Bob Palma ... is this the car you are missing?

[JBOYLE]

Wow...nice car, exactly the way I'd want it. If I get another Studebaker, it would be that year, model and options.
And it's not too far away.
But with the needs listed, it seems a bit on the high side. For that price, I'd want better paint.
OMG! I'm I turning into a CASO?

[BobPalma]

Well, I am still looking. The wagon closed at an astonishing $18,500; 'way too salty for me!

This auction was set to end during the 4 days my wife and I would be in Washington DC for our son Joe's 30th birthday party. I phoned the seller (I knew him after all), explained the situation, and gave him my e-bay ID. I said if I was higher bidder I would call him Tuesday, June 8th, the first day we were back, to make arrangements. He appreciated the call before I bid, understood the situation, and said that was fine.

I then decided I would bid a maximum of $9,500 on the car. Sales tax and transportation would add over $2,000 to whatever I paid for it due to the distance involved, and I really didn't want to be that deep over $10,000 in the car, but, still, it was a white 1964 Daytona Wagonaire.

I went to my son's apartment in Washington DC Saturday afternoon to watch the England/USA Soccer match (go USA!) and use his computer to check on the auction. The car was bid to $9,500 at that point, so I decided I would bid $9,600 with maybe six hours to go and if that held, it held. If not, so be it.

My $9,600 bid was countered with a $9,700 bid, but that bid was withdrawn. So when I left Joe's, I was high bidder at $9,600. Joe checked maybe an hour later before they came to our hotel to pick us up for the party, and I was still high bidder at $9,600. To me, that meant no one had programmed a higher figure to keep raising, so I thought maybe I had a chance.

However, the bid history shows someone came in at an even $10,000 and then it took off to $12,000, $15,200, and then in automatic (?)increments to the $18,500. So, in reality, I didn't have a chance. Such is life.

I would prefer a South Bend car and have located one I'd like to buy, although it isn't quite this nice. Unfortunately, the 82-year old owner's son gets on e-bay and I'm afraid once he sees this $18,500 sale, which I think is an anomoly, things are going to be more, ahem, "difficult."

We shall see. Thanks for everyone's attention, and making me aware of this one. Obviously, "the more eyes the better," so if anyone sees another one, I would appreciate the heads-up. BP

[jclary]

Bob, since you know the owner...how about a follow-up to let us know if the deal stands. As you know, we have all seen some of these auctions end this way only to see reports of a "deadbeat bidder" and the vehicle offered for sale again. Keep digging, you just never know when that jewel that's meant to be will pop up.

[BobPalma]

Bob, since you know the owner...how about a follow-up to let us know if the deal stands. As you know, we have all seen some of these auctions end this way only to see reports of a "deadbeat bidder" and the vehicle offered for sale again. Keep digging, you just never know when that jewel that's meant to be will pop up.

Thanks, John. I don't know him that well, but I'm sure he'll tell me honestly if the deal holds and the car is delivered for the bid tendered. And even if the $18,500 bidder is bogus, someone else was coaxing him up to that figure. Chances are pretty good I was third in line at least! BP

[53k]

One interesting thing about this car is the 289 with overdrive. When I ordered my Canadian-built Wagonaire I wanted a 289 with overdrive, but had to settle for a 259 as overdrive wasn't offered on 289s. That was in April of '64. Did things change or is that not the original engine in the car? Inquiring minds want to know.

[53k]

Funny Paul Johnson never got it this about towing with a 64 wagon, he has done a lot of towing with his over the years, he bought it new just for towing I think, come on Paul put your 2 cents in....Bob

OK, two cents. I did tow an 18-foot Shasta travel trailer with the '64 Wagonaire and it did pretty much OK. However, I didn't really buy it for towing. I bought the trailer in 1970 and that was when I first towed with it. On level or gentle ground I could even pull in overdrive. However, with the manual tranny, getting stopped on a hill was a killer. Once, going over to Santa Cruz I got stopped on a steep slope- really smoked the clutch and liked to never got going again. Then one time we pulled it down to Pismo Beach for the Zone Meet at San Luis Obispo. Going down- no sweat. Going up- major sweat. I decided to go by way of Morro Bay and Atascadero to get back on 101. The road from Morro Bay was about a 10-mile upgrade all the way. I was holding about 15 mph with my foot to the floor in first gear. If I had gotten stopped there I don't know what I would have done. Shortly after that I bought the '64 Champ with the Powershift and I installed the R-1 engine. Then pulling was no sweat anywhere. Remember both of us pulling our Shastas behind Champs going to the Eldorado County Fair in Placerville?

