The Stude Hut.... 2-Car Detached

[Ole_Red]

After much patience and frustration we finally got the keys to our new house. We had an offer in on a short sale for 4 months before giving them the big FU. When we found out that it may be a month before we get a straight answer, we decided to call up a family friend who was an agent. My wife met with him Friday afternoon and they picked out a couple houses to look at. Saturday morning we hit the pavement and looked at 4 houses. That night we went back to 2 of them and had an offer in by Sunday afternoon.

35 days later we have the keys and have started making the home our own. One wall section has been cut out, new lighting is going in, a bathroom fan, and of course paint. Much of the house was already newer so there isnt much to do.

But now I must move on to the reason that I fell for this house:

This cut out is my sole reason for wanting to demolish the office. Thinking about just making it a flat wall, even with the cutout.

After much discussion, the office will be staying for the time being until we adjust to the house. We may fix it up so that my wife can use it as an actual office. She is a teacher and finding a quiet place to work/focus when we have 2 little ones is a great challenge in our current situation.

As for what will be inside:
My DD:

and my "uncle's" Wagon that will be under my roof (claiming 9/10ths!):

I still have to move all of my tools and the cars over there. But the work must get done inside the house first.

On top of the new garage, we also have a new addition to the family. Our son was born on the 11th. So things have been fairly hectic so far this summer.

 

[RCman]

Looks great!
What are your plans for lights?
Any more details on that '65?

 

[dittle fart around]

Anyone who quotes old Curbside Classic articles can't be all bad. Loving the Studebakers.

 

[Ole_Red]

The previous owner put a bunch of mismatched lighting up. I will snag some pics tonight to show you what all is there. Above the workbenches he put up some fluorescent fixtures. I haven't really put much thought in to changing the lighting. Many of the bulbs just need to be replaced.

The 65 is a plain jane Commander. It has the original (rebuilt at some time) 283 "Thunderbolt" under the hood and the Borg Warner T12 "Flight-o-Matic". I plan to just get it running proper/reliable, paint it, and drive like hell. The tires are new and I painted the wheels.

 

[Ole_Red]

Anyone who quotes old Curbside Classic articles can't be all bad. Loving the Studebakers.

curbside classic? I am missing something here.... must be something from the blogs...

Thanks!

 

[JasonW]

I have a cut-out like that in my garage only it goes into my neighbor's bedroom. That's right, neighbor's bedroom. Hadn't seen one anywhere else. Mine too will go away one day. It is a useless space and the truck still doesn't fit.

 

[FrankieD]

Wow! That Commander has held up well! I got my drivers license in a '64 Commander in '73 and the doors were rusted out half way up back then. Good luck with the rebuild of a great car!

 

[SILVERPLATE]

Thanks for sharing. Keep us updated on your progress. Studebaker fan here, 1964 Studebaker Avanti R2...Mike

 

[Ole_Red]

I have a cut-out like that in my garage only it goes into my neighbor's bedroom. That's right, neighbor's bedroom. Hadn't seen one anywhere else. Mine too will go away one day. It is a useless space and the truck still doesn't fit.

Thats wild. It just doesnt make sense with the flow of the garage. Not only do I have to stop in time... but I have to aim for a box to fit my car in!

Wow! That Commander has held up well! I got my drivers license in a '64 Commander in '73 and the doors were rusted out half way up back then. Good luck with the rebuild of a great car!

The floors are pretty rough! Almost to Fred Flintstone stage on the drivers side. Fun little car though. Im sure that it will be more fun once I tackle the exhaust leak and over-heating issue. Buying the house and the new baby have really taken me away from working on the car.

Thanks for sharing. Keep us updated on your progress. Studebaker fan here, 1964 Studebaker Avanti R2...Mike

Nice Avanti. I never was big on them, but the more I look at them, the more I like them.

 

[Ole_Red]

Finally after weeks of moving and painting and remodeling, we are set to move in by this weekend. I can finally start organizing my garage and working on my cars at night. Hot Damn!

