Never a problem hearing from friends!
I'm not done yet, but I will have to go back to work one of these days so it will slow down somewhat when that happens. Thank you so much for the compliment.Thomas
Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop
- Thread starter BB767
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
Never a problem hearing from friends!
I'm not done yet, but I will have to go back to work one of these days so it will slow down somewhat when that happens. Thank you so much for the compliment.Thomas
markviii
Well-known member
Most of my family is reading this thread and enjoying it thoroughly. And I was never part of a "litter", though with that many girls in the house, you might imagine some cat fights! My younger sisters range from 1.5 years to 18 years younger than me and are all married and as involved in their lives/businesses as we are with ours. Telling them what we've been doing now comes to life for them by being able to see the changes (for example, telling them we recycled over 40 tons of metal and 200+ tires off the property is hard to understand). My parents haven't been to see the property since we first bought it, so the transformation is hard even to imagine for them, but better to show in pictures than to tell in words. Isn't that why we did Show and Tell in elementary school?
Frank K-
Do you ever go to the Route 66 Mother Road Festival in SPI in September? We try to go every year. Some of us in our Midwest LCOC chapter usually gathers there with our cars. Also at the Secretary of State's meet. We actually take our 66 Continental coupe to these (my Mark doesn't fit the 60s profile!).
rrudd2 - what years do you have (first or second generation)? Are you in LCOC(Lincoln&Continental Owners Club) (it's been on the cover of the journal)?
Mine finally turned over 13000 this past summer. I do drive it to shows when possible (just not when hail is a possibility - so only two shows trailered since 2003) and we put it to bed around the end of October before snow/cold comes (we get too much "salt" applied to the roads with winter ice/snow and don't want to risk that).
My Mark will love its new home out at the property. Right now it sits beautifully (is there any other way?) in the brick garage by our current home - where it may just continue to stay until we build our house near the shop. I like having it near for fast get aways. Every time I take it out, it draws stares and questions - what kind? how old? who makes it? where can I get one? Is it for sale? 1998 was a bad year for car companies discontinuing great cars like this model and the Riviera (it has great lines, too). The car companies definitely lost their way in terms of design and customer appeal.
Chris
Frank K-
Do you ever go to the Route 66 Mother Road Festival in SPI in September? We try to go every year. Some of us in our Midwest LCOC chapter usually gathers there with our cars. Also at the Secretary of State's meet. We actually take our 66 Continental coupe to these (my Mark doesn't fit the 60s profile!).
rrudd2 - what years do you have (first or second generation)? Are you in LCOC(Lincoln&Continental Owners Club) (it's been on the cover of the journal)?
Mine finally turned over 13000 this past summer. I do drive it to shows when possible (just not when hail is a possibility - so only two shows trailered since 2003) and we put it to bed around the end of October before snow/cold comes (we get too much "salt" applied to the roads with winter ice/snow and don't want to risk that).
My Mark will love its new home out at the property. Right now it sits beautifully (is there any other way?) in the brick garage by our current home - where it may just continue to stay until we build our house near the shop. I like having it near for fast get aways. Every time I take it out, it draws stares and questions - what kind? how old? who makes it? where can I get one? Is it for sale? 1998 was a bad year for car companies discontinuing great cars like this model and the Riviera (it has great lines, too). The car companies definitely lost their way in terms of design and customer appeal.
Chris
markviii
Well-known member
Also, none of us were "prissy girls" needing to primp in front of the mirror for any length of time. Dad was smart (hesays) . He got the full bath most of the time (his reading room) and we all shared the 1/2 bath, scheduling shower/bath time for Dad's bathroom. It worked (I actually never thought about it until after college - where I had to share a bathroom with 6 toilet stalls, 6 shower stalls and one tub on the dorm floor with 50 other girls - alot worse than back home!). How did other big families manage back in the 50s/60s with only one bathroom in the house? It was unusual for there to be 2 full bathrooms, even with large families - I certainly didn't know anyone with 2 bathrooms until I was in high school. You make do with what you have.
Chris
Chris
Steve from Socal
Well-known member
Thomas,
You have a few records!!! If you ever get board with you library consider Pandora or Rhapsody. I have Pandora streaming to my 1960's stereo receiver in the garage and it was one of the best "quality of life" additions I have made. I have very eclectic taste in music from Jazz and big bands to punk rock. I too find period music to be most apt in many cases.
