Michael Riley's Blog: Hemmings Find of the Day

Friday, November 27, 2015

Hemmings Find of the Day – 1962 Studebaker Daytona

If there's one thing we've learned combing through classifieds upon classifieds to choose these finds of the day, it's that first appearances can be deceiving. Take this 1962 Studebaker Daytona for sale on Hemmings.com, for instance: Northeasterners typically tend not to expect much from a largely original and unrestored Studebaker other than a full-on resto project, floors included. However, this one originated from California and doesn't appear to have been subjected to snow and salt, so it appears solid, ready to hit the road, and in need of only a little bit of elbow grease here and there. From the seller's description:

This car has had a wonderful "life". Originally delivered to a California Studebaker dealer, it was apparently traded-in on a new car in 1964. It was then purchased by the present owner's uncle, who drove and maintained the car in California until the early 90's, at which point he journeyed here to Long Island, New York. He passed-on shortly after his arrival, and the car has been kept in the same garage (and hardly ever used) for the past twenty-four years. Other than re-covered front bucket seats, the car appears to be all-original. It drives nicely, shifting and accelerating well, with excellent, straight-line braking. This is a good, solid, classic car which can be used as a daily-driver (with a little bit of work; see below); or it can be the solid base for a full restoration; or it could become a very desirable resto-mod/sleeper. The paint (all original) is practically scratch-free, and would shine nicely with some compounding and polishing. The overhead-valve six-cylinder engine pulls well, and is quiet and smooth-running. The sheet metal is virtually perfect, except for a very minor bit of damage to the front apron. The all-original chrome and other brightwork is in fair condition, and would benefit from some cleaning and polishing to bring it up to a higher level. Yes, it does appear that the right side of the front bumper caught on something. It could be straightened, or easily replaced. The exhaust system appears intact and in usable condition other than the rear-most tailpipe section. The rear seat upholstery, and the windlace, are in poor condition. These items are (believe it or not) readily available, at surprisingly low cost.