Projects 53 Studebaker Coupe Southeast Gasser Build and 1950 Buick Sedan

I posted a bunch of pictures on the thread that is linked in my signature

 

Tried to call you from the track, but stupid Sprint cell service would not connect. We had a blast.
They got so lucky to even race considering it rained on and off all day 30 miles from the track.

 

Cell service was poor. We were right behind Enloe's booth in the bleachers. Looked for you.

 

What a weekend !! Everyone in the storm's path take care ! We are expecting high winds later today. Started out this weekend headed to Albany, Ga. with the Fiddle Picker and Big Buford (53 Chevy Wagon) to run a Nostalgia race...cancelled, so we called around and found a race in Montgomery, Ala called and confirmed so we went there set up camp for the weekend to have it cancelled except for test and tune on Friday so we tested and spent the night. The Stude did ok, still adusting steering, at about 80 mph it still wants to wander..still working on it. The 53 wagon did great, picked up 2 tenths with the upgrades !! Headed home on Saturday morning, Cody called LaGrange (it's on the way home) and they were test and tuning and running a 7.0 shootout so we stopped in there. Cody had just traded for a 850 double pumper earlier in the week for the 53 Wagon. We took it apart and checked what it had, turned out close so we bolted it on. Made some p***es, changed some jets and power valve and that car picked up 2 more tenths !! 4 tenths in a weekend !! I am happy with that ! Now I have to pick the Stude up to catch the Wagon.

 

Wow 4 tenths! Now that is SOME improvement!

 

I agree ! How does your Ranchero handle on the top end ? My issues may just be me with the straight axle. Never have driven one. I am loosening the lash in the steering box and its getting better but you have a LOT of Steering wheel play. Finally got one p*** all the way at full throttle.

 

How much caster?

 

8 degrees positive and 1/16th toe in. Still have radial tires on front and that probably doesn't help matters any.

 

Wish I could tell you. I drove the car for the first time, farther than 2 miles around the house, this past weekend. Been battling cooling system woes. It goes down the highway like a g***er. It actually drives nice and straight except I have excessive play in the steering. You don't look away from where you are going for long. My drag link is S-shaped and I found out that doesn't work so well. It moves for and aft as you move the steering wheel back and forth. I can't imagine making a p*** with it the way it is now. Hoping after I redesign the steering it handles a little better. I have driven straight axle stuff before, and this ain't right. I'd rather make a p*** in my '58 Apache.

Hope you find that happy spot with yours! Maybe ask Tony or Quain for some tips or things to check.

 

Ten4. Thanks, I will.

 

Well, I've had straight axle cars around for most of my lifetime, and I'll agree that they drive differently than IFS. But advice on these nose high g***ers? not something I've worked with, except for 4 whl drive stuff.
But it seems to me you'd want a slow ratio steering box or linkage with high leverage low and less movement of front wheels vs amount wheel was turned. And I sure don't see how increased play at steering wheel could do anything but make it worse.
Maybe it's time for another call to Quain, Johnny.

 

Are you planning on running the SNDR race at Silver Dollar on the 23rd ?
We are going to ride up. My wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday and that's what I told her I wanted.

 

Planning on taking the Stude and the 53 Wagon. Come on up.

 

I hear ya. What loosening the steering box does is free up movement inside the box which makes it less likely to HOLD input and keeps a correction from being an over correction. Both the Stude and the 53 Wagon have loose steering boxes, the only way you can drive either of them. I have already extended the steering arm on the Stude to slow it down, helped a little and now with lash adjustments it's a lot better. I made the mistake of tightening the lash on the Stude (when it had IFS) while Cody was wheeling it a couple years ago, he made one p*** and said " Dad, I don't know what you did to the steering, but undo it, you can't drive it !!" Lesson learned. Just so happens Bobby Turner was at the same race with his A Model and I told him what I had done and he said his car was the same way.

 

Keep up the good work. Be nice to see a studebaker like urs on the track. That was one of the bodies I was searching for when we first started looking, stud or a Henry j. Ended up with Chevy 2 bodies instead. (Like there needs to be any more) but hey it's what I got to work with haha. I haven't been on here in awhile but was following ur thread, logged back on today and I was like wow! It's come a long way. Keep up the good work, hopefully we will be running against ya next year lol.


