About Dick Benjamin Expertise I can help on most American passenger cars built between 1930 and 1970, and Imperials through 1983.
I have over 50 years experience in restoring and maintaining antique and classic cars, including 20 years operating a classic car repair shop. I am now retired, but I am willing to help with any questions of a technical or mechanical nature. I have more experience with Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, Imperial and other luxury makes, but I do have reference material and experience with most makes.
I do not know anything about modifying cars - if that is what you want to know about, pick someone else. I keep them the way the factory built them, and I advise you to do the same, to maintain the value of the car and also for your safety.
I can only handle mechanical or technical questions - I am not a body/paint expert!
Experience
Past/Present Clients Currently support a technical advice service for the Imperial club, responsible for the technical data section of the Packard Club website. Served as a technical expert for "Expert Central" before it was recently absorbed by this service.
I'd really like to convert my 37' Studebaker headlights to sealed beam. I've heard there were kits available. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Jimmy
Answer There were kits offered for about 20 years after the big revolution (change to sealed beam bulbs in 1940), but I haven't seen any on the market in many years. I don't like the looks of them, frankly, I'd rather see a car with the original style headlights, but I do admit the lighting is better with sealed beams.
If you have done everything you can to improve the original headlights (getting the reflectors re-silvered, replacing all the wires with heavy gauge wires, using a headlight relay to avoid voltage lost in the switch and wire connections, made sure the grounding of the bulb socket is perfect), and are still not happy with the lighting, then I guess you could watch eBay for an old J.C.Whitney sealed beam conversion kit, or something similar. If you do that, Please, Please, save the original lenses and reflectors, and all the other parts, so the car can be put back right by some later owner.
A very good friend of mine just had me help him evaluate a beautiful 1938 Packard he was interested in, and it is a good car, but it has been converted to sealed beam lights - and the owner threw away all the original parts - what a shame. My friend decided to buy the car anyway, but now he is scouring the earth looking for the parts he needs to put it back right. Those headlights were a work of art, especially on Studebakers of the late 30s, as you know - and should be preserved.
You could post an add in the Studebaker Club magazine, "Turning Wheels" and perhaps someone has done the conversion and would step up to help you.
If you are not already a member of SDC (Studebaker Driver's Club) - I urge you to join - it is the best single marque club in the hobby, in my opinion, with an absolutely splendid magazine -full of tech info on Studebakers.
