This letter is from a thread on the Studebaker forum.
It's from the fellow I sold my 39 commander parts car to.

It is almost surreal typing this. First off, thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers.

There is nothing like a near death experience and watching somebody you care about lying lifeless there on the pavement. It makes one seriously re-evaluate life. Not something I ever wanted to have to type, much less think about, or have to live with for the rest of my life.

The other driver was intoxicated close to three times the state limit for drunk driving. He blew through a stop sign and had no headlights on in the near dark. I was traveling about 50mph on a county highway when just suddenly the drunk's car was in front of me. It was a very hard crash.

What saved my life was a 50-some-year-old Allstate lap seat belt. This next part is difficult for me to type, but maybe the knowledge will save somebody else's life, and Danielle didn't die for no reason. Michigan has no seat belt use requirement for cars older then 1965. Danielle chose not to use the passengers side seat belt as she wanted to sit closer to me on the bench seat. I didn't have the foresight to say something. I can't stop thinking if only I had. That will haunt me for the rest of my life. She was thrown from the Champion when the passengers side door popped open in the crash. I've heard people say so many times that they don't need to wear seatbelts in an old car. Some justify it by saying they would be dead in a bad wreck anyways or would be safer thrown from the crash. Learn from this. Simple lap belt kept me alive, bruised up but alive. If only Danielle had she would likely be here today too.

Please, I would appreciate if the thread could just stay on track and not turn into an 'Angies List' review. I am thankful to Clark Novak, Bob Henning and Tom Curtis for my forum account being re-activated, Thank You. Congruent with the good nature of actions, can we please not get into any discussion of bans, unhappy individuals, club politics, or etc. Hopefully that is not asking too much for this forum: I have faith in you all.


Tomorrow may be the emotionally most difficult day of my life ever; it is Danielle's funeral. I have no idea how in the hell I'm going to get through it. Prayers are appreciated.

Best Regards,
K### F###

So don't forget to use your seat belts in your Hobby car and if building one up from scratch take the effort to include a three point system to keep your face off the dash.

I'm using the three point system off the 82 300CD in my 39 Studebaker Coupe Express.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The idea of using a seat belt was burned into my psyche at a very young age. At 51, I will not even leave the drive way without it on. It's just habit. I get into a car and the belt goes on. I will not drive if the light is illuminated on the dash. If you are in my car and I am driving, your belt is on. I have pissed a few people off but they typically put it on when I advise them that Uber/Taxi will be here shortly and that it will be their expense.

I cannot imagine the guilt he will be forced to live with for the rest of his life. Sad.

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Shoulder harnesses wrinkle my button-down oxfords.

Exactly. He seems to be a very straightforward guy with good values.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Sorry for your loss .

When I was counterpunched on the drivers side the Seat Belt and Shoulder Harness held me in place and did not allow my Body to move away when the side of my Car crushed into my Ribs breaking them in 4 places.
But, I don't know if something worse could have happened to me with no belts.

But, I always use my Shoulder Harness Seat Belt combination and insist on other using theirs.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Not my loss. A buddy from the Studebaker Forum.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I consider myself to be of average intelligence (at least) but didn't realize until seeing this video that when a news report states someone was ejected in a crash, the person probably went through the glass. I guess I had always imagined a door popped open and they were thrown out or they went out an open window or sunroof.

Watch this until the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoKszqfg5EE

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Behind every great man is a great woman. Behind every great woman is a great behind.

reminds me of this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcVSQh5MbTo

seatbelts are a good idea.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

You can go out various ways. A buddy of mine lost control of his Vette after having one too many and spun it sideways into a concrete bridge abutment. He went out the side window and slid along the pavement. Lots of bumps and bruises but nothing very serious.....very very lucky!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I never use a seat belt, any consequence of that choice is no fault of anyone else and no one else can claim guilt for any resultant outcome.

The lady in question died enjoying herself as she chose to do, we should all be so lucky.

I always wear mine. As with bike helmets, it should be a choice under some circumstances.

If you are in my car you have no choice. Wear it it walk.

Whos going to pay your medical care for the next 20 years as you sip from a tube and get sponge baths? Your neighbors.

Your viewpoint makes sense if the only possible outcome from your decision is death.

Secondly and more importantly, your choice to not wear a seatbelt could result in the death or serious injury of other passengers of the vehicle who were wise enough to take that basic safety precaution, so lets remember your decision will impact others.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

I had a car with no seatbelts once. '63 Dodge Dart with a 360 that I swapped in and non-powered drum brakes. As a teenager at the time I knew it was sketchy. Thinking about it now it's probably worse than what I do on my sportbike.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Wore seat belts before it was mandatory to do so. I was then driving a Volkswagon beatle to the next town one evening. Heavy slush self steered the car over the edge of the road even though I was going slow.

All the way down the slope I thought well at least I have my seat belt on when I arrive at the bottom. It turned out to be a pretty soft landing at the bottom fortunately.

So just had the tow truck after extraction take me to the next large open space along the road. We pried out the front fender and went on my way.

Also it was a slow enough decent that the only thing that concerned me. Was if I would be able to exit the car if it landed up sideways in the vee configuration at the bottom. Indeed it did hit the bottom at an angle and crunched the front fender. Then slid in parallel into the ditch at the bottom. I was sitting there for a moment thinking that perhaps I should have purchased the sunroof model.


Knowing I could climb out of the window. Otherwise kicking out the windsheild or rear glass may have been required. The snow cover slowed the decent but I still went about a hundred feet down that slope.


I had reduced my speed to about fifteen to twenty miles an hour. So it was a real surprise when that slush took the car over the edge.

The front end on those VW beetles was very light so losing traction was easily accomplished.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.