On January 26/19, we held the first club event of the new year. Dave Card welcomed us to visit his workshop at his home in Pitt Meadows. Thirteen club members were able to attend. It turned out to be a clear January day and three members brought their Studebakers out for some exercise.
We were all impressed with Dave’s large shop and his varied collection of projects. He is currently working on a “frame-off restoration” of his Avanti. The body and the frame were separated, which made it easier to see the details of how the Avanti fiberglass body is put together and to appreciate the fine work Dave is doing. I know it will be a masterpiece when it is done.
Dave has a fully equipped shop with lathes, and even a milling machine that he is able to use to manufacture anything he needs from scratch. He showed us some examples of parts made from solid blocks of steel that are much superior to the original castings. A very skilled craftsman for sure!
Note Dave’s “Wedding Packard” in the rear awaiting some love and attention
Also in the shop is his ’55 Packard. It was their wedding car when Dave and Vera got married. Maybe it will even see some restoration some day. Have a look at the pictures and you will also see a Packard parts car in the yard that he has been saving for that very purpose. It has great “patina”!
Everyone was very envious of Dave’s “furnace room/ world problem solving room” on the end of the shop. In this room, he has installed a large wood fired boiler that is used to heat the shop and also his house. He has installed underground piping over to the house. It certainly makes it very warm and cozy to sit around and discuss the project of the day. After looking at some of the outside projects Dave has on the go, we all enjoyed coffee, donuts and Vera’s lovely cake while warming up. Apparently, regular meetings with his cronies are held here, to solve the problems of the world. If only people would listen to them!!
When finished it will be a functioning Steam Engine.
Another very interesting project that Dave has spent a lot of time on is a Solar Battery Charging unit, that he hopes to use for charging a Chevy Volt someday. He has built a unit that holds an array of ten Solar Panels, and it travels in a semi-circle following the sun throughout the day. Interestingly, the unit that moves it is driven by a Studebaker rear axle unit. He devised an electric drive unit that is connected via chains to this differential that has an overall ratio of 16,000 to 1. That makes it take all day to travel in a semi circle following the sun. Hopefully, you can get a bit of an idea of his genius engineering from my pictures.
Dave says he has had it charging 100 amps!
Hopes to park his future Chevy Volt here to “fill up” with “free power”
This certainly was a very interesting day, and we all wish to thank Dave sincerely for allowing us to invade his space. I hope we didn’t spill any coffee and make too much of a mess! Also, thanks to your wife Vera for her hospitality and sharing you with us. …… Thanks again, Ron.