand it. I knew I wouldn't sleep very well, so got off my rear, went to da shop, rechecked everything. Another hour later I got the courage to dribble gas into da carb and with my hand held starter button I jumped in. About the fourth revolution, it fired. Played with timing and away she went. Set the rpms up to what I thought to be a good run in speed, watched the temp for bit and really wanted to do laps aroung the car, wanted to call my buddies to let them hear it run over da phone but they, or thier wives, most likely don't wannna to hear a freshly built Stude engine at 2 am. I even went up and down the road a couple a times. Didn't have lights yet, nor a hood, windshield, seats, I did have a 5 gallon bucket to sit on. And it was a full moon. I lived out in the country ya see.
So after 22 years and almost 100k on that rebuild, it still gives the same thrill when I fire it up, especially after it sits for months. I've done nothing mechanically in that time and I'm still proud of that engine and the way it continues to run.
All this to say: go do it, when it fires and smoothes out, you will pee yur pants.
I hope this is of some encouragement to ya, I've enjoyed following your progress here for sometime. It's the grown up version of the first time you rode your bike and didn't faw down. I wish ya well.

Kim

[bams50]

Loved that story, Kim. I've been there a number of times over the years; and the thrill of hearing a new engine come to life never loses it's appeal[:X]

Clark, I know it's an overused phrase, but it's completely accurate for your situation:

NO GUTS, NO GLORY!!

Go to it[^]

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[mbstude]

Have you fired it off yet???

What are you waiting on???

Get off the Forum and start that thing up!!! [8D]

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[StudeDave57]

Clark- Sweet Pea's legs are short these days~ don't wait around for me, man.

Do it already!!! But get it on video or something, please...


StudeDave '57[8D]

[barnlark]

Originally posted by showbizkid
"All I had left to do was put on the plug wires and drop the distributor, and I chickened out. Just kept thinking, "What if it blows up? What if I break it? What if it won't go?" [:I]

Man, you have more patience than I do. I had to hear that thing run now! Good luck, it will be purring soon, I'm sure Clark.

[kamzack]

Hey Clark,

Did ya do it? The suspense is almost more den I can stand. Ya responded to udder stuff here, but not this. I forgot to mention that my Dad and I went our first Studebaker International meet that year in Indy. We had a wonderful time, still have all the pics we took. I'd spent 15 years before that doing street rods, but the Studes are more fun and a bit easier to put together, and da folk are nicer. My 63 has been in my family since new and when I'm gone my kids can have it.
Clark, let us know. There's not a whole lot that can be wrong or go wrong, afterall it doesn't a computor, fuel injection, an in tank fuel pump,spark plugs dat takes 3 hour ta git out and 2 hour to git back in, an extremely complicated electrical system, dingers that go off when ya do something wrong, a system that lets da cops know where ya are and da list goes on. ifin ya carry a fuel , water pump, spare distribatator, belts, a gallon a water(dump on da fuel for vapor lock in traffic) and a few hand tools, no one or machine can stop ya, cept no gasaleene.
I've been asked why I driveem ole cars all da time and my response is: how much is your car payment, what do ya pay for shorence, Ifin yours dies a natural death on da road what ya bet ya half ta call da hook ta come getcha and pay for an outragus fix cuz you don't have a clue how ta fix it. Folk usually walk away realizing dat I aint da dumb one.

Tanks fer lettin me shair,
Kim

[sals54]

I'm the opposite. I have too much faith in these old Studes. I've had great luck starting up old engines. If they are free spinning, then I think its time to fire 'em up. I recently had a Coupe Express which had not been run in over 30 years. The engine would turn freely, so in went plugs, wires, filed the points and hooked up a battery. Had it purring like a kitten within 20 minutes. Here's a video of me driving the beast afterward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFPLZPIs1zY

sals54

[barnlark]

Sounds good, Sal. What was that coupe used for? Any history? I'm always amazed at what you turn up out there.[^]

[Anne F. Goodman]

Sounded real Good Sal

Mabel 1949 Champion
1957 Silverhawk
1955 Champion 4Dr.Regal
Gus 1958 Transtar
1955 President State
1957 Golden Hawk
Fresno,Ca

[14x7]

yeah clark, you have to start it. i have been following along. Since I can't have a second car,and you have that premo stude coupe you have to start it sometime this week. I went on online last nite,dieing to see your latest post.Man it's like must see tv!Just don't drive it just yet,until it's licensed.

Had a 50 packard once.

[showbizkid]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the responses. I had hoped to get her started yesterday; got out there and hooked up the wires, dropped the distributor in, connected the battery - and the new battery was dead. It was heartbreaking... all I could get it to do was make a complete revolution (during about half-a-dozen tries).

I'm going to try again tonight after work.


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[Roscomacaw]

DO IT TO IT! [][]

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[sals54]

Here's the latest find. We found this truck which had been abandoned in the midst of a restoration. It had not been run in over 15 years. A little tinkering under the hood and here it is running around the front pasture. This truck is now on ebay and has a low reserve. Its worth more than twice the reserve price. This is one of the cleanest trucks you'll find. The video quality is bad, but you can get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_WFZZoSDPI

sals54