I have a `50 Studebaker pickup that I`d like to do the Volare /Aspen front clip swap on. There is alot of information available on this swap for the Ford F-100 guys (articles, videos, etc). I have a good idea how to go about it, but wondered if anyone on the list had done this swap on a Studebaker Pickup. I have an article showing a Stude truck after the swap but no techinical details. Anyone done this with their Stude? Thanks very much.
Welcome to the HAMB. Pssst - I'd post and intro here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=18 before someone on the intro police jumps down your throat. The Volare clip has been discussed several time and a search will yeild those threads. Most of the discussion has been about the pros and cons of the swap, but there may be some specific info regarding installation. The install is going to follow the same basic procedure as the Ford truck do. A frame is a frame. You'll need to make sure the clip is at the same specs for caster as the factory when you install it. Most of the installs I've seen have the frame cut about halfway up the rails to duplicate the contours of the Volare clip, then it's welded on. The steering box may pose on interference with your exhaust manifolds. The stock motor mounts will be too far forward but you can fab up a new set easily enough. Rod & Custom did a cursory write-up on this years ago and I don't remember the issue, but it had a '34 Ford on the cover with a P-40 type Tiger mouth/sharks mouth painted on it. The '34 also had a propeller nose cone in the grill area.
Tex Smith's ''How to Build Custom Cars'' shows an install on the earlier body style Stude. It had a flat frame in the front and he did it as a bolt-in. He notched the top of the frame to clear the A-arms instead of the bottom.
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