Lift up your hood... and let's take a peak.

Unfortunately, this is the only decent pic I have at the moment
of the 259. I will be sure to snap some more soon.

What you see here is classic American art. I call it art because back in the day, vehicles were things of beauty. This beauty extended from Chrome bumper to Chrome bumper. Cars and Trucks had big chrome grills and they stood out from one another. There was a difference between Cadillacs, Studes, and Dodges. The lines, curves, and fins set them apart from each other. They were American art at its finest.

The heart that each had was in my opinion a piece of finely tuned art. I look at the above motor and can tell what parts are what. There is no gaudy plastic parts covering it up. It is there for the world to see. While the heart of the Stude isn't pretty now, it shows its age and beauty.

This particular wagon came with the Studebaker 259 v8 mated to a 3 on-the-tree Manual Trans. When I got the car home and started tinkering around on it, I quickly found out that the motor was seized. Thus I turned to a product that has been around and helping car guys around  the world with their projects:

Marvel Mystery Oil

Last weekend I managed to pour some of this fine concoction down into the cylinders in hopes of freeing them of the long sleep. My plan is to let it sit for at least another week or two before trying to turn it over. Fingers are crossed that it does in fact turn over. There have been many stories over the years proclaiming the greatness that is MMO so I am hoping to have my own very soon. Belts, hoses, and wires will be replaced as progress is made. If not, then a tear down will be in order. My uncle said that part of the engine was rebuilt in the late 60's, so most of it should be fairly decent. 

While attacking the cylinders, I pulled the alternator and associated brackets and started cleaning those up. The brackets were caked in 50 years worth of sludge that needed to come off. I took a wire brush to them which made quick work of the grime. I plan to paint the brackets with engine primer and then a color of some sort. What color with be chosen is still up in the air. If you, the reader has a suggestion, please comment away.

Once I get them  done, I will move to the valve covers which will get the same treatment. With the valve covers removed, I plan to cut some new gaskets for them in our shop. I would like to cut as many of the gaskets for the car myself in our shop as it will give me just a little bit more pride in the work. The valve covers will also get some pinstriping detail while off courtesy of my hand. The pinstriping will add to the artwork that already resides under the hood. Piece by piece I will remove, clean, and paint the engine parts as I go. 

One thing that will be changed for certain is the transmission. The manual transmission, while nostalgic, will be going out in favor of an Automatic. This will be a cruiser and hopefully a daily driver when needed. Thus, I want something that I can get in and go. I know this will catch some heat from traditionalists, but it will be more practical for me. The question of which AT is still up in the air. I would like something with Overdrive. This is still an area in which I am open to suggestions. So if you got one, post it up! 

By having 3 blogs posted so quickly, I hope that you do not get the sense that this will be a quick project. These posts cover the past 3 months. Since the car and I are not in the same location, I do not get to work on it as often as I would like. As progress is made, it will be posted for you to see... and next, I will add more pictures.