Do you have an internet connection in the "shop" I find it very handy to look up stuff in a hurry. So much so that most of my printed materials are just archival copies at this point. I have all of my service and parts manuals on the computer.
Steve
You have a few records!!! If you ever get board with you library consider Pandora or Rhapsody. I have Pandora streaming to my 1960's stereo receiver in the garage and it was one of the best "quality of life" additions I have made. I have very eclectic taste in music from Jazz and big bands to punk rock. I too find period music to be most apt in many cases.
Do you have an internet connection in the "shop" I find it very handy to look up stuff in a hurry. So much so that most of my printed materials are just archival copies at this point. I have all of my service and parts manuals on the computer.
Steve
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Yup and see the best part Tom, is my memory is only 100 days long, so after that it's like I'm hearing them all over again for the first time.
Thomas.
No, no internet connection. The shop is located out in the weeds. Besides if I had a computer out there.........
........what would I do with all of these?? A gazillion, bazillion of these got left. I put them all in sealed Rubbermaid plastic tubs in 2006 when they got cleared out and this is the first I've had even a few out. I have no clue as to what manuals are there. How do you keep your keyboard clean when your hands are a greasy??
With these you can just smear the pages. I'd think that would be much more satisfying. Thomas
Steve from Socal
Well-known member
Thomas,
A plastic bag works great on a key board or saran wrap. Remember flipping through pages in Jepps binders; just like glass cockpits you will take to the digital age in the garage quite well. Yes there are some things that are not on line but I have found everything from a parts manual for a 1941 K&T milling machine to a Hein-Warner floor jack.
By the way that steel prices book MAY be a bit out of date
One more thing; it is a hot topic here but I have used nitrile gloves for the past 15 years or so and highly recommend them.
Steve
A plastic bag works great on a key board or saran wrap. Remember flipping through pages in Jepps binders; just like glass cockpits you will take to the digital age in the garage quite well. Yes there are some things that are not on line but I have found everything from a parts manual for a 1941 K&T milling machine to a Hein-Warner floor jack.
By the way that steel prices book MAY be a bit out of date
One more thing; it is a hot topic here but I have used nitrile gloves for the past 15 years or so and highly recommend them.
Steve
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Thomas,
A plastic bag works great on a key board or saran wrap. Remember flipping through pages in Jepps binders; just like glass cockpits you will take to the digital age in the garage quite well. Yes there are some things that are not on line but I have found everything from a parts manual for a 1941 K&T milling machine to a Hein-Warner floor jack.
By the way that steel prices book MAY be a bit out of date
Steve
We've got EFB's coming, already have several installed in the fleet and they are in a word.....Awesome!! How do they get all those pages crammed into that display I'll never know. Soon no more flipping through Jepps for us!!
EFB = Electronic Flight Bag..........no more paper charts, maps, approach plates, flight and ops manuals. Know those little square, black bags you see pilots carrying around? They contain about 45 lbs of paper navigation material that needs to be updated every 2 weeks or so. It's a royal pain in the ..... well, you know.
oops.. we're off topic.....again!
Thomas
Frank K
New member
Chris,
No on going to the Mother Road Festival, never been to it because our shop is only 10 miles North of Springfield, and we have LOTS of vistiors of our own all weekend long.
As for the Secretary of State Show, Its one of my favorites,especially the swap meet part,(even if my wife says I bring home too much junk....errr..merchandise.)
No on going to the Mother Road Festival, never been to it because our shop is only 10 miles North of Springfield, and we have LOTS of vistiors of our own all weekend long.
As for the Secretary of State Show, Its one of my favorites,especially the swap meet part,(even if my wife says I bring home too much junk....errr..merchandise.)
markviii
Well-known member
Frank,
If we go, maybe we'll have time to stop by your place - just another tourist.
Chris
If we go, maybe we'll have time to stop by your place - just another tourist.
Chris
BMPracing
New member
Thomas
What a great job you and your son did on the place
Been reading this for a week and only up to page 20 keep getting sidetracked with all the links to planes, cars and tools
Don't think I will ever finish my 1945 Packing shed I got in 96 kids around here are about worthless
Keep up the good work
Bill
What a great job you and your son did on the place
Been reading this for a week and only up to page 20 keep getting sidetracked with all the links to planes, cars and tools
Don't think I will ever finish my 1945 Packing shed I got in 96 kids around here are about worthless
Keep up the good work
Bill
rrudd2
Well-known member
I've got a 97 and two 93's, so I have both generations covered. They are all driven regularly. Up until very recently, I spent most of my time following my high school aged children around to sporting events, scholastic competitions and performances. They're all in college now, so I'm in transition.
