Antony Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 This Studebaker chassis had spent so many years in the nettles, that Roy decided it was time to bring it back to life. He dragged it out and found room in a shed ready to start work on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Here we go again......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Indeed............I remember looking at that chassis in July 1992 and thinking to myself in a welsh voice........... ....................."There's adventurous!" I see that their are in fact two Case's in that last photo..................! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Indeed............I remember looking at that chassis in July 1992 and thinking to myself in a welsh voice........... ....................."There's adventurous!" I see that their are in fact two Case's in that last photo..................! Would that be one tractor and one nut:cheesy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I don't wish to be critical, but whoever previously restored this truck appears to have used incorrect LICHEN GREEN paint and got one heck of a lot of overspray on the tyres. :coffee: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Indeed............I remember looking at that chassis in July 1992 and thinking to myself in a welsh voice........... ....................."There's adventurous!" I see that their are in fact two Case's in that last photo..................! The Studebaker chassis was obviously far to easy to restore in 1992, it has to mature first to a pile of rust before Roy would consider it worth restoring ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWade Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hi Guys, Roy popped over to mine the other week and we were talking about the stude and he was saying that the cab needs alot of work, but has managed to get alot of the panel work on the chassis so he can get it all lined up. If I get time when passing I will get a few pics. Howard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 The first requirement was to dismantle it to allow a gentle tweek with the Case loader to help coax the chassis back to the correct shape, then attend to the axles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hi Antony, good luck with her, Studes are way too rare to allow to be lost. By the way, I have what I think is a US6 bellhousing, would you be interested? Can send a pic if it helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hi Antony,good luck with her, Studes are way too rare to allow to be lost. By the way, I have what I think is a US6 bellhousing, would you be interested? Can send a pic if it helps Yes please, anything Studebaker would be of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Antony, as requested, two pics of the bell housing. Important to say I bought this in error some years ago, I think it may be Studebaker but you probably have a far better idea than me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Antony,as requested, two pics of the bell housing. Important to say I bought this in error some years ago, I think it may be Studebaker but you probably have a far better idea than me! Mark, That looks very much like a Bedford bell housing, certain features are the same, any numbers cast on it? Also note the clutch arm comes out on the right, so a right hand drive vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hi Richard, thanks for the ID, will look for numbers when I see it next, this coming Wednesday. Hi Antony, apologies for getting your hopes up, but will PM you shortly with something else. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I'm sure the Studebaker bellhousing is not open at the bottom like the Bedford one. I'm sure I have one (again bought in error!!), I will speak to Roy. Mark - sorry to have missed you on Sunday. Where did the time go? I did get a 'just a moment ago' lead on you from Jim Clark but the trail went cold around the corner!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G506 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) Hi Tony, yes, sorry I meant to call you but the morning just seemed to fly by! A beer at Beltring instead maybe? Antony, My Mum grew up in the New Forest, and the yard opposite ran a US6 for many years during the forties and fifties (and maybe sixties), but no one seems to remember where it went. Also, there used to be the remains of a US6 near where I live in Southampton, probably 20 years ago; went hunting for it a couple of years back but no sign, so I hope it didnt end up on a ship bound for China..... :cry: I think these were two different trucks, but maybe not! Edited February 4, 2012 by G506 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpu121265 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I have a US6 (and a parts list) if i can help with anything. Also have some spares - but no bell housing.... Regards Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks Mark and Ken, I will pass all the information on to Roy. I went over this afternoon to catch up on the progress, N.O.S. ( Tony Goff ) was there, and they were looking at old vehicle log books, and this particular Studebaker had at one time belonged to Tony's Father and had been used for hauling lime and gravel etc. When Roy took the rear axles off the chassis it was evident that the vehicle had been grossly overloaded because the axles where both shaped like a banana! With a bit of carefull heating ( oxy acetelene ) and regular rotating, each axle was brought back into line. After neccessary repairs to the chassis, the axles where put back on to make it easy to move around for sand blasting and painting. It was originally 6X4 but Roy wanted this one 6X6, so has fitted a driven front axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Noted the non-driven front axle, 6x4 is rare and much more usable on today's roads. But anyone brave enough to tackle a basket case like this is entitled to turn it into whatever he wants me thinks! Will be following progress as it is rare to see this sort of effort spent on a US truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) Hanno - interestingly I put the same point to Roy. The front axle was unusable, being very badly corroded through sitting in the ground, and he had a spare driven front axle. Also, 6x4s are kind of 2 a penny in Roy's yard so a 6x6 would be something different. Edited February 5, 2012 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 (edited) Big thanks to Antony for politey stopping just short of suggesting my father was responsible for the :banana: job on the axles :-D Our defence rests on there being one further brief owner before the old girl finaly gave out, this being a wet concrete hauling job on a construction site. I ignored the evidence Roy showed me of our corporate paint on the seriously uprated bogie springs which he replaced with ones having the correct number of leaves (:cool2:), and looked the other way when he pointed at evidence of multiple chassis cracks and flitching. Perhaps best to just leave it by noting that these old army wagons were expected to work hard - only the toughest of them would survive to live another day. I first met Roy through the Studebaker - I discovered it had moved from the scrapyard and tracked him down. Amazingly I found the original log book in our archives and so we were able to reunite the two together again Here is a photo (c1961) of it in quarrying days - it was then hauling gravel some 5 miles from a satelite pit into the processing plant, and had been fitted with super single rear tyres from Scammell semi trailers to give a better turn of speed from the lazy diesel engine. It was taken off the road in 1962 and used for a further 5 years or so on internal stockpiling duties with the original 7.50 x 20 tyres refitted. Edited February 5, 2012 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Hi Tony, I can remember Studebakers being used for lime spreading around my village in Sussex in the 1950's. All of these would have been ex-British Army, and used to death, hence the lack of them. There are probably more Australian imported US6 (all 6x6) in the UK now, than those that saw British service. regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 It's good to see a picture of the Stude in its working days, another difference apart from the front axle will be the cab. When it was transported back to Roy's Farm from the scrapyard, many years ago now, the cab was virtually non existant, and the remains were removed in case they blew away on the journey!! What was left of the cab was even beyond Roy's capabilties to save, so a GMC open cab is being converted to fit. There were just under 200,000 Studebaker US6 trucks built, many of them open cabs, which Studebaker had designed, (subsequentally taken up by GMC). Most of these trucks went for lend lease to Russia, the Russians didn't like the open cab, presumably because of the harsh climate, and requested the closed version. Roy allready has an open cabbed US6, which is thought to be extremely rare, if not the only one exsisting today unless anyone knows different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Nice effort to get it back running again, I am just finishing a 6x4 Studebaker for the comming rally season(ex british army) , only thing missing is the interior cab lining and strips to hold it in position , is there anybody with detail interior pictures ? also what material is used as door seals rubber or canvas ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Here is a picture of Roy's open cab Studebaker which he restored many years ago, together with an up to date picture taken yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Clive Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Another nice shot of Roy's Open Cab Stude with Blue (Barry Seabrook) also from Suffolk Area MVT both together at a Rougham Airfield event, Bury St Edmunds in May 2008. Sadly, Blue's Stude has since been sold and (I believe) exported to Russia or somewhere similar. It was one of Alan Chapman's brace of wagon's that was sold off around the same time as the photo was taken. You can clearly see the difference between a 6x4 and 6x6 front axle in this shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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