first drive, finally

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thom

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
132
Location
western NC
I drove my '55 Studebaker truck to the local muffler shop this morning with nothing but the manifolds. I'm too old for that, I now know. The drive home was a whole lot more pleasant. I had the vacuum line to the trans modulator hooked to the wrong port so it wouldn't upshift till I rehooked it. The brakes need to be bled again and I believe all will be ok.
 

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Every time I take a first drive I go over the whole vehicle in my mind, going down the road. Did I tighten this? Did I fill up that? If it quits on me, what do I check first? I listen for squeaks and rattles. If someone lit a firecracker I would probably need clean shorts.
 
Congrats! [cl[cl[cl[cl The old Stude is looking good! The more miles you put on it, the more you'll find you want to do to it. Just don't tear it apart again any time soon, you'll be kicking yourself for not being able to drive it!:D
 
Congratulations on the first run.
That is a pretty small list of things to fix so you get high marks.

I've got to argue with you Tripper, The real fun is building a hotrod; driving it is secondary. :D:D
 
Congrats on the first ride. Lookin' great!


I must be in the MM camp, as I an already thinking about the next build more than the current one.
 
Unless something mechanical goes wrong and I have to fix it, the truck is finished. It has taken 62 years for the paint and patina to get the way I like it and I have no intention of changing it. The factory metal bed floor has been changed out for cedar boards and I plan to sand and seal them. Otherwise it will get washed and the oil will get changed every 3K, more or less.
 
Isn't it just the best feeling to take something you worked on and actually be able to put it in gear and drive down the road.........especially for that first drive ? It never gets old.

Great looking pickup, now drive the wheels off of it ! [cl
 
Nice ride, you done good.
The only thing better than going for the first ride is to make back to the house without any major events.

ENJOY!!!
 
I'm getting the issues worked out. I had a vibration that I thought was coming from the right rear wheel/tire. I had a buddy drive along behind and beside me on the four-lane and we figured out that the trouble was actually in the front. Turns out the center holes in the wheels don't quite fit over the front rotor hubs. They were only being held from "going up" by a few thousandths but that was enough to create some wobble. I put some spacers behind the front wheels and now it is smooth at 70+ MPH. I think I will enlarge the holes and eliminate the spacers.
 

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