I'm not a member of LCOC. I follow the Lincoln community on-line. There are a few excellent web sites devoted to the Mark VIII.
I completely agree with you on the car companies loosing their way in the late 90's. I hope to keep my Mark's running for a long time, because there is nothing in the market now that appeals to me like they do. Eventually, I hope to acquire my Uncle's 98 Mark VIII, which is somewhat of a garage queen. That *may* become my summer car and get stored away each year as winter approaches.
intimadatorsquizz
Well-known member
wow that's awesome. great work on restoring that garage
Enloe
Well-known member
i love this thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dkramer
Well-known member
No, no internet connection. The shop is located out in the weeds. Besides if I had a computer out there.........
........what would I do with all of these?? A gazillion, bazillion of these got left. I put them all in sealed Rubbermaid plastic tubs in 2006 when they got cleared out and this is the first I've had even a few out. I have no clue as to what manuals are there. How do you keep your keyboard clean when your hands are a greasy??
Thomas
Nice job on the remodel. Love the shop.
Boy if only the guys in parts houses new how to use the old books instead of a computer you could actually get the part you were looking for.
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Since I have VCT tile floors I need to protect them or they will get damaged. Put a loaded jack stand or a loaded floor jack for that matter on the tile unprotected and it will leave an impression in the tile. I also need to protect the tile when welding as the welding " BB's " will burn the tile too. Do that very often and the floors will start to look pretty rough. As you've seen, I use 4' X 8' sheets of 1/4" Masonite for floor protection. They are fairly light weight and easy for one person to handle. It really does the job protecting the tile. The sheets are rather large and ungainly however. What do you do with them when you're not using them? I keep 5 sheets of Masonite on hand and this is my storage solution.
Look at the wood strip on the left side of the shelving unit. Note there are two shelving units back to back.
I stack the sheets on end.
Since the shelving units are back to back they measure on the end, 4' wide and 7' tall. This provides a surface to lean the sheets against. The wood bracket keeps them from flopping over.
The foot print on the shop floor taken up by the Masonite is just a few inches doing it this way. I also store my sheet cardboard in front of the Masonite. I didn't have the wood bracket extend all the way to the floor. If there is much moisture on the floor from moping, cleaning or anything, the bottom of the backet won't get damaged by keeping it up slightly.
Top view. The wood bracket is 3/4" plywood, mitered on both corners.
The bracket was bolted to the shelves with carriage head bolts seen on the left. When they were tightened they just crushed into the plywood. On the right are flat head sheet metal screws. These were screwed to 2 X 4's inside the corner.
Here's an view inside. You can see the plywood end grain on the left. 2 X 4's were used to back up the plywood in the corner and strengthen the corner joint also.
Another view. To aid the sheets sliding in, the 2 X 4's were cut on a 45 degree angle. Everything was glued prior to assembly and then the screws helped clamp it all together as the glue dried. The plywood was stained to match the shop trim and finished with polyurethane for durability.
It's easy to access the sheets from the side. They just slide in or out. The treated wood the sheets rest on, keeps the floor from getting scuffed as the sheets slide.
Here cardboard sheets are stacked in front of the Masonite. This system works out extremely well. Inexpensive to fabricate, somewhat elegant in it's tidy appearance. It's convenient and easy for one person to slide sheets in or out. Because it's so easy, I never find myself thinking it's too much of a hassle to get either cardboard or Masonite out. I'm sure something similar has been used many times before. This is just how I adapted it to fit my needs and my shop. I'm a happy camper!
There is still more on the way............
Thomas
Look at the wood strip on the left side of the shelving unit. Note there are two shelving units back to back.
I stack the sheets on end.
Since the shelving units are back to back they measure on the end, 4' wide and 7' tall. This provides a surface to lean the sheets against. The wood bracket keeps them from flopping over.
The foot print on the shop floor taken up by the Masonite is just a few inches doing it this way. I also store my sheet cardboard in front of the Masonite. I didn't have the wood bracket extend all the way to the floor. If there is much moisture on the floor from moping, cleaning or anything, the bottom of the backet won't get damaged by keeping it up slightly.
