Dudes in Studes

[Dotch]

From this summer's 50th Anniversary of the SDC get together in South Bend. Enjoy!

[Eric Wettschreck]

That is pure American Iron!!!!

Please tell me you were driving one of those!!!!!!

[Dotch]

Alas, I was not. I did however drive a 1960 Lark VI in high school and my first year of college. It made many trips to the A&W drive-in and the drive-in movie theater in my hometown. That very car is the restoration project in the garage I'm working on. The MN salt was not kind to it and neither were the mice since it was parked in 1983. One thing I do hope to do is to visit the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend. Another fun place to see would be Studebaker International, one of the vendors I've been getting a lot of parts from. They bought up a large portion of the original inventory from another vendor and have expanded the offerings. They know their Studes when you call with a parts question. Once we get the Lark done the plan is to use it as a leaf watching/cruising car, not a show car. They were made to drive, not ride in a trailer. I've had my eyes open for a Hawk or a Lowey coupe for a while. I would not restore another car but would buy one instead. For what I'll have stuck in this Lark, I could've easily bought one of those two. It's the sentimental value and the memories that drive the restoration though. If it was a money issue, I never would've started it in the first place.

[SkunkedAgain]

Those are great videos. Thanks for posting Dotch

There used to be a classic car museum in the northern suburbs of Milwaukee back in the 1980s. The guy specialized in Studebakers. He closed shop sometime in the 90s and I never heard what happened to him, but the museum was very impressive. Going to the Studebaker museum in Mequon and fishing for bullheads on the Milwaukee River are the last things I remember doing with my grandfather before he passed in '86.

[Eric Wettschreck]

A couple weeks ago I helped a co-worker pull a Stud out of his dads grove. I think it's a 36 but don't quote me. I'm not a Stude expert.

Co-worker said it was his dads family car. Ran it until he parked it in the grove. It's not in the greatest shape but it's re-buildable. That's his plan. Cool looking car. It was tough digging it out but we got it on the trailer.

[Ufatz]

Ahhhh yes! You boys remind me of courtin' in a ''53 Starlight Coupe, black with red leather. Wish I had that little dandy back. It was a heckuva car and waaaayyy ahead of its time in styling.

[Dotch]

Sweet! There's a laminated SDC poster you can order with a picture of a '57 Golden Hawk and a '53 Coupe on it that says: "We Invented Cool"

Think there was a '55 coupe on an auction this past spring nearby. Sale bill said the guy had driven it back from CA. I was curious so I drove up there to take a peek at it and some of the other Studes the day before the sale. Talking to the owner, he said he drove it back from CA in 1975. Looked like that's about as far as it got. The sheet metal was in good shape but the glass was all out of it, the dash and the rest of the interior were shelled and there were only 3 wheels on it. The engine was not original either but at least the car still had lots of original raccoon poo in it! My wife would've shot me if I'd dragged that home. Should've known when reading farther down on the sale bill there was mention of a chain saw to remove some of the other cars.