Tale of Two Traveling Transmissions

My 62 GT Hawk (289 with manual 3-speed and overdrive) developed an unusual and nasty sounding noise a few months back. After trying the most likely solutions and spending many more dollars without any success, I spoke to my old friend John O in Connecticut. Somewhat “crying in my beer” I told him I was at wits end and that I narrowed down the problematic noise to an unlikely transmission issue. John O mentioned that he had the Studebaker Borg Warner T-10 four-speed transmission that I left behind when I retired to Oklahoma in 2003, and he added that he had 2 T-10’s. I remembered the Studebaker T-10 but not the other. John O and I oftentimes shared ownership of various auto hobby parts. The possibility of installing a 4-speed into the GT Hawk and getting rid of that Nasty Noise intrigued. The next problem was getting the transmissions from Connecticut to Oklahoma.

I contacted my longtime Studebaker friend Chip Dayton, who is currently the president of the Nutmeg Chapter, to see if any Nutmeg Chapter people were going to the September International Meet in Mansfield Ohio. I thought it might be possible to have the transmissions brought to Ohio and then have some Central Oklahoma Chapter members carry them west. Chip contacted Paul Weir of the Nutmeg Chapter SDC, and Paul agreed.

Good News. Elmer Davis said he could bring one transmission to OKC. I was expecting to see Ric Diorio (Los Angeles Chapter Studebaker Drivers Club) and our Australian “mate” Scott Robertson (Studebaker Car Club of New South Wales, in Sydney) on their return leg of a Los Angeles to Mansfield, Ohio epic Studebaker journey. Ric agreed to bring one T-10 to me. John O would package and bring the T-10’s across Connecticut to Paul Weir, Paul would transport to Elmer in Ohio, with Elmer and Ric bringing the T-10’s to Oklahoma. We have a plan.

            Bad News. The week before the Internal Meet, Paul Weir’s wife became ill, requiring hospitalization, so Paul had to cancel his plans to attend the SDC International Meet. Bummer.

            Great News. Paul took it upon himself to deliver both T-10’s to Dave Thibeault in Massachusetts. Dave, a member of the Ocean Bay Chapter SDC is a nationally known Studebaker parts vendor, and Paul’s good friend. Dave would bring the two T-10’s to Ohio for a COC-SDC member that he did not know; namely, me.

            Gratitude. I have the T-10’s thanks to John O, Paul, Dave, Elmer, and Ric & Lofty (Scott Robertson).  And I have started gathering the few parts needed for the transmission overhaul and transplant into my GT Hawk.

Studebaker people are the BEST.

StudiePete