nornal top speed

[jeffery]

Is 50 mph the normal, comfortable, top speed for a 39 commander non overdrive ?

[ply33]

I know very little about Studebakers, other than my maternal grandfather always got one back in that era and he apparently always made up an excuse with each new car to go out in to the desert where he could "see what it would do" at wide open throttle.

"normal, comfortable, top speed" to me is an oxymoron. If it is top speed then it is pushing the limits of the design and probably is not normal or comfortable. Given that, I routinely cruise at 60 MPH in my '33 Plymouth and have touched 70 MPH (as verified by GPS) from time to time. Suspension and brakes get a bit worrysome above 60.

I'd be surprised if a six year newer car targeted to a higher market level than mine wouldn't perform at least as well.

[nvonada]

Like Ply said both normal and comfortable are relative. My 41 Champion has no overdrive and was sold in Western PA so it is geared low. It seems happy at 45 but at 55 the engine is screaming. It can probably run like that all day long but I don't like it so I don't drive it like that. I did have it up above 60 at one point but that was before my suspension rebuild and it got a bit scary.

I have heard from several people that they used to wind up these old flatheads all the time and run high speed. But my take on it is they were doing that when parts and labor were much cheaper and people expected to rebuild an engine in less than 100,000 miles. None of that is true anymore.

I have an overdrive setup in my garage and I keep thinking about putting it in. Then I could cruise at highway speeds. But of course that would do nothing for my brakes, steering, and total lack of saftey equipement. I can have just as much fun running around town at 35...

Nathan

[Gary_Ash]

If you call Jerry Kurtz in Dover, PA (York area), he can supply an overdrive transmission for your car. Then you can drive 65 in quiet and comfort. Once you shift into 3rd, just let your foot off the gas for a second, and it automatically shifts into overdrive (above 30 mph). If you install a kick-down switch on the carb linkage, it will drop out of overdrive for passing when you push the gas to the floor and go back to overdrive when you let up on the gas again. Overdrive also works in second gear above 30 mph, sometimes useful around town, almost like automatic transmission. It's much better than changing the rear end ratio.