Hello everyone!

[Jaybokay]

Well, as it says in the title, I'm a brand-spanking new member of this forum! Let me tell you, I'm rather excited to be here, as I think this to be a very worthwhile group. Let me tell you a bit about myself first. 

 

I am 19 years of age and my first car is a 1962 Studebaker GT Hawk that I've had for a couple of years now. 

 

When I was a young lad of seven,  I had my earliest and one of my most vivid memories of a car and all that they really meant. It was an Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. III dressed in red with a stunning camel tan and burled walnut interior. The throaty rasp of the 3.0 liter Austin straight six kept itself at a full baritone and was truly glorious. The four speed manual gearbox was also sweet as pecan pie. Needless to say, I was a full convert over to Automobilia! From that point forward, I patiently saved up my money for a full seven years working odd jobs and doing well at school, anxious for the day when I could finally declare to the world that I had wheels all my own. While I did consider imports and Big Three-mobiles alike, I came to the conclusion that an Independent would be more my taste.

While I believe that you all at the AACA likely know what the Independent moniker means, plenty of people don't. It is in reference to those American car companies that both survived WWII and were not connected with the Big Three in any way. Nash, Hudson, (later) AMC, Packard, Studebaker, Kaiser, Willys, and Crosley all are a part of it. I chose Studebaker out of all these because I was captivated by their history as well as the refreshingly different styling of their cars.
 

Now for the engine. The Studebaker 289 cu. (or 4.7 liters, which isn't actually that big by American standards) V8 is a marvel of engineering that dates all the way back to 1951. The Ford 289 cu. V8, which mine often gets mistaken for because people are ignorant, weighs 450 pounds with all accessories. Meanwhile, the Stude unit weighs closer to 700 pounds. This gives the engine ungodly reliability, and even a fair bit of power potential too. In R2 and R3 trim, this lump could generate up to 450 hp. to the rear wheels. Mine is a basic one with a Carter 4-venturi (barrel) carburetor that I have not set on a dyno yet. If I had to make a guess, though, it would probably deliver 200 hp. to the pavement and I am fine with that. Daisy-Mae here is a cruiser, to be dignified and enjoy life in, not to race around.

 

I have been a Scout for 10 years now, culminating in the rank of Eagle Scout. I've since used those skills to better my community as well as promote my Studebaker some (as I believe it to be a worthwhile thing to do).  with a lot more planned   It was featured in:

•  The Wall Street Journal on July 3, 2019 and again on December 30.
• The December 2019 edition of “Classic and Sports Car” - a very notable UK based enthusiast publication
• Several YouTube videos within the past year, most notably on Scotty Kilmer’s channel
• The 2020 Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance as a part of the "30 under 30 group"

 

Anyway, I'm excited to be here and look forward to participating in it more. Hello I suppose!

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Jaybokay (see edit history)

[r1lark]

Hi Jake, welcome to the Stude part of the AACA forum. Good to have you here. I have learned some things about the really old Studes here; not much discussion about prewars on the SDC forum. I don't post too often, since I don't have experience with the prewar Studes.

Again, welcome!