Potomac Chapter The Commander Studebaker Drivers Club Volume 46 Issue 3 March 2014 We invented Cool!! My 1948 Studebaker 5 passenger coupe (starlight) was purchased in new in western NC, driven for 10 years and stored until 2011. The car was passed to grand son and sold to me in 2011. "Jimmy Earl" named after the original owner has served me well for the last 4 years. Except for paint job, new interior and custom wheels the car is original with 70,300 miles on the odometer. I am planning to bring Jimmy Earl to the 2014 SDC International meet in June at Dover Delaware of which I am a SDC DelMarVa chapter member. I also hold chapter memberships with greater Virginia and Potomac chapters. Theron White Activities Director President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Paul and Karen Johnson Ron Salen Karl Veit Dave Farris Stephen Walter 1122 Duncan Road 14717 Lake Terrace 3703 7th Street South 4313 Landgreen Street 7401 Westlake Terrace #1504 Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 Rockville, MD 20853 Arlington, VA 22204 Rockville, MD 20853 Bethesda, MD 20817 301-767-9416 304-876-3347 301-460-1970 703-979-4763 301-460-4341 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ndfarris 1 @verizon.net Membership Historian Web Master Editor Nadine & Mike Farris Ed Lemanski Bob Johnstone Lynda Welsh 4313 Landgreen Street 7875 Red Jacket Way 12161 Holly Knoll Circle 24121 Ridge Road Rockville, MD 20853 Jessup, MD 20794 Great Falls, VA 22066 Germantown, MD 20876 301-460-4341 301-776-9893 703-450-0754 301-253-3723 Ndfarris [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 2014 Keystone York Swap Meet Remember, the Keystone Swap Meet at York opens Thursday, March 6th and runs through Sat- urday, March 8th. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Garden Show at York will not be open dur- ing the same period. However, for those who don’t want to spend the entire weekend at the swap meet, there are numerous shopping venues in the area not to mention a large, historic downtown area. The Potomac Chapter will have two spaces in Building A, primarily for Chapter socializ- ing. However, if you want to bring a few small items to sell, you are welcome to do so. Howev- er, you will be entirely responsible for those items (pricing, collecting, cleaning up). 25 percent of your proceeds will be paid to the Chapter to offset the cost of the spaces. You will need to pro- vide your own table and chairs. Other members are requested to bring their own chairs as well. The Chapter will hold a membership meeting at the Comfort Inn (2250 North George Street) at 5 pm Friday. After the meeting a Chapter dinner will be held at 6:30 pm at Ruby Tuesday, 1401 Kenneth Road (just off Route 30 at the Best Western Hotel). All members are encouraged to attend the meeting and the dinner. Please let me know if you plan to attend the dinner so I can make sure we have enough seats at the restaurant. See you in York, Paul Johnson, Potomac Chapter Activities Director [email protected] 304-876-3347 (home), or, Meet Friday only, cell 304-702-5439 STUDE SPOTTER March Birthday’s Hemmings online daily uses a photo of a Studebaker Bulletnose in Joseph R. Rudolph 3/4 Karen Barthlow 3/6 http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/01/22/how- Kathy Hermann 3/7 Jeff Barthlow 3/9 exactly -does-road-salt-cause-cars-to-rust/?refer=news Elaine Ridenour 3/10 Nancy Pfahler 3/12 STUDE SPOTTER-Hot Rod Magazine April 2014 Robet Winokur 3/16 Page 12, has a small color photo (#5) and a brief mention of a 1950 or- Sidney Kertzel 3/22 ange Studebaker Commander Starlight coupe owned by Mark Firth of Jan Rutledge 3/23 Salem, Ohio. JoAnn Straatveit 3/23 Edwin Dashiell 3/25 The Commander is the monthly publication of the Potomac Chapter, Studebaker Drivers Club. Subscription is by membership to the Potomac Chapter at $15.00 yearly. Canada/Mexico $20.00, all other countries $25.00. Direct all membership correspondence to the Membership Director. Direct all correspondence relating to The Commander to the Editor, who retains the right to edit or modify any contribution. Deadline date is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. The Commander is also an internet publication. The Potomac Chapter is an officially chartered chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club, Inc.; its by-laws were approved, and charter granted by SDC in June 1967. Membership is recruited from the States of Maryland, West Virginia, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. And those from other areas wishing to join the chapter are welcome. 