[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I could have swore I saw this car at Pebble Beach. It looked like

it was in perfect shape. Congratulations are in order.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

The economics you present would have saved the company while losing

the traditional customer. Of course we know what happened as a result

of catering to the traditional customer. The Studebaker frames were

stout, but designed to accommodate quite a bit less torque and about

3,600 lbs. Wheels and tires would need upgrading. Gas mileage was

Studebaker’s strong point and would be halved by using Pierce engines

and the beefing up necessary for the new product. I bought a’39 Cad

Model 61 with my newspaper money when I was 16.I promptly raced ’50’s

cars at stoplights on El Camino. I wiped out most stock cars even

though I had a slipping clutch. The car was Cad’s cheapest, lightest

(3’800 lbs.), with it’s highest horsepower engine(135 hp except model

75).That engine was quiet, fast and durable. The suspension was soft

and would dip when you applied the brakes and it did not corner well.

My ’37 Studebaker has Planar suspension (transverse sprung like a Cord

or Ford, with independent suspension)which is superior to the Cad in

comfort and handling. The ’38 President was offered with a Borg-Warner

vacuum shift(like the Cord),they named it “The Magic Hand””. Thanks for

looking into the future of the past.”

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

A serial number 7945 would indicate a late 1910 48SS. An elderly

club roster states that car 7940 has evaded dismantlers, fires, WWII

scrap drives, and other evil-dooers, as a survivor. Out of about 800

’10 Model 48SS’s built, a ’09 Roster mentioned 4 that Members owned.

Cherish what time has preserved for us, and give thanks that odd

people open their garages and wallets to insure there’s a future for

antiquities.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

David,

Now you will have to build a launch to give rides at P-A Meets! A

period captain’s cap should be your next acquisition.

T. C.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I’ve heard that the Stromberg chokes were so bad, that they didn’t

work well when they were new. They’re so inscrutable that someone

should write a country song about them!

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Considering that you could buy a 1904 Pope Toledo luxury car that

would do a mile a minute off the show room floor and race cars were

hitting in the mid-nineties during the 1911 Indy 500,it amazes me that

they waited until the thirties to engineer a cure for such a serious

inherent safety problem. I’m going to assert that the death wobble was

not a problem for new early cars with high pressure tires (55 to 75

lbs.). Wore out or out of specs is another issue. When balloon tires

were introduced in ’25, with low pressure, perhaps the dynamics

changed. I’ve never seen an early car with a shock absorber mounted

to relieve the effects of the “Wobble of Death””.”

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

The Packard body appears to be a 1913 to 1915 and the fenders are

not P-A. They look to be European.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I’ve always admired Tony and Pat’s enthusiasm for the Club and their

big hearts for the members. The Meet was held at a perfect hotel and

we saw world class attractions. I even got a side trip into Tombstone

where they have a 1906 Queen chassis that has been sitting outside for

a hundred years. My fellow tourist, John McNichol, said that when he

had seen it in the ’50’s, it had the missing radiator, transmission,

and one hubcap on it. Thanks for the memories and hats off to Ben Oakes

too.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I have an early car at a restoration shop. The owner caters to’30’s

Packard restorations. I asked him for a ball park cost of restoring

a V12 Packard engine. He came up with $50,000 to $60,000. I think

a ’35 Packard V12 Sedan restored can be obtained for $65,000 or

near about . If you bought that car and annihilated the engine you

could parts it out or use it for yard art. Rebuilding the engine

could only be justified if you were born in it. What’s the going rate

for rebuilding a Pierce V12?

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Henry Paulman must have used a 1907 30NN Great Arrow (269 cubic

inches) to obtain the decent gas mileage in the Chicago Motor Club

competitions. The 45PP and 65Q at 432 cubic inches and 648 cubic inches

respectively, wouldn’t quite come close to 20.6 MPG. 400 30NN’s were

made and they weighed 2,700 lbs. 300 45PP’s were made and they weighed

3,860 lbs. 165 65Q’s were manufactured and weighed 4,150 lbs. I believe

Pat Craig has a 1907 30NN Great Arrow with nickel plating. Early

Pierces have great road manners (who cares about brakes) and corner

well (Hartford shocks make all the difference). Once, I was topped

out at 62 MPH in my economy sized 1912 36UU when a 1909 48SS flew by

me like I had an anchor attached. 525 cubes does a lot of motivating.

