Early 1920s Studebaker ?

5 minute(s) of a 173 minute read

Thank you Scott

That is what I had assumed but I am sure that you are familiar of the warning asscoiated with that word "assume" .

i.e. that it makes an ass of u and me.

All this detailed knowledge of Studebakers is a sharp learning curve for me and I make it a rule to learn all I can about my current "project car".

I attempt to remain as broard minded as possible, despite being brought up in a car culture,

based on the superiority of the products commonly available in what was once the British Empire.  

How things have changed, earlier I mentioned the Melbourne suburb of Springvale. Springvale these days has a majority Asian population and today,  in the busy streets that were once market gardens, you would  be hard pressed to hear a word of English spoken or to find a  fair haired, blue eyed person.

Australia today is indeed a multi-cultural society. Among the current generation of car enthusiasts the majority would look at you blankly if you mentioned an Hillman or a Vauxhall, let alone exotic things such as a Jowett Javelin or an Armstrong Siddley.

I have on my bookshelf a well used copy of the book, Culshaw & Horrobin; Complete Catalogue of British Cars, yet among my younger grandchildren I doubt that even one of them could recognise or name a single car mentioned within it's pages.

Thank you Robert

Really my car is very complete and original and as it has only ever done 36,000 miles nothing is worn out.

The only thing I am missing is the top frame. This was taken off, five years ago, by the previous owner and left in the country town of Euroa with someone known only as Lance. The previous owner is for some reason reluctant or incapable of telling me how to contact him.(Lance)

He keeps promising me that he (the previous owner) will deliver it (the top) to me but so far in almost three months he has failed to even produce a phone number.

If anyone knows a person called Lance who lives in Euroa, a country Victorian town in Australia who has a spare 1920 Studebaker top I would love to hear from him.

10-26-2017

It was probably being transported either on an open trailer or on top of a "tilt-tray" transport and was being blown away.

I will know more if I ever get to see it. When last seen it still had the original material on it. At that time it would have been 75-85 years old.

10-27-2017

I  have just received a re-assuring email from the previous owner who tells me that, "it is all under control". The hood (top) is in safe, dry storage and in relatively good condition. He hopes too retrieve it in the not too distant future and deliver it to me.

All I need now is to go back to Sunday School to refresh the lesson that should have taught me, "that every thing comes to he who waits".

If, as I believe it is, still the original fabric* it would be a great pity for it to be destroyed. Hopefully any damage that it has sustained can be repaired without being too conspicuous.

* Certainly the side screens that I already have are the original and are all is either good condition or readily repairable. The clear window sections have all discoloured or are broken but nothing that cannot be easily repaired/replaced.

My whole aim is to keep the car in its existing "time-warp" condition, or as far as feasible. 

I am just not sure if I should leave all the snail shells on the splash trays or not.

I could very carefully lift them all out, give them a coat of clear epoxy to re-inforce and protect them before carefully putting them back in position again. I will need to take a series of photographs to be sure that they go back into their correct locations.

I have now cleaned up & replaced the glass in the oil pressure gauge and dismantled and cleaned the ignition/light switch and put it back together and only have a small repair to do on the fuse box. The speedo too is now all cleaned up, I still have to make a decision about the dash-board material. Hopefully I will know when I see the correct finish. I have a small collection/stock of suitably aged enamel key fobs (medallions).

I am surprised that you ask that question. Perhaps Stude Light can confirm but I would doubt that Studebaker would have sold many cars into Europe in 1920 requiring a speedo calibrated in KPH

It is within my memory that Australia changed to metric measurements. If you are refering to the Lagonda Speedo it is also in Miles per Hour.

Many people are confused by the French sounding name for Lagonda. This in fact goes back to Wilbur Gunn's first cars and motorcycles in 1899. Wilbur Gunn was in fact an American living in England. The Lagonda name comes from the Lagonda Creek that ran past his father's farm in Springfield,  Ohio in the 1800s. To see just how far the Lagonda name goes back in the USA look at http://lagondachapterdar.org