The Washington herald., 1922-11-26

the public has q greater apprecia-
ton than ever before of the all
year utility Of the closed car.
There was q time not % long
ago when the enclosed car was
considered a luxury to be enjoyed
by the limited few. Today. by
contrast, the increased demand for
closed cars has caused automobile
manufacturers to greatly augment
the proportion of closed car pro-
duction to total output.
To the casual observer, grace OF
line. beauty of finish and up
holstery. and features Of equip
ment count for most In judging
closed car quality, and naturally SO.
for these are surface evidences and
important ones. But with the body.
as with the chassis. most of the fea-
lures Of quality are hidden. and
these hidden features have a vital
bearing upon the service, comfort
and satisfaction which the owner
enjoys.
Had Great Experience
In the realm of coach building
Studebaker has had rare experience,
and this experience, gained in
seventy years of vehicle building.
has proved 10 Studebaker that body
strength. weight resistance to shock,
and freedom from annoying rattles
must be constantly subjected to
searching analysis and later to Cruel
ling road test under every possible
condition of road and weather. The
exact position of screw In the
wooden framework upon which the
body metal is mounted Is carefully
studied and exactly specified. for
upon such details as these depend
the lasting qualities Of the prod
uct.
In the building Of the framework
Of a Studebaker closed body all
stills, pillars, roof rails, doors and
supporting members are made from
selected ash, and subjected to rigid
inspection through the various
stages of manufacture. Each piece
of the frame Ii machined in heavy
figs by the. most modern wood.
working machinery obtainable. max
ing possible the tight Joints 20
essential to q closed body. Wher.
ever conditions call for 1t, the NOR
tise and tenon joint 10 used. Join.
ed solidly together with hot. animal
glue and further strengthened by
the liberal use Of wood-screws. bolts
and braces.
The roof Of the sedan is made of
three-ply wood veneer built up ex-
actly as were the bent wood panels
used for the fuselage of American
aeroplanes during the war. This
wooden panel is supported on all
sides by a heavy roof rail and braced
by six transverse ribs. Over the top
Is stretched a piece Of heavy roof
sheeting which Is carefully water
proofed. In order to prevent shrink
age, warping or swelling. the entire
frame is dipped in q huge vat Of oil
and paint.
Doors are hung on three sturdy
malleable iron hinges. AZ additional
Protection against rattles and
sQueaks in service. a special spring
dovetail is provided on each door,
which IL automatically adaptable to
any condition encountered. Two
heavy rubber bumpers. mechanically
adjustable for wear. take care Of any
transverse vibrations.
Right Bracing Important.
Bracing where the greatest strains
occur is important, and in this con-
nection it may be mentioned that
there is a total Of eight braces IN
the front end of the body alone.
This gives an idea of the construc-
ton that is carried out through lie
entire body.
The large production Of Stude-
baker bodies permits the use of die
formed steel panels exclusively. Tho
investment in die equipment is large,
but means economy in the end, for
this type of panel is a distinct i'm
provemnet over hand-formed panels.
These steel panels are rigidly placed
and insulated from the body frame
with sound-deadening material At all
points where a rumble would be
likely to occur.
The same skill and care in every
operation is devoted to every other
body detail, such as the twenty-six
distinct painting operations covering
the application of fifteen coats of
material, the design and constrnc-
ton Of trimmings such as seats and
cushions. the interior dimensionstan and
seating positions, the hardware and
fittings, the quality and setting of
windows, and many other details.
The main consideration is to build
the body 80 that It will endure as
long az the chassis and will operate
quietly throughout its years of life,
In that way the satisfaction of the
owner In obtained and this is the
greatest asset any manufacturer can
have. ...t
Never attempt repairs that YOU
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