Why I don't typically Buy my Studebakers locally since I'm in the Rust Belt

[JDP]

In my 60 years plus of driving and flipping Studebakers, I've literally sold several hundred on eBay and elsewhere. Out of those, perhaps a dozen were within a hundred miles of me because I seek out rust free cars.

I see so many people say" If it were only closer" and end up with a rust bucket needing thousands of dollars of work.

The pictures below show the floors on a Texas 55 coupe I'm prepping for eBay. Note the picture from under the floor where the factory undercoating is peeled off and you can see the original light blue paint. My preparation for installing carpets was the wire brush the surface rust off the floors, blow the dirt off, and do a quick rattle can spray in a few areas. So we're talking a half hours work to get the floors ready for new carpet as opposed to perhaps a few thousand dollars in labor to repair a rust bucket.

[PackardV8]

For true, JDP; with the costs of rust repair, paint and body work, rebuilt mechanicals, ultimately, the best car you can find is the least expensive.

Like you, years of being here shows me cars at auction and classifieds are selling at a huge discount to the cost of getting them to that condition.

jack vines

[M-Webb]

I'm into Champ pickups these days. Problem is I think they came from the factory with rusted out floors as a standard feature, No? And I thought all the other rust was optional?

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

Service Bulletin F-1, July 16, 1962 TRUCK SHEET METAL
Occasionally we receive B-888 reports stating that a claim for repainting the truck has been authorized because of the absence of a primer coat on the cab or pickup box sheet metal. For your own confidential information the only sheet metal parts that are prime coated are the front fenders and radiator grille. All other parts are Bonderized and then the finishing coats are applied.

[dpson]

John is spot on. I've bought 2 Lark convertibles and a GT Hawk from southern California and had them shipped to Vermont. Its worth every nickle versus the rusty stuff up here.

[556063]

Both my '55 and my '60 Lark Convertible were shipped to Burlington, IA and Northern Illinois respectively. The '55 is a time capsule and was obviously not driven on any salt treated roads. The Lark somehow is pretty much the same. but has one small repair on the driver's side floor. It was obviously retired from winter duty in early life.

There are also some states in the upper Midwest that did not use salt but rather only sand and gravel for traction in winter. I've seen some pretty solid stuff from the Dakotas and surrounding areas over the years.

Nothing is a substitute for a thorough inspection, but for the most part, you are spot on.

[jts359]

Buyer beware, A friend of mine had 1 shipped in from los Vegas and was told it was Rust free , NOT NOT and NOT, And the 8 bolts that hold on the lower a frames were loose and 1 tie rod nut was loose and no cotter pin , Just saying , Ed

[62champ]

This '62 Lark has been sitting at my grandparents farm since the early 1970s. Has not had a windshield or driver side door since sometime in the 1980s. First thing my dad and uncle did when they brought a parts car home was to pull out all the floor covering and trash it.

[DEEPNHOCK]

It is so easy to ship vehicles nowadays, you can't ever take it for granted that where a vehicle currently is now is where it was before.

[swvalcon]

This is true and has been that way for years. I managed a body shop in Az back in 87-88. Did body work for the used car lot across the street and he had a 65 Mustang Convet that the inner rockers where so far got the doors wouldn't open and close right. Had to put it on the frame rack and block it at the doors and pull down both ends then plate the inner rockers. Found the car came from New York but he sure wasn't telling anyone that.

[PackardV8]

It is so easy to ship vehicles nowadays, you can't ever take it for granted that where a vehicle currently is now is where it was before.

For true!! I was royally screwed on a '56J "California car" . When it arrived off the truck, first inspection found rust holes patched with a Missouri license plate.

jack vines

[JoeHall]

Agree, need a PERSONAL physical inspection before buying. Many sellers / flippers are dishonest: "rust free California/Texas/New Mexico car". Also, pics can be deceiving, many are expert at taking pictures so as to leave out the ugly. I had this happen before. After driving 750 miles to pick up the Stude, I knew within 5 minutes of looking at it that it was a hoax. Also, do not be deceived by seller's reputation, I was ripped off in 2007 by a well known Stude vendor and, more recently, in 2023, by another vendor, which involved a 2nd vendor. I confronted the 2nd vendor last week in South Bend, and he blamed vendor number 1, who won't return my phone calls. So round and round we go. Trust - but VERIFY before completing the transaction, no matter who, in the Stude world, you're dealing with.

