Projects 1941 Studebaker Champion Sedan Gasser Resurrection

Studebakers always had light frames. Sometimes too light. Many later 53-57s would twist just by using a bumper jack to the point the doors wouldn't open or close. Beautiful cars but first run of cars were problematic frame wise.

 

This thread will catch up to real time. The bare frame photos are from March 2023. I’m close to pulling the body and taking the chassis from “rough-in” to a more “finalized” version. I have tacked in (just days ago) the central driveshaft “pass-through” which will end up tying everything together. The pass-through is a (free) chunk of a bollard. It has an ID of 6”. 1350 u-joints have an OD of 3&5/8”, so there should be plenty of clearance. I will have to add a driveshaft safety loop off the back of the pass-through. I waited to start this thread until I had made some significant progress. (Insert rare color photo now…) That’s my jack handle poking out of my mock-up transmission.

 

This might be the world’s crustiest Ford 8.8. It’s not everyone’s favorite, but you really won’t even see it and it was cheap. I have a full rebuild kit waiting for the 4.10 posi version. It was so thin in one spot, I had to weld a custom split sleeve on one of the tubes. I would have liked a mint, rust free axle, but it matches the character of the car. I realized while writing this post that the car traveled many miles in the St. Paul area and the axle came out of a St. Paul auto recycler. They belong together.

 

Aluminum adapters were purchased to convert from wide 5 to small Ford. I’m considering tossing them in the dishwasher to darken them up. I also plan to eventually have the mag wheels soda blasted. The 15x5 Ford original riveted wheels are obviously the front runners. They are in great shape. I cleaned them up a bit and painted them lightly. Inexpensive bias ply’s were sourced from Priority Tire.

 

I like these Speedway ladder bars. They are longer than most, and use larger and heavier tubing than offerings from Rjay’s or Pete and Jake’s. I used them on “The Grinch” Model A, and was happy with them. You can see the axle tube repair sleeve in this photo. Almost everybody’s car has a few 1-800 parts in it.

 

Sometimes a picture doesn’t need explaining.

 

Dope, I like the rear bars

 

Just me but I'm a little leary about the condition of that rear end. I realize it was cheap but that is some rusty tubes.

 

It’s all good. The thin spot was expected. It happens where the factory wraps a plastic identification sticker around the passenger side tube. Water and salt get under that sticker and eat iron. This is my 5th 8.8. Appreciate the valid concern.

 

Great looking project, glad to see my late fathers' wheels put to good use, he stored them for 40 years and never got around to using them before he passed, I think they found the right home.

 

Thanks Jay for that post. Losing parents is tough. It’s what partially prompted me to do this crazy car thing one more time. The wheels are damn cool.

 

Kudos to you for sending them down the line to be used.

 

The butchery shown in this thread was common in the 1950s. You cant blame the purists for hating what hotrodders did to cars back then. I got a Model A roadster at Pate that was so badly done that it probably was never driven off of the property.

 

Hello,

Nice find on the 41 Studebaker Sedan. You have a great starting point for a nice looking gas sedan build. The era of the build was still in its “raw” form as a modified street cruiser with various powerful motor set ups. But as we all know, the versions of what a gas coupe or sedan got twisted and ended up a laughing point in drag racing circles. Can we imaging a John Force Funny Car raised up in front for the supposed faster speeds and looks of the so-called “gassers?” Pure power in the early days made the front end go up and transfer what was needed to the rear tires.

The most famous of all of the sedans was Junior Thompson. He and the team at Speed Engineering shop in the Westside of Long Beach put together a car for the street, but legal for the Gas Coupe and Sedan classes at nearby Lion’s Dragstrip. Tom McEwen and Ron LeGrand were the owners of the shop. The result was the early dragstrip victory in the nationals as “little eliminator

It was a shop, a few blocks from our house and in an industrial area littered with hot rod/drag race builders, parts supply places and manufacturers. Clay Smith Cams, Venolia Pistons, and a few blocks away, Joe Mailliard Automotive and then Mickey Thompson shops all were the mainstays of this automotive builders area.

From an old HAMB post:

That near to the camera, Studebaker Sedan was once the “Little Eliminator” at the old U.S. Nationals. It was put together at the Speed Engineering Shop in the Westside of Long Beach. (several blocks away from our Westside house.) The shop was owned by Tom McEwen and Ronnie LeGrand. Junior Thompson was the Studebaker sedan owner.

The Little Eliminator Final photo of the Speed Engineering 1941 Studebaker of Junior Thompson in action and trophy scenes. Little Eliminator trophy was a big deal.

Junior Thompson winning the Little Eliminator Trophy for “Speed Engineering” in the Westside of Long Beach…


Eddie and Junior Thompson Little Eliminator Champion.

