O Scale Motor Vehicle Chronicle March 11

To see all those body styles available from a small, failing American company is depressing, in today's market where imports have to be bought to get body choices.  All of these "orphan" makes are missed.  That "Daytona" model above does not look like a Studebaker, and is one I don't remember seeing.

colorado hirailer posted:

To see all those body styles available from a small, failing American company is depressing, in today's market where imports have to be bought to get body choices.  All of these "orphan" makes are missed.  That "Daytona" model above does not look like a Studebaker, and is one I don't remember seeing.

The last Studebakers used GM of Canada McKinnon engines. They were identical to Chevrolet engines. The cars were nicknamed Chevybakers. Automatic transmission equipped models performed better than Chevys because Studebaker used the 3 speed Borg-warner units rather than the 2 speed Chevy Powerglide.

I had a ’62 Lark similar to the one illistratedwith a 289 V8. The Studebaker V8 had a lot more low-end torque than Chevrolet’s

Lowey and the Studebaker designers were talented, not just in designing pretty cars, but also in the way they could make up a new part or two and transform the aging 1950's bodies into clean modern '60's cars.

I read someplace where just before the plug was pulled, they were trying a modular concept where they could use the same door skins for the right front and left rear and vice-versa. I think they were trying to use the same piece of glass for the windshield and back light too.

Sometime, when you've nothing to do, sit back and daydream what an alternate timeline would be like if Studebaker, Kaiser and Hudson were the big three US auto makers today. 

handyandy posted:

Lowey and the Studebaker designers were talented, not just in designing pretty cars, but also in the way they could make up a new part or two and transform the aging 1950's bodies into clean modern '60's cars.

I read someplace where just before the plug was pulled, they were trying a modular concept where they could use the same door skins for the right front and left rear and vice-versa. I think they were trying to use the same piece of glass for the windshield and back light too.

Sometime, when you've nothing to do, sit back and daydream what an alternate timeline would be like if Studebaker, Kaiser and Hudson were the big three US auto makers today. 

Studebaker had designed all new Studebakers & Packards for 1956. The company was hemorrhaging  money and could not get financing for new tooling. They had to make do with what they had. And as you stated they were very clever with new designs on a shoe string budget.

On one of many TV shows on today, the customer brought in an Avanti to be rehabed. I always liked the looks of the car. what they spent on the car was not told to us but I am sure it far exceeded the original price. Boy did it look great, though.

Dick

With such a tight budget, it's a wonder how the Avanti even got past the drawing board.   I believe they thought fabrication out of fiberglass would reduce tooling costs along with reducing weight. 

No doubt a restoration would be pricey...ask a Corvette owner how costly and time consuming it is to refurbish vintage fiberglass.  In fact, price wise, a new '63-'64 Avanti and '63-'64 Corvette were quite similar. 

For a car that barely made it to production, Avanti sure lasted a long time, surviving in one form or another well into the new millennium.   This is my '67 Avanti II which, depending on the source, is one of only 15 or 20.  At that time they were powered by Corvette, 300 hp, 327 cu in engines.  Mine has a few extra creature comforts like A/C, tinted/shaded glass, tilt wheel and leather interiop that topped it out right around $7,000 when new.  I was fortunate to find it with all the labor intensive body and paint work already done.  Still searching for a proper set of wheel discs

Bruce

Studebakers I have for my layout are only a 1935 Dictator sedan and a 1937 pickup.   Rockne was a low cost Studebaker offering that outsold the Studebakers, but only lasted two years.  Studebaker, 1950 and later, seems to be well represented in models.  For Nash I have 1935 and 1939 Ambassador sedan modeks, but no cheaper Nash models, such as the Lafayette.    For Hudson I only have a  1936 Terraplane sedan, and nobody has modeled the earlier Essex.   Hudson also seems to be well represented in models for the 1950's.  Hudsons to me always seemed quirky, with that Terraplane  having a very long stroke engine paired with a numerically high (5+) rear axle ratio.  There is much more to write about after Studebaker.