Studes that "made it" but were nonetheless lost...

[Milaca]

Here's a link to an example of such a car (my '64 Hawk) that survived harsh Minnesota winter roads from the original owner and was then purchased by an enthusiast in the early 1970's that restored it. The car saw very few miles after restoration (and has an old SDC decal on the windshield) but now looks like it was rode hard and put away wet. I don't understand what happened to it...did subseqent owner's not have a garage for it??
http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...loud-Minnesota

[bob40]

It wasnt that many years ago that garages were a luxury and most garages were single stalls reserved for the families ' good' car. I can recall growing up with Dads new or newer car in the single garage while stay at home Moms '55 Chevy 2 door sedan sat outside year after year.

[Nelsen Motorsports]

There is a 63 Lark 4-door 259 auto in town with only 54,000. This thing has been sitting outside for 4 years getting covered with mildew. The car is still nice though and could use a refreshening (buffing). The only thing it really needs is a new trunk lid and a tune-up. The floors are SOLID and the interior is nice. I would buy it, but I already have enough on my plate.

[edpjr]

In 1973 I bought a '63 Sliding roof wagon that had a body in hideous condition. Not rusted, but beat all to hell. It had had the OHV 6 cyl replaced with a 1950's 2V V-8 motor and ran reasonably well. I paid $210 for it. Then I quickly found another '63 Sliding roof wagon at a local junkyard. The body was very nice and it had an OHV 6 cyl engine, pwr steering and the Twin Traction denoted by the little TT emblem in circles. The only thing missing was the 3 speed manual trans. I bought it for $60. Oddly enough, these cars were only a couple digits different in the serial numbers. The junker made was like 2 cars after the one I desired to fix up. I knew an old retired guy that fiddled with body work. He agreed to transfer both front fenders, both bumpers, one rear panel and paint the thing the original white color for $100 and a new tractor tire, if I'd provide the paint and supplies he needed. It took him about a month, but he did a really good job. Oddly enough, the next car he was getting ready to work on was an Amphi-Car (coolest thing I'd ever seen). Anyway, then I had the interior reupholstered and heavy duty shocks installed. My wagon looked really good, but after barely driving it at all, the clutch started slipping and the old V-8 engine died completely. The day I last drove it, people behind me couldn't see the road for all the blue smoke it was belching. I parked it for years and finally sold it for $350 to a guy who pulled the croaked engine and trans and dropped in a Chevy V-8 and 4-speed on the floor. Pretty soon, he sold it, and I never saw it again. The stripped down donor wagon minus it's fenders, bumpers, hood, and rear panel looked like a skeleton. My late uncle used his bulldozer to push it over a bank and cover it with dirt. In essence, I killed two '63 sliding roof wagons, and I regret it to this day. In hindsight, the biggest mistake I made was not realizing the "junker" was probably the car I should've actually fixed up!

[studegary]

Here's one speculation: could this car have been a flood victim? In 2003, the town south of here, High River, actually lived up to its name and received its '100 year' flood that spring. A few months later, the local PYP yard ended up with several of these flood damaged cars. Most of them were maybe 10 year old Cavaliers, Honda Civics, etc., but I do remember a '68 Dodge Monaco convertible in there as well. The giveaway of course were the water damaged interiors with 3 inches dried silt on the floors, and surface rust in places it wouldn't otherwise rust, water-filled guages, et al. Was there any evidence of that on this Daytona?

Craig

Is this another Canadian thing? I do not believe that there were any 1967-1968 Monaco convertibles in the USA. There were Coronet convertibles in 1967-1968.

[studegary]

There have been several mentions of SDC stickers on cars indicating that they were once owned by SDC members and implying that the cars were previously loved. In the 1960s-1970s, many (most) Studebakers (particularly Larks) were just inexpensive used cars and used as such. Many owners belonged to SDC to get parts and other benefits. They just used the cars up as the cars went from ten year old to 20 year old basic transportation used cars.

[BobPalma]

Gary makes a good opoint in Post #36, for that was true in the earlier days of SDC.

Of course, in my original post that opened this topic, I was lamenting the fate of a premium-model Studebaker with a dash plaque affixed that indicated it really had reached the status of "I am loved," since someone once cared enough for it to display it at a National Meet...and then affix the dash plaque from that meet as testimony.

Good discussions, here. BP

[showbizkid]

On the way to my son's high school, there lives a hot rodder with a gorgeous yellow Deuce roadster in his garage. This story is not about that car. This is about the truly lovely '61 Impala Sport Coupe that has sat in his dirt front yard, unmoving, for at least 5 years. It does not move, is not covered, has weeds growing up around it, and I get angry every time I pass by it - which I do every single day. I saw this car before it was parked, getting gas at my local Costco, and remarked to the owner what a gorgeous car he had. Then, a year later, I see it like this.

It's still saveable, but I see the rust bubbles starting under that gorgeous blue paint; the rear wheelwells are becoming havens for the tinworm and I'm sure the undercarriage has soaked up a lot of moisture. I have no doubt that car will still be there in a year when my boy graduates, and probably long past that.

[studegary]

Gary makes a good opoint in Post #36, for that was true in the earlier days of SDC.