2 Potomac Chapter, SDC Activities 2014 Event Date Contact Keystone Swap Meet, York, PA Dinner/Membership, Meeting, Friday- Ruby Tuesday March 6 - 8 Paul Johnson Apple Blossom Meet, Winchester, VA May 10(?) non-SDC Spring Tour, Allentown, PA weekend May 16-18 Pat and Larry Merhaut Spring Picnic, Devil’s Backbone Park, Boonsboro, MD June 8 Paul Johnson Orphan Car Tour, Williamsport, MD June 7 Paul Johnson (Potomac Chapter is a sponsor) Sully Plantation, Chantilly, VA June 15 non-SDC 50th SDC International Meet, June 28 - July 5 Paul Johnson Rose Hill Manor car show, Frederick, MD Aug 17(?) non-SDC Fall Picnic, Washington County Agricultural Center, Boonsboro, MD Sept 7 Paul Johnson Atlantic Zone Meet- none scheduled due to proximity of International Meet *International Drive Your Studebaker Day Sept 13 Paul Johnson Fall Tour, Elkins, WV weekend Sept 19 – 21 Shirley and Terry McDaniel Hershey Fall Meet, Hershey, PA Oct 8 - 11 AACA Bradfield Show, Bridgewater, VA Oct 12 Paul Johnson Antique and Classic Car Show, Rockville, MD Oct 18 Bill Morgan (Potomac Chapter is one sponsor) Ron Salen Reedsville Swap Meet, Reedsville, PA Nov 21-22 Max Corkins Chapter Planning Meeting Nov 8 (tentative) Paul Johnson Chapter Holiday Party Dec TBD Paul Johnson * Firm date- will always be the second Saturday in September 3 TECH TIP HISTORIAN CORNER by Ed Lemanski by Ed Lemanski Spring Safety Checks Under The Hood 1991 ROCKVILLE AUTO SHOW--A Studebaker- Early spring is a good time to inspect the engine Powered Excalibur (was it the prototype?) fan blades and the hub that they are mounted What is an Excalibur? The Excalibur is an automobile on. What you are looking for are cracks or manufactured in Milwaukee, WI, It was a car styled after splits. Cracks tend to form on the blades real the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK by Brooks Stevens for Stu- close to the hub. Even if you think it is only a debaker. Mr. Stevens subsequently had to form his own paint crack, you should investigate more close- company to manufacture and market the cars. They were ly. If the fan fails while you are driving it might conventional underneath their exotic styling. destroy your radiator or cut the belts that drive the accessories. LOOKING BACK - In 1991, the City of Rockville October classic car show had an Excalibur present in the Stu- While under the hood, look at the accelerator debaker row. It was powered by a Studebaker 289 which meant it was an early production model or even the orig- springs attached to the carburetor linkage. If inal prototype. It was parked between Bob Johnstone's you haven't already, install a second spring as a white GT Hawk and John Witkowski's green 1966 Com- safeguard against failure. The engineers didn't mander. I never spoke to the owner nor did I document realize that if a spring fails, the carburetor will the car to my satisfaction. The car was present for only try to accelerate the engine. This can be a bad one year so I never got to revisit it. surprize if it happens while you are driving. Much worse if the engine is a V8. I once had a BACKGROUND: A prototype premiered at numerous spring fail in a parked car in the garage and car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker chassis and us- when I started the it, the racing engine scared ing a 290-horsepower Studebaker 289 V-8. In December the heck out of me. 1963, Studebaker ceased its operations, ending the availa- bility of its 289 V-8's. General Motors friends Ed Cole and "Bunkie" Knudsen agreed to provide Brooks Stevens with The trunk may need checking too. If a spring Chevrolet 327s in 300-bhp Corvette tune, making the 2100 fails the trunk will be real heavy to lift -pound Excalibur a strong performer. With the standard open. Trunks springs are under stress whenever 3.31:1 rear axle, acceleration from 0-60 mph took less than the trunk is closed. They can split and let go at five seconds. Projected top speed was 160 mph. any time. However this is not usually a safety item just an inconvenience. Enjoy those Studebakers Have you renewed your membership for 2014? Nadine and Mike Farris are working on the 2014 roster if you have not renewed please do so ASAP. If you do not you will be dropped from our newsletter. 4 Think Spring 2014 Potomac Chapter/SDC Spring Tour Allentown/Bethlehem, PA May 16-17-18, 2014 Friday, May 16 , we will assemble at 8:30 am at the Burger King, Walkerville, MD (North of Frederick on Rte 15 Exit Rte 26). We will leave for Allentown, PA promptly at 9:00 am. The drive is approximately 160 miles with driving time about 4 hours.