Jaybokay

It is with some regret that I'm listing Daisy-Mae, that wonderfully green 1962 Hawk of mine, up for sale on eBay motors. It's been five years of fun and I've met some great people and things along the way, but now it's time for me to move on. I'm doing this so that I don't end up like one of those old men with a rusted hulk saying "I'll restore her one of these days" forty years down the line. It's painful but I have to do it. That said, this isn't goodbye from Studebakerdom or the old car hobby at large. Now that things have finally cooled down a little, I can spend a bit more time here. Hopefully that will make up for the months of lurking. All other relevant information is in the listing itself. Link for it is here. https://www.ebay.com/itm/284878703369

Well, myself and three other lads stripped down a bit of British Leyland's finest for rebuilding. It was done in the sketchiest manner possible, but details galore! This 1978 MGB is a part of the creative shop here at Berry College. My boss bought it as part of a two-for-one package from a guy in Arkansas. It was a classic case of his wife was nagging him to get rid of it, so he got both for the princely sum of $200. It's filled with fiberglass, pop-rivets, and hornets, so you know it's quality! The "good" one was somewhat restored to stock while this one is going to be electrically driven via a dynamo. I got to do A LOT of maths for that. There were some harrowing moments. For instance, the engine lift was busted so we had to lift that 1.8 liter B-series lump MANUALLY! Do as we say not as we do, yeah? We plan to build a BBQ in the trunk as well. Impracticality is what we do best! As for the B-series, my plan is to build a pine box racer body around it. 1930s style. Whether you wish me luck or curse me for my idiocy, have at it!

Howdy everyone! Out of boredom, and because one of my areas of interest is vexillology, I decided to make a Studebaker flag. I put a good deal of effort into its design, with every detail having meaning, so here's the full list behind it. - Red, white, and blue colors = the American nationality of the Studebaker Corp. and most of its admirers. - Border = the edges of the Earth, the foreign lands where Studebaker has had an impact. - Saltire = Studebaker's far-reaching influence. - Diamond = reference to baseball, which both helped to build up America and was hugely supported by the Studebaker family. - Iron Cross (x2) = German ancestry of the original Studebakers. One cross is for J. M. Studebaker and the other is for Clement Studebaker, the two most important members in my view. - Lazy S = most prominent logo of the Corp. proper. Enjoy!

The Renault Caravelle? You mean that very cute French roadster that the Tesla Model 3 stole its front clip from? Fantastic stuff! I believe it was sold as the "Floride" in its home market.

Excellent choice with the SM. A beautiful blending of Citroen and Maserati that turned out to be quite good. Too bad that it's still not as appreciated as the earlier DS. Also, I quite like the pre-war Peugeot 202. Streamlining at its best!

Most Facel-Vegas, including the Excellence, were built in Paris using Chrysler 331 cu. (5.4 L) V8s. While other Facels tend to command prices around $400,000, the Excellence will only cost you about half that at the most because it's a four-door sedan. Not like I care though. However, a small handful (under 50 units) are in the States.

Interesting stuff, to be sure, but I doubt it will end well for Tesla. It's position was already fairly weakened before this whole Covid thing started on account of concerns about build quality and problems with the Gigaplant. Keep in mind that I don't hate Tesla. I'd never own one of their vehicles, but I don't actively hate them.

Well, with all of this grim news out an about, I figured that we could use a light-hearted question to just shoot the breeze. Answer honestly and openly, if you please. For me, it would have to be a Facel-Vega Excellence. My dad told me stories about how these Parisian sculptures used to dot the area around his parent's house in Palm Beach when he was a child and I was captivated more effectively than one of Anouk Aimee's performances. I would love to drive one if only to get it out of my system.

Well thank you kindly! Do tell about that Studebaker. What trim level is it (Champion, Commander, President)? Is it in good shape? Do you have photographs? Inquiring minds want to know!

No witty caption for this one. Just take it in.

Well, this is an article from "TheThings". It is normally a tabloid-esque site like so many others, talking about celebrities and reality TV like we care about it, but it occasionally does good. It is titled "15 Classiest Car Interiors from the 1960s." I am pleased to report that both the Avanti and the GT Hawk made it at 9th and 6th place respectively. Here's the link: https://www.thethings.com/classiest-car-interiors-from-the-60s/?fbclid=IwAR1LhVDWzGj-YW-9CzbHXNlvhFsbKNkZ1mBMInbLB5Y6sXTJbde7ThvjIEY

To quote a certain song used in a very popular film that's from the same year as Daisy-Mae here: "Underneath the mango tree...me honey and me..." In any case, I've had about as good of a time as can be expected given the circumstances. A car show would be nice, but that's gone to pot. How're ya'll doing? Good? Bad? Milquetoast?

