Josephine, a "Moparistic" -55 sedan

[shifter44]

I may not be completely understanding what you are saying about adjusting the lock plate ,BUT possibly spacing the lock plate up relative to the pin. (or adjusting the pin down , most have a nut on the pin that can be adjusted...) , might help ??

[Champion V8]

It used to lock before so the pin hasn't moved, the locknut on top is still in its same possition. Now I've tried for two days to get the lockplate to get locked with the pin & it refuses. I've tried to raise it up, putting it in different slanted angles & so on, I've also losend the whole big plate it sits on that connects the fenders. Tomorrow is another day...

The Chrysler has come to a stop again, I went to a tractor garage with the old steering box to get the pitman arm off & it worked after trying a bunch of different BIG pullers + knocking! But now I've come to the conclusion that I'm gonna use another shaft too, as a newer one will provide me with more steeringwheel options. Since the original wheel is falling appart & the steel under the plastic is rusted I'm gonna get a blue flake Grant wheel.

Ratt R's C.jpg

& that'll fit fine with the gas pedal too.
Now I'm just waiting a few days for time to go & get the shaft & I need plating between the new box & the frame too cuz the box's body aint in plane with the ears that holds it in possition.
[/b]

[Mike Van Veghten]

Interesting. You used all of the original hardware on that front panel didn't you ? Is the front panel where the lock plate is attached to and with all of its original panels and hardware ?

I see, I looked back into some of your past pictures, the entire front edge is not supported by anything, so it's moving around, especially when you close the hood, it just tries to move down, out of the way of the lock pin and big spring.
Yeah, you need to support the front panel very tightly, so when you close the hood, that panel does not move.
If you can move it with your hands, the hood is surely moving it.

Mike

[Champion V8]

Not showed on pictures is a piece going across in front of the radiator that I srewed on to the fenders & then a piece welded on that & fastend at the lower part of the piece that the locking plate sits on, but the piece going across was to weak, now I've replaced that one with a stronger one, pictures soon. But I still first wanna have the lock working...
On the post posted 24 Sept the begining of the ex support shows, just the first bits & how it's screwed to the fenders.

[Champion V8]

Even thou it's a bit put on pause now due to Chrysler steering work I took a picture of Josephine today:

Huv ø j b.JPG

Sorry to say, the pic coulda been better...

[r1lark]

So are you going back to square one on the nose design?

[Champion V8]

No don't worry, this is inside the new front plate / grille, just holding it all in place.

[Mike Van Veghten]

The bar/support plate is a good support for the lower part of the fenders too.
It will also help in keeping them from moving around, squeaking, and generally keep the fenders more solidly mounted on the car.

Mike

[Champion V8]

The front I had before was welded together, easy piece to get it strong but this time I wanna be able to dismount it, that's why I'm bolting & screwing it together now. Not a every days work thou as I'm busy with the steering box & shaft & such on the chrysler too.

[Champion V8]

Took Josephine to work today & I'll probably do it tomorrow too, so yesterday I sprayed the new front plate but the temp & humidity wasn't good enough for drying so it became matt. Mo worries as it needs to be done once more anyway. Took this photo of our cars just before opening:

27sept2022.JPG

Then I zoomed in, she looks fast from distance, impresses me, but only me...[/b]

27sept2022 - kopia.JPG

The new painted front piece:

z48 27sept2022.JPG

We have a lot of old customers & that's really nice & sometimes, like today; a really old guy looked at Josephine a lot & then when he payed for his stuff he asked about "the Studebaker outside" & ofcourse we talked some & he said his favorite car used to be Silver Hawk but now he prefers sedans & he thought my front was way cool & even better than original. (I told him that I also had 57-58 Silver Hawks as #1 when I was younger)

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yeah, fun to talk Studebakers with strangers.
Looking good..!

Your dog looks sad ? Or was he/she chasing bugs ?

Mike

[Champion V8]

Nah, she's waiting for me to pick up a stick that's laying on the ground so she gets to run, as we all know dogs are like kids; they just wanna have fun...
& yeah, meeting older people is nice, we get that a lot now when we have the cafe'. As soon as there's someone younger than 50 they never know about Studebaker, even thou they're into US cars & have some chevy or such.

[Champion V8]

Day before yesterday I saw something...
Since I've got the front more rigid & drove for some days I saw this; the fender has been to low on driver side, didn't matter with the front that was before since it was welded but now it sure makes a difference since the front tip has started to point upwards from driving vibrations!
I tried to take a good picture but this is the best shot I could get to relly see:

glappet.JPG

Now I've put more shims between the fender & frame since the photo & now I'm on to replacing that bit.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yes sir...good support is everything.
Just like with the hood latch problem a few days ago.

Mike

[Champion V8]

Well, today I was back at the hoodlatch problem again caused by the new work... So I had to do quite a bit of work by adjusting the hight of it all again but this time it included bending and cutting & welding as the whole piece in front of the rad came in a totaly wrong angle as in tilted forwards & that made it impossible to get the hoodpin to lock. & the support "from under" that sits on the new bar had to be tried in a bunch of new possitions too before it turned out right.
So I didn't have time to make new triangles under the headlights.