Where we went for 2021

[am not r2]

We went out today to Saratoga Springs NY for IDYSD. There was a pre war road rally of some sort there. And yes I did see one more Stude.
Where did you go? What did you see? Any Stude sightings?

[jclary]

Well…as I am closing in toward a half century of Studebaker ownership and SDC participation, there have been a few periods when career and life events intervened to cause me to curtail my hobby activity. This pandemic period combined with my wife’s and my own co-morbidities has been one of those times. In a couple of weeks the Maggie Valley Tri-State SDC Meet is fast approaching and after a couple of years of very little activity, I decided to dust off my very first Studebaker ( my 1955 truck) and see if I can get it roadworthy enough for the trip through the mountains.

For the past couple of weeks, I have killed wasp nests in and around the truck. Inspected and repaired brake components and even greased the often overlooked rear axle wheel bearings. After that pesky bearing job, I checked the rear differential and topped off the gear lube. As I am approaching my 77th birthday, having no auto lift means tumbling around on the ground is a bit more difficult than when I was in my thirties. Anyhow, this morning I ambled out under the shade tree to sit a moment, finish off my morning coffee, and contemplate the remaining issues of preparing the truck. New plugs, maybe points, oil change, transmission lube, and chassis lube. Then, my phone rings.

My friend Earl, is sitting at a big AACA show at a tech school about four miles away. Earl is a longtime friend. A top notch professional mechanic recently retired Penske fleet manager. Pretty much a naturally talented bootstrap self taught from his childhood days of prepping dirt racers and bootlegger haulers. Oh, and he’s as much a Ford guy as we are Studebaker nuts. He was checking on my progress with my truck and I informed him that I had pretty much sorted out my brakes. He invited me to join him and other friends at the show. At first I declined because my truck was certainly not show ready. Then he assured me that it wasn’t necessary to participate in the event. But rather, the host of the event had reserved an area for local friends to park their vintage vehicles on the field without having to register or pay to park. So I threw my yard chair in the truck and drove over. Turns out that it was a huge AACA event! Car haulers from Maryland to Florida. Vehicles from the Brass Era on up and even a section for vintage motorcycles.

Although my truck wasn’t entered in the show, hadn’t even been washed in a couple of weeks, it drew a big crowd of camera clickers as I was parking. If I had known I was going to attract that much attention I probably wouldn’t have worn my hillbilly coveralls.
Turned out to be a ton of fun and the ironic thing is that I had completely forgotten that today was the official Drive Your Studebaker Day until I returned home and checked the forum! And, incredibly, I was so busy enjoying the company of my friends that I forgot all about my iPhone camera and didn’t take a single picture! Probably the most exposure I have ever given a Studebaker on the Official day. Here’s a picture of the truck. It’s a couple of years ago and was washed then.