On the Road!

[Rafe Hollister]

I left my home in McKinley, Ca Friday and headed north for Corvallis, Oregon. My buddy Jon flew up from LA and rode with me. We had my Kinetic Grand Championship machine on the trailer and the trunk loaded with tools, oil, water, and duct tape... everything that my 56 Power Hawk might need. But so far the car has been great, even returning an average of 24 mpg.
The car has 3 on floor, OD, 3.73 gears and is so pleasant on the road. Driving up 101 and then Oregon 2 lane highways, 50 - 70 mph speeds, just magic. It should have been 330 miles, but a detour because of accident put it around 360.
After the Kinetic Race weekend, I took Jon to the Eugene Airport, and now am visiting gear head buddy, Bernie, in Albany. We will be working on cars for a few days. Here is a list of some of what he has in his stable: 6 Suzuki GT750 Water cooled two strokes from the 70s, several Suzuki rotary motorcycles, Corvair hard top and a convertible, Corvair ramp side van, and an early Camaro pro stock drag racer being converted to street use.
His latest acquisition is a 'heavy patina' 57 Chevy. The motor sits deep in the Chevy, so we got out the tape measure and found that the valve cover to floor distance is 3" lower in his small block Chevy than my 259 Hawk. Curious, eh?
Images: 1) Some of the Kinetic Judges 2) Team Teddy Bear Picnic in mud 3) Team Poultry In Motion in mud (me) 4) Campsite with my car, tent, & trailer 5) Lightening McQueen on the water section.
Rafe
PS, I saw another Hawk (with tail fins) drive by the Benton County Fairgrounds. Anyone know who that was? In my 68 years, it was the 1st time I have ever seen a Hawk on the road (other than mine or friends I am with).

[skyway]

NICE!
Safe travels.

[JoeHall]

Congrats, and enjoy your trip. In over 700,000 Studebaker miles, the only other Hawks I ever saw on the road were always within a 50 mile radius of SDC Meets. LOL

[j.byrd]

Good story and pics Rafe. As to seeing other Hawks, in our little town I was raised in over in East Tennessee, our Grammar school principal (huge football player sized guy) drove a 6 banger Flight Hawk, our Dealers sales manager's brother had a 57 Golden Hawk, (it and he deceased in a horrible crash) and a tiny little elderly lady drove a 56 Golden Hawk. I must be quite a bit older than you, but yes, there wasn't too many Hawks in daily use throughout the years for sure.

[Andy R.]

Glad the Hawk thrived on the road for you.
That Kinetic event looks like a lot of fun! Maybe next year there will be two Hawks there.


As to the frequency of Hawk sightings outside the range of SDC/Club events, I've only encountered 2-3 driving. Here in San Francisco I see 3-4 regularly (usually parked).

[Topper2011]

Cool Rafe! Have fun.

[Rafe Hollister]

I'm at Bernie's now, working on cars and riding motorcycles. Today we traded off riding his Kawasaki 1400 Concourse and 1000 Versys, and ran errands in his Corvair hard top. Very nice. We put my car on his lift and lubed maybe 15 zerk fittings, 2 on drive shafts, the rest on front suspension and steering. He also helped me figure out how to get my alternator to charge without revving it to 3,000 rpm, now it charges at just over idle speed.
Tomorrow we test drive it, do compression check, perhaps adjust the clutch. And maybe take a ride in his Corvair convertible and 57 rat Chevy Belaire. Life is good.
Rafe

[BobPalma]

Cool beans, Rafe; thanks for the report.

Are you seeing anything of the terrible forest fires in Oregon? The morning news said the area now aflame was half the size of Rhode Island! BP

[Commander Eddie]

Actually, I have seen a number of Hawks on the road here in the greater Portland area. There was a green Hawk I used to see on my way home from work at least a couple of times per week. There is a '55 sedan sitting in a front yard that I go past regularly. Not sure if it runs. And then there are the Studebakers I see in Newberg now and again, including a purple hot rod '50 Commander. I must live in a Studebaker hot spot.
I hope your trip to Oregon is a good memory maker. I hope you don't run into any of the smoke from the wildfires up here.

[Hallabutt]

Cool beans, Rafe; thanks for the report.

Are you seeing anything of the terrible forest fires in Oregon? The morning news said the area now aflame was half the size of Rhode Island! BP

Bob,

So far the majority of large fires in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, have been on the east side of the mountains or in the mountains themselves. That is the hotter dryer side of the region. Much of that area is referred to as the "Great Oregon Desert." As the topography gains altitude it become more forested. This area of the region tends to be less populated then the temperate west side of the mountains. That notwithstanding, the amount of human and ecological damage should not be minimized, it is devastating. The whole region has been subjected to unprecedented hot dry weather over the last several years. So far we haven't experienced the lightning caused fires so often seen on the east side of the mountains. The prevailing wind is onshore so the smoke has so far been carried off to the east. We on the west side of the mountains are only three weeks into our dry season. The whole region still has to get through two months with virtually no rainfall. We literally and figuratively are not out of the woods.

A long winded narrative to indicate that Raffe's journey has been on the west side of the mountains. Except for the week of extremely high temps we are having our normal beautiful summer weather. It only takes a shift in the wind from the east to change the whole regional dynamic.

[Rafe Hollister]

Yes, no fires where I am and none anticipated.
My buddy is the kind of guy that would rather help me with my stuff than work on his own cars. So today we replaced my trailer bearings, repacked and adjusted P-Hawk front wheel bearings, replaced bad bearing seal.
Then we did a compression check the correct way; warm motor, carbs wide open, plenty of battery. The Rutabaga has 195 to 205 psi in all cylinders. He thought that was abnormally high and called an engine builder friend who said that is the result of a mild cam with little valve overlap and is just fine. Previous owner said he put in a cam and 9:1 comp pistons.
Tomorrow he is taking me to a private car collection, over a hundred cars; exotics, collector, muscle, etc... not open to public, invitation only. Perhaps I'll post some pictures. Then off to Silver Falls retreat center for a day... and then 350+ miles back home. Perhaps I trust my car enough to take faster inland hot I-5 route, instead of more beautiful cooler 101 coastal route. We shall see.
I am very fortunate to have a collector/restorer/drag racer helping me get my Stude in order.
Rafe Hollister
PS Attached picture is of my Kinetics machine's front end; center hub steering, wreck & pinion linkage.

[Commander Eddie]

Bob, so far the Oregon fires are southeast of the Portland area and all the smoke is being blown east across the country. If the wind shifts we will get it for sure. Last year the smoke was so bad it looked like we were on another planet.

[bensherb]

my Kinetics machine's front end; center hub steering, wreck & pinion linkage.

Do you get points for the more "Rube Goldberg" it is?

[Andy R.]

LOL Rabe, I had to wipe off my keyboard after seeing your steering linkage.*
When you said "center hub steering" my first thought was, "Sweeet, like Bimota Tesi!"
Not so much like Bimota, but (using non-profane SF Bay Area hyphy terminology) hella sweet!
Sounds like all the "unknowns" of your Hawk so far are turning out "more than promised"!

*I need your SSN to take out a life insurance policy on you this weekend. Cheers!

[Rafe Hollister]

Yes, we do get Rube Goldberg points. There are lots of awards, typical ones like fastest and best in sand or mud. But many other awards for engineering, art pageantry (song & dance& costumes). And then the more desired awards: you must finish the 1st day by 6:32pm, the 1st team that misses the mark gets the 6:32 award. Any one can finish in last place, so no prize for that, but 2nd to the last gets an award. The biggest crash, most ingenious repair, most enthusiasm. But the biggest trophy and most coveted award goes to the team that finishes in the middle of the scoring for all events. That is the Mediocre Award. Its really the only one you can't try to win.
Rafe
Just made it home last night, 990 miles total, only breakdown was passenger seat coming loose! I'll write more tonight. Heading for the Fortuna car show, local street fair, there are supposed to be several Studebakers there.
I only hope there are no ladies or children to get offended by my comic?