Top view. The wood bracket is 3/4" plywood, mitered on both corners.
The bracket was bolted to the shelves with carriage head bolts seen on the left. When they were tightened they just crushed into the plywood. On the right are flat head sheet metal screws. These were screwed to 2 X 4's inside the corner.
Here's an view inside. You can see the plywood end grain on the left. 2 X 4's were used to back up the plywood in the corner and strengthen the corner joint also.
Another view. To aid the sheets sliding in, the 2 X 4's were cut on a 45 degree angle. Everything was glued prior to assembly and then the screws helped clamp it all together as the glue dried. The plywood was stained to match the shop trim and finished with polyurethane for durability.
It's easy to access the sheets from the side. They just slide in or out. The treated wood the sheets rest on, keeps the floor from getting scuffed as the sheets slide.
Here cardboard sheets are stacked in front of the Masonite. This system works out extremely well. Inexpensive to fabricate, somewhat elegant in it's tidy appearance. It's convenient and easy for one person to slide sheets in or out. Because it's so easy, I never find myself thinking it's too much of a hassle to get either cardboard or Masonite out. I'm sure something similar has been used many times before. This is just how I adapted it to fit my needs and my shop. I'm a happy camper!
There is still more on the way............
Thomas
Welcome Bill and thanks. Maybe it's just me, but I feel there are still pockets of " good old fashion work ethic " around. The Midwest is one of them, but it is getting harder I agree. I am very fortunate he puts up with me!
BTW, love your avatar!! That would look really great as a '66 Chevy II I'm thinkin' !
Thomas
No excuse, www.wildblue.com
The assumption being that I would want one out there of course
Naaaah I'm thinking not, but thanks anyway. Thomas
nitro crew chief
Member
As Tom's neighbor and a visitor to the shop a few times, all I can say is the pictures don't tell the entire story, it's a jewel of a shop. Tom does great work and has thought every inch of the shop out. I helped with the L-79 Nova and working in the shop was a dream, lots of great music, plenty of room to move and lots of work benches.
I've enjoyed reading through the posts and seeing the projest too. For years I always wondered what was hiding in those trees and brush that buried the old shop.
As I've told you before Tom, job well done, and it's a pleasure to be your neighbor.
I've enjoyed reading through the posts and seeing the projest too. For years I always wondered what was hiding in those trees and brush that buried the old shop.
As I've told you before Tom, job well done, and it's a pleasure to be your neighbor.
BMPracing
New member
Welcome Bill and thanks. Maybe it's just me, but I feel there are still pockets of " good old fashion work ethic " around. The Midwest is one of them, but it is getting harder I agree. I am very fortunate he puts up with me!
BTW, love your avatar!! That would look really great as a '66 Chevy II I'm thinkin' !
Thomas
Thanks
avatar kinda goes with this
nitro crew chief not only sets up a heck of a hard running nostalgia nitro funny car, but he's a pretty good photographer. He's the guy behind the camera taking the picture of the L79 being installed, page 31, Post# 608. The guy to my right in that picture was a little camera shy and that's how it got resolved.
Thomas
full disclosure statement: I paid him money to write that about me.
Here are a few more articles removed from the shop. There were boxes of various publications. Most survived in good condition.
One of the sons drag raced so there are boxes of National Dragster and performance catalogs.
Several performance enthusiast publications of course. Many years of Motor Age publications date from the late 40's. I don't know what the "newest" ones are, haven't looked through them yet.
The Automotive Digest pubs date from the late '40's to don't know. These are fascinating to look through. They are written for automotive shop owners and have articles about servicing various aspects of cars from late 1940's and older. The ads for shop equipment are wonderful. When I get a chance, I'd love to find ads for some of my old equipment back when it was "state of art".
These are wheel/axle nuts from 1930's cars?
Threaded fine thread inside.
I don't know the cars they belong to. This one DB = ? Duesenberg?
???????
Dwell Tach Meters
A Heath Kit condenser tester
You knew there would be just a few hubcaps and these are just a few.
One of Sun Machines. Don't know what the spline/geared shaft laying on it was from. Tractor from the heft of it. None of these items were cleaned, just photographed in a raw state.
Thomas
One of the sons drag raced so there are boxes of National Dragster and performance catalogs.
