Three on the Tree - Studebaker Champion - Shift Pattern

"Three on the Tree" is definitely for me. I took "Doc" out for a pre-work drive this morning and found that after many months of practice, I'm pretty damn good at H-pattern shifting. While the clutch release is high and the gears are pretty unforgiving, driving "three on the tree" is a whole lot more fun than automatic... even if I'm not driving a performance sports car.

Below is a scan from the 1950 Studebaker Champion Owner's Manual that shows the shift pattern for the car. I leave overdrive engaged for any speeds over 35 mph.

See the full 1950 Studebaker Champion Owner's Manual here.

Packard Neon Sign - Grass Valley - California

Quick digression. There is an amazing Packard Dealership neon sign in Grass Valley, CA. A co-worker graciously agreed to photograph the sign for me.

Click on the image below to see a larger version of the Packard sign.

Neon Signs - Studebaker

Roadside Peek has an excellent collection of classic neon signs. The sign for the Bantam Chef Restaurant in Chesnee, SC, caught my eye... it features the nosecone of a 1950 Champion. See below.

See all of the neon signs at Roadside Peek.

Image copyright Richard Weiss.

Studebaker Racing - 1951 Studebaker Commander

Bob Coolidge publishes a one-of-a-kind website about Studebaker racing. Here's an excerpt and image.

"Frank Gise from New Point, Indiana raced in two NASCAR events. He raced a 1951 Studebaker V8 Commander Starlight Coupe in the Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina on September 3, 1951. He started 9th but finished 65th out of 82 starters after the right front wheel broke on lap 215. On September 8, 1951 Frank raced the Central city Speedway in Macon, Georgia."

See the full Studebaker Racing website.

1950 Studebaker Commander - Cuba

Many of America's classic cars have found a second life in Cuba. While complete restoration is not typical, you'll find 1950s icons roaming the streets and alleys of Havana.

The Studebaker Commander below is in terrible shape, but there's a 1950 Chevy convertible that looks mighty fine; see the June 29th blog post.

See a 1950 Studebaker Commander at Cuban Car Lovers.

Studebaker Brothers Company - 800 L Street - Sacramento - CA

Below is a photograph of the Studebaker Brothers Company of California building, once located at 800 L Street, Sacramento, CA.

Image title: Studebaker Bros.
Creator: McCurry
Year: ca. 1912

View the full-size image of the Studebaker Brothers Company of California building.

Jay Leno's Garage - 1950 Studebaker Champion

It’s a documented fact that I have an unhealthy obsession with our Studebaker. And aside from the joy that the car has brought my Dad and me, "Doc" has introduced me to a bunch of really fine people. It’s been great fun to connect with, trade information with, and help out (and be helped by) other Studebaker owners.

I was really pleased to see this post about “Doc” on Jay Leno’s website. Thanks to “Daymo Johnnie” for the post.

"There was a time when I thought not too much of cars like this but now, in the gray and saggy years, they look pretty good and take me back to what my dad used to put me into to go places in. I like to see good restorations and appropriate custom hot rods done from them and this restoration looks first class and gets a really deep nod. My dad has moved on but while yours is still here, get into that beauty, cruise out for a brew or burger and keep on being buddies through the car and in other ways. Thanks for the look-see at your gem and we’ll see you down at Clancy’s."

See our page on Jay Leno's website.

Studebaker Suicide Knob - Brody Knob - Brodie Knob

I'm not sure that I'll ever use a Brody Knob, also known as a "Suicide Knob" and alternately spelled "Brodie," but they look so damn cool.

A bit of history on Brodie Knobs:

"Brodie Knobs were widely popularized, especially on the West Coast of the U.S., during the 1950s. The knob was used to spin the steering wheel, rapidly in one direction or the other, while accelerating, to cause the tire(s) to spin. Hence, come the terms "lay a brodie" and "Slob the knob". In the 1950s and '60s a person could choose from a large variety of "Brodie Knobs", with every conceivable theme, from "Candy Apple colored", "Product Logos", to "nude women," and everything in between, some automobile dealerships even used them for advertisements. They were very useful during a period of auto manufacturing, when power steering was truly a luxury." Source: Wikipedia

See a selection of Studebaker Brody Suicide Knobs here.

Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station - 1955 Studebaker Champion

Here's a great article and even better photographs from the Racine, Wisconsin Journal Times about Frank Lloyd Wright's Gas Station design.

"The service station features a dramatic thirty-foot cantilevered, copper-covered canopy that projects north past the second floor lounge, or waiting room, and the bathrooms that are over the office. The lounge is glass-enclosed on three sides. There are skylights in the garage. Building codes precluded Wright from adding the overhead gas lines featured in his original concept. Wright had wanted motorists to be able to drive without having to navigate around conventional fuel pumps."

Read the full article on the Racine, Wisconsin Journal Times.

































photographs © Mark Hertzberg