new member!

i'm new to the forum/site, so bare with this 50's loving female who loves her 1955 Studebaker Commander.
i enherited it from my grandfather and plan to fix it up. i do not know much of anything about cars, so i will most likely be asking stupid questions to all of you.

anyways, any help from anyone would be great!


a friend of mine suggested that i go ahead and purchase a gas tank to replace the one that's in it currently.
my uncle, as far as i know, has been changing the oil regularly but the car hasn't been run/started in i don't know how long (could be over 10 years).

any suggestions on what i should/shouldn't do first?
what to look at/for?

any links/places you can get specialty items from? or are some of the parts just general so i can get them anywhere (remember, i'm new to all of this and trying to learn as i go along!)?

thanks!
Lau


(i have two pictures of my car on my myspace page)

[Karl]

Welcome aboard,
For Parts and other stuff. Try Studebaker International (317)462-3124
There are several other vendors also.

63 Twin Supercharged Avanti
64 Avanti R3w/NOS
88LSC Avanti 350 Supercharged w/NOS

[Karl]

Welcome aboard,
For Parts and other stuff. Try Studebaker International (317)462-3124
There are several other vendors also.

63 Twin Supercharged Avanti
64 Avanti R3w/NOS
88LSC Avanti 350 Supercharged w/NOS

[StudeRich]

Welcome Lau![^] Scary handle you got there![}] There are many Studebaker Parts specialists such as myself who are glad to help keep a Studebaker on the road. We are listed on the site:studebakervendors.com

My suggestion on the gas tank would be: always check things out thoroughly on old car parts before you condemn something. You would be surprised at how tough they are, they are not like a new Honda, where everything is plastic and you just throw it away and get a new one. What you do is remove it, look inside to see if there is serious rust and or holes, if not a Radiator shop has the equipment to "boil it out" to clean it and seal it with a new type of sealer to make it better than new. New ones are not available.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[StudeRich]

Welcome Lau![^] Scary handle you got there![}] There are many Studebaker Parts specialists such as myself who are glad to help keep a Studebaker on the road. We are listed on the site:studebakervendors.com

My suggestion on the gas tank would be: always check things out thoroughly on old car parts before you condemn something. You would be surprised at how tough they are, they are not like a new Honda, where everything is plastic and you just throw it away and get a new one. What you do is remove it, look inside to see if there is serious rust and or holes, if not a Radiator shop has the equipment to "boil it out" to clean it and seal it with a new type of sealer to make it better than new. New ones are not available.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[blackhawk61]

Welcome !
If You haven't yet.....First Join SDC . And try to find a local club. There is where Your best help is.

1961 Hawk 4BC,4-SPEED,TT

Lewisville,NC
(formerly chevpartsman)

[blackhawk61]

Welcome !
If You haven't yet.....First Join SDC . And try to find a local club. There is where Your best help is.

1961 Hawk 4BC,4-SPEED,TT

Lewisville,NC
(formerly chevpartsman)

[psycho_666]

Thanks a lot guys, i'll keep you thuroughly updated as times presses on with the car

[psycho_666]

Thanks a lot guys, i'll keep you thuroughly updated as times presses on with the car

[Dick Steinkamp]

Welcome! What body style is your "new" Commander? Any pictures?

If the car has sat for 10 years or so, the brakes should be a priority. If it doesn't run quite right, it's an inconvenience. If the brakes fail at speed, it's a whole 'nuther story [:0].

The brakes on these cars are relatively simple and inexpensive to overhaul. New wheel cylinders, new master cylinder, new flexible brake hoses, and a careful inspection of the hard lines. Check the shoes and drums for wear and clean everything up good while you have it apart.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Welcome! What body style is your "new" Commander? Any pictures?

If the car has sat for 10 years or so, the brakes should be a priority. If it doesn't run quite right, it's an inconvenience. If the brakes fail at speed, it's a whole 'nuther story [:0].

The brakes on these cars are relatively simple and inexpensive to overhaul. New wheel cylinders, new master cylinder, new flexible brake hoses, and a careful inspection of the hard lines. Check the shoes and drums for wear and clean everything up good while you have it apart.

[65cruiser]

[8D]Pictures, us picture junkies gotta have pictures!

________________________
Mark Anderson
1965 Cruiser
http://home.alltel.net/anderm

[65cruiser]

[8D]Pictures, us picture junkies gotta have pictures!

________________________
Mark Anderson
1965 Cruiser
http://home.alltel.net/anderm

[Roscomacaw]

Welcome Lau! (or "psycho triple six" if that's what you prefer!)

Do yourself and us a favor next time you're near the car. Look under the hood - back by the passenger's side hood hinge. Just inboard of that hinge, there should be an embossed metal tag held in place with two screws. The coding on that tag will allow us to determine EXACTLY what model of Commander you've become heir to.
Take a minute and look at this thread. http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com...?TOPIC_ID=8974
There's some nice pics of fellwo forum member, Tom Costa's 55 Commander sedan.

Follow StudeRich's advice and check things thoroughly before just jumping to find replacements. There's LOTS of Studes and Stude parts around but careful preservation and conservation of our common resources will insure that many Studes will be kept roadworthy for ages to come.
A NEW tank for your 55 would be just about impossible to scare up, but at the worst, your's can be chemically cleaned and the coated inside and keep it in use for years on out![]

Join SDC if you haven't already and find a local chapter of the club as well. They'd be ALL TOO HAPPY to help you put your Commander on the road again. You don't have to hold back on showing the car until it's gleamingly ready to go cruisin'. Lotsa folks still use these Studes as daily drivers, with dings and warts and all![8D]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


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

[Roscomacaw]

Welcome Lau! (or "psycho triple six" if that's what you prefer!)

Do yourself and us a favor next time you're near the car. Look under the hood - back by the passenger's side hood hinge. Just inboard of that hinge, there should be an embossed metal tag held in place with two screws. The coding on that tag will allow us to determine EXACTLY what model of Commander you've become heir to.
Take a minute and look at this thread. http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com...?TOPIC_ID=8974
There's some nice pics of fellwo forum member, Tom Costa's 55 Commander sedan.

Follow StudeRich's advice and check things thoroughly before just jumping to find replacements. There's LOTS of Studes and Stude parts around but careful preservation and conservation of our common resources will insure that many Studes will be kept roadworthy for ages to come.
A NEW tank for your 55 would be just about impossible to scare up, but at the worst, your's can be chemically cleaned and the coated inside and keep it in use for years on out![]

Join SDC if you haven't already and find a local chapter of the club as well. They'd be ALL TOO HAPPY to help you put your Commander on the road again. You don't have to hold back on showing the car until it's gleamingly ready to go cruisin'. Lotsa folks still use these Studes as daily drivers, with dings and warts and all![8D]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


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