 

[JimVonBaden]

Looks like a nice place with a great two car garage that will actually fit two cars. Looks like storage overhead as well. Lots of potential!

Congrats on the new place, and the new son!

Jim

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Welcome Home and Congratulations!

Now, get busy (you only thought you've been - lol) and make that garage/shop your very own! Be sure to show us the plan, take plenty of pics to share here, and prepare to be inundated with 'helpful' suggestions on how to spend your spare cash and more.

 

[goodspeed]

MMMmmmmmm, studebaker.

We've had a few larks in our garage over the years, but, as of right now, there's two bulletnoses (a 50 and 51 I believe, but don't hold me to that), a '66 avanti II, and a 57 President Broadmoor wagon waiting their turn to be revived.

I have some fond memories of taking the Broadmoor to Studebaker shows with my father when I was ten or so, so that's the first to get running.

Personally, I'd like to find an old 'Stude truck body to toss on a modern chassis to pull my car trailer, but there are very few to choose from in my area (and by few, I mean one, which is half missing and far too expensive) so that's a pipe dream for now.

Anywho, I'll shut up now. Just trying to share the Studebaker love. Lol

 

[Ole_Red]

Looks like a nice place with a great two car garage that will actually fit two cars. Looks like storage overhead as well. Lots of potential!

Congrats on the new place, and the new son!
Jim

Thanks and Thanks! The storage overhead is going to be one of my projects. It currently is assorted planks and doors making up the floor. Very make shift and partially nailed down. Not sure how the old guy managed to get around up there without getting injured. I want to make it a bit more sturdy and uniform. Also want to hook up an attic fan or something to vent out the garage. Maybe even a hatch style skylight.

Welcome Home and Congratulations!

Now, get busy (you only thought you've been - lol) and make that garage/shop your very own! Be sure to show us the plan, take plenty of pics to share here, and prepare to be inundated with 'helpful' suggestions on how to spend your spare cash and more.

Im sure you all will have great ways to spend my cash! As of now my wife does a fairly good job with the suggestions. But I look forward to what you come up with

MMMmmmmmm, studebaker.

We've had a few larks in our garage over the years, but, as of right now, there's two bulletnoses (a 50 and 51 I believe, but don't hold me to that), a '66 avanti II, and a 57 President Broadmoor wagon waiting their turn to be revived.

I have some fond memories of taking the Broadmoor to Studebaker shows with my father when I was ten or so, so that's the first to get running.

Personally, I'd like to find an old 'Stude truck body to toss on a modern chassis to pull my car trailer, but there are very few to choose from in my area (and by few, I mean one, which is half missing and far too expensive) so that's a pipe dream for now.

Anywho, I'll shut up now. Just trying to share the Studebaker love. Lol

There was a pretty nice Broadmoor that was on the SDC Forum not too long ago that the owner ebayed. Killer wagon. There was one for sale locally that was in decent shape.

I really want parts of a Stude truck. I want the grill off of a Champ to swap in to the Lark Wagon. I also want the tailgate to hang on the wall to use as a work bench as seen somewhere on here... (i'll look to make sure that the person responsible for this idea gets his credit).

 

[goodspeed]

I use the bed section of a champ as a trailer to haul trash to the dump. We had a truck that was beyond gone from the cab forward, so we pinched the frame rails in, and welded a tongue onto it. Works great. I always wanted to use a studebaker tailgate as a coffee table.

Of course, being as that I'm a younger guy (24), none of my friends have any idea what Studebaker is. lol

 

[Ole_Red]

I use the bed section of a champ as a trailer to haul trash to the dump. We had a truck that was beyond gone from the cab forward, so we pinched the frame rails in, and welded a tongue onto it. Works great. I always wanted to use a studebaker tailgate as a coffee table.

