Trip to South Bend for Hoosier Autocross tires - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 01-19-2009, 11:10 PM

Today I went up to the place of my birth and residence for the first eleven years of my life and picked up some slicks for the coming autocross season and had them mounted on my Miata wheels.

I probably have mentioned that my father worked in the Studie factory after the war and until they began reducing staff in about 1955.

My Oldest sister lives there with her husband and in the area her children and their families. So while the tires were being mounted we drove into town and ate at Tippecanoe place, the old Studebaker mansion, which was built by the most senior owner of Studies. It is now a classy restaurant, has a bar on the second floor and is available for wedding parties and such. It is an amazing home with at least six fireplaces 12' ceilings and wood coffering and wall paneling. The exterior is a wonderful Romanesque design with arches and turrets with steep roof pitches, finished off with what appears to be Indiana field stone split faced and fitted so all the joints are equal width but random in their pattern.

There is a mix of Studebaker pictures and other historic and just old pictures hanging about. I saw a great many interesting things manufactured by Studebaker prior to the production of cars including various farm wagons and such and a great many of the Conestoga wagons that went west when all that was happening. I even saw a picture of a horse drawn dump truck! They built ordinary farm wagons and Chuck wagons too, along with beer barrel wagons, (the bud wagon looks like it could be a Studie).

I had a prime rib, spinach salad and cooked broccoli. My sis had a large spinach salad and french onion soup. The food was excellent with large enough portions and the price was comparable to Cracker Barrell.

I got into some fairly heavy snow fall on the way home for about forty five minutes. It was very interesting, I was in a thick flurry and to the west the sun was shining in clear skies!

Now that I have my new slicks, I just need to collect up my new (used) struts and stock springs (which I have ordered). I still need to find a stock air filter housing to replace the aftermarket K and N like thing that I have so I can run this season in CS (stock).

A very pleasant day all around.

Oh and I took the 240/300d and made about 35 mpg for the trip which included mostly 55 to 60 mph road speeds and a lot of small towns and about 20 miles driven around the South Bend area.

BobK · #2 01-20-2009, 12:24 AM

Sounds like a (mostly) nice ride. Cool to see you getting such good mileage out of a 123. I think those engine are a bit happier turning slower. A 123 on back roads can be a real joy. My old '83 300D handled great on country roads.

t walgamuth · #3 01-20-2009, 05:54 AM

Mine has the Euro 300d NA motor, a 307 diff and a five speed od tranny. The engine is very quiet at highway speeds but you really cannot pull at all without buzzing under 50 in fifth nor 40 in fourth.

Johnhef · #4 01-20-2009, 06:49 AM

so did you retire the 280E from ax duty? every year we get more and more miatas that run with us in the mbca. I think were up to 4 now- more then any other model except 16valves.

BobK · #5 01-20-2009, 07:33 AM

Ive got the NA 617 in my '76 300D 115 chassis. Auto, unfortunately. Thing gets pretty loud at 70 in top gear. Not sure what rear end cog it has back there. Five speed would be sweet in that car. Only gets 20-23 on highway.

t walgamuth · #6 01-20-2009, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobK

Ive got the NA 617 in my '76 300D 115 chassis. Auto, unfortunately. Thing gets pretty loud at 70 in top gear. Not sure what rear end cog it has back there. Five speed would be sweet in that car. Only gets 20-23 on highway.

That would be a 346. You could pull a 307 but you would have very liesurely acceleration.

t walgamuth · #7 01-20-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnhef

so did you retire the 280E from ax duty? every year we get more and more miatas that run with us in the mbca. I think were up to 4 now- more then any other model except 16valves.

Yep. Its listed for sale in the classifieds.

Miata are to autocross what chevy small blocks are to engines.....plentiful and lots of parts available.

The difference is that the Miata is built really well.....(sorry chebby guys, its just my opinion)....remember I have a LT1 in my chebby wagon.

t walgamuth · #8 01-20-2009, 10:55 PM

I just googled the budweiser beer wagon and found that they are Studebaker wagons circa about 1900!

Ha! I suspected it when I saw a model of a very similar wagon at the Studebaker mansion!

BobK · #9 01-21-2009, 07:18 AM

Yeah, 3.46 sounds about right. If I set up the transmission for a first gear start, 3.07 wopuld not be bad. Starts in second unless you mat it now, but buzzs like crazy at 70mph. That little 80 hp engine is never gonna be quick to 60 anyway.