Several performance enthusiast publications of course. Many years of Motor Age publications date from the late 40's. I don't know what the "newest" ones are, haven't looked through them yet.
The Automotive Digest pubs date from the late '40's to don't know. These are fascinating to look through. They are written for automotive shop owners and have articles about servicing various aspects of cars from late 1940's and older. The ads for shop equipment are wonderful. When I get a chance, I'd love to find ads for some of my old equipment back when it was "state of art".
These are wheel/axle nuts from 1930's cars?
Threaded fine thread inside.
I don't know the cars they belong to. This one DB = ? Duesenberg?
???????
Dwell Tach Meters
A Heath Kit condenser tester
You knew there would be just a few hubcaps and these are just a few.
One of Sun Machines. Don't know what the spline/geared shaft laying on it was from. Tractor from the heft of it. None of these items were cleaned, just photographed in a raw state.
Thomas
3798j
Well-known member
Pretty sure that interlocking "DB" hub cap is actually - Dodge Brothers.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Yes, Dodge Brothers for sure. Don't know about the 'S' cap, possibly Studebaker?
The assumption being that I would want one out there of course
Thomas
Yeah, I figured
. Love those old mags, love to read some of that stuffEnloe
Well-known member
you going to restore the Sun machine and put it in the shop?
Grizz1963
Well-known member
This pic really drew my eye in....
My bus will ultimately be painted in Sinclair Oil Corp colours, I actually got permission from their legal dept.
So oil bottles like these, which yu do not get in the UK, interest me massively.
Again, the whole set of pics gave me a thrill.
My bus will ultimately be painted in Sinclair Oil Corp colours, I actually got permission from their legal dept.
So oil bottles like these, which yu do not get in the UK, interest me massively.
Again, the whole set of pics gave me a thrill.
One of Sun Machines. Don't know what the spline/geared shaft laying on it was from. Tractor from the heft of it. None of these items were cleaned, just photographed in a raw state.
Thomas
Looks like a 540rpm PTO shaft, but no clue what it's from.
What happened that that Farmall M tractor that was in the tool shed?
I thought it was a PTO but wasn't sure, thanks bindernut. I really don't know all that much about full size tractors, only that I like 'em.
I'll look to see if it has any markings sometime down the road when I start cleaning items out of the buildings I'm removing.
Here is the " M " soon after I bought the property. This was one of the last projects done buy Mr. Johnson in the shop. It was his personal tractor and he did a mechanical and visual restoration of it back in the early 80's and then it got parked here in the tool shed. You can see the paint on the exhaust stack is not even burned. There were a couple of implements that went with it. I think it was a four bottom plow and a disc.
This is early spring '06. This is the first time it had seen daylight in over 20 years. Brakes were locked up and tires low on air but we got it rolling finally. It looked complete. It had the raised letter Farmall name plate on the front detailed out, decals looked new. I even found the lights that attach under the steering column. You can see the mount for them are on the tractor. Found the correct wheel weights and a left over can of paint. Doubt that was much good though. Never did try to start it, one of the sons wanted it and he towed it off into the sunset.
It's now just a few miles from the shop. I may have a couple more pictures of it. I'll post them when I come across them. 
There was also this medium size 4 cylinder Case tractor with a bucket left on the property. I have several pictures of it and will post them soon. As I recall I had a hard time finding the data plate. If anyone call tell from the picture any information about it, please post it. The above two pictures are a couple of early shots from inside the tool shed. Lots of AG items in there. More material in the works............
Thomas
Of course that makes sense. I'd forgotten that's how the early Dodges were referred to. Probably not too many Duesenbergs cruisin' round these parts anyway I suspect! Thanks guys.
Thomas
ihredo4
Well-known member
The Case tractor looks like a 430 to me. I am not real up on the Case so its just a guess. The tag should be behind the loader brackets on the left side I think. It may be on a plate attached to the dash also. Just dont know for sure.
ghnl
Well-known member
As many have said, this is a very enjoyable thread.
This brought back some great memories for me. My Dad was a pilot for Northeast Airlines (later bought out by Delta). When I was kid (early 1960's) he would occasionally take me with him to work. I recall going to a big room at Logan airport (Boston, MA) where there'd be guys on ladders manually updating weather conditions on a huge map that took up one wall. Dad would gather the info he needed before we headed out. We'd fly from BOS to LGA, have lunch at the AutoMat Cafeteria, then go to PHL or BWI and be home in time for dinner. I got to ride in the jump seat in the cockpit and the stewardesses would all make a fuss over me..