Of course, being as that I'm a younger guy (24), none of my friends have any idea what Studebaker is. lol

I'm only 28, so maybe a few of them would know. I would love to use the Studebaker Tailgate as a coffee table, however, I dont think that the misses would approve!

So our house is finally getting situated and I can turn focus on to the garage. I am going to see if I can find some inexpensive fluorescent light fixtures to replace the miscellaneous ones that the PO used. Unless the bulbs aren't too outrageous.

I still havent had a chance to work on the car since getting in to our house. Little things around the house keep popping up though. Such as, when we flip the switch in my daughters room, the smoke detector (hardwired in) gives off a quick beep. We are currently going through the wiring on it. Hope to fix it tomorrow night. It scares the bajeebus out of the girl.

 

[uniballer]

I have a 65 studebaker cruiser, does anyone know where I can get a truck lid? I love it, 283, powerglide, 22,000 miles, I am second owner with all original paper work.

 

[Ole_Red]

I have a 65 studebaker cruiser, does anyone know where I can get a truck lid? I love it, 283, powerglide, 22,000 miles, I am second owner with all original paper work.

I assume that you mean trunk lid? If so, search hard. They are tough to come across. The story that I have heard was that the mold was damaged or lost during transport in 64. Essentially they made cars until they ran out of lids in 66. I happened to get lucky and the Previous-Previous-Owner had a spare that he has sent my way. I do plan on keeping the one I have and maybe getting it fixed since they are so rare. There was a 65 being parted down in Portland not too long ago and the trunk looked pretty decent on it.

Who put the powerglide in yours? I wasn't aware that they were a factory option. Any pics of yours?

 

[Ole_Red]

going to try to snap some detail pics of the garage tonight, including the hodge podge of lighting that the PO installed. I'm still trying to find a reasonably priced record player for the garage. Seems that the hipsters have deemed them worth their weight in gold.

 

[Ole_Red]

Here are a couple pictures of the current lighting. The fluorescents are above the work bench and the square unit is above the car. There are 2 square units in the garage, one above my 65 and one in the office area.

I need to pick up new bulbs for the square fixtures as the ones that were in them were pretty well burnt out. In other areas of the garage, the PO installed single bulb fixtures. There are about 6 or 7 of them. Down the line I hope to replace them all.

I also need to come up with a way to better ventilate the garage. As of now it gets rather hot and stuffy in there during the day. Was thinking about skylights, the kind that crank open. I have seen them on Craigslist from time to time. May be an easy way to get air in without opening the doors. Neighborhood cats seem to enjoy my garage. This morning I pulled out of the driveway and heard a loud hiss then 2 minutes down the road, a cat flew out of my window while I was going 25MPH! I was pretty shocked to say the least lol I am also thinking about watching Craigslist for a door that has sliding window built in.

Newest picked up for my 65, the ever elusive trunk lid:

Was able to get the top sandblasted prior to delivery to me. Total cost $0.00! Said he would do the hood for me as well. Just need to get it off and taken to him! I do need to wire wheel or sand the under side of the lid for painting.

 

[don long]

Hello Red
I've seen you around the G.J. and thought I would drop in to see what you had going on

Congrats on the new addition to the family and the new garage
How did you get hooked on Studebakers being so young?
Good luck with your progects I'll be checking in from time to time
to see your progress
thanks for sharing
Don

 

[Ole_Red]

Hello Red
I've seen you around the G.J. and thought I would drop in to see what you had going on

Congrats on the new addition to the family and the new garage
How did you get hooked on Studebakers being so young?
Good luck with your progects I'll be checking in from time to time
to see your progress
thanks for sharing
Don

Thanks Don. I have always been in to old cars. My uncle used to take me to any show that I wanted to go to in the state. Once I saw his Studebaker, I was hooked. I had a dream last night that I had 6 of em parked in my driveway and my wife wasn't complaining!