[mbstude]

Ya know BP, my granddad still owns this car. South Bend built '64 sliding roof Wagonaire in original Astra White paint, and original Red interior. I'm pretty sure he'd let it go for less than the $10K you're willing to spend.

[StudeRich]

Maybe in 20 Years Matt, people will jump at the chance to own a piece of history like a Sliding Roof Wagonaire!

Put it in a shed with a front clip and hope!

[BobPalma]

Ya know BP, my granddad still owns this car. South Bend built '64 sliding roof Wagonaire in original Astra White paint, and original Red interior. I'm pretty sure he'd let it go for less than the $10K you're willing to spend.

Very funny, Matthew!

Actually, the $10,000 area isn't my upper limit for a white 1964 Daytona Wagonaire, Matthew...but it was for that one. Not that there was anything wrong with the auction subject, it's just that every car is worth so much to a given individual. For example, had that been an original-paint, South-Bend built car, I would have gone to maybe $12,000, all other things equal...more if the 31,000 miles was documented actual.

As it was, it had seen a complete repaint, was a Hamilton car, and the 31,000 miles was the reading, not represented as actual total miles by any means.

Nonetheless, certainly a very nice car and one I would like to have owned, but it was 2,200 miles away and not to be right now, I guess. BP

[bams50]

and then in automatic (?)increments to the $18,500.

I watched the last few minutes of the auction. At the end the timer counts down and the bids automatically update. The bids started jumping a few hundred at a time, the last right at the last second, a hundred short of the round figure at which it sold.

Hopefully the transaction will close and the new owner will check in and tell us of his plans for it.

[JBOYLE]

For example, had that been an original-paint, South-Bend built car, I would have gone to maybe $12,000, all other things equal...more if the 31,000 miles was documented actual.

You and me both!
If you can find a car as nice as you're describing, I'd be interested too at that price. Especially with factory air.

[BobPalma]

You and me both!
If you can find a car as nice as you're describing, I'd be interested too at that price. Especially with factory air.

That's an interesting take, John, and it proves the point about a given car being worth only so much to a given person. Myself, I wouldn't care one way or another if the car had factory air, and I wouldn't pay much more because it did.

On the other hand, factory air conditioning would mean more to a person such as yourself. So if everything was exactly equal, you could outbid me because the factory air would be a greater plus in your eyes (or, maybe, to another bidder.)

Of course, the best example in this case is color. If this car had been Strato Blue or even Bordeaux Red, I wouldn't have bid on it at all! BP

[StudeMichael]

Why do you only like white Studebakers Bob?

[StudeRich]

Astra White '64 Daytonas

I don't know Bob's reasoning, but it is likely that after the SECOND Astra White '64 Daytona found him, the die was struck for the other TWO of the set!!

Speaking of Astra White, I have seen VERY few repainted '64's that actually got the Gray White correct, most have a color like the Stark White, Ice Blue White, Refrigerator White that GM used.

[53k]

I don't know Bob's reasoning, but it is likely that after the SECOND Astra White '64 Daytona found him, the die was struck for the other TWO of the set!!

Speaking of Astra White, I have seen VERY few repainted '64's that actually got the Gray White correct, most have a color like the Stark White, Ice Blue White, Refrigerator White that GM used.

Like mine (thumbnail)? The Astra White is still original except for the left front fender and door (repaired in 1970 by a Studebaker owner body shop after my drunk neighbor side-swiped it one night when I left it parked out front), the right rear quarter (backed into by a woman driving a truck when the car was two weeks old in May 1964- repaired by a Ford dealer body shop), and the tailgate (hit from behind twice in one day in 1966- repaired by a Studebaker dealer).