Studebaker Electric Wagon Restoration

[8E45E]

Sorry, I should have explained myself better. I was thinking in terms of registering it as an antique with a year of make license plate (1902). James and Stephanie would be out of luck, since Washington didn't start issuing plates until 1905. They could certainly get a brand new antique vehicle plate.

I don't believe the State of Washington actually issued plates until the early teens. Up until that time, one made their own, usually house numbers on a piece of leather:



Several other states/provinces also required vehicles being licenced a few years before they started issuing actual numbered plates.

Craig

[Mark L]

Sorry, I should have explained myself better. I was thinking in terms of registering it as an antique with a year of make license plate (1902). James and Stephanie would be out of luck, since Washington didn't start issuing plates until 1905. They could certainly get a brand new antique vehicle plate.

[8E45E]

Washington State did not start to issue license plates until 1905, so it will be interesting to see what the DMV requires to have it registered should you choose to go that route.

That doesn't make sense.

One is able to register a vehicle regardless of what year it is, just as one can also register a non-US market make/model if its over 25 years old. In 1905, do you think a vehicle would have been 'unregisterable' because it was older?

Craig

[Avantidon]

What a fantastic restoration. Congratulations to all who worked on the project. Thanks James Bell!

[Hallabutt]

Gary,

Harrington is really a living ghost town, if there is such a thing. One of many towns that sprung up across the West during the later part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. This is dryland wheat country, some of the most productive in the world. When it took a good day to travel to Spokane, these small towns grew up around the grain elevators. Beginning during the Depression, because of the economics of the time and because of better modes of transportation, their business districts became less important and many just went away.

Harrington is one of those places whose business districts just died. People still live in Harrington, but there is really no business district at all. You can't even get a hamburger in Harrington, or a cup of coffee for that matter. Several important things set Harrington apart from some of the other communities like it, however. It had a bunch of quality built brick and concrete buildings that really aged well. Then there was an energetic couple that fell in love with the idea of restoring the old hotel. The building needed literally millions of dollars and countless hours of their own time. It still remains to be seen whether the project will ever be completed, but the energy was exciting and remains. But maybe most important from our point of view, was that it was where Allen Barth lived.

Allen just lived his life by playing the game with a different set of rules. Nothing that I could say would due justice to this unique character. He lived his life on a different level then everyone else. He actually envisioned bringing Harrington back to life. He knew that he could never expect to bring back 1920, but he felt that on any given weekend he could make it a destination for old car hobbyists.

Paramount to his vision was the old Ford dealership in the center of town. It was owned by an elderly lady who had it's fifteen thousand square feet of space crammed with stuff. Things that Allen described as junk. It took him years of trying to buy the building, before he finally got her to sell. Then there was the immense amount of time that it took to clean it out, refurbish the building, before anointing it as his Studebaker garage. At the same time he ran his restoration business from his home, which was about ten miles away in the middle of a sea of wheat. Sadly Allen recently lost his battle with cancer, but not before much of what he envisioned had already come to fruition. Allen's dream lives on in his son and daughter. They have vowed to continue with what he started.

[studegary]

Congratulations on seeing this project through to completion!!

I find it hard to believe that a town exists with nice streets and NO traffic.

[studeclunker]

Oh dear me, in their shirtsleeves?? These young people, whatever are we to do with them?

Looks fabulous! However if that's the best speed it can do, I'll stick with my horses, thanks.

It must be immensely satisfying after all this time to take it out for a turn, finally. Thanks so much for sharing the photos, progress reports, and finally video! Do please forgive my levity and silliness too.

[lschuc]

It would cool to photograph this 1902 Studebaker Electric together with a 2017 Tesla, two electric cars, 117 years apart. That would surely get lots of newspaper and TV publicity for the SDC and your chapter!

[Mark L]

Amazing work! You might want to consider getting a slow-moving vehicle triangle to temporarily hang on the back for the times you want to drive it on the public roads.

Washington State did not start to issue license plates until 1905, so it will be interesting to see what the DMV requires to have it registered should you choose to go that route.

[BobPalma]

Easily the coolest video on the internet today; congratulations all around.

Uh-oh, I just remembered: Where did you find good used or NOS battery hold-downs?

As Craig Parslow said, is this now the oldest documented, operable, self-propelled Studebaker? BP

[57pack]

Thank you so much for the update and that great video!
Would love to be with you when you get down to the DMV!

[8E45E]

Thanks for the update, James!!

Possibly the EARLIEST self-propelled Studebaker that still survives?

Craig

[sweetolbob]

Fantastic!!!!

[Bellingham Studenut]

The 1st Drive for our Studebaker Electric Wagon since restoration began.

The Bell's Studebaker Diner & Museum is very proud to own the Studebaker Electric Wagon and bring it back to life.
A true test for any vehicle is to test drive it for the first time.

The Northwest Chapter of the Antique Studebaker Club was having it's Zone Meet Tour in Spokane WA. area and was going to the Studebaker Garage in Harrington, WA.
We made arrangements to tuck the wagon inside the garage, hiding it until the tour arrived.
Jerry and I bought matching vintage outfits to drive the wagon out of the Studebaker Garage and suprize everyone as we drive it for the fist time in many many years down the main street. Jerry's wife Joan has been so supportive of Jerry helping with this project and was hemming our vintage pants the night before.
It was only fitting to give Jerry the honor of driving the wagon for the 1st time, since he did the majority of the work on it.

The day of it's unveiling and drive downtown Harrington went without a hitch!
A great time after recycling a very rare piece of history!


L-R Joan & Jerry Gieseke, Jim McClain, James & Stephanie Bell


Watch the Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a05hCJr7ei0


We still have some side lettering to let people know it's a Studebaker, the volt/amp gage to add and the side lamps, but seeing it in action was amazing!

Thanks to everyone who had a hand in helping with this unique project.
It will bring a lot of new exposure to Studebaker vehicles and provide lots of enjoyment to those who see it for many years to come.

James

[StudeRich]

The sprocket on the rear drums were worn enough that the chain would climb out as the wheels spin, so a new ring gear was made.
The front sprockets worked fine, but upon testing found the ratio made the wagon go too fast, so new front sprockets were installed giving it the correct ratio, speed and torque when controlling the throttle.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]66100[/ATTACH]

Too bad you changed the Ratio to SLOW it down James, you could have raced a New Tesla!