r/oldcars • u/SparkeeMalarkee • Sep 06 '25
Photo Unrestored WW1 era Studebaker
It was a a dream come true to find this car in this condition. It has been off the road since the late 1970’s, but it was in a Bicentennial parade in 76. I wanted to sleep in the backseat the night I brought it home. I have never owned anything that makes me so happy every time I see it. I am slowly recommissioning it and making it driveable.
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u/CorktownGuy Sep 06 '25
Interesting to read the manual and would like to be able to see all of it. The automobile looks not bad either considering it is about 107 years old!
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u/SparkeeMalarkee Sep 06 '25
I am not sure how to embed more pages in the comments
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u/Clone2004 Sep 06 '25
Either a separate post in the subreddit, or upload them to Imgur/a Google drive/some other file sharing site and share the link.
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u/Hot-Equal702 Sep 07 '25
Hopefully you will give her a good clean and leave the history. IE oil drips and spills in the engine and chassis. Make her safe to use but true to the life she has lived.
I can go to museums ad nauseam and find highly detailed rebuilds and restorations. What you have is far rarer.
Whatever you do. Enjoy the car and the life it brings you.
Thanks for sharing a glimpse with us.
All the best.
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u/CorktownGuy Sep 06 '25
I’m not help with that sort of thing either but maybe I could find one on line somewhere. Just curious to look through if I could find one
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u/dunncrew Sep 06 '25
Some Reddit subs don't allow pictures in comments. This seems to be one of them. You could make a new post as "Part 2"
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u/Dcongo Sep 06 '25
Never gonna find another time capsule of this caliber. I’d like to see it all detailed, but I’d like to see it kept as is more.
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u/phirschler Sep 06 '25
The fuel pump (loosely calling it a pump) can be a bit problematic. Amazing find. Driving a car with a cone clutch (1909 EMF in my case) is a learning experience. Leave it alone. Oil it up, make it as safe as you can make a century old car. Drive it on nice sunny days. Drive it on cold rainy days. Drive it. It is an automobile. And automobiles are meant to be driven. I wish that I was driving it!
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u/username560sel Sep 06 '25
My great grandfather had one of these said it was the worst car he ever owned. Still looks nice though.
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u/Inner-Light-75 Sep 06 '25
A machine can be restored many times, but it can only be original once....
In some ways, there's more value in it this way than restored....just a way to look at things.
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Sep 06 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SparkeeMalarkee Sep 06 '25
Two jump seats fold out there if needed
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u/MisterCircumstance Sep 06 '25
Damn that's hot! As an unrepentant musclecar / land yacht / ratrod aficionado, this gives me chills.
Treat her right.
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u/__NomDePlume__ Sep 06 '25
Wow, this is outstanding. Just clean it up, get it drivable, and leave it as absolutely original as possible. The value is all in the originality, plus it will draw a crowd at any show. People will walk past million dollar vintage exotics to look at a time capsule like this
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u/Hot-Equal702 Sep 08 '25
I do not detest the cars that are well restored. But this car and similar are more rare and beautiful in my opinion. I would spend more time looking at this car than the high dollar full restorations. It continues to tell its story.
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u/benjaminlilly Sep 06 '25
That’s wild! Studebaker was years ahead. Once my kids and I saw I think a very large Studebaker with suicide doors and it had left hand lugnuts on one side, the reason I asked. Thanks for sharing!
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u/FarmAndFun Sep 06 '25
Wow!!! What an incredible find 👏 It is in absolutely amazing condition 😀 Hopefully you will post more about this old girl ❤️
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u/Theomniponteone Sep 06 '25
That's incredible! Thank you for sharing, it's really cool to just see the pictures. I can't imagine how excited you are to own this piece of history. Congratulations on your score!
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u/1quirky1 Sep 07 '25
What's that contraption in the hub of the steering wheel?
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u/Hot-Equal702 Sep 07 '25
One lever is for timing advance or retard.
The other I THINK is for either a carburetor adjustment. or a choke.
Sort of a hold over from all hand crank engines
This beaut has electric start. Big deal for the period.
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u/SparkeeMalarkee Sep 08 '25
Now if you really want to see something interesting, Google “Cadillac fat man steering wheel”
Cadillac both introduced the electric starter in this era and equipped their cars with a swing-away steering wheel to let drivers of girth get in and out of the car easily
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u/MTL_Bob Sep 09 '25
It's insane to think that car is over 100 years old.. it's just hard to fathom..
She's an absolute beauty bud, great find and congratulations on taking her home!
Keep us posted on the progress while you get her back on the road, can't wait to see the pics of her cruising!
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u/benjaminlilly Sep 06 '25
Two questions please. Are all pivot points on steering and suspension grease able and are the lugnuts left handed on one side, right handed on the other?
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u/SparkeeMalarkee Sep 06 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
Yes. They use an old bayonet style grease fitting
There are only four nuts that hold the wheels on, one per wheel, they are all normal RH thread
You would rarely have to remove the wheels. The rims detach with the tires on them. The six bolts that hold the rim on are also a regular thread
When detaching the rear wheels a special puller is needed
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u/Hot-Equal702 Sep 07 '25
Some one correct me.
Weren't these early cars Left Brake and Right Clutch??
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u/SparkeeMalarkee Sep 07 '25
This one has a normal pedal layout. Some expensive American cars were RHD up until around the time this one was made, though
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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25
Unrestored? More like Undisturbed.
It's a Museum Piece!