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Thanks Blake, working on a different car than the one I started with. Still have hopes for the original one. Now trying to get the 54 I've had for a while up to snuff. Looking forward to running with you next season. I like Chevy 2s !

 

Here's a shot of Cody and Big Buford at Montgomery this weekend before the carb change. It picked up two more tenths the next day. Btw that hatch is tied down !! We tightened the bungee cord. If anyone has a latch ***y for a 49-54 G.M. station wagon hatch I will gladly take it off your hands. I've looked for 4 years, no luck.

 

Send me a race report from this deal. I like to keep up with how our compe***ion is doing. The Southeast G***ers will be in Darlington SC on the 23, I'll be there.

 

You know if I was already SEGA legal, I would be in Darlington too ! Working at it. Keep you posted.

 

Looking forward to having you. Don't forget to give me a report. I went to the run what you brung there last year and really enjoyed it. A really great bunch of guys just having fun, not really racing.

 

Same with me if my car was ready .We would be in Darlington, but to just watch this is much closer and I have never seen this group run.
I guess I will see if Fiddle Picker needs some help , if not then we will hang out and enjoy.
We are planning on coming to the SEGA finals.

 

Looking forward to seeing you at the finals. We are expecting over 70 era correct cars. If so it will be the largest G***er race the world has seen since the 1960's.

 

Went to Silver Dollar this weekend and had fun despite no spectators. I slept on the tree first round and Jesse Holmes got me. Cody went red first round and gave one to Bill Ziel.Thanks to Southcross Mike and his lovely Wife Cathy for coming to visit with us and did a great job getting me right in the water (maybe he should have slapped me on the back of the helment when the tree came on) ! Here's a couple pics.

 

Couple more pics. Btw, chatted with Quain, gave me some advice on toe-in settings and got the old Stude driving like it's supposed to. Hopefully when I go to ladder bars it won't waste energy lifting the rear ! Maybe we should put a straight axle and radiused wheel wells on the big wagon and call it "Party Large" !!

 

Don't feel bad on the no spectators being there, We was at Darlington SC this weekend was just under 1,000 and you know we usually pack it out. Maybe it was just something in the air this weekend and everybody stayed home.

 

Wonder how much college football on Saturday hurts attendance ? We had a nice ride up on our Can Am Spyder to watch the races. The weather was perfect.
Had a good time visiting with Johnny and his family. Talked with some of the SNDR folks and some of the Southern Outlaw G***ers while I was there. Seemed like good people.

 

I think not only college football, but also high school football draws off some spectators here in the South. Way back when I was racing on dirt ovals, the tracks that had run on Friday night all summer either had to change nights or shutdown.
Most folks only have so much time for entertainment as well as money for tickets, etc.

 

I think football is secondary to real race fans. Racing will win ! Look at how SOME of the NFL and the media factions that cover it are showing true colors now and being down right fools !!

 

Nothing usually kills us but some locations just won't work I guess. This was our second time at Darlington so I'm guessing it's just not a g***er town. I went up in the stands and did a survey and 85% were from out of town. I'm talking way out of town, one couple from Delaware. I know sometimes local events hurt a few 100 spectators but when it's off a 1,000 to 1,500 I start to worry. We have been in Knoxville with the rod run just down the road and still did good. Our Shelby NC event this past April was on top of the NHRA 4 wide just 20 miles up the road and we had 3,122 spectators. We figured it hurt us a few hundred but it didn't kill it.
Don't worry G***er racing is here to stay we just have to educate the fans and chose the right locations, but when the right locations are found don't flood the market or it will soon be a bad location. We would love to have everyone of our races right here in the Carolina's but we have since enough to know that the circus comes to town once a year for a reason.
Sorry I might have hijacked the thread.

 

I was at the race at Shadyside in April and some people left the 4 wide race and came to see the G***ers.
When I raced dirt track in south Ga. High school football killed the Friday night race attendance.
They would change to Saturday night during football season.
True race fans will come and see true G***ers. Some tracks have fans that like Pro Mods , some like 10.5 outlaw races. Some like the crazy no prep stuff.