The Stutz is Gone - January 2005
by Carolyn Spillers
Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. So it is with our partnership to put together a 1929 Stutz 4-Passenger dual cowl Speedster that had been sadly neglected for years. This big old car has been out in Vic Donnell’s garage for the better part of two years and now it’s gone. When you put that much effort into a project, it leaves a hole in the garage and your heart when it’s over. However, we do have the pictorial record of the project.
Roger and Vic debated more than once whether or not to keep the car. Both would have loved to keep it, and then reality would set in. Neither could afford the cost to restore the car to original specifications and its former beauty, and neither Vic nor Roger would have wanted to do it any other way than right, from the ground up. More than that, we all realized that once restored, they would not have been able to let go and sell the car. You have to understand, this was supposed to be an investment that would take some work, but have excellent returns.
Some work indeed. Parts were missing and would have been hard to replace. Research indicated this car was rare. As far as the Stutz Club knew, there were only 5 in existence and in their directory. This became number 6.
Members of the Stutz Club came by to see the car while we had it in the car corral at the Hershey Meet in October. Once the car was sold, it came back home with us to await further instructions for shipping.
All the extra pieces were packed in two large boxes that were placed in front of the back seat under the cowl. Instructions were printed on how to start the car. Then it was a matter of waiting to hear from the owner or his agent.
For months, we all waited to hear from Manuel, the agent who was our contact with the owner and would be in charge of shipping the car to Spain. He was one hard person to make connections with. Finally Vic was advised that a truck would be picking up the car on January 26th. Vic suggested that they pull the Stutz onto the truck with a winch.
All this was to take place between 10 AM and 11:30 AM so Roger and I headed out to Vic’s about 9:20 to get there ahead of time. When Roger called Vic to let him know we were on our way, we were told that the driver would not get there until around 11 or 11:30. We were still on Fitzhugh Road so we turned around and headed back to the house. No need to sit around in Vic’s driveway waiting for the truck to arrive.
Roger went outside to push dirt around with the tractor and I sat down to read. My cell phone rang and it was Vic to say the driver was in Drippin’ and needed directions to the house. It was 10:20 AM. Once more with feeling.
By the time we got over to Vic’s, the driver and truck were out on Woods Loop waiting for us. After Roger and the driver checked out the driveway, the driver backed up the driveway in his roll-back truck and Roger backed the Stutz out of the garage.
Now the fun began. The Stutz would not shift into a forward gear, only into reverse. After several tries, Roger advised Vic of the situation. They determined that the shift levers were out of position. The only thing to do was to remove the floor boards and transmission cover to fix the problem. Roger started the repairs while Vic headed home from work. When Vic arrived, Roger had completed the repairs and was reinstalling the floor boards. Vic said, "Do you think we have to do that?"
Roger replied, "It’s already done." The car now shifted as required. Apparently the shifting mechanism in the Stutz is rather unusual and takes someone who is familiar with it to make it work. We do hope the new owner can figure it out.
Once the car was going forward again, the truck was maneuvered into place and a tow-strap and winch attached to the car. We all held our breath as the car was pulled up the incline. The truck had an 18 foot bed and the Stutz is 18 feet long. The truck bed was just long enough.
Two anxious former owners watched it get tied down. Tow-truck drivers may haul cars all the time, but the way the Stutz was tied to the bed left something to be desired. Once on the truck bed, it was no longer our responsibility so we let it go if somewhat reluctantly.
The Stutz project was an experience for both partners. Working as Dos Hombres (at the request of club members), they used the money they earned to work on their project, the Stutz. The process had its slow times and times when it really made progress. Every time they could attach another part to the car, they wanted to celebrate, and did.
Now the Stutz is gone and that’s cause to celebrate, too. Bring out the B&B. What’s next?