Yes, that Tom McEwen…
Ronnie LeGrand in a 1955 Chevy and his business partner/friend, Tom McEwen in a 1956 Chevy. The advertisement says so… that they have the Home of the “World’s Fastest “D” Gas Coupe/Sedan Chevy…” Tom McEwen Marauders Long Beach 56 Chevy D/Gas Winner 1957.

and… Butch Taylor, a record setting 56 Chevy sedan in G/Stock (Lions refreshment manager)


Then, in 1959, we saw it at Lion’s Dragstrip almost weekly as they were at the Speed Engineering Shop to get some upgrades and race tune ups. The shop was in the same industrial neighborhood as some of the more famous and established manufacturers and other speed shops in the race car world at the time.

This is what the top Gas Coupe/Sedan racers sounded like in full bore acceleration…

original film + original sound 1959
Here is the original sound from the fall of 1959 and the film taken in the Summer of 1959. Digitally edited together includes the speed shift between gears and some action. Junior Thompson

Jnaki


We got to be in the Lion's Dragstrip pits next to the Studebaker between rounds. Our final 1940 Willys Coupe build with the 292 c.i. SBC 671 motor was going to be a challenger to this Studebaker sedan… a tough road ahead… for sure… YRMV

Note: All gas coupes and sedans from the beginning to September 1960 had stock gas tanks or Moon Tanks inside of the cabs.



But, as of September 1960, they were outlawed inside. the move to the rear for gas coupes was recommended. Somehow, the interpretation of the rule made for some aluminum tanks to move inside of the grille ahead of the radiator. Some even were placed outside. Thus, creating a nightmare for insurance carriers with the gas tanks sitting outside of the car in front.

Remember, these were “street legal” hot rods for everyday use to work, school or play. But, no one took their gas coupes to the insurers for check ups. So, it was easier to place them outside and the gas line was short and directly to the carbs or injectors. Fender benders or simple rear end collisions were nightmares. YRMV

 

to elaborate a bit more, the shed that the wheels were in had actually collapsed but I knew that they were under there and just had to dig them out lol

 

Hello,

But, closer to your photos is another So Cal Studebaker sedan that also raced during this time. Al Hirshfield and Howard Cams put together this beige Studebaker sedan with a powerful build and one innovation that had never been seen before. A single large Hilborn fuel injector that was a prototype. No dual injectors or the 4 hole injectors were around at the time. but, within a year or so, the two port blower injector arrived and the single large hole injector went to the shelves of Howard Johansen.

Al Hirshfield and the famous Single Hilborn Injector

This rare injector, is still around on the shelves, as a discussion with Donny Johansen a while back mentioned the large bore injector as a tribute to Hilborn and his dad Howard Johansen.

Al Hirshfield, Howard Cam sponsored Studebaker sedan running in the B/Gas class at Lion's Dragstrip. One of the famous tower side "pits" snack bars in background. My brother and I saw this Studebaker sedan plenty of times as a fast sedan in the same class as our, initial, 40 Willys Coupe build. It was powerful, built by a well seasoned veteran of the hot rod/drag racing world and supported by Howard Cam Company wares.

Junior Thompson vs Al Hirshfield in B/GAS Lion’s Dragstrip

Note the fast start from Junior Thompson, but a “cough” or something allows the Howard Cam Studebaker to catch up… The two fastest Studebaker sedans in all of So Cal or even the USA.

The idea of a fast sedan winning in the gas coupe/sedan class started early. If the car (Studebaker sedan) was available, in the staging line at Lion’s Dragstrip is somewhat of a good/bad omen. Bad in that it did look like a thrown together Studebaker sedan. That blurry photo is the Al Hirshfield-Howard Cam Studebaker Sedan that looked rough, but ran like a top against a lot of competition in So Cal dragstrips. Good in that it was/is one of the top B/Gas Sedans in all of So Cal drag racing circles and we were able to have some films we took at Lion’s Dragstrip and Bakersfield in 1959-60.


Jr Thompson vs Al Hirshfield

What is that protrusion sticking out of the hood? A rarity in early drag racing circles... It was one that had an unusual Howard Cam/Hilborn Single Injector as a one-of-a-kind item.
Al Hirshfield Howard Cam Studebaker Sedan at Bakersfield Smokers March Meet 1960

The high powered 1941 Studebaker Sedan of Howard Cam/Doug Cook/Al Hirshfield just over powered the sports car and won the race.

Drag News reporting the race...1960

It was a few seconds off of the starting line, but the 1941 Studebaker of Al Hirshfield just blasted by the Austin Healy sports car as if was standing still. It was not a question of "Where is Waldo," but, who is Waldo... "Waldo" is a nickname given to Al Hirshfield.

The “beater” Studebaker is nothing to scoff at during competition.
The actual race as recorded in March of 1960: :23 in the film
elimination race 1960:



"A single, 3 inch Hilborn Injector, just prior to developing the two port Hilborn Injectors. Howard Cam Group…" Donny Johansen

The "TWIN BEAR" at Lion’s Dragstrip single Hilborn 1960:


Lion's Dragstrip 1960 Pits plus action:



from the files of @ttwomotor thanks...