I've been helping my mom's business out as a courier using my own car, and I went ahead and gave a homeless man some badly needed PPE on Clematis Street. It felt great to help in my own small way. Even if you don't have a Studebaker, you can join in too by just doing small things that would improve other people's lives in a big way. We need it now more than ever.

I have been wondering about these beauties that are even further back beyond my time than Daisy-Mae is. After researching a few models, I came to the distinct and singular conclusion of...wowzers! If I thought Daisy was from another planet, these things might as well be from another universe from my perspective. It's just wonderful. Until I looked at the prices... Being in college doesn't exactly give me a lot of finances, but it does give me a lot of time. So, in your view, which is the best pre-war Stude sedan that I should focus on? I'm completely open at this point. Here's an image of what I consider to be a pretty sweet example: the 1935 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser. Quite a few Pierce-Arrow design cues I feel are in this example and it doesn't detract from the whole package one bit. At $1,200 when new ($22,457.43 today), it certainly was more attainable than any Pierce-Arrow that's for sure!

I have been wondering about these beauties that are even further back beyond my time than Daisy-Mae is. After researching a few models, I came to the distinct and singular conclusion of...wowzers! If I thought Daisy was from another planet, these things might as well be from another universe from my perspective. It's just wonderful. Until I looked at the prices... Being in college doesn't exactly give me a lot of finances, but it does give me a lot of time. So, in your view, which is the best pre-war Stude sedan that I should focus on? I'm completely open at this point. Here's an image of what I consider to be a pretty sweet example: the 1935 Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser. Quite a few Pierce-Arrow design cues I feel are in this example and it doesn't detract from the whole package one bit. At $1,200 when new ($22,457.43 today), it certainly was more attainable than any Pierce-Arrow that's for sure!

Thank you kindly for the thoughtful comment! I always thought that Studebakers in general are grossly underappreciated, as I believe it to be the most important automaker in American history. However, when you say that the forum is pre-war oriented, what should I do about it? Just stop posting GT Hawk content?

Well, I was out cruising yesterday when a guy named Neil (about my age) got REALLY excited about my GT Hawk. So I decided to do the cool and right thing and give him a ride around the block. He was floored, thought it was just about the best car he'd ever seen. He's not really a car guy now (more of a musician), but I was there once too, so I figured to let him in the group. He wanted to know more about Studes, so I had him give me his email address whereupon I sent him a good deal of information about the Lark (which to be honest is probably the best Stude for a complete newbie, hence why I chose that one). Its reprinted below. This is exciting! EMAIL:Hey-a Mac!It's me Jake, otherwise known as that guy with the sick Studebaker. You requested that I fill you in on the Lark, so I'll do so.The Lark was Studebaker's compact car introduced for the 1959 model year. It was made by basically taking a saws-all to the front and rear of a 1958 Champion sedan and designing around the center section. It was powered by either a 170 cu. inline six, a 259 cu V8, or a 289 cu. V8 (same as in my GT Hawk). With its simple grille, minimal and tasteful use of chrome and clean lines, the Lark "flew" in the face of most of the established "longer, lower and wider" styling norms fostered by Detroit's "Big Three" automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler). It was made from 1959-1966, with three different styling generations emerging. Bodystyles were hardtop coupe, four-door sedan, two-door sedan, convertible (RARE), and station wagon. This, combined with the over 200,000 cars made, makes the Lark the ideal choice for a new Studebaker guy such as yourself.1959-1961: "The Shoebox", the classic design as envisioned by chief engineer Harold Churchill. 1959 2-door sedan pictured below.1962-1963: "The Faux Mercedes". As the Studebaker Corp. was the licensed distributor of all Mercedes-Benz products in the U.S. for a good while, they tried to cash on that association. 1963 four-door sedan shown below.1964-1966: "The Wedge": This generation comes from when Studebaker was really desperate for sales, thus they really tried to modernize the platform. Note that a lot of these (65-66) were made with either the Chevrolet 235 cu. inline-six or the 283 cu. V8. 1966 station wagon shown below.Parts for these are fairly easy to come by from a number of Internet sources and values remain low. Budget between $5-10,000 for a solid daily-driver. Craigslist and Ebay is your friend here.Also see the Studebaker Driver's Club. They are a great resource and are only too happy to have new members.Forum link here: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/Well, that should be enough of an intro for you. Good luck!-- Jake K.