I am currently torn on my 65. I want to get the wagon to my house but do not have room. I may sell the 65 to get the 60 in my Hut. We are planning on getting a second family hauler (read: something more reliable). I know that it needs the transmission rebuilt, floors patched or replaced, exhaust leak fixed, and new trunk lid put on. I may at least sand it down and primer it before I sell it, if that is the route I end up going. I need to talk with my uncle and see where his head is at regarding the 60, most likely in pipe dreams.

I finally scored a record player last night. After 2 months of searching for the right unit, I stumbled on one tucked back behind the modern stereo equipment at Goodwill. Price? $14.99. Even has auxiliary inputs. Bonus.

The record player on top is one that was given to me by my inlaws when we moved. It is the type that needs to hook in to a Stereo unit to work. Does not have its own power supply. The new stereo has the appropriate hook up. So now I have two players in case one fails! Going to put the top one in the cupboard for safe keeping. The kids started coming unglued while we were there so I was unable to pick up some speakers, hopefully this weekend.

The work area started to get organized:

I know this still looks like an absolute mess, and you are correct. But it is about 95% better than what it did look like. I still have a bunch of stuff to bring up here from my mom's old garage.

Little by little it is getting there.

 

[Ole_Red]

Well it is getting to a point where I can work comfortably in there. Slowly our stuff is getting settled and issues inside the house are getting taken care of. In the past month we have had furnace issues and water on our electrical panel. Luckily the furnace was a tripped fuse or something in the furnace itself. The water in the panel became an issue Thanksgiving morning. It is being replaced on Saturday morning. The old Zinsco which we planned to replace next summer will be replaced. Once the old one is out we will be able to figure out where the water was coming from.

As for the garage, the new upright freezer is coming in January/February. We will be painting the door with chalkboard paint so that we can keep track of what is in it. The beer fridge is coming this weekend. Replacing the current with something a little larger that my FIL has been borrowing. Then I will start working on the shelving and better organizing things. I need to designate an area for my gardening tools and seedling grow-op.

In other news, I will be selling my 65 in favor of getting the wagon moved in to my garage. The wheels and tires will be swapped on the two. The trans went out last month on my way home from work. Was a really reliable car until that point. Will have the original hubcaps put back on.

 

[Ole_Red]

No real progress. Still waiting on tax refund for the freezer purchase. The 65 Stude was parked on the street last night with the for sale sign on it. Was hoping to sell it through Craigslist or the Studebaker Forum that I belong to.

Current projects are to finish the office area so that it is a bit nicer and inviting for my wife to do her work. This includes insulation in the walls since it has none and a new wall or space heater. Lighting may also be improved.

 

[Ole_Red]

Current pic looking into the garage :http://i.imgur.com/WKjgJMw.jpg

Recently started an overhaul on the garden and front yard. So the garage wont be getting much anytime soon, at least not in the current plans. Tearing out the grass in the front in favor of stuff we can eat and that we can just let grow. The garden is getting tarped off to kill everything. Starting fresh next year.

I do hope to have one garage project completed by Christmas/New Years: The Kegerator. We received a full size fridge from a job the my FIL was doing. Getting a few odds and ends from other relatives to put it together.

Also picked up a pair of 4' t12 fixtures from a free group that I belong to on craigslist. One will go up in the office to replace the old Mogul style fixtures that are in there. Excited to get some decent lighting in there. One will be hung above the Studebaker so that I can get some light up in front of it.

I am thinking about sheetrocking the ceiling in the garage to brighten it up and trap some heat(when its on) in the lower half during the winter. Right now it is bare rafters with a hodgepodge of boards/doors(!) on top that will be replaced.

Is there a certain thickness of drywall that I should be looking at for this? Simple ceiling in a detached garage.

 

[Bib Overalls]

The rule of thumb is 1/2" drywall when the joists are 16" on center and 5/8" when the joists are 24" on center. If your joists are further apart than that or if they are not parallel or on the money when it comes to spacing consider strapping the ceiling. When it comes to hanging drywall framing that is not consistently spaced on the module and/or not parallel it requires a lot of cutting and results in wasted time and material.

