Chance Encounter

[Roscomacaw]

After I had the stitches removed yesterday, I headed out to ship the mummified 44 off to Glendale, AZ via Greyhound. It was lunchtime and I was groping for a back way to my favorite eatery in the course of reaching the bus station.
As I turned the corner of one quiet residential street, my eyes instantly affixed themselves to a fondly familiar sight - a metallic brown Champ truck. OK - the trek to the bus station was gonna take longer than I'd planned.

I know this particular truck. In fact, I've helped keep it on the road with parts and technical advice thru the 15 or so years I've known Gene. He uses it as a truck, but does show it occasionally at car shows. It's a '62 V8 half ton (7E7) with automatic.
The owner's a retired teacher, age 82, and still going strong with his part-time business of taxidermy. We chatted about the truck and then he showed me his taxidermy workshop and studio. He specializes in gamebirds and his work is truly phenomenal!

[kmac530]

Stitches? What did I miss?

Nice Champ there.

[Roscomacaw]

Oh - VERY minor surgery to remove a cyst on my arm. Had been there for decades and I'd scrape it now and then. No biggie.

BTW, I might mention that the "mummy" I sent via Greyhond was a DANA 44 rear axle that went to Glendale AZ. $114 to ship that 97lb anchor and it'll be in the recipient's hand today!

[StudeRich]

Hmmmm... this Truck reminds me of this very nice one on ePay now! It's even also in Glendale (CA) namesake where your axle assy. is going in AZ.

There are of course a few minor differences, and one major one, this is a 3/4 Ton. They both have the rare chrome front bumper however, but this one has had the chrome grille replaced with a Std. Cab White one, has a custom body side moulding, dual fuel tanks, V-8 with 5 Overdrive etc.

[Roscomacaw]

GEEZ Rich! That's GOTTA be my old Champ. I have been wondering about what happened to that thing after it disappeared from the LA area. I'm gonna check it out.

Edit: Rich, how's about a link to that ad? I can't find it.

[kmac530]

Glad it was minor surgery not too serious.

Nice mummy

[Anne F. Goodman]

http://motors.completed.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Trucks-/6001/i.html?MotorsShowItems&_trksid=p4506.c0.m283&rt=nc&_fln=1&_nkw=studebaker&_dmpt=US_Cars_Trucks&_catref=1&LH_Complete=1&guest=1

It was in completed listings it sold again

[StudeRich]

Bob, I remember very little of the last time this truck was offered on ebay, but I believe it was for way more $, maybe around 8-10,000.00 and I was drooling all over my keyboard, and you and I were watching it go away for way more than we could pay.

[BobPalma]

Nice mummy, Bob; are you sure you're not of Egyptian descent? How long did it take you and and how much material did you use to wrap that thing? Geeze!

Good to hear the surgery was minor, too. BP

[Green 53]

Was that 44 for Ken?

Denny L

[Roscomacaw]

Yes Rich - when that thing FIRST came to my attention (since I sold it in '82) the seller was asking about $19K for it. He claimed it was worth that since he'd had it repainted. Then, as you say, it was on ebay and left us in the dust. What it sold for this time is right reasonable. BTW, I added that '57 Speedo head because I intended to put another speaker where the inst. cluster usually resides. It never got to that, and later I figured I'd mount some real gages in that spot to replace the idiot lights - leaving the '57 speedo (From a Commander I'd parted out) to serve that function.

Bob P. - I used some disposable packing material that I scrounge from behind a local furniture warehouse. I get most of my packing materials there - lotsa furniture is shipped with copious amounts of 1st class packing stuff. And it's free! Of course, there was that 5 dollar roll ofr strapping tape. I hammered a small coffee can over the yoke and taped it secure with strapping trape before the final wrap. I also put a buffer of wrapping around the ends of the axle tubes before the mummification proceedures were instituted. The guy at Greyhound marvelled at my packing efforts. BTW, the axle, less shafts, bearings and such (not a TT either) weighed in at 97lbs, wrapped and ready to go.

Denny, indeed it is for Ken's wagon, Edgar. The pinion bearing went south in instantaneous fashion, and Ken was gonna see if someone local had a 44 to replace it with. Since I've got half a dozen of them here, I offered Ken one - a 3.54 like he'd been using. If I know Ken, he's probably got Edgar back on his feet again.