1950 Stude Build

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Hey Everyone,

I gathered up the photos I've taken and got them sort of organized and thought I would start my build thread. The car is a 1950 Studebaker Custom Champion. Which was the lowest cost Studebaker Champion. It originally had a 169 cubic inch flathead 6 with a 3 speed transmission. My dad bought it in 1969 for $50 he was looking for a car and found this and couldn't pass it up since he had Studebakers before. He drove it for a few months before he found another car and parked this one. When I turned 16 the car had been parked for 3 years by then, I got it running and stopping again (brake job) and drove it to high school and then used it for a back-up cars as I got into Muscle Cars and was always wrenching on the ones I had at the time. Muscle cars seem to break a lot for some reason. The Stude pretty much sat for about 20 years before I finally began working on it again after I restored my 1970 AMX.

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Sorry Guys

More pics to come haveing trouble with photobucket!!!

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Finally got the pictures to load. I got a Fatman front clip with the Mustang II front suspension. It has the Stainless Steel a-arms with 11" disc brakes and power rack and pinion steering.

Flathead 6 removed from car

Front suspension removed from car

Preparing to weld in Fatman Front suspension

Fatman Front suspension Installed

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

50 Stude

Here's the front suspension put together for now.

I got a got a good deal from a friend on the tires and wheels. They had only about a 1000 miles on them. They are Coker tires and Chevy rims the trim rings I had from my 95 Chevy pick-up. I kept them when I put new rims on the truck and saved them.

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

50 Stude

I pulled the rear end out and made some new spring hangers for the front and rear. I have a 2003 Chevy S-10 rear end for it and it fit perfect. I was going to use the stock S-10 springs but they had too much arch and the back end was too high might have been a little stiff too. I didn't want to use lowering blocks so I got a pair of lowering leaf springs from Chassis Engineering. Those are the S-10 springs in the picture.

Close up view

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Once I got the front and rear suspension in I mocked up a Chevy Small Block with a 700R4 inplace to check for firewall clearance. I had to move the firewall back 4".

Here a shot from the front.

And one from inside. I'm using a Lokar shifter.

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Here's the engine I will be using. Its a 400 Chevy from Speedway Motors. My ex brother-in-law had it in a 71 Chevelle. He pulled it out when he sold the car. It had only about 10k miles on it. He left it at my sisters house and she called me one day and said for me to come get it out of her gargage. I said OK!

It was just a long block but the price was right. Free!

bob w · Feb 10, 2008

Nice project you have there. The pictures are excellent. Must be nice to have a good body to start with. Around here you can count on replacing the lower 6" of the body! It always surprises me that the firewall has to be moved back when replacing a 6 with a V8. I ran into the same thing putting a sbc in a '49 Plymouth. Keep posting as you make progress.

chopper tom · Feb 10, 2008

It's gonna be sweet !!!

Tripper · Feb 10, 2008

Lemme know!!!

dmw56 said:
He left it at my sisters house and she called me one day and said for me to come get it out of her gargage. I said OK!

DMW,
Nice build & really nice motor there but if there's anymore just sittin' around in your sister's garage... please lemme know!!! ; - >

BoB

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

bob w said:
Nice project you have there. The pictures are excellent. Must be nice to have a good body to start with. Around here you can count on replacing the lower 6" of the body! It always surprises me that the firewall has to be moved back when replacing a 6 with a V8. I ran into the same thing putting a sbc in a '49 Plymouth. Keep posting as you make progress.

We've had that car since 1969 and always in the west. It spent almost 30 years in Calif. So it never had a rust problem. The only place there was rust was on the drivers side floor and body mount.

When I built the trans tunnel I used the old tunnel just raised it up about 4". I left a removable panel so I could get the linkage easier.

Yeah, the original front crossmember was way up front and the motor mounts were there also. So to get the V8 to fit right I had to move the firewall!

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Tripper said:
DMW,
Nice build & really nice motor there but if there's anymore just sittin' around in your sister's garage... please lemme know!!! ; - >

BoB

Well there's a bare 396 block she keeps telling me to come get!

She's in CA and I'm in NM now.Gonna have to make a road trip soon.
DMW

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

50 Stude

Here's the body mount I had to replace. I found a replacement on a site on the internet. So I didn't have to fabricate one.

Front view with new recessed firewall. I think on 51 Studes the year of their first V8 they had a recessed firewall to make room for their V8. The booster and master cylinder were out of a 78 Firebird.

As was the brake pedal assembly and steering column (with key). The seats are 6 way power, heated leatherfrom a 2003 Trailblazer $300 for the pair. I also got the center console and over head console for another $100.

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

50 Stude

The driveshaft tunnel I made on a 3' sheetmetal brake making a small bend every 1/8"-1/4". Sure wish I had a slip roller.

Here's a shot of the dash. I had to add 4" to widen the original dash to clear the Vintage air conditioning condenser. Yeah, I know what your thinking a Rat with AC? It gets hot here in NM!

There's a view of the console too. It fit perfect!

dmw56 · Feb 10, 2008

Another view of the dash

I made a cardboard template for the front of the dash and cut it out of 18 gauge.

Finished dash with Auto Meter Gauges in Billet Specialties Bezel. I used the original glove box door.

Test fit in car.

Old Gold · Feb 11, 2008

Nice fab work! This is gonna be a sweet build. Keep the pix coming.

T2T · Feb 11, 2008

Great job.........................I like the inspirational picture on the windshield, I do the same thing.........

RoddingRon · Feb 11, 2008

Looking good. Looking forward to the rest of the pics as the build progresses. When the weather warms up here a little more (was 4 ths morning), I gotta get back on my Studebaker.
oh yeah....free is a great price!!!!!

bob w · Feb 11, 2008

That's the beauty of this site; lots of people can appreciate the fine work you are doing. Once it's done, so much of it will be hidden and folks looking at your Stude won't be able to tell all that went into it.

Gastrick · Feb 11, 2008

That's coming out real nice dmw56. Everthing looks well thought out and nicely executed.

1950 Stude Build

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