Our project begins on Friday August 1, 2003. The three of us head out to above Allentown, PA, where the Studebaker is located. We arrived at my grandmother's house where the car has been sitting in the garage for the last 17 years. After we were situated, Brad L. was the first to dig in and get started on the project by first changing the tires.
Brad Hard At Work
This is the terribly dry rotted tire from the left front of the car.
This must have been the original spare tire that was still bolted in the trunk. We replaced the front tire pictured above with this spare from the trunk. There were two other tires in the trunk also, which one of those two were usable. After we get the stud running, it will get new tires all the way around. White walls out!
Our other team member, Scott, is ready to lend a hand. Did I mention we had plenty of soda?
Some more pictures of the inside of the car. Underneath the dirt lies a "like new" interior.
The 283 cu. in. engine with the air cleaner and hood removed and new fuel filter and battery installed. We had to remove the hood as a result of the car not budging from the spot it was parked in nearly a score ago.
After the tires were changed, we still could not move the car. We believe that the brakes are rusted fast to the drums, disallowing the car to be moved by hand... heh heh heh... We had to inspect the electrical system, due to a stupid mistake by myself, and make sure there were no melted or burnt wires anywhere in the car. We changed the oil, which was remarkably good for being in the engine for the last 17 years. No chunks or pasty oil came out. 4 quarts of smooth oil, so that was a big plus. We were not going to use the old gas in the tank, so we used a soda can and some plastic hose to deliver the fuel to the engine when we plan to start it up. After we got the makeshift gas can in place and poured water in the radiator, it was time to hook up the battery. After we hooked it up, no burning or smoke appeared, so we figured every thing was alright and that gave a big sigh of relief. Now, it was the big moment. Will it start? I sat down in the car with the key ready. Scott stood ready with the fire extinguisher. Brad was ready with a cup of clean new gas. I turned the key and the engine actually turned over. A very healthy crank came from the 283 V-8 GM engine, but no fire. We could not get any spark from the car. By this time it was 9:30 PM, and we still had our 2 hour ride back into the Harrisburg area, so we decided to call it a night. We left with a feeling of progress behind us. Our group plans to head back up state with yet another team member, John, and we will plan to get the Studebaker running! Our next trip we will plan to drop the fuel tank and clean it up, replace the points condenser, wires, and plugs, and hopefully back the car out of the garage. Until next time, keep a heads up for more pictures and news on this Studebaker documentary.