Studebaker No. 1 Found

[Tom Shafer]

So would I ! (I own a 1955 Studie 'Conestoga' wagon !)

 

[GTS225]

Hmmmm. Four days since I messaged him, and no reply. Not looking good, gents.

Roger

 

[Studie151]

So would I ! (I own a 1955 Studie 'Conestoga' wagon !)

That's awesome! My last name is Studebaker! I own a Studebaker boat, hoping to get a Studebaker truck someday

So would I ! (I own a 1955 Studie 'Conestoga' wagon !)

 

[user 23839]

Reminds me of a Studebaker that was on Craigslist in Southern Oregon about 10 years ago. It was the first I had heard that they even got into the boatbuilding business, and it seems that the Web searching I did taught me that a number of American manufacturers were left at the end of World War II with a lot of aircraft-grade aluminum and the capacity to shape it and rivet it, Studebaker being among them. Building fishing and utility boats was a sensible option.
I remember calling and asking about the boat and being tempted to go look at it, but the photos suggested it was kind of an overbuilt beast. I wonder what became of it.

 

[sonny.barile]

What a find……….Im not sure I would be able to part with that.

 

[Studie151]

So I'm about to get started working on the bottom of my Studebaker boat and I have a question. There is already flex seal, paint, and other materials patching the bottom. Should I strip and sand it off before putting my own sealer on it?

 

[Studie151]

My great grandfather James and my grandfather Paul started the boat business back in 1950 in Topeka Kansas where I live now.

 

[Tom Shafer]

So I'm about to get started working on the bottom of my Studebaker boat and I have a question. There is already flex seal, paint, and other materials patching the bottom. Should I strip and sand it off before putting my own sealer on it?

NO !!! Not unless you know the history of that old metal. Same story as my 1948 Starlight Coupe.
There was no BONDO In 1948, no resins, no exotic sealers, primers, clear coats, etc, etc.
They used LEAD as metal fillers, ACID-primers, OIL-enamels, lots of elbow-grease !

Any bodyman will tell you NOT to strip away the old finish, unless needed to repair the metal. Today, they use modern sealer-primers, modern acrylic paints, hard-coat glazes that last forever. $600 for materials. OR,,, grab your sander, grind the crap outta it, and your new body-shop estimate is $1800.

I helped restore an old green Sears Game??Fisher that had laid in mud for years. We had it SODA-blasted, which will not harm the metal. No sanding req'd. The painter used a two-part epoxy paint, $$$, (lawn grass green) over the cleaned bottom. The inside was pressure-coated a slate-grey 'rubber-coatng' used by the auto industry. We dryed it with hair-dryers :>)
Note: All work had to be OUTSIDE. You cannot breathe any of that stuff !

 

[GTS225]

NO !!! Not unless you know the history of that old metal. Same story as my 1948 Starlight Coupe.
There was no BONDO In 1948, no resins, no exotic sealers, primers, clear coats, etc, etc.
They used LEAD as metal fillers, ACID-primers, OIL-enamels, lots of elbow-grease !

Any bodyman will tell you NOT to strip away the old finish, unless needed to repair the metal. Today, they use modern sealer-primers, modern acrylic paints, hard-coat glazes that last forever. $600 for materials. OR,,, grab your sander, grind the crap outta it, and your new body-shop estimate is $1800.

I helped restore an old green Sears Game??Fisher that had laid in mud for years.

We had it SODA-blasted, which will not harm the metal. No sanding req'd.

Probably the most gentle of abrasive-based blasting methods, and rinses off with water.

The painter used a two-part epoxy paint, $$$, (lawn grass green) over the cleaned bottom. The inside was pressure-coated a slate-grey 'rubber-coatng' used by the auto industry. We dryed it with hair-dryers :>)

All above very good advice!

Note: All work had to be OUTSIDE. You cannot breathe any of that stuff !

REALLY good advice! Many body finishes today, both marine and auto, have chemicals in them that can even be absorbed through the skin. Pay VERY close attention to safety precautions on labels or the MSDS.

Roger

 

[raze38015]

Hey Greg, thank you for appreciating something that my great grandfather built many years ago! I don't know if your still on this site but thank you! I just acquired 1 myself and am in the process of restoring it.. I am very excited!

I just acquired one of the Vio Holda boats today and would love to pick your brain about the company's history if possible. [email protected] is best way to contact me.