Well, I was out cruising yesterday when a guy named Neil (about my age) got REALLY excited about my GT Hawk. So I decided to do the cool and right thing and give him a ride around the block. He was floored, thought it was just about the best car he'd ever seen. He's not really a car guy now (more of a musician), but I was there once too, so I figured to let him in the group. He wanted to know more about Studes, so I had him give me his email address whereupon I sent him a good deal of information about the Lark (which to be honest is probably the best Stude for a complete newbie, hence why I chose that one). Its reprinted below. This is exciting! EMAIL: Hey-a Mac! It's me Jake, otherwise known as that guy with the sick Studebaker. You requested that I fill you in on the Lark, so I'll do so. The Lark was Studebaker's compact car introduced for the 1959 model year. It was made by basically taking a saws-all to the front and rear of a 1958 Champion sedan and designing around the center section. It was powered by either a 170 cu. inline six, a 259 cu V8, or a 289 cu. V8 (same as in my GT Hawk). With its simple grille, minimal and tasteful use of chrome and clean lines, the Lark "flew" in the face of most of the established "longer, lower and wider" styling norms fostered by Detroit's "Big Three" automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler). It was made from 1959-1966, with three different styling generations emerging. Bodystyles were hardtop coupe, four-door sedan, two-door sedan, convertible (RARE), and station wagon. This, combined with the over 200,000 cars made, makes the Lark the ideal choice for a new Studebaker guy such as yourself. 1959-1961: "The Shoebox", the classic design as envisioned by chief engineer Harold Churchill. 1959 2-door sedan pictured below. 1962-1963: "The Faux Mercedes". As the Studebaker Corp. was the licensed distributor of all Mercedes-Benz products in the U.S. for a good while, they tried to cash on that association. 1963 four-door sedan shown below. 1964-1966: "The Wedge": This generation comes from when Studebaker was really desperate for sales, thus they really tried to modernize the platform. Note that a lot of these (65-66) were made with either the Chevrolet 235 cu. inline-six or the 283 cu. V8. 1966 station wagon shown below. Parts for these are fairly easy to come by from a number of Internet sources and values remain low. Budget between $5-10,000 for a solid daily-driver. Craigslist and Ebay is your friend here. Also see the Studebaker Driver's Club. They are a great resource and are only too happy to have new members. Forum link here: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/ Well, that should be enough of an intro for you. Good luck! -- Jake K.

Well, I went driving today along the north side of Palm Beach island and what do I find but the perfect spot to take a couple photos. As a bonus, I got to talk to a very friendly gardener who drove a Stude at some point in his past. Salivate over it and enjoy!

bump

Taken quite a while ago, but still plenty good! This leaky,creaky Studebaker of mine has impressed a lot of people before due to its "not-a-TriFive-Chevy-ness" as well as just being a really neat thing that it has survived this long.

This is a nice film project that I did for school (and boy howdy did I enjoy it too!) The reason why I'm including this here is because "Daisy-Mae" does make a special appearance. Considering that I had two days to make this five-minute film (not counting the intro or credits), I think I did a good job at my part. Happy watching and "Bull" Robinson thanks you! LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ZJYUPGfyM

Given how I'm currently trying to not die of boredom in quarantine, I came to recognize something both neat and nerdy about Daisy-Mae. The GT Hawk, by all accounts, really was Studebaker's Marlin. Think about it. Both of them were relatively affordable luxury grand tourers meaning that they didn't cost an absolute fortune. Both of them had production runs lasting three years (GT Hawk: 62-64, Marlin: 65-67). Both of them even had similar production numbers, with the grand total for either being roughly 15,000 units with the first year of production carrying the most as you would expect. More philosophically, both of them have become overshadowed by stablemates. For the Marlin it was the Javelin/AMX. For the GT Hawk it was the Avanti. This means that both of them have been left out in the cold, so to speak, even by self-proclaimed enthusiasts of either marque. I would also say, with some irony, that it is arguably more unique to show up in a GT Hawk or Marlin to an event than a Javelin or even an Avanti simply because those two latter cars are more recognized by the general public. This concludes today's long-winded rambling. Have a good day, all!

Given how I'm currently trying to not die of boredom in quarantine, I came to recognize something both neat and nerdy about Daisy-Mae. The GT Hawk, by all accounts, really was Studebaker's Marlin. Think about it. Both of them were relatively affordable luxury grand tourers meaning that they didn't cost an absolute fortune. Both of them had production runs lasting three years (GT Hawk: 62-64, Marlin: 65-67). Both of them even had similar production numbers, with the grand total for either being roughly 15,000 units with the first year of production carrying the most as you would expect. More philosophically, both of them have become overshadowed by stablemates. For the Marlin it was the Javelin/AMX. For the GT Hawk it was the Avanti. This means that both of them have been left out in the cold, so to speak, even by self-proclaimed enthusiasts of either marque. I would also say, with some irony, that it is arguably more unique to show up in a GT Hawk or Marlin to an event than a Javelin or even an Avanti simply because those two latter cars are more recognized by the general public. This concludes today's long-winded rambling. Have a good day, all!

Well, here's the video on Scotty Kilmer's channel that I had mentioned in my introduction-type forum post. I think it's pretty good for a first effort, so here you all go!