 

[Ole_Red]

The rule of thumb is 1/2" drywall when the joists are 16" on center and 5/8" when the joists are 24" on center. If your joists are further apart than that or if they are not parallel or on the money when it comes to spacing consider strapping the ceiling. When it comes to hanging drywall framing that is not consistently spaced on the module and/or not parallel it requires a lot of cutting and results in wasted time and material.

Mine are looking to be 24" on center. If they werent consistently spaced, would you suggest plywood?

In other news, I have finally started to plow through my Coast King build that I started about 3 years ago.

is where I was at yesterday afternoon. I had all the parts sandblasted and taken to bare metal. Everything is going together fairly smoothly. I mounter the fork and handlebars last night. Tonight I am putting the crank and pedals back together. The pedals and handlebars still need to be replaced at some point but I havent quite found what I am looking for. The fact that I am almost to a point where I can ride it again has me stoked!

 

[Bib Overalls]

Mine are looking to be 24" on center. If they weren't consistently spaced, would you suggest plywood?

With plywood or drywall you want the **** edge (usually 48") to fall on the center of a joist (or stud in a wall). If the joist is not on the module, that is 16" or 24" on center, square and parallel, there are several ways to hang the ceiling.

Sometimes you can get well by sistering 2"x4" blocks to the joists. This is rather common in new construction if one or a couple of joists are off.

Or, you can trim the plywood or drywall to match the spacing. This results in a lot of waist (almost 25% when using 4'x8' sheets) and it is time intensive.

I have seen ceilings where the "floating edge" is secured to a 1" thick board on the top side that is secured with screws and glue (almost impossible to nail). The board should be about 4" wide and long enough to extend over the adjacent sheets. This is labor intensive.

Strapping the ceiling with 1"x4" boards 16" or 24" on center is the solution I recommend. Doing it this way gives you a very flat, structurally sound ceiling. I prefer drywall over plywood. First, it is a fire barrier. Second, it is cheaper than most plywood and third, you can get it in longer lengths.

As a note, this is a good way to get an exceptionally flat ceiling in a remodel when removing the old ceiling is not part of the job.

 

[Ole_Red]

Never did get around to the drywall in the shop. Still a some day project as time and money permits.

Since my last post....

Office was redone in the garage and is usable. Got this done last winter. New can lights, paint, heater freshened up, blinds, desk.... the better half was very happy.

Built shelving on both sides of the garage. Still have a bit more to add. Helped clean things up and better organize my mess. Started cleaning up and selling stuff that I had been holding on to for years... tools, memorabilia, vinyl, video games, stereo equipment etc.

Built a chicken coop. 4' x 8' coop that is 24" off the ground. Working on adding cover to the run currently to cut down on mud. Work in progress.

The '60 wagon is still in there, finally getting around to working on it. Got a second engine for it that was supposedly rebuilt within 30k miles. Came in boxes. Previous owner tore it down for some reason.

Picked up a '78 Ford F150 Ranger Lariat as another project. 460/C6 2WD Long Box. Fun truck. Slowly fixing this one up. Ripping all the original AC/Heat equipment out and putting in a Mojave system. The original equipment was seized and non-op for me.

One issue I am having...
I put up some light fixtures finally and have noticed since the temps have dropped that they work intermittently. They are 4ft fluorescent tube fixtures. All brand new bulbs. Now when I hit the switch, the ends start to glow but nothing comes on. If I leave them on that way they eventually turn on. Sometimes if I turn off and on a couple of times they come on.. but, it is more of a waiting game. Is this normal with fluorescent bulbs? Would really like some consistent light out there so that I can work more.

 

[wasfast]

yes, cold start is a common issue with standard fluorescent fixtures, particularly older versions.

 

[Ole_Red]

yes, cold start is a common issue with standard fluorescent fixtures, particularly older versions.

Good to know. Maybe I should look to upgrade to LED fixtures one of these days.