This V8 even has its own picnic table
Today marks The Timaru Herald’s reinvention of a popular regular feature from a few years ago about South Canterbury cars and their proud owners. Today we meet Barry Smith and his 61-year-old Studebaker.
Barry Smith’s 1959 4-litre Studebaker Lark two-door hardtop starts with a low growl and reaches a gentle thunder as it moves up a gear.
The retired Timaru electrician purchased the left-hand drive car from its previous owner in St Andrews in 2014 to replace his 1963 four-door Studebaker.
He likes the profile of his latest Studebaker which he said was the first compact V8 model made.
It was imported from the United States where it was owned a by a Studebaker parts dealer who used it as his personal car. The two Timaru men who bought it to be used as a parts car instead touched it up and repainted it.
It is all original apart from the exterior paint which was Double Pearl (ivory) all over but now has some colour added to the body.
The 259-cubic-inch engine cruises best at 100kmh. The 37.8 litre (10 gallon) fuel tank lasts from Timaru to Gore, Smith said.
‘‘If you keep your foot off [the accelerator] it’s quite good relative to other V8s.’’
At 100kmh it runs at 2000 revs a minute.
‘‘I laugh at the boy racers. They won’t get the same V8 beat burble [noise]. With their modern engines at 60mph they rev at 6000.’’
Smith would like to re-upholster the interior but said it would cost a minimum of $6000. The grey vinyl and velour bench seats sit in front of spacious foot wells.
The basic dashboard has two dials, one for the speedo the other for the fuel gauge and temperature.
Smith doesn’t use the original radio as it only receives AM. An ashtray and cigar lighter feature on the passenger’s side. With just twospeed automatic gearing it glides gently as it gathers speed.
‘‘For steep hills I can put it down to low [gear].’’
The close to 2-tonne machine is best parked in a large space as it does not have power steering, making tight spots a challenge.
The spare tyre sits outside the large boot on a ledge with a cover promoting the Studebaker name.
Smith’s friends have him on that the ledge is his picnic table.
Classic cars are in his blood as he recalls as a child sitting on his dad’s knee and handling the steering wheel of his grandmother’s 1927 Erskine, which he later learnt to drive in and now possesses.
His first car was a 1956 Holden FE, and the next was a 1967 MKII Cortina which he wishes he still had.
The proud Studebaker owner has taken the car far and wide and is planning a trip to the West Coast soon.
‘‘My favourite drive is to Gore each year for duck shooting.’’
He drops the car off at a relative’s house then enjoys socialising more than the hunting before driving home again in the comfort of the sturdy and powerful Studebaker.
If you know of a car and owner that you think should be featured, email us with details to editor@timaruherald.co.nz