Early 1920s Studebaker ?

8 minute(s) of a 173 minute read

Hello Scott

I understand all you have to say, the one thing I have is lots of time, unless something that I do not want to think about happens. Even then it will not worry me personally.

My plan is to work on one stud at a time. Some years ago I saw in England, some tubular cutters that would go down between the stud and the cylinder head removing a minimal amount of metal as it cut its way down.

I have bought gaskets from Olsens before but the postage is a killer. I have a local man (about eight miles away) who makes gaskets for me and have never had a problem with one. He makes a lot of gaskets for all sorts of cars for people here is Australia. All he needs in the way of a pattern is a used gasket in reasonably complete condition. I have seen gaskets he has made from a tracing of both the block and the head that looked good.

Regarding your front "apron" I would love to get your surplus one but again the cost of freight will be the killer! If you can tell me where you live,  I can get some prices for "Surface" post. There is no real hurry to have it. I have plenty of other things to keep me occupied. If I cannot free up the cylinder head My next trick is to try freeing the pistons, one at a time, from underneath.

As some people will tell you, "Running chickens down with a bull-dozer is not the only way to kill them! Or the best way for that matter."

Bernie j.

Re: Non standard components, we are used to seeing all sorts of odd combination (export specials) here in Australia. The British were great ones for using up any old stock parts in all sorts of unlikely combinations in cars sent to "the Colonies" during the 1920s especially during the "Great Depression". A very long time ago I had a 1930 Riley 9hp that must have been built the day before "stock-taking" to get rid of all the old obsolete parts.

9-7-2017

Hello All

I am yet to be convinced the various features of my car are not exactly as the car was delivered. Having been involved with "old cars" in Australia for over 60 years I am very familiar with the type of "Friday"  cars that were sent here during the 1920s & 30s. Perhaps more especially, the British used the "colonies" as a dumping ground for cars built to use up their stock of obsolete parts. So far I have yet to discover anything that would lead me to believe that the indicated 36,019 miles is not the actual distance the car has covered from NEW.

It will not be until I have removed the cylinder head* that I can measure the cylinder bores to establish how much wear has taken place in the past 97 years.

1920, if that is the year the car was manufacturered and sold, was just two years after the end of the first World War. This  war had been disastrous for the cream of the Australian population with the ranks of our male population under 30 years of age being decimated. My mother lost two of her brothers, both in their early 20s. It took some years for Australia to recover if indeed it did ever recover completely. Just  a few short years later the "Great Depression was to send shock waves through the Australian population. It was virtually right up to the end of WW2 in the late 1940s or early 50s, the thought of buying a New car could be entertained by the vast bulk of the population.  I am old enough to remember the excitement of my father being able to buy a new car in the early 1950s having been on a "waiting list" for some considerable time before a New Car became available. At that time petrol among other things for the private motorist was still subject to rationing. 

* Having seen  an example of a 1920/2 Studebaker Aluminium cylinder head that had been forcibly removed, I am taking this process extremely carefully.

As I don't plan to"drop of the twig" any time soon, I have no need to rush these things.

If I do, I will no longer be concerned.

Bernie j.

For people wishing to contact me directly send me a "P M' including their email address and I will respond.

Good morning

Thank you Studeboy

The body on my car is a Budd all-steel and the only wood is in the doors. There is day-light behind all or most of the fixing holes for the bead.  I suspect the bead would have been brass with 1/8 steel "threads" either tapped or soldered into it and fixed to be body with nuts. This could explain its removal by some scrap metal hunter.

I have recently joined the "Historical Studebaker Register of Australia". below is a letter I have only last night sent to the Newsletter Editor.

Now I am really confused, I am a regular contributor to the AACA (Antique Auto Club ofAmerica) Internet Forum and my Studebaker has attracted quite a degree of interest.  Having located the engine number and the chassis number it appears that my car is a early 1920. It has the aluminium head motor. As I understand it, this would indicate that it was built before Mid-1923. The car Serial Number on the plate riveted to the left hand side of the chassis under the front mudguard appears to be 1002243. or perhaps 1002273.  The engine number appears to be 2350. This matches the engine number given on the Registration label.  The chassis plate number would indicate that the car is, as I understand it, early 1920. The body does NOT have either a cowl vent or the windscreen mounted side lights. There is no provision for side lights on the combined ignition (magneto) and light switch. The Briggs & Stratton ignition key is #39. The windscreen itself is of the two piece style with both pieces designed to open.  Unfortunately the AOMC could no give me any information from the registration records they hold despite banking my “donation” of $110.  All they managed to find was that the Registration Number may have been changed in or about 1926 from 74593 to 103981, the number shown on the 1940 Registration label. Their records seem to confirm that this registration was not renewed and was deemed to be cancelled on 15 2 1942. There is no evidence that the car was re-registered after this date. They were unable to give me a date when the car was first registered. One or two of the other ( American) contributors to the AACA Forum believe that the car is a very early if not the earliest surviving EJ Light Six
BUT to add to the confusion the motor has the (later ?) type oil filler combined in the water pump/generator drive housing. The motor has Magneto ignition with the magneto driven from the front of the accessory drive shaft*. The starter motor and generator are both Wagner type. The car is fitted with Budd wire spoke wheels taking 4.00 x 32 tyres. The Body is a Budd five seater four door tourer, the front doors hinge at the rear and the rear doors hinge at the front. The milage shown on the speedo is 36,019.

My questions now are:-
How does this compare with the other (EJ) Light Sixes in Australia.
Do any of the members know anything of my cars history.
I am told by the previous owner that he bought it at a (deceased estate) Farm Clearance Sale about 8 to 10 years ago possibly in the Shepparton area or in Central Victoria.
When I bought it, it was advertised for sale on the Gumtree internet site. The Vendor told me that I was the only person to have looked at the car. At that time it was stored at the Silver Top Taxi depot in Rupert St Collingwood.

*Thinking about this, with the magneto, the drive housing for the water pump  etc is quite  different to the coil ignition motor. This may explain why this otherwise early motor had the oil filler located at the side of the engine. The location of the magneto would have inhibited access to a front mounted oil filler.

It is all these little anomalies that in my humble opinion make early motor cars so interesting.