Rust Treated and Floor Painted

We removed and treated the rust and painted the entire floorboard. Here's the shiny results.

Next up: treat, prepare, prime and paint the doors, dash, and seat frame.

The 1954 3R Studebaker Truck Restoration Begins

My Dad and I are set to begin the truck restoration. Our goal is to stop the rust and to restore the truck to a solid daily driver condition.

The Quest to Keep Studebaker Alive in Payson, Arizona

Such a cool article. I'm headed out to buy the hard copy version!

"I have a phrase, ‘You can drive a Studebaker forever.’ My lifelong ambition is proving that’s true."

"During his 31-year career as a jet- and industrial-turbine repairman, Ken Michael started collecting, driving, and restoring Studebakers as a hobby.

Michael fell hard for the styling of the Raymond Loewy–designed Studebaker Starlight coupe he bought in 1959, as well as the six other Studebakers in his collection. After retiring in 2002, he expected to split his time between fishing and restoring his cars. But people with Studebakers started calling him to fix their cars. The Studebaker needy kept piling up; last summer, Michael hired two technicians to help him with the seven customer cars he’s restoring. For each job he takes, he has to turn down two. We visited his shop in Payson, Arizona, to find the secret of his prosperity."

Click here to read the full article and to see the photos on Car and Driver's website.

Studebaker Parts - Classic Enterprises - Loga Enterprises

Classic Enterprises and Ernie Loga in one article at the Journal Sentinel website!

"Classic Enterprises employs 3.5 workers who stay busy stamping out floor panels, tailgates, rocker panels, body supports, door skins and spare tire wheel wells among many other parts that gear heads need to turn their rusty old Studebaker into a sweet ride."

"Studebaker owners are a breed of their own, said Ernie Loga, 63, of Eau Claire. Most don't own just one. In fact, Loga, who operates a firm that makes interior Studebaker parts, figures the 45 members in the Badger Wheel Studebaker chapter in northwestern Wisconsin could put together a car show of 100 vehicles. Loga should know - he owns nine restored Studebakers plus another three waiting for tender, loving care."

Links:
Read the full article here.
Visit Classic Enterprises.
Visit Loga Enterprises.

Studebaker Seen on American Pickers - Restoration

A great little article about the Studebaker Champion featured on the TV show "American Pickers", and how the car will get a 'rodded restoration' by Holler's Hot Rods in Independence.

See the full article on Examiner.net.

Studebaker Fire Truck - Restored

A great story about a Studebaker's homecoming.

"Thirty years after making its last big public appearance at the Spirit of the Sea Festival, the White Rock fire department’s 1925 Studebaker is coming home. The antique fire truck is to arrive at the city’s fire hall Sept. 26, after being handed over by the volunteers who have spent the last four years helping to restore it."

Read the full article here.

1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser - Mantua Man Buys 'Interim Car'

Why have just one great Studebaker?

"Bill Jones, an officer and editor of the South Jersey Studebaker club’s slick newsletter, couldn’t wait for his 1962 Studebaker Lark Daytona to get fully restored and show-ready. So, seven months ago, he bought a fine example of a ’48 Land Cruiser (top-of-the-line above the Champion and Commander) while he waited."

Read the full story here,

1941 Studebaker Commander

I've recently met people that are in-process with five or 10 year restoration projects. Here's a fun on to watch:

"I bought this car off Ebay back in 2005 for about $430. Spent another $600 to get it home from Vermont. 6 hour drive up there, about 14 hours back because we hit a snow storm! Once I got it home I parked it in the garage as seen in these pics, and that is where it has been sitting for the past few years.

It is a 1941 Studebaker Commander 4 door. It has been subframed with a 1969 Chevy Nova front end. With the Nova front end, it has a Chevy Straight 6 engine with 4 speed on the floor, as well as self adjusting front drums."

See Phil's 1941 Studebaker Commander website.

New Exterior Pictures - Studebaker Champion

Here are a few exterior shots that also show the interior work on our Studebaker Champion.

To see shots of the full exterior, see Studebaker Champion photographs.

1950 Studebaker Truck Restoration

There is a nice restoration of a 1950 Studebaker truck on the Route 66 Restoration website. Quote:

"This truck fell victim to some neglected and aged wiring within the distributor which left things a bit crispy. We re-wired the ignition system, tweaked a few things and the owner was back on the road enjoying his rare and eye-catching truck that turns heads wherever it goes."

See the full article on Route 66 Restorations' website.

Studebaker Champion - Fender Welt

We plan to replace the fender welt on the Champion when the weather warms up a bit. There's a good thread on the SDC forum about this topic.

For those unfamiliar with fender welt, it's the paintable rubber found between the rear fenders and the car body on a Studebaker Champion.

When dealing with a paint job like ours (where the existing welt was painted over), it's critical that we score the seam between the fender and car body before unbolting the two; we don't want to crack the paint.

Read the article about fender welt replacement here.

Studebaker Champion - Trunk Restoration - Mat

After scraping, sanding, vacuuming and a few coats of Rustoleum, our Studebaker trunk is good as new. I even picked up a trunk mat from StudebakerParts.com.

Two notes:

1. The black box in the trunk is a large 12-volt motorcycle battery that we use to power the radio/MP3 amp and speaker (hidden behind the original radio faceplate).

2. The plastic-coated cables that are attached to the trunk hinges are the connectors for the LATCH/three-point harnesses used on modern-day car seats. Studebaker drives are far more fun with the kids safely in tow.

Studebaker Champion Restoration - Interior

Yesterday, we began the restoration of our Studebaker Champion's interior in earnest. We scraped, wire brushed, and applied Rustoleum to areas that had trace amounts of surface-level rust, and areas where we expect moisture to occur/settle.

Below are a few pictures on the floorboards and ceiling. Next steps, rubber, jute padding and carpet.

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 Headliner Installation

As with any project, there are many roads to completion. Below is a link to a great Studebaker Drivers Club Forum thread about installing a new headliner. There are some good techniques and products noted for this tricky task.

View this conversation about headliner installation on the Studebaker Drivers Club Forum.

1951 Studebaker Champion Business Coupe Restoration

I stumbled upon a well-documented restoration of a 1951 Studebaker Champion Business Coupe. This article is a great reference from those doing a frame-off or in-situ/frame-on restoration. The restorer/owner did a great job of providing plenty of pictures; simply click on each section in the article to view the images.

Details:
1951 Champion Business Coupe
Model: 10G-Q4 #1219 of 2429 Vin: G1050198

"The roof area was covered with an aluminized bubble wrap like material with about 1/4" thickness. This was glued to the roof with 3M 777 Spray Adhesive. For the headliner fabric, I went with a cool grey vinyl instead of cloth. It will last longer and be easier to clean than a fabric."

Click here to see the final Studebaker restoration.

Click here to read the full article.

1963 Studebaker Lark Standard - Blog

I found a kindred spirit in Clark Novak. His writing and photographs documenting the restoration of his 1963 Studebaker Lark Standard strike a chord with my efforts to restore our '50 Champion.

Visit Clark's Studeblogger Blog.