The price for ’12 Pierce Arrow parts has gone up since then so I am now

on my best behavior.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

In the early days of auto manufacturing, closed cars were few and far

between. They were expensive, heavy including top heavy, and mostly

suited for slow, in city speeds. They were generally built by coach

builders that had experience from building horse carriages. Their

bodies were updated horse buggies and the names of the carriage styles

were adapted by the autos that resembled them. ” In 1921, Motor ran

an article on auto body types in order to straighten out the confusion

that still existed in terminology. As an example, the recently

developed sedan with a movable window behind the driver was called by

Brewster “double-enclosed drive”, by Lancia a “sporting limousine,”

by Cole a ” Tourisine,” by King a “limoudan,” by Packard a “Salon

Brougham,” and a “suburban” by the stock-car field”. Don’t get your

undies in a bind if you don’t have your auto body types thoroughly

defined, because they never were.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

If you want to start a “good” controversy just suggest that baby

powder is an equal to tire talc. Talc was dropped from baby powder

due to its bad effects on infants from breathing it. Corn starch

replaced it. There are other properties in baby powder that promote

minor friction and an oil, part of the scent, that may deteriorate

rubber. Of course, some claim extensive use of baby powder without

problems. So, we probably need the proper gov’t. agency to properly

set our minds at rest.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

The ’37 V12 should have been sold by the pound! They would have made

more money!

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I’m really enjoying your artistic efforts. I happen to have a 1937

Studebaker State President. My understanding is that the body is the

same as the Dictator Six( 116″ wheelbase) and that the 125″ wheelbase

of the President “8” is made up in the length of the hood. The body

is designed by Raymond Loewy, and the interior was designed by Miss

Helen Dryden as the “weaker” sex had a large say in car purchasing. The

Dictator Six won first place in California’s National Gas Economy

Classic by averaging 24.27 MPG. The President “8” was also first in its

class, averaging 20.34 MPG. The planar independent front suspension

was equipped with modern type shock absorbers and it was the first year

windshield defrosters were offered by Studebaker. Studebaker introduced

rotary door latches for safety, an industry wide first in ’37. Now if

you can figure a way to upgrade my President to a 1701 P-A (they both

came stock with overdrive), it would be appreciated.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Paul, I have a 1936 P-A 1601 and a 1937 Studebaker President Straight

8. I have been encouraging them to mate, but it looks like you’ve

beat me to it concerning the ’34 models. Good work.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

A 1926 Pierce 4 passenger touring doesn’t pop up often, and wire

wheels help the package. The horn gives the car a nautical look and

could aide in turkey and goose hunting. I think I saw one in “The

Sound of Music”” in a scene in the Alps with a goat herder’s lips

attached. Don’t make the mistake of removing this unusual

accessory. I love your car.”

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

As he’s wearing a “G” string, he’s probably been perched on a

stripped down model.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Stu,

Replacing aging fuel lines might save the use of those expensive

Halon fire extinguishers.

T.C.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

As a heads up for all of you non-Californians who want to know what

unbridled eco-terror looks like, in Sept. I went to NAPA for some

non-detergent oil. CARB had ordered them to pull their stocks off the

shelf. A trip to 3 other auto stores came up with the same result.

Slinking across the border(an old California tradition) I found empty

shelves. A search found 1200 boxes in a L.A. NAPA warehouse. I

eventually scored one. Thanks to California’s version of the EPA, we

will not have to suffer the consequences of “toxic”” non-detergent

oil.”

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Oh Happy Days! It couldn’t happen to a nicer couple. I hope you

haven’t started a fad concerning covering up certain parts of

our beloved Archer.

Tony Costa

[Author]

Posts