Of course, in my original post that opened this topic, I was lamenting the fate of a premium-model Studebaker with a dash plaque affixed that indicated it really had reached the status of "I am loved," since someone once cared enough for it to display it at a National Meet...and then affix the dash plaque from that meet as testimony.

Good discussions, here. BP

Perhaps you do not remember that in the earlier days of SDC, more of the cars at SDC International Meets were every day cars and were not show cars. For example, in 1971/1972, we drove and entered, Cathy's everyday use car, a 1963 Daytona Wagonaire. I do not even own a car that new now.

[Roscomacaw]

I have a couple more tales that are relevant here - both concerning Studes in my past.

The first one was my second Stude I fixed up - one 1952 Champion 4-door. I re-did EVERYTHING mechanical on that car. Man, it was one sweet-drivin' machine. An upholsterer friend of mine completely did the interior, and all it lacked was to have it's tired gray paint revived. I drove that car for a year or more after having literally saved it right out of a junkyard. With a different Stude in my sights, I sold that '52 to a fella that was doing a bullet-nosed Starlight coupe. He scavenged the fresh drivetrain, brakes and whatnot outta the '52 and used them in his '51. He sold the interior out of it, and ditched the hulk back into a junkyard! His car - his choice, but I razzed him for some time later about shooting a perfectly good car in the head.

Then there was the '55 Commander coupe I re-did from stem to stern. I found this one sitting behind an auto parts store in Atlanta. Once I was done with that one, I drove it daily for some time. It ran and drove just fine, but I just couldn't warm up to that car. When the son of a friend expressed interest in it, I was quick to sell it to him. He wasn't some irresponsible kid - but he beat that car to death in short order. I don't know what it's ultimate fate was, but it did bug me to see that thing degrade after he bought it from me.

[61Lark]

Perhaps you do not remember that in the earlier days of SDC, more of the cars at SDC International Meets were every day cars and were not show cars. For example, in 1971/1972, we drove and entered, Cathy's everyday use car, a 1963 Daytona Wagonaire. I do not even own a car that new now.

I have to agree with Gary. The assumption is that this was a nice car at one time. To quote the October 2011 Turning Wheels, "Perhaps intimidated somewhat by the beautifully restored Studebakers at an International Meet or not quite ready to do serious battle in competitive judging, many attendees opt to DISPLAY ONLY their pride and joy."

I have a 56 Power Hawk that appears to have been fixed up in the late sixties, but isn't much more than a parts car now, and a 63 Lark that was a nice car in the eighties, but isn't much to look at after the mice and pigeons have had their way with it.

[JBOYLE]

Around here we have a lot of "Grandpa cars".

When I was in high school, a neighbor kid (well on his way to being a thug, drunk and druggie) got his grandfather's nice 64-65 Mercury.
Took him all of a month to total it.
Then he moved onto Datsun 1600-2000 convertibles and he wrecked a couple of them.

I hate to say it, buit if you want your cars to outlast you, unless you have a grandson like Matthew, don't expect your grandkids to treasure any cars you leave them.
As much as we'd like to think that they'll treasure the Lark or Hawk, wax it weekly and join the club, the sad fact is give any kid a car and they'll use it as a daily driver and drive/race/wreck it into the ground.

[Roscomacaw]

LOL! Man, that's the truth! There was a 55 President Coupe here locally - the owner had really done a nice job making it look like new. I happened to spot it one day when I chanced by while the garage door was open. I talked to this gent about the car and asked why I'd never seen it around town or at any local shows....... "OH! I'm saving it for my grandson. As soon as he gets his drivers license, it's his!"
Two years later, grandson had that car. Grandpa finally reclaimed his gem after the kid had wreaked holy hell on it. Bought the kid a VW bug - which was what he'd wanted in the first place. Not some stupid ol' beast he had to actually treat with respect.

[8E45E]

Is this another Canadian thing? I do not believe that there were any 1967-1968 Monaco convertibles in the USA.

I guess so!!! I was unaware of that exclusivity, really. But Google is your friend: http://wjenterprisesautomotive.smugm...15139891_oKAEd

Craig

[Bob Andrews]

Anybody else know of any Studebakers that survived the period of just being old used cars, were rescued, got safely within SDC, but were later "lost" anyway?

Reason I ask: I've often reflected on what I thought was a terrible waste of a black 1962 Daytona convertible, 289/225/4-speed. It was understandably sold as a parts car at the May South Bend Swap Meet by used-car dealer friend Rick Crawley of Logansport IN maybe 8 years ago.

Like so many of us have, Rick had watched the car deteriorate alongside a shed by the railroad tracks in Logansport for years, unable to buy it, until there wasn't enough of it left to restore. He finally did buy it and drug it onto his trailer (the tub almost broke in two) for the short trip north to South Bend for parting out. I think someone in Wisconsin bought the mostly-stripped hulk to contribute bits and pieces for another 1962 Daytona convertible being restored.

That seemed like such a terrible shame, and I've never forgotten it. It seems like once a nice car gets into the club, especially something as desirable as a black, red/white interior 289/225/4-speed Daytona convertible, that it should at least see indoor storage so it doesn't deteriorate too much from that point on...yet this one became a hulk so rusty it was only good for bits and pieces a couple decades after it had been displayed at an SDC National Meet.

Thoughts or parallels, anyone? BP

Here's the car I mentioned in my above post #23 above, taken August '07: