Projects "Saving" a Studebaker

Well OK, We'll invite you but is was going to be a surprise. So now the surprise will be when we don't show up.

 

I'll be like a blister... I'll show up after the work is done!

 

Pleasure meeting you and seeing the project. What a party!

 

Be patient folks... Between the excessive heat and the boring process of cleaning and prepping, new postings may be scarce for a while. If anything interesting comes up, I'll let y'all know.

 

We are here when you get to it.

 

Busy, busy, busy!! But I managed to get a couple small things done with what little time's been available... The grille is an un-important thing, but one of the first things I see when I look @ the car. So I cleaned it and tried some Blue Magic polish, that I'd not used before, with surprising results;

Also made a great find @ the Watson Lake swap meet... Now I have the intake I've been wanting for a fraction of the cost! Even a blind squirrel finds a peanut once in a while...

 

Magic for sure! Show us the intake.
I was at the Hot August Nights swap meet Friday and didn't find anything project wise. Almost got another McCulloch supercharger but decided I didn't need it. Too much stuff already.

 

Great! If it makes you feel better about looking at the thing, you're more inclined to keep going.

 

I use a color I call Frenchtown Grey - one part black to four parts white.
It makes a nice medium light grey that helps light the interior and makes routing, drilling, and installing interior components much easier due to better visibility

1:4
black:white.

 

Picked this up for a lot less than the manifold alone if bought new:

 

Well... @ least I didn't get any poison pen letters.

 

Pffftttt...
Don't get or care about the haters...
*My preference* would be a Stude mill - 'cause I like them, & few know what they are, even in a Stude, but not my car, nor my $$$. & besides, Stude used Chev mills in 65 & 66. Just tell everyone it's a McKinnon & be done w/it - see if they even have a clue, much less know wth that is... .
Love the Lark. Glad you're building it. Going to get it done for the Stude nats in WI during Sept(I think?)?
Marcus...

 

I like Stude V8s too but even the Studebaker Drivers Club doesn't make a big deal about what engine powers your Studebaker as long as you drive it. I think the only time I got upset was when I saw a nice '53 coupe that someone had spent way too much time trying to make a SBC look like a Studebaker engine and it still didn't fool many.
That intake is killer.

 

WOW that Grille looks great. Got to remember the Blue Magic for use on my new OT Spitfire

 

That intake is cool! Two different carbs? I like how they nest together, it’s gonna look great in that engine compartment.
I use Rustoleum gloss gray (the lighter one) on the inside of the floors, firewall, and under the dash. It’s readily available and the light color makes it easy to see stuff.
I hear you on the heat, same problem here. Making great progress though. Great thread.

 

The intake came with a 500 & a 600 cfm carbs... sometimes you get what you pay for, right? It's all good I'll make 'em work.

 

Yeah, no sweat. Just keep your eyes open for a mate to either one. I think that’s how I ended up with so many carburetors lying around. Lol

 

Not unusual to run different size carbs in a flathead setup, maybe this could work. If the primaries are the same or close the secondaries are just gravy.

 

My thoughts exactly...

 

IIRC, Edelbrock rates the manual choke @ 500 cfm, & the electric choke @ 600 cfm. I don't remember any primary/secondary throttle plate differences, jetting or needle differences twixt the two, but there are Strip Kits for them, if needed. Edelbrock has a decent manual for them also. I think you'll like them, friend had a pair on a 327 chev, now on a 392 hemi, they never gave him any trouble & oddly, didn't need any different needles/jets tuning. He eventually blocked off one carb for better fuel economy, but it runs fine as is, although his manifold is an open type. .
Marcus...

 

Yes indeed, Edelbrock offers 500, 600, and up with & without electric chokes. It's up to you to decide. (I personally don't like "automatic" chokes... or automatic anything really)
I've run Edelbrock carbs for decades. I've put them on any number of cars, and have run dual quads on several cars before... and on my own '59 Silver Hawk w/ 350/ 4-speed/ 3.55 posi. worked great! Don't see any cause to block one off, as if you don't need it, or want "better fuel economy" why have it?
I've got a 600 on my 350/ TH-400/ 3.o8 powered truck. Works great!
I've got factory books & video to guide when needed. No problem, can't say enough good about them!
I have, and Summit offers, rebuild & re-calibration kits.
On the Lark I'll put the 600 as the primary and use the 500 as a secondary. Should be fine on the street.

 

Used to be a guy around here that ran a 600 and a 750 on a tunnel rammed SBC he street drove and raced. He said size didn’t matter, the engine would only use what it needed. I can’t remember how fast it was, but it seemed to run pretty good best I remember.

 

The most fun one we tuned was a 700 or 750 with mechanical secondaries in a box on my son's supercharged 289 Studebaker. The secondaries provided the extra fuel at boost. The combos of needles & jets cover everything even beyond what is on the chart in the book.

 

Managed to gut the dash & steering column out of the organ donor and finished clean up on the grille;

That grille sure is twinkly... believe I'll tone it down a notch.

 

That is amazing. I'll have to get some of that stuff.

 

Found it @ Oh-Really's

 

My last parts counter job.

 

Now that it's all twinkly - leave it alone. Gotta have 1 shiny thing to attract attention... .
Marcus...

 

Snuck out to the shop & made a few more baby steps...

 

Main difference between the 500 and 600 is in the primaries.
Also, there are 600s and 600s. The street/economy versions are jetted very differently than the performance version.
AFAIK, there was never a performance 500.

jack vines