Projects "Saving" a Studebaker

My blue Champ truck is powered by a R1 Studebaker engine. It has the narrow bed. I have had this truck for long time and will soon have disc brakes one the front. These are available at TURNER BRAKE in Little River, South Carolina. My '65 Cruiser has a set and they work great. My '65 Cruiser is a four door model that was purchased new by Uncle. The '65 and '66 models use GM 283 engines. Studebakers in those two years were produced only in Canada. the car is lowered a bit had has been lowered a few inches and has a few other items that make the car handle very well.

 

Good question! Ha-haa... The smart ass answer would it came out of the Lark's trunk along with a bunch of other crap when I first got it home! But seriously, I have no clue. The assembly itself is in nice condition so I thought I'd see if I could make it work. I need to build a bridge from the firewall to the dash to make it more stable, but that'll be fun to do. The challenge will be the clutch master cylinder. It would have to mount directly under the brake M.C. because of the actuator rod that's on the clutch pedal. I think that'll be O.K. though. I've had good luck with older Ford truck M.C./slave cylinders, but I might try a hydraulic throw out set up on this one... I just don't want one of those new fangled M.C.s stickin' out on the firewall.

 

Dang... that looks HEAVY!

 

Those swing pedals look like later model Studebaker, the part that you removed would have bolted to the firewall with a M/C on the other side in the engine compartment. If you had a 65/66 bell housing and T86 trans with all of the original linkage you could probably make it work with a little tweaking. Make sure you reinforce the firewall really well where the pedals bolt to it or it will flex. BTW, the 283's in those 65/66's used the GM ram's horn manifolds so if you had a pair you should be able to buy a fabricated exhaust system.

 

Yes! The area where the M.C.s will live is to be reinforced w/ 1/4" plate for that very reason. The block hugger headers I have fit perfectly for this application and I'm in the process of fabricating the 2-1/2" exhaust system as I go.
Using what I have is the M.O. so a Chevelle bell housing and a Muncie M-20 are in place. I'm going to use hydraulic clutch actuation again on this one.

 

You'll be happier with the Muncie, plus it's done.

 

I got the ball & socket pipes today and am waiting for the straight sections so that I can proceed with the exhaust system.
I also got a bottle of compound from Detail King on the recommendation from a fellow H.A.M.B.er. So I decided to waste(?) some time and do a little cleaning over a couple frosty ones. Boy, I'll tell you what that stuff works well and is easy to use. Check out the results!

I llllike it! Not waxed, just squeeky clean!

 

I got the rest of the "SOLD", that was rattle-canned on the roof, cleaned off... It doesn't contribute to getting the car running, but it was buggin' me...

and moved underneath to get back on the exhaust system now that more parts arrived. I'm using ball & socket connectors to facilitate flexibility on routing the system as well as the ability to easily remove a section of the system for repair & maintenance in the future. It'll need to go around under the trans x-member utilizing some 45 degree pipes.

 

Wow, that paint cleaned up nice!

 

I know, right? The car is still kinda ratty, but at least it's clean!

 

it can be surprising what a little elbow grease can to the looks of an old paint job.

 

Did you use a machine to buff that paint? It looks great!

 

I used a random orbital buffer with a sponge pad and Detail King's compound.
Back on page 4 there's a shot of the top B/4 the "SOLD" was cleaned off.
Too bad the car baked out in the Arizona sun for 30++ years... the paint that's still there shined up nicely. Oh well, I've got a look that others are trying to achieve, Ha ha.

 

Real patina beats pho-patina every time. I like cars that are what they have become through their regular use and necessary repairs. Sometimes a little dress up & an engine/tranny swap are necessary!

 

I got a tip from a buddy that a radiator intended for use on a Jeep CJ, re-powered with a S.B.C., would be a close fit in an early Lark. So I did a little research an lo & behold he was right. I schmoozed around on the inter-web and found an outfit in Crazy-fornia that makes just such a component. They showed dimensions, etc, and it looked like a good match... so I took a leap of faith and ordered a 4 row aluminum radiator. Two days later (today) it showed up and it's all I hoped it would be! So... one more step in the right direction. I plan on painting it black if I can get my hands on some satin epoxy, which by the way was M.I.A @ 6 stores I visited today. Anyway, with some spacers and a couple new holes in the core support I should be good to go for cooling.

 

Hey, Jack;
Nice find on the substitution.
Why epoxy? Reg old blk radiator paint should be just fine. Mist it on in a couple coats, just enough to barely coat & darken the rad. I realize it's alum instead of copper/brass, but is that the problem? I've not heard of actual rad paint not working on either material, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that the pain composition has been altered from what worked well forever, to what doesn't work long.
Marcus...

 

Hi Marcus,
I haven't seen "old" radiator paint in quite a while... E.P.A.'s probably the culprit. Regular paint will scratch & chip off aluminum too easily and I've had excellent results over the years coating aluminum with epoxy... both primer and top coat. It seems to stick better for the long term and is very durable.

 

Eastwood sells black radiator paint, both in satin and gloss

 

I know about reg paint not working(does well as an insulator, though), figured epoxy'd do the same. ???
Asking 'cause I didn't know. Why I mentioned specifically, rad paint. I see Dick found some, I'd guess Bill Hirsch would also carry it. Eons ago, I got mine from a rad-repair shop. Guess those are far-n-few-between these days, at least around here. Sigh...
Marcus...

 

I misted the core of mine with plain old semi flat spray paint. Hasn't come off yet. Didn't bother with the tanks as they're not visible through the grille, so can't help ya there.

 

I've had excellent luck and longevity with VHT epoxy. I believe it's intended for suspension components. While not in stores yesterday, for who knows what reason, I ordered some from O'Reilly's website to be delivered to my local a.p. store here in town. I used it 5 years ago on the aluminum radiator in my truck and the finish still looks like the day I applied it.

I like it for wheels also due to it's durability.

 

"but I might try a hydraulic throw out set up on this one... "
IMHO, if you have room, I would definitely stick with the traditional external slave cylinder for the clutch. Back in '94-'09, when I had my shop, I had a few customers that had me replace or remove the leaky throw-out bearing type. Always a mess and extra work. They may have gotten better by now but then again, a lot more of that stuff comes from offshore sources now. Just sayin'
I use VHT SP903 Satin Black Case Paint on aluminum stuff. I painted the PG case in my boat, it looked like powder coat and lasted for years. I buy it off of eBay, O'Reilly and Auto Zone have to order it.
That radiator fits like a glove. Room for a mechanical fan?

 

Thanks for the info.
Marcus...

 

I've got an external slave cylinder on the coupe and it works quite well. The mount ended up being a bit elaborate to prevent flexing. I agree that a hydraulic throw out could get messy... I haven't made a solid decision on it yet.
I've got 2" between the pulley and the radiator... close but I've got the same on my coupe and it's got a mechanical (4-blade) fan on it. No overheating ever. On the Lark I've got an Edelbrock hi volume water pump so along with the 4 row radiator I should be o.k. with the 4 blade. (fingers crossed)

 

Thanks for the tip on the radiator. The one my my Champ has a leak, if I don't have success in soldering it back together I'll be searching for the Jeep/SBC radiator

 

Awesome!!
Thanks

 

Lumpy63 clutch linkage was a work of art! Nice pedal feel and zero bind.

 

I double checked all my clearances between the core support, hood and what not one more time. Remember; "Measure once, cuss twice"... The mounting points were marked & drilled. I used weld in thread inserts, heavy washers and spacers to put the radiator where I wanted it. The fan & hoses come Friday.

 

Studes seem to be the theme today