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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semi trucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration. SALT LAKE CITY — It was Joe Bordelon’s work on a search-and-rescue team that led him to want a 1927 Studebaker, and it was his job as a helicopter mechanic that made it a reality.
Bordelon had a friend he served within Salt Lake County Search and Rescue volunteer team who had a 1927 Studebaker Commander. Bordelon helped restore the vehicle and was impressed with Studebaker engineering, making him want one for himself.
Bordelon’s day job involved traveling the country to work on medical helicopters. While in Connecticut, he ran across an ad for a top-of-the-line 1927 Studebaker President in Rhinebeck, New York, just 120 miles away. The car had been on sale for some time; Bordelon said he bought it for $14,000. Like most car stories, this was when the real saga started.
First, when his new purchase was unloaded from the truck in Salt Lake City, Bordelon discovered a locking steering column that even the previous owner didn’t know about. He then found out that, though the car looked good, the drivetrain needed a lot of work. That was when his helicopter mechanic knowledge paid off, again.
Traveling as much as he did, Bordelon met Studebaker parts owners all over the country. He said he wanted the car to be original, which is no small feat for a 91-year-old car from a defunct company, but it is made easier when people show you their warehouses full of original parts. He bought some parts and bartered for others.
He said it took him five years to find an original carburetor; now, he has seven of them.
Bordelon shipped the engine to Phoenix, and then sent four more so there would be plenty of extras and the builder would have the knowledge and parts he needed. It needed a lot, but $8,500 later, the engine was running right and not leaking water anymore.
One of the issues that came up during the rebuilt was due to the fact that Studebaker would often change parts midway through the model year. That means early 1927 models could have different parts than later models that same year.
Also, Studebaker differentials adjust from the inside, not with shims. So, if you don’t have the vehicle manuals, you would likely never figure it out. Bordelon said he purchased the manuals off eBay for $150 during his rebuild; now they sell for almost 10 times that.
Studebaker vehicles also used mechanical brakes with rods during the 1927 models. The rods bent when they were pushed hard, so they were updated later in that model year. However, the ones in his model hadn’t been fixed correctly, which he discovered when they didn't work very well at stopping his 4,500-pound car when he was traveling 70 mph. Luckily, no one was injured.
The car has been a lot of work, but now Bordelon is hoping to put it to work: He chauffeured his first wedding a month ago and is hoping to get it into some period films.
Every part on the car has a story behind it — usually a story about the quest to get it — and Bordelon doesn’t seem to mind that the collection of stories is not stopping any time soon.
Brian Champagne has reported on cars for more than nine years. He holds a master's degree in communications from the University of the Pacific and teaches at Utah State University. Contact him at iaabfl@yahoo.com.
