One of the motivators for our buying Doc (the Studebaker Champion) was my daughter's love of the movie Cars. We'll always have a soft spot for the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and for Paul Newman's portrayal of Doc Hudson.
The New York Times published a light article discussing which type of car Don Draper's character on Mad Men would buy. Here are some excerpts and a link to the article.
"Among the other comments, there were many excellent suggestions for potential Drapermobiles: Thunderbird, Studebaker Avanti (though I doubt that Don would tie himself to a clear commercial loser) and even the Facel Vega, thanks to its associations with existentialist Albert Camus. (He died in one, and what is more existential than that?)"
"I was intrigued by the suggestion of a Studebaker Hawk GT, which Rob Kneen called “the quintessence of understated, but macho.”
Ray's Auto Stereo in Sacramento, CA, did a bang-up job retrofitting the Studebaker-Philco S-5130 radio.
Wolfie_53 posted more than 1,000 photographs on Photobucket from the 44th Annual Studebaker Drivers Club Meet. There are hundreds of wonderful car shots, as well as some pictures of wares being sold, e.g., Shrock Bros. collectible cars.
See the photographs here.
The 44th Annual Studebaker Drivers Club meet in Lancaster, PA, is in progress. We wish that we were in attendance. Below is a great picture from the SDC Swap Meet, posted on the SDC Forum.
View the SDC Lancaster Meet website here.
The 2009 Studebaker Pacific Southwest Zone Meet is sponsored by the Karel Staple Chapter of the SDC and will be held at the McClellen Air Force Base in Sacramento, CA. Click on the flyer below for more information.
Or, visit the Karel Staple SDC chapter website here.
Here's a quick list of upcoming Studebaker Car Shows and Swap Meets:
September 14-20, 2008 - 44th SDC Meet in Lancaster, PA. Information: 763-420-7829.
October 5, 2008 - Beachwood 2008, Beachwood, NJ. Garden State Chapter. Information: 732-240-6758.
November 7th & 8th, 2008 - Reedsville 2008, Reedsville, PA. Manhattan Chapter Studebaker Drivers Club. Information: 717-513-8251.
November 8, 2008 - The Beach Cities - Inland Empire Chapter Old World Village Studebaker Car Show. Information: 949-492-8393.
Here are the specifications for our Studebaker Champion DeLuxe 4-Door 9G sedan:
Model:
W3 - DeLuxe 4-door
$1,597 retail cost
46,027 produced
General:
Weight: 2,755 lbs
Wheelbase (inches): 113
Overall Length (inches): 197.25
Front Tread (inches): 56.4
Rear Tread (inches): 54
Fuel Tank (gallons): 18
Cooling System (quart): 10; 11.5 with Climatizer
Construction Layout: Front Engine, Rear-wheel Drive
Type: Body on Frame
Body Material: Steel
Powertrain:
Type: Inline L-head 6-cylinder
Material: Cast-iron Block and Heads
Bore and Stroke: 3.00 x 4.00
Displacement (cubic inches): 169.6
Horsepower (@ rpm): 85@ 4,000
Torque: (lbs-ft @ rpm): 138 @ 2,400
Compression Ratio: 7.0:1 (standard); 7.5:1 (optional)
Main Bearings: 4
Carburetor: 1-bbl Carter
Valve Lifters: Mechanical
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual, Synchromesh on 2nd and 3rd Gears, Column-mounted Shifter
Crankcase (qt): 5, 6 with Oil Filter
Electrical System: 6-Volt, Positive Ground
Suspension, Brakes, Tires and Wheels:
Front: Independent coil spring and wishbone
Rear: Solid Axle; Semi-elliptic Leaf Springs
Shock Absorbers: Tubular
Brake Type: 4-wheel Hydraulic, Cast-iron Drums
Tire Size: 6.40 x 15
Wheels: Steel Disc
"Studebaker Building (1920), Bedford Avenue and Sterling Place. Now an apartment building, the terra-cotta structure was designed by Tooker & Marsh. There is still a Studebaker sign outside." Source: New York Times
The image comes from a little Google Maps detective work. You can (barely) see the Studebaker logo at the top of the building.
From the NY Times Automobile section:
"The Packards of 1958 were simply Studebakers dolled up with some horribly contrived styling touches. In the case of the Hawk, the pretty Studebaker grille was replaced by a low, wide fiberglass intake that made the front end look like a catfish. The rear deck had an embossed fake spare tire, and the pièce de résistance was a padded leather armrest on the outside of the door, exposed to the elements."
And I ask, "Isn't being a Studebaker remarkable enough?" ;)
See the full article about the 1958 Packard Hawk at NY Times.com.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
Posts
All Comments
