RO

True, although it is difficult to think of Olds as an orphan car.

Dave, the front of the building is on Dr. Hicks Blvd. but the photo was taken of the back of the building that faces Alabama Street, although the back of the building is set back off Alabama Street maybe 50 yards. The back of the building can easily be seen from the south of the courthouse.

Can't say, but probably not since all indications outside it is just made up various office suites. This building and another Hudson dealer east 40 miles in Athens which was rumored to have parts or at least signs apparently had already been picked over years ago. This particualr S-P dealer may have moved its operations from Florence, Al up the road to Lawrenceburg, Tn., which just a couple years ago all the parts and leftovers from that dealership were auctioned off over a two-day event. I went to that auction the first day, but there was no organization to the parts, just auctioned off a box or a table at time. I found nothing worth bidding on other than some NOS Studebaker sill plates we bought. Nothing '55-56 as I recall and for other parts, you'd have to know them or had a parts manual with you.

Barnett Motors Studebaker Packard Sales Service

Found this old building over at Florence, Al a couple blocks from the Tennessee River.

Refreshing to bring forward.

Refreshing to bring forward.

Have obtained all caps, rotors, condensers, points, distributor leads, etc. from CarQuest. I believe these are listed on the "living thread" parts interchangeability Keith started for us way back when. Should be able to do a search to find them. Between CarQuest and NAPA I have bene able to find all these parts, usually in stock.

Have not yet tried to remove the MC cover plate but since the car did start braking as I got back home yesterday, I took it for a short excursion this afternoon amongst the nearby hills w/o traffic to worry about and applied the brakes probably 3 or 4 dozen times at various speeds and had no problem whatsoever. Whatever happened or stuck must have unstuck, but I will carefully monitor it and perform the tests you described if I have the problem again and hopefully I will not. Possibly could some how or another been heat related as we have had temperatures 100-102 for 7-10 days and the car was inside a metal building garage where the temperature has reached 106-108. The fan/ventilators I ordered were too big, so I had to go back and reorder smaller vents and fans.

Yeah, it's a bit tight down in there. I couldn't see enough with just the plug removed, so will have to try and get the top off which is via 6 screws. I'll concentrate on that area.

OK, I know what you are describing. Perhaps when I checked the MC fluid a couple days ago and added some, some trash or something go into the reservoir. Actually I lost the gasket and had to find another as a replacement. But, even deep accessed as it is, I beleive I can still view that compensator valve with the plug removed and will take a look tomorrow afternoon.

That vacuum check valve is behind the carburetor where the vacuum source is? I saw one of those on ebay recently but it did not appear to look like mine.

sticky valve seems like a plausible cause because the brake are good now. Test run later in the week because I have another 140 mile round trip planned for next weekend. The car has not been driven that much this year, but never more than 6 weeks inbetween and then it's usually a pretty good distance.

Pedal was down to the floorboard; I had essentially nothing. T/V was rebuilt by very reputable rebuilder less than two years and 1500 miles ago. I was quite surprised with no mechanical backup.

Hey, read my lightning story as well!

Haven't tried that "yet."

Not a bad idea......we have said previously the car was possesed.

Thought we had all the demons purged out of the car, but today when I went to drive the '56 Clipper Custom, I had NO brakes. No typical vacuum sound could be heard when I pressed the pedal and I had virtually no mechanical backup. Treadlevac unit, MC full, all that stuff and no problems even hinted out before (remember, this car was just restored and has less than 1500 miles on it from that time). But this is a NEW SCENARIO because after driving the car for less than 1/2 mile on three turns with hills where no brakes were evident at all, when I returned back to the house and hit the pedal, it was completely back to normal with the pedal sound and excellent brakes. ??? I am not used to brakes fixing themselves. Any ideas?

Don't think the roof is metal, but metal construction around. The lightning hits were too close for comfort. Thing is the plug wires have been seated in there for 1500 miles and the car drove great to the event and then the shaking of the car was immediately upon starting up and comings back. We do not have a handle on when that piece of molding was lost, but it as well had been on the car since it was restored...it's the long piece across the top of the windshield essentially held on by the two clips on each side that are dilled through the rubber. The design should have included a middle clip. Just some sort of shock or vibration or close by strike effect is all I can come up with. Headed out in just a few moments with the car for the first time since that trip on the next day from the lightning. Pretty bizarre.

Only rationale explanation I can come up with: A few weeks ago we took three cars to the local botanical gardens to support a 50th reunuion for a local high school. My wife drove the '56 Clipper Custom and she said it drove well. While we were under the pavilion, a tremendous thunderstorm erupted with lightning strikes right on top of us. The lightning persisted for almost 1/2 hour and the strikes were very close. The hood was down the entire time. When my wife drove the car home, she said it shook violently and she didn't think she would make it home. She said it ran terrible. I was not behind her as she was headed home and I was headed elsewhere at the time. I didn't think to0o much about it until the next day. Next day I pull the car out of the garage and head up the hill and sure enough, car is running poorly. I thought it was just the carburetor perhaps and it would smooth out so we headed down the road for a 55 mile trip to a car event. But I had to stop a mile down the road and I found 2 plug wires loose and one completely off at the distributor cap. Thought it peculiar, but reseated the wires and went on the trip. But one or two of the wires loosened at the trips end and again one mnore time and when we got hom, one wire was barely in the distributor cap. The only explanation I can come up with is the lightning hit very very close to the car and shook the plug wires off. We also are missing the piece of upper stainless across the windshield and had to get a spare off theb parts car. Anyone ever have a close lightning strike to effect the plug wires?

Nice photo of you guys!

Tough one. You might try Studebaker International http://www.studebaker-intl.com/. While their catalog does not list one, the catalog did not list '55 but they just got a fresh supply in awhile back of those. Next perhaps Stephen Allen in Gainesville, Fl. or SASCO in Indiana. You can find all these vendors at http://www.stude.com/

You might try John Ulrich on the west coast; he advertises in the Packard Club newsletters.

That is the correct brake light switch for the 1955 and 1956 Packards equipped with the Torsion Level Suspension only. The third terminal was designed into the system for the purpose of preventing compensator operation during brake application. I cannot say for other than the '55 Studebaker with anti-creep hillholder mechanism which mine has the standard two-terminal brake light switch.

It appears to be some sort of Battery Switch.