Current projects

• Between the oil slick on the garage floor and the blue haze coming out the tailpipe, I just can't take it anymore. The time has come to get into the engine and see what is going on. It seems like the goal of old car owners it to keep the parts houses in business so I am doing my part.... or is that buying my parts. The pictures of the engine rebuild are here.
• What a difference a weekend can make! The new carpet is installed and everything looks so nice and fresh inside (pic).
• Currently working on the floorboard rust killing. I didn't realize that it was as bad as it was until I pulled up the front floormat to run some speaker wires. At one time the seal around the R-H wiper shaft had been leeking and the water ran down the firewall and under the mat keeping the padding nice and wet. Thanks to POR 15 things are about finished. Some new carpet will be going in soon and things will look much better! (before/after the POR pic)
• Well while I have been pretty slow on keeping this page updated but the same can't be said for the work on the car. The hood and tops of the front fenders were taken down to pare metal and painted. (pic).
• Took the car to it's first show! Didn't win anything but didn't expect to so no big deal there. Out of the over 500 cars there... only three Studebakers. The "Mom and Pop Car" is get lots of attention and we had a great time. That's what it's all about. Picture here.
• The time has come for touch-up painting and stopping some small rust spots before they get carried away. Paint peeling in the rain gutters and little ouch spots where the trim has rubbed through the paint and is rusting. The handy Ricoh captures the fun in progress.
• Pictures of the current underhood project. Now doesn't that look better? Does anybody know where and how the bag for the windshield washer mounted on one of these critters? I can't find an picture that shows it anywhere.
• Those hoses for the heater are a real joy to replace. Oh well... All the hoses, the antifreze and fan belt are now new. Guess I'll go back to rust killing and touch up painting under the hood.
• Looks like it's time to buy stock in an anti freeze and hose company.
• I've been on a rust killing mission lately. At one time the voltage regulator had stuck an boiled the battery. Pulled everything off the inner fender and sanded, cleaned and repainted that.
• The O.D. was an easy one. The flexible part of the cable had slipped out of the ridged section that goes through the mounting bracket. Pushing the T-handle in and out made it look like all was working but really the housing and all was sliding.
• Getting to where I trust the car more all the time. Took it out and got up to 55 mph! Now I can try to figure out why the overdrive isn't working.
• Knowing that being able to stop is a good thing I decided to look into the problem of so much travel in the brake peddle. It seems that there was so much crap in the master cyl that piston wasn't getting all the way back to the return position to refill. So much for the 43 year old master cyl.. There is now a new one on the car. Nothing like digging through 43 years of "stuff" to get the old one off. BTW... my local NAPA parts store had the cyl. in stock!
• The water pump is in and it's running again! Even took it out for a spin. Working on the cleanup and such. I think the exhaust system is next on the list or things to replace.
• Found a generator and put on. The water pump is on it's way! It should be up and running again by the weekend. Now we get to start with the cleaning projects among other things.
• Turn on key and put in reverse... no backup lights. Opps... the backup lights don't need the key on. The lights have to be on! A new one on me. Not broken... not fixed!
• Look Mom... no brake lights. Found the switch to be bad. Local parts house actually had a switch!! Done 8/4/99
• Hmmmm.. waterpump seal is leaking. Do you happen to have a rebuilt pump for a 6 cyl laying around?
• Figure out why generator isn't genning. Regulator had been replaced but was not hooked up. Got it all hooked up but still not charging. Grounded the field wire and that still didn't get it. Next step... tear down gen and look for stuck or worn brushes.
• Replace battery and - cable... Done 8/4/99
• Washed and cherry juice removed... Done 8/2/99