53k
Commander Member
USA
2347 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2010 : 6:30:16 PM
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Under the skin of this stock appearing '48 Commander lies the complete
running gear of a Ford Ranger. The owner, Paul Thrush of Catlett,
Virginia, is about the cleverest man I know. Several years ago he
prepared his 3R5 pickup for our Potomac Chapter Route 66 Trip by
putting a 10hp Briggs electric start engine, an a/c compressor and a
condensor in a box in the bed of his truck so he could be air
conditioned on the long trip (worked beautifully- we knew when he
turned on the a/c as we drove from the puff of smoke form the Briggs). About
two years ago he decided to build a Studebaker car to his personal
taste- not for show, just for his comfort. He found a solid '48
Commander with a bad engine so he just put the whole body right on a
Ford Ranger chassis he had. He wanted the 40s look, but with power
steering, a/c, cruise, etc, but wasn't interested in doing rod stuff.
He completed the car last year, but was very seriously ill through the
fall and winter (lung removed, pneunomia- intensive care for several
months). A couple weeks ago he called me and said that he and Dorothy
would come see us off at our Spring Tour starting point. Of course were
delighted that he was well enough to make it out and he did. When he
got to the meeting point I asked him if he would like to tour with us
to our lunch stop, about 70 miles away, and he accepted. It turned out
this trip was really his first time away from home since his helath
episode. It did him all of us a lot of good to see him back.
Notice the neat job he did in moving the gas door from the rear of the left rear fender to the front of it.
Paul
Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64
Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62
Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430
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