Another nice warm Spring day here. Went to a local farm auction, and came away empty-handed. No Studebakers seen.
Once I got home from the auction sale, I went to work, resuming my welding job repairing a body crossmember in the old Flxible motorcoach. Last two stints of doing that brought on a sudden cold snap, but it looks like the jinx is broken now.
I welded up a broken bolt which attaches the front spring hanger to the frame; the bolt was stripped, and the nut had rusted away, but the bolt could not be removed without taking the spring out. Didn't want to go there, so I simply welded over the stub of the bolt, essentially making a rivet of it. Then I drilled another hole above it, and installed another 1/2" bolt and nut, so there should be plenty holding the spring hanger in place, now.
I used a scrap of metal from an old Studebaker body to patch a thin spot in the brace attached to the spring hanger (mandatory Stude content ), and then got out the can of POR 15 and painted all the newly-welded area, and any of the structural iron I could reach in and around the bay for the slide-out light plant, which item I removed to gain access to the rusty crossmember. So that area of the rusty crossmember is now done, except for the outermost end, where it ties in to the vertical rib that supports the outer skin of the vehicle. And the middle section, between the two frame rails must be done, too. But I've finished the hardest part to reach.
Yesterday, I got some satin black rattle can paint on the rear brake backing plates for a disc brake car that got I got from Keith Brooks, and had cleaned up with the bead blaster. They look just like brand new, now, and the "Bendix" script is readily visible on them.
Back at it tomorrow, weather permitting.
Gord Richmond