1951 Studebaker Commander Starlight

Coupe

V8

Automatic

N/A

Clear

Gasoline

This is a gorgeous, privately reconstructed 1951 Studebaker Commander Starlight a.k.a the 'Bullet Nose'. This is a very desirable Studebaker due to the rear segmented windshield. It was reconstructed approximately 4-5 years ago and then put into storage. It was taken out and driven about every season around the property, for about 10-15 minutes. It never touched road and it never went farther than our mailbox. Because it was never driven on the roads, we do not know how it would behave/drive/handle on the roads...we make no claims or guarantees of operational capabilities. There is no rust on this vehicle, except for a little surface rust on the valve cover hold down nuts. Every wire, bolt, and washer that make this Vehicle is brand new!! It has a Studebaker V8 & automatic transmission and a four-barrel Holley carburetor. 12 Volt alternator system. Overall, the interior and exterior is in excellent condition. However, there are a few issues:a very small paint 'blemish' on the driver side fender, underneath the 'nose' of the vehicle, and near the rear driver side rear fender.a coupe of few scratches on the rear chrome bumper (driver's side)the dashboard area is about 85% complete: no radio or antennae, hand brake/parking brake cable mechanism missing, incomplete cigar lighter wiring, rear dome light wiring not hooked up (or doesn't work?) the glass face of the clock has a small crack near the bottom, missing speedometer cable, a few small paint blemishes in the dash area.the bottom corner of the driver side seat has the stitching about 0.5 inches undone and a small wrinkle in the rear of the headlinerthe tires are somewhat old...they've never been on the road...but they were manufactured 10+ years ago.no trunk mat/carpet and no spare wheelthe brake fluid will need a change soon...the pedal is just a little 'spongy'...but the braking action is strong and firm!Overall, this is a gorgeously rebuilt 1951 Studebaker Commander, with a beautiful paint job! With just a little more work, this vehicle can be made into an amazing show-car! Please keep in mind that this vehicle was not driven on the roads...it mainly sat in storage, with small warm-ups and drives around the property. Keep your expectations to reality! We make no guarantees of operational capabilities out on the roads! All the problems that we are aware of have been listed. NO Delivery! The Buyer is solely responsible for transporting/removing the Vehicle off the premises. The Buyer will need to sign with me a Bill of Sale, which contains certain terms and conditions i.e. no refunds, the Vehicle is sold 'as-is', etc...On May-10-15 at 13:49:36 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: Does it have the original 1951 engine ?A: I do not think so. I believe a later Studebaker V8 was put in it during the reconstruction period. Q: Does it have Title and original VIN ??A: After it was reconstructed, we obtained Title and new VIN & VIN plate was affixed. On May-10-15 at 19:53:50 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: Does the instrumentation gauges work ? What about headlights, wipers, blower motor/climatizer, etc... ?A: We never put too much fuel in the tank...so I am not 100% sure how well/accurate the fuel gauge works.Missing speedometer cable...so I do not know about the speedometer.The oil pressure, coolant temp, ammeter gauges all work. Headlights (including high-beam + high-beam indicator), turning light, dashboard directional indicator lights, wipers, blower motor/climatizer...all work. The blower motor/fan has a combination switch...you pull out, twist left or right...these maneuvers change fan speed, etc....Brake lights work also! Q: What is all the stuff in the trunk ?A: Some spare/backup glass, wheel hold down bar. Q: Does this have the rear view mirror mounted on the ceiling/headliner or on the dash ?A: It's mounted on the dash, but... there is a 'blank' spot on the headliner/windshield frame where it could also go. I do not know if some kind of cover or filler piece is suppose to go on the headliner/windshield frame. Q: How does the engine run... ? Any issues ?A: The engine is strong and purrs like a kitten! We put in a new ignition coil, changed oil, coolant, and spark plugs. Slight push on the accelerator pedal and the car is flying! The carburetor choke is automatic via hot air through the intake manifold...In cold temperatures the choke index might need to be re-adjusted. We never drove it during winter. Q: Power steering ?A: No... but it is really easy to turn the steering wheel...even when driving very slowly.On May-11-15 at 07:26:48 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: What is the condition of the car underneath...What about the wheel wells ?A: You can practically eat food from underneath the vehicle, including the wheel wells (See photos! New photos added May 11, 10:20am EST). On May-11-15 at 09:12:40 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: Where is the car located ?A: South Bend, Indiana Q: If you look at the steering wheel column, where the column goes into the engine bay through the firewall/cabin, you can see around it ... why ?A: I am not sure of the exact name, but the 'firewall rubber/insulator' piece that goes around the steering column and bolts to the firewall is missing. Q: Any oil leaks ?A: We did see one drop on the concrete where the car was sitting in the same spot for several weeks. Keep in mind that the engine was only used for no more than 10-15 minutes every season...driving around the property, ever since reconstruction. Again, it sat mainly in storage. Q: How does it handle/drive on the roads ?A: Please read the listing carefully: as mentioned above, this Studebaker never traveled farther than our mailbox. It was built with the same care and precision as the rest of our Studebakers in our family which were/are on the roads! On May-11-15 at 20:41:57 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: What is the condition of the interior (seats, armrests, headliner, etc...) ?A: the driver side seat lower corner has an area of about 0.5 inches where the stitching came undonethe passenger front seat has one or two 'spots' on it...I am not sure what they are...some slight discoloration perhaps ? They are only noticeable really up close and I don't think they even show up in the pictures.the rear armrests (which fold outward) do not have any carpet or material down inside their bottomsthe headliner has a few small 'wrinkles' around the top edges of the rear windshield and top running edge of the body (see photos!)These are not major concerns and should be relatively easy to fix...especially with the modern products available in stores today. Q: What is the condition of the chrome on this vehicle ?A: The chrome is in very good condition while the decorative chrome pieces are in excellent condition, with the exception of the driver side - rear bumper...there are a few 'scratch' marks there. However... my definition of 'very good/excellent chrome' might not be the same as your definition of 'very good/excellent chrome'.... On May-11-15 at 21:01:28 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: In the listing it is mentioned that this vehicle has zero miles...yet in the photos we can see the mileage on the odometer is in fact not zero... what's going on ?A: This is original odometer/speedometer...it was not touched during or after our reconstruction. The vehicle sat in storage after its full reconstruction...hence, it traversed zero miles.On May-12-15 at 20:46:22 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: This Listing was posted on Sunday May 10 but then removed late Monday night May 11...WHY ? A: I have no idea why it was removed, we had nothing to do with that.....I promptly contacted eBay Customer Support...they re-listed this Vehicle in the early morning hours of Tuesday, although the view counts/watchers/bidders have all been reset. I apologize for any inconvenience...but it was not my fault.On May-12-15 at 21:13:27 PDT, seller added the following information: Q: If I take this car to the car shows/events...will it win awards ?A: Absolutely! The pictures really don't do justice to this gorgeous Stude!! We have poured our hearts and energy into it and are very proud of it...it is one small step away from being truly a sensational and head-turning vehicle! As mentioned in the listing multiple times...the only thing that needs to be finished is mainly the dashboard area!! We hope it finds a good home, will be driven many miles...and win many awards!!