10 Significant Studebakers for 10K Posts

[BobPalma]

Where, oh where, did these three cars go? In Pennsylvania, I'm afraid I know the answer!

Their fate is scriptural, Bill: Ashes to ashes, dust to rust...or is it rust to dust?

Well, something like that.

'Glad you guys enjoyed the post. The idea came to me at 5AM Thursday morning. We had ham and beans, cornbread, and coffee the night before, but I am uncertain as to the correlation. <GGG> BP

[gordr]

Congratulations on your milestone, Bob, and thanks for an interesting thread.

[studegary]

What a great history, Bob, and best of all, that you are able to recall (and partially document!) it. I've said before, how bitterly I regret not being a picture taker as I was growing up. Alas, most of my memories live on only in my mind, and will be gone when I am.

I, too, was not a picture taker. I have some Polaroids and snapshots of some of my cars, but not most of them. I have owned many unusual and low production cars out of the more than 100 cars that I have owned. Most are just in my memory bank. I have owned some cars for more than nine years and never took even one picture of them. I have written about many of them in various posts on this Forum.

Recently, the Editor of Old Cars Weekly contacted me about doing a picture story about me and some of my unusual/low production cars. I had to decline due to a dearth of pictures.

I don't know the number, but I am probably approaching the 10K posts mark. Do I have to come up with something special for that event <G>?

[8E45E]

Recently, the Editor of Old Cars Weekly contacted me about doing a picture story about me and some of my unusual/low production cars. I had to decline due to a dearth of pictures.

Perhaps if you compile a list of your cars, and the events you attended, no doubt many others have taken photos of your cars and will provide a picture. Or if you have ever had any appraisals of your vehicles done over the years, the appraiser might still have the photos of them in his files.

Craig

[BobPalma]

I don't know the number, but I am probably approaching the 10K posts mark. Do I have to come up with something special for that event <G>?

Your number is constantly being updated and posted, Gary.

Just look in the information right below your name any time you post.

AFAIK, you can't remove it! BP

[Bish]

Bob, Do you remember the Jag XK 120 turned in on the '56 Golden Hawk? Kind of a special car to be traded at an independent dealer. Worth some money today.
Bish

[BobPalma]

Bob, Do you remember the Jag XK 120 turned in on the '56 Golden Hawk? Kind of a special car to be traded at an independent dealer. Worth some money today. Bish

No, Bish; I do not remember the Jaguar.

I DO remember my Dad screaming bloody murder at Harry Rhoads for being so flim-flammed as to taking that deal! Dad had no idea how they'd ever sell that Jaguar in a small farming community in the midwest, and he was right.

He wound up shopping the car all over the place, wholesale auctions and such, and couldn't get 'er done, trying to get it sold. He ultimately sold it cheap to the owner of Stewart Hog Ring Company in Paris. (I'd look up and post that invoice, but I am not at home right now. I'm at my daughter's house babysitting overnight as both she and her husband are working at their respective medical jobs; she until midnight and he until 6AM.)

Dad was right that they were going to lose money on that 1956 Golden Hawk deal, big time. I have most of the financial records from the dealership, as well as these Purchase Agreements (Retail Invoices). I once went through that whole deal since they took two cars in trade. They took another car in trade on the 1951 Studebaker Champion trade-in from Barrister McClain, so they had to recondition and sell it, too.

By the time everything washed out, they had lost a little over $1,000 1956 DOLLARS on that Golden Hawk. Dad wished they'd never seen the car; a small dealership just couldn't afford to be taking a $1,000 hit on a car when he, Harry, and Uncle Milt were struggling to take home as close to $100 per week as possible from the place in 1956.

Of course, that was then and this is now. If you read the cited page in Turning Wheels, Dad is more than happy to be associated with that car today! <GGG>

My, how times change. BP

[SN-60]

Great story! About the '56 President, could that model, equiped as described, be considered the 'perfect' postwar Studebaker? (either a two-door like this, or a four door on the shorter wheelbase) They really drove nice!

[Johnnywiffer]

How in the pluperfect heck does ANYONE remember all that minutia? I understand that you, BP, have all the records from the dealership. However, even so, I’d be hard pressed to remember where to FIND such info. Heck, I don’t remember what I had for breakfast YESTERDAY, let alone in 1956. I THINK I was around for the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel. But don't remember who invented ‘em nor how much money they made or lost on the invention.

When I write about happenings from the past, it’s because I have a sudden flash (truly!) and think, “Heck, I remember when….”and I write about it. But I sure don’t remember whether the weatherstripping on the rear fender of a ’51 Land Cruiser was painted or un-painted from the factory. Or whether a hood ornament was REAL gold-plated or fake.