My Dad had trained as an airframe mechanic in the 1940's. He joined the Army Air Corps when WW2 broke out and the Army trained him as a pilot. He flew C-47's in the India-Burma-China theater - flying over the Himalayan Mountains. He retired in the 1970's as a Captain for Delta - so he learned to fly in fabric covered biplanes and retired from flying 4 engine jets!
This brought back some great memories for me. My Dad was a pilot for Northeast Airlines (later bought out by Delta). When I was kid (early 1960's) he would occasionally take me with him to work. I recall going to a big room at Logan airport (Boston, MA) where there'd be guys on ladders manually updating weather conditions on a huge map that took up one wall. Dad would gather the info he needed before we headed out. We'd fly from BOS to LGA, have lunch at the AutoMat Cafeteria, then go to PHL or BWI and be home in time for dinner. I got to ride in the jump seat in the cockpit and the stewardesses would all make a fuss over me..
My Dad had trained as an airframe mechanic in the 1940's. He joined the Army Air Corps when WW2 broke out and the Army trained him as a pilot. He flew C-47's in the India-Burma-China theater - flying over the Himalayan Mountains. He retired in the 1970's as a Captain for Delta - so he learned to fly in fabric covered biplanes and retired from flying 4 engine jets!
Nuts
Well-known member
Wow what a read, I'm duly impressed
Hub caps are Dodge Brothers and Studebaker.
Back many posts above, you showed a pic of a horseshoe. I'll bet that the horseshoe was a gift for when that section was built. or the business started. Its a good luck charm, nailed upside down to catch the luck. On the same intent as the first dollar made framed on a wall.
Nuts
Hub caps are Dodge Brothers and Studebaker.
Back many posts above, you showed a pic of a horseshoe. I'll bet that the horseshoe was a gift for when that section was built. or the business started. Its a good luck charm, nailed upside down to catch the luck. On the same intent as the first dollar made framed on a wall.
Nuts
That is actually an H, somewhat smaller than an M. an M was around 39 pto HP, and the H was 26 or 28. Looks nice though, electric start, hydraulics, pto, lights, belt pulley distributor instead of a magneto. Pretty much all the options except a wide front. What happened to the plow?
Thanks
Mark
BTW, I have both an H & an M.
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Hello everybody, pto shafts are 6 or 21 splines, Iwould rather think of a gearbox shaft where such long splines are used to pile gears syncronisers....
The beveled gear at the right end indicates an old gearbox or an economical one as the the straight teeth would be noisy.
Very interesting thread and please do not stop digging in rusty things
The beveled gear at the right end indicates an old gearbox or an economical one as the the straight teeth would be noisy.
Very interesting thread and please do not stop digging in rusty things
Yeah, I figured
I´m with you about reading the old publications. Wealth of information in there and the ads are just a bonus. Once you start they´re hard to put down.
Thomas
When I get to it I´ll take a closer look at it. It´s from the same era as the distributor machine, a Sun 600 and they would make a great matched pair. You´ve probably seen in some of the lift room pictures I´ve got a newer Sun from the early 70´s that works perfectly and has more capabilities than the earlier one. I´ve got room to store it for now and will decide where it´ll wind up later. Stay in touch.
Thomas
What a wonderful legacy Eric. A golden era for sure, never to be seen again. While I didn´t do any training in a biplane my commercial training was in an Aeronca 7EC which is a fabric covered, tail wheel aircraft from the 1940´s and had a coffee grinder style radio. I´ll probably end my commercial flying in a 767.
I hope you recorded your father´s memories on video or at least taped them. His life story would make fantastic reading from start to finish.
Thanks for the memories.
Thomas
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The only thing about the horse shoe Nuts, is that it´s a really old, rust pitted one, that from the looks of it, was buried in the ground for a long time. Nobody knows so I guess that´s one story that will be lost to history.
The S hub cap being from a Studebaker sounds right. Farmers liked them because they were so solid and dependable. Many area framers around here drove them, including I might add, Mr. Johnson. The family car was a Studebaker from the 50´s and they kept it until it was replaced with a mid 70´s Caprice.
Thomas