Studebaker International - Parts Cache

Today, I witnessed the largest cache of Studebaker parts in the world (I think).

My visit to Studebaker International was exciting on a couple of fronts:

1. I saw the origin of many of the parts we've installed on our Studebaker.

2. I was treated to a quick tour of the tens of thousands of square feet filled with the contents of Studebaker International and the remains of SASCO.

The organization of parts at SI was impressive. The racks in these pictures were unloaded at SASCO, moved, cleaned, and restocked. And not only restocked, but organized by part number.

Thanks to the folks at Studebaker International for the tour!

Studebaker International - Photographs

Below are a few pics of Studebaker International's South Bend Showroom, front door, trailer, and sign.

It's Official: Studebaker International Bought SASCO's Inventory

"The inventory eventually will be moved to the Studebaker Business Center, 711 Chippewa Ave., South Bend. When that building reopens in the spring of 2010, Reynolds said it will be part of a retail complex that caters to Studebaker enthusiasts visiting the city to tour the Studebaker National Museum or other events."

Read the story on the South Bend Tribune website.

Read the official announcement here.

1950 Studebaker Champion Windows

The u-channels that we ordered from Studebaker International are not OM/NOS (we knew his going into it); they are reproductions that are a bit more rigid than we'd prefer. In fact, when bending one of the rear window channels we separated the chrome from the channel, and it's nearly impossible to re-crimp the chrome stripping onto the cloth channel. The solution may be to re-order NOS back window channels from Studebakers West in Redwood City, California.

In addition, the window project hit another snafu when we found that two of the windows had minor cracks. We ordered new glass from Classic Flat Glass in Placerville, CA. You can see that one need begets the next, and as usual, we're at double the original job estimate.

However, the most disappointing result of the parts delay is that we're out of driving commission until next week - missing a beautiful weekend of 65 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny... in January!

Here's something to keep our chins up:

Until next drive.

1950 Studebaker Champion - 9G - Improvements

Here's what we've done to our 1950 9G Studebaker Champion thus far:

· Replaced the Studebaker Champion fuel gauge
· Reconditioned the speedometer
· Installed the carburetor kit
· Hooked up the amp meter
· Installed five lap belts from Studebaker International
· Re-cabled the windshield wipers
· Aligned wheels

Replaced the:
· Under-dash wiring harness
· Horn pad
· Lamp switch
· Door jamb switch
· Dome light switch

Bits and pieces – replaced:
· Oil (6 quarts of 30w oil)
· Silicone brake fluid
· Battery
· All bulbs
· Foot pad
· E-brake cable
· Random screws

Now for the interior…

Replica Radio for the 1950 Studebaker Champion

Quick request: I've located a lot of non-working speaker/radio combos for the 1950 Studebaker Champion, but what I'm looking for is a replica or model radio that is close in appearance to the original Champion radio.

If you have any references, I would appreciate an email at jason [at] jasonmichaels [dot] com.

1950 Studebaker Champion

My Dad and I were independently fond of the Studebaker Champion. In December 2007, we bought a 1950 Studebaker Champion from a father/son restorer team in Chico, California.

We started this project with the original Shop Manual and a Studebaker International catalog.

View the Studebaker International website here.