But someone does. Maybe we need to get someone to glean all the wheat from the chaff on the Forum and put it in a book. Call it “Not So Important Stuff That Someone Remembered One Day Then Forgot”. Index it so all you have to do is look up “What kinda bolt held the fake spare on the ’58 PH?” And you’d know. Could be used to settle all the arguments about such important questions as “What year did the factory change from LH to RH threads on lug nuts?” or “When were leather seats available on convertibles?”

Yep, someone sure oughta do that little thing. But as Lou Costello said in “Africa Screams”, “Somebody else. Not me.”

(See? I DID remember SOMEthing!)

John

[BobPalma]

Great story! About the '56 President, could that model, equipped as described, be considered the 'perfect' postwar Studebaker? (either a two-door like this, or a four door on the shorter wheelbase) They really drove nice!

Well, Ed, SDCers would likely debate what constitutes the "best" postwar Studebaker until the cows had not only come home, but had been milked and put to bed. Personally, I'd think the 1956 President series would be close to the top of most lists, though, as you say.

However, why not the longer-wheelbase President Classic? They rode even nicer than the shorter-wheelbase models.

Generically, at least 1956 gave you 12-volt electrics and Flightomatic transmissions; definite improvements over 6 volts and Automatic Drive. BP

[BobPalma]

Bob, Do you remember the Jag XK 120 turned in on the '56 Golden Hawk? Kind of a special car to be traded at an independent dealer. Worth some money today. Bish

Here ya' go, Bish (and anyone else interested).

That Jaguar XK120 (I believe it was red, now that I think about it) might be worth a lot today, but when it was a three-year-old used car, all it could garner was $1,500, cash plus tax, no trade:

[BobPalma]

How in the pluperfect heck does ANYONE remember all that minutia? I understand that you, BP, have all the records from the dealership. However, even so, I’d be hard-pressed to remember where to FIND such info. Heck, I don’t remember what I had for breakfast YESTERDAY, let alone in 1956. I THINK I was around for the discovery of fire and the wheel. But not who invented ‘em nor how much money they made or lost on the invention.

When I write about happenings from the past, it’s because I have a sudden flash (truly!) and think, “Heck, I remember when….”and I write about it. But I sure don’t remember whether the weatherstripping on the rear fender of a ’51 Land Cruiser was painted or un-painted from the factory. Or whether a hood ornament was REAL gold-plated or fake.

John

Well, John, I've always been fascinated about how much the human mind can retain when it is interested in a topic...and, importantly, when the mind is relatively young.

As you see, I was immersed in the 1950s car culture just about as much as a person barely aged double-digits could be...and loved every minute of it. 'Couldn't get enough of it, quite frankly.

At age 8...eight, mind you....I was studying the 1954 Packard Salesman's Guide while seated on a chair in Palma Motors' original showroom. I discovered you could order air conditioning in a Packard! Man, was that seriously-good news!

I remember running into my Dad's office and informing him of my discovery with all the attendant excitement as if I had just run into the office to tell him the Edgar County courthouse was on fire a block away.

As if my Dad didn't already know that, of course...about the air conditioning, that is, because the courthouse wasn't ablaze.

Is it any wonder my mother had serious doubts about my -ahem- propensity toward all things automotive? She was genuinely concerned about the matter.

Oh, and I still have that 1954 Packard Salesman's Guide:

[SN-60]

To: Bob Palma--- I've always thought the shorter wheelbase models had a slight edge in day-to-day city driving (and parking). Also, over the miles, they might stay a bit 'tighter'----I could be wrong about all that though!

[BobPalma]

To: Bob Palma--- I've always thought the shorter wheelbase models had a slight edge in day-to-day city driving (and parking). Also, over the miles, they might stay a bit 'tighter'----I could be wrong about all that though!

No doubt the shorter-wheelbase models would stay tighter...and, of course, would be more maneuverable in traffic.

As I said, Ed, we'd get some spirited discussion going if we tried to address the topic of "best postwar Studebaker!" BP

[jbwhttail]

Earl Drews 1956 President 2 door did not have power seats, I remember it well. It started out as a black and white, was painted later yellow and white. I returned the car to black and white. It also had power steering but no power brakes.


Funniest story ever on this car..... Nancy and I were visiting her grandmother in Michigan when Nancy was pregnant with our first, on the way home Nancy got to feeling ill. As we are doing 70 mph down interstate 69 Nancy looks at me and says, I'm going to get sick. My response........Don't you dare get sick inside or on the outside of this car, hold it till I can get stopped!!!!..........she did.