Note:
March 1960 Bakersfield Smokers March Meet
Here is one other film clip that I took in March 1960 at the Bakersfield Smokers March Meet.

It is of the Al Hirshfield vs. the Al Dal Porto Willys Pickup Truck. The history of the Al Dal Porto Willys pickup was that it won the A/Gas division in 1959 as per Drag News weekly.


Watch the power of the Studebaker sedan as it gets off of the starting line with authority and does not lose any traction…

Al Hirshfield vs. Al Dal Porto Willys 1960


“Another gasser that had an early influence was the Al Dal Porto Yellow Willys Pickup that was later bought by the Panella Brothers and became their Candy Apple Red pickup. Al was a lakes racer and built this Pickup to go drag racing. He won the A Gas Coupe Sedan class in it at the Smokers Meet (March Meet) in it in 1959. It turned 114.94 Mph with a Chevy engine.”

Jnaki

Filming at such a big event in early drag racing was hectic to say the least. Since I did not have a "press pass," I was relegated to the masses at the chain link fence as close to the action as possible.

It was hectic trying to film along the chain link fence. There was this blonde, bubble head, lady that kept shoving against me while leaning over the fence to get a better view. What a dumb ass… we all had the same view over the top of the chain link fence. No advantage was had by leaning over the top.

But, some just have no clue.

These films are several of the whole day spent at the Bakersfield Smokers March Meet in 1960. Either look up on the HAMB search or J NAKI Channel on the You Tube website. I thought they looked good on the 17 inch laptop screen, then on a 31 inch computer monitor and the surprise was the look of the historic racing on a large screen OLED TV as it does not distort being shown in a larger size. As Mikey’s friend used to say on a commercial, “Try it, you might like it…” YRMV



Action back at Lion's Dragstrip in a race against what we think is the Bayer-Frietas 1937 Chevy Coupe
at :12 sec

 

@jnaki - Your first hand stories and videos are truly historical treasures. Thank you for all your contributions on this thread and others I’ve seen over the years. I did not know about the single port injection prior to your post. Cool stuff!

 

Old Man Myer …



A Studebaker Legend …

@ https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4114383432000900&id=100005456325407


Jim

 

The passenger side of the trunk floor was not fixable, so might as well cut it all out.

 

The perforated square tubing works good for setting ride height and keeps things stable during mock-up. Most of the parts end up being modified in one way or another. I slightly enlarged the coil-over bushings as they were too tight on the mount studs. They come with those sleeves and some 1/2” hardware, but I prefer skipping the sleeves and using 5/8” hardware.

 

Once the rear axle was in the right spot, I needed to put the body back on to figure out the front axle placement. I had nothing to go off of, except the fender opening.

 

The body was only on for a day. The front axle was narrowed to a 53” track width, stock is 56”. It looks great. What doesn’t look great is the forward shackle and mount area disaster. When the chassis comes back out (next weekend), that is all being re-designed. I worked with what I had and it turns out, sometimes you have the wrong shit.

 

Even with the shackle mount mistake, I was able to move forward with other essential tasks. The Studebaker has such a short frame, forward of the firewall, that the steering was not easy to make work. After attempting every possible configuration, the issues could only be solved by using a double sided steering arm. I hand made it out of 3/8” thick stainless steel angle. It’s been slightly modified since these photos were taken and was painted today.

 

Let’s see, you’ll need three deuces, a four speed and a 389. Carry on.

 

Part of me dreams of a non SBC engine, but a goal I’ve mostly stuck with is “how cheaply can I build something that is still cool and unique”? So, it’s getting an SBC. But, it’s a .030” over small journal 327, with a pair of old chrome Carter 400’s on top of an old chrome Offenhauser 360 high rise manifold. The Muncie will be joined with a McLeod scatter shield. I had already purchased the manifold I wanted and a single Edelbrock 500, when I stumbled upon the chrome set up. The owner of the chrome manifold had passed away. A friend of his sold it to me. It’s my favorite part of the car, after the mag wheels.

 

Just came across this thread and I really like the B&W pictures, the car, the ethos of the build, the quality of the work and you having one more go at making the dream reality.

I'd also like to pay special attention to the body dolly and the frame roller. So many times I've thought of different ways to do it and seen many posts ask how. Yours has it all covered. Thanks for documenting the work!

 

Mr. @RodStRace, your post is appreciated. Shouldn't that cucumber be wrapped in tin foil? Are we doing Stone Henge tomorrow? In the meantime, let’s clean up that firewall…

 

Here’s a random shot of my son and I. You can see the big casters that allow me to easily slide the chassis in or out. I have a detailed list of material (steel) that will soon be purchased from Coremark metals in north Minneapolis.

 

This pic captures a narrowed axle, the double sided steering arm, a 2x4 supporting an ABS steering column and the chassis centerline laid out with pin-stripe tape.

 

I’ve had this mock-up block for 17 years. It’s been sitting outside next to the wood pile for the last 8 years.