Also, consider answers such as, "I don't know", "can't recall" "not sure" as red flags. Again, no matter who the seller is.

[5brown1]

I had a similar experience with a car from California that was misrepresented by a person who I thought would be honest from the reading his posts on this forum.
He has not been here for several years now.

[Hawkeye]

Well, I have collected Studebakers since I was 14 in Columbus, Ohio and I think I have seen every possible rust area on a Stude.
I've been in Arizona now for 25 years and I am still amazed at how solid the cars are out here.
That being said, caution is needed when buying cars from here or California. Larks and '55-'58 Sedans with rubber floor mats usually have badly rusted floors. Yet the cowls, fenders and trunks can be very solid. Ditto the Hawks and Lark Hardtops and convertibles even though carpeted, the floors still can have holes. Trunk floors can go either way. Front fenders can be perfect, but areas of rust at the very bottom is common, especially on California cars. Champ trucks are usually hopeless.
Western Coastal cars can have rusted roof panels, upper cowls and holes where you wouldn't believe.
I could ramble on, but the big difference is you still have a solid cowl, rocker boxes to weld new floor sections on to, in most cars, where the Ohio cars had nothing left to hang a panel on.
A few miles from here is a '64 Daytona Wagonaire with excellent body panels and tailgate, but the front floors have holes you can climb through.
But the cowl, door sills and center door post is solid.
I had a '63 Daytona body that had a perfect floor and cowl, but nobody seems to want these cars and others like it, here or back East.
I have an incredible '63 Daytona hardtop from Anaheim, CA with "no rust" anywhere, yet a previous owner had to replace the trunk floor.
The newest Studebaker is now 59 years old now and rust, like "S__T happens".

[DEEPNHOCK]

Very interesting conversation.....

The worst Stude's I have ever seen 'rust wise' have been rust belt cars brought to the coast for years and years (and vice versa).
Rust belt cars rust from the bottom up.
Coastal cars rust from the top down,
Saw a Starlight Coupe in Miami, FL once that was 75% gone....

[Topper2011]

My 62 GT was a real rust bucket California car. Yet my 1960 Rover P5, originally from Pasadena, was nearly rust free. Every piece of rubber and vinyl was sunbaked and as the British would say, "Perished". You just never know what you get.

[JoeHall]

My 62GT was sold new in Parma Ohio. I bought it in 1985 in Escondido CA, about as rust free then as they come. No idea how it wound up in Escondido, but it had escaped rust belt damage somehow. My 56J was sold new in Lincoln NE, and I bought in 1986 in Hastings NE, sitting in an Air Force storage facility since the late 1960s, and it was about as rust free as they come. My 63GT was sold new in SoCal, and I bought it in AZ in 2012. It had more rust than anything I've owned. I replaced both doors, trunk floor and front floor boards. A friend bought a 56 Sky Hawk out of CA in the early 2000s, and it was about as rusty as my 63GT. My point is, it's unwise to just go by where the car came from or where it was sold new. Since there's always a rest of the story, and Studes cannot talk to tell the story. So, regardless of where it came from, or what the seller says, or what the seller's pics show, it's best to personally inspect, or have someone you can trust do an inspection, before AYY exchange of $. JMHO

[Hallabutt]

My 62 GT was a real rust bucket California car. Yet my 1960 Rover P5, originally from Pasadena, was nearly rust free. Every piece of rubber and vinyl was sunbaked and as the British would say, "Perished". You just never know what you get.

In our modest collection we have restored, original survivors and project cars. I prefer my cars to be original, The less I have to do to a car the better I like it. I have been preaching for years regarding the reason for looking out west for a collector car. But you have to know what you are looking for and at, and how each candidate fits your resources.

Each section of the country (world) has it's Achilles heal, some more then others. The sun and dry can be a savior and a killer. In today's world of high restoration costs. A car with beautiful sheet metal can still be a parts car.



Most of our collection came from close to home on the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the PNW, Our cars just seemed to last longer then they did in most places. We get little snow and less sun then most places. What other places called collector cars we still called transportation. If this sounds like bragging well you get the message. Regardless it still comes down to what you are looking for. Trying to save the wrong car